A 33-pound cat in Qingdao, China, is being described as a "feline monster" because of its 31-inch waist and large size, according to a report.

The 9-year-old cat from the Shandong Province is so heavy it needs the help of its owner to get onto a bed. However, the cat is in surprisingly good health despite its weight,

The cat's owner said it has no interest in eating fish but prefers to eat six pounds of chicken and pork each day.

Must...see...panda!

I learned today that baby pandas cost $100,000 a month for their first 6 months of life.  I think Rachel, dZ and I will have to reconsider this whole get-a-pet-panda idea.

Live Panda Cam - go check out what the baby panda is doing now - surprising how hooked you can get to this :)http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/default.cfm

OSU tics are gone - thanks!



A young Chinese man eats noodles next to freshly killed chickens at his stall in a Beijing market


" China's Agriculture Ministry said Tuesday that it would inject all of the nation's 5.2 billion chickens, geese and ducks with a vaccine against bird flu...

three-fifths of the poultry in China was kept by families, who let the birds and other domesticated animals wander around the neighborhood and the yard and often through the house."

umm...... good luck with that.