Tag: animals

Winnie-the-Pooh 100th Anniversary!

~ Alfie Ted ~ 1 Comment

Hi, friends!

Something exciting is happening this year, and I wanted to tell you about it!

2026 is the 100th anniversary of the first Winnie-the-Pooh book. Written by A. A. Milne and illustrated by E. H. Shepard, it was originally published in October 1926. Seeing his son, Christopher Robin, play with his teddy bear and other stuffed toys inspired Milne to create the stories. His mom had bought the teddy bear for him for his first birthday. The other toys followed later.

Multiple brands are releasing special anniversary merchandise. Including a knitted Pooh from the Disney Store and a beautiful limited edition Pooh bear from Steiff.

We here at The Hug House love teddy bear stories. The Pooh stories are some of our favorites. Along with the original A. A. Milne stories, we also have all the official sequels and the prequel. Last year we met Jim Cummings, the voice of the animated Winnie the Pooh since the 80s!

Be sure to keep your eyes open for more Winnie-the-Pooh anniversary celebrations!

Animal Holidays and Observations, April 5 – April 11

April pet holidays
~ Truman ~ Leave a comment

The April Monthly Observations are:

Heartworm Awareness Month
National Pet First Aid Awareness Month
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
Canine Fitness Month
Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs Month
National Adopt a Greyhound Month

The daily Holidays/Observations during the week of April 5 – April 11 are:

• April 5: Every Day is Tag Day
• April 6: National Siamese Cat Day
• April 7: National Pet Health Insurance Day
• April 8: National Dog Fighting Awareness Day
• April 8: Catahoula Leopard Dog Day
• April 10: National Hug Your Dog Day
• April 11: National Pet Day
• April 11: Dog Therapy Appreciation Day

Nipclub April 2, 2026: Sekurity Update

~ gameraglow ~ Leave a comment

Nipclub April 2, 2026, Sekurity Update by Slinky, @Slinky_the_Cat, Sekurity Agent, Late Nite shift

Nipclub go fly a kite day! We all have kites to fly on a glorious spring evening.

I arrived at the bar filled with lively conversation about blue jets and red sprites; apparently, these are both upper atmospheric electrical discharge phenomena that occur during storms. Pearl was talking about it, and Gator had a video to share with everyone in the bar. The images were so beautiful, like the Northern Lights!

Apparently, all the pals were talking about big thunderstorms and different lightning types right before I arrived. Harvey, Miss Moo, Pearl, Gator, DC Kitty, Kim Colon, Lily, Louis, and even P and Jeego were there for the early party!

Moo served up some delicious satay chicken skewers, and Angus flew a spectacular rainbow kite. Pearl started barktending after Moo’s shift, and was serving freshly baked calzones and “Black Kite” wine, which was a nice play on words as it had a bird on the label. It was delicious wine!

Someone mentioned Holy Week. I said it was Maundy Thursday (commemorating the Last Supper); Harvey said it was already Good Friday in New Zealand. Raven said her human didn’t understand why the store ran out of eggs…duh, it’s Easter week!

The Artimis rocket was a topic as well, along with light rain during spring weather. TJS showed up with the usual energy and greeted everyone by name.

After more food and conversation, LATE NITE fun started with Angus in the DJ booth, spinning the tunes, and we lit up the night sky with LED kites.

Pearl was serving up righteous noms and cocktails for the LATE NITE diehards. Angus found a fun song for April Fool’s Day, something funny by the great Ray Stevens. We had forgotten how funny he was! That led to Weird Al, so we amped up the fun!

We stayed up late and talked about the lack of humor nowadays and how human children have cushy playgrounds, nothing dangerous. Gen X drank from the hose and ran around until dark!

Pearl retired for the evening, so I stayed for another 30 minutes to barktend and close the bar.

I love staying late for the Nipclub pals!

I found out that Louis and Angus’ humans are both Gen X, just like mine, so we continued the conversation about dangerous playgrounds, not having cell phones, Blockbuster Video stores, and what it was like to roam free outside without supervision.

I served up a nightcap with some deviled eggs while the conversation flowed into Good Friday.

Louis, Angus, and I closed it down; it’s almost Easter!

Until next week!

Slinky the Cat

We’re back!

~ TJ and Bart ~ Leave a comment

Good evening y’all! It’s Bart from TJ and Bart, and we are back!

TJ: Yes, it’s good to be back. We need to snooze. So, what shall we talk about tonight, Bart?

Bart: Let’s talk about food

TJ: Dis is a good idea

Bart: One of the stwange dings about hoomans is dat dey think there are only a few times in the day that you should eat.

TJ: Dis is boring. We say, eat anytime during the day or night!

Bart: Now, also, we ask, what to eat?

TJ: Anything!

Bart: Dat makes sense!

TJ: Da hoomans want to feed us canned food called dog food. Do they call their food ‘hooman food’?

Bart: Dis is stwange. But hoomans are stwange.

TJ: Yes. Why do they always scoop up our poop?

Bart: TJ, let’s stick to one subject.

TJ: Towwy!

Bart: Dat’s okay. What do you really like to eat, TJ?

TJ: Pizza.

Bart: But our hooman doesn’t let us eat pizza.

TJ: That doesn’t mean we can’t eat it when they aren’t looking.

Bart: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, dis is twue.

TJ: And it’s also fun to eat each other’s food.

Bart: I don’t like it when you eat my food.

TJ: So?

Bart: Whatever. When is your favorite time to eat?

TJ: Anytime! When we finish writing dis, I say we eat!

Bart: What shall we eat?

TJ: Snausauges!

Bart: Dis is a good idea! Well, dat’s all, folks. We won’t wait that long before writing again.

TJ: Dat’s right! Hope you enjoyed dis! Time to chow down!

Animal Holidays and Observations, March 29 – April 4

April pet holidays
~ Truman ~ Leave a comment

The April Monthly Observations are:

Heartworm Awareness Month
National Pet First Aid Awareness Month
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
Canine Fitness Month
Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs Month
National Adopt a Greyhound Month

The daily Holidays/Observations during the week of March 29 – April 4 are:

• April 1-7: International Pooper Scooper Week
• April 1: International Bull Terrier Day
• April 2: National Ferret Day
• April 4: World Stray Animals Day
• April 4: World Rat Day

Paws to That, Callie Cat!

~ nancygr2012 ~ Leave a comment

I’m Callie Cat, and we need to discuss what you humans call a ‘water bowl.’ Every morning, you plunk it down with that self-satisfied grin.

‘Fresh water, Callie!’ you chirp. You think because it’s clear and wet, it’s acceptable? Please. By 10:00 AM, that bowl isn’t a drink; it’s a stagnant pond of despair. I lean in, whiskers twitching. It’s a gamble every time. If the water level drops even a millimeter below the rim—just a fraction of an inch—the bowl is officially ‘empty.’ I will sit next to it and scream the song of my people until you rectify this injustice. You look at the bowl and see 95% capacity; I look at it and see a desert wasteland.

Also, if the bowl is too narrow, my whiskers scrape the sides. But if you really loved me, you’d leave a half-full glass of ice water on the in the bowl. That’s the premium stuff.

Now, be a dear and top it off. I can see a microscopic hair floating near the left edge, and frankly, I am disgusted.

Goldie

~ nancygr2012 ~ Leave a comment

Goldie, a Golden Retriever, was having a regular visit at the vet. The checkup was mostly fine, but when Dr. Sarah looked at her clipboard, she sighed.

“She’s getting a little heavy,” she said to Goldie’s owner. “No more table scraps, perhaps reduce the… what do you call them? The drive-thru pup cups?”

Goldie gasped. She sat up, her ears alert. Wait. She placed a heavy paw on Dr. Sarah’s knee, looked at her, and barked, “Why?“

Dr. Sarah explained, “Pup cups, while delicious, are just high-fat whipped cream. Think of them as a very rare treat, not a daily requirement.”

She patted her head. Goldie looked at her owner, her expression full of disappointment.

Dr. Sarah explained, “If you consume it with restraint, it’s fine. Perhaps, as a treat, once every few weeks. It shouldn’t become a habit with every coffee shop visit.”

Goldie let out a long sigh, dropping her chin onto her paws.

On the way home, her owner drove past the local café. The barista extended a small pup cup from the car window upon its halt. Goldie felt shocked. She glanced toward her owner, then towards the barista.

She quickly devoured the treat in three seconds, whipped cream covering her nose. It was worth the, well, moderation.

She sat wagging her tail, already planning her next, very “moderate” visit to the vet. 

Walking in the Cold

~ TJ and Bart ~ Leave a comment

Hello! Dis is Bart! We are TJ and Bart, and we are ready with a new article for the Anipal Times!

Dis is TJ! We take our duties as writers seriously. And we have a vewy important topic today. Walking in da cold.

Bart: Dat’s wight, TJ. Now we live in Florida, so it does not get too cold here too often. But sometimes it does.

TJ: Dis also for our pals who really have to go through da cold so much during the winter. Dey have real winters. Dis is an important topic!

Bart: Dis is also weally for our humans. Because dey walk us, after all.

TJ: And they don’t walk us any differently than! Man, it is cold outside! Why do they go so slowly?

Bart: Dis is so twue! You know we are low to the gwound! Our pwivate parts are touching the gwass!

TJ: Sowwy if that is too stwong for da readers out there, but dis is an important issue for us doggos! Humans, get da lead out!

Bart: You don’t want to be out dere, wight? Well, we don’t want to be out dere either!

TJ: And yoooose humans are supposed to be da smart ones. If we go inside, then we will all get warm! What is so hard about dat?

Bart: But we also have to have patience with our humans.

TJ: It’s difficult sometimes, though, Bart. Cats have it so good! They can go in da stinky box inside!

Bart: And then da humans clean it. Cats are lucky!

TJ: In da meantime, humans, understand! Faster walks, and less time outside when it is cold!

Bart: Dat’s wight!

TJ: Dis concludes our article. We hope dis helps!

Barnaby the Beagle

~ nancygr2012 ~ 1 Comment

Barnaby the beagle wasn’t a fan of freezing weather. The world outside the kitchen window had traded its cheerful autumn colors for white and grey. He was a hound of the field, chasing scents across sunny meadows, not shivering his paws off in the icy air.

This morning, the frosty glass looked cold. Barnaby sighed, a huff that ruffled the fleece throw he was lying on. Barnaby needed to go outside and was gently but firmly guided into his little blue coat with a hood he hated. His human pulled on his leash for him to come along. This morning, the frosty glass looked cold.

Outside, the snow was deeper than his legs were long. He plunged his nose into it, expecting the familiar scent of rabbits. It smelled only of clean, sharp ice.

Then, an unfamiliar scent drifted on the wind. Faint but distinct. It cut through the cold with a warm, sugary hint of something delicious. Barnaby’s ears perked up with the usual droop replaced with focused attention. He followed the trail, his little legs working hard, nose to the ground.

He led his human on a winding path to the edge of the local park, right up to a snow-covered picnic table. There, half-buried in the snow, was a bright red mitten. Tucked inside the mitten was a small, foil-wrapped chocolate bar, likely forgotten by a visitor.

Barnaby nudged the find with his nose, let out a satisfied “A-roo,” then looked up at his human with shining eyes. Freezing weather, he decided, might have its charms after all. Especially if it involved hidden treasure.