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Noisy kittens waiting for dinner!

Tsumami Kanzashi Flower Hair Clip I have recently discovered these beautiful folded flowers, and I absolutely cannot stop making them. Tsumami Kanzashi are traditional Japanese folded flowers, made from small squares of silk, that are typically worn by women as hair ornaments in traditional hairstyles. They seem really complicated and intricate, and they can certainly be that if you really want; but it completely doesn't need to be! These can be used in countless applications. There are a few tutorials out there on the internet, but to find a good variety in petal shapes can certainly be difficult, you just have to keep looking, and just grab a square of fabric and just test stuff out.

Why Do Cats Knead? NEW: See the most adorable kitten “making biscuits.” Why do cats knead? Cats are interesting creatures, with many traits and behaviors that are easily recognized as being uniquely feline-the way they curl up tightly to take a nap, for example, or their characteristic grooming rituals after enjoying a meal. Another common feline behavior is kneading, a motion cats make by pushing in and out with their paws, alternating between right and left. Some cats knead with claws completely retracted, while others will extend their claws as they push in and retract as they pull back. Kneading is sometimes colloquially referred to as “making biscuits,” because the motion resembles a baker kneading dough. Explanations for the kneading behavior vary, but it is without doubt an instinctive trait. Kneading may also go back to the days when wild cats patted down tall grass or shredded leaves to make a soft, fluffy bed for sleeping or giving birth. There’s also a more practical aspect to kneading.

ZooBorns: Fennec Fox Australia's Taronga Zoo welcomed three Fennec Fox infants, the first to be born to a new breeding pair from Europe. The kits, which are just starting to emerge from their nest box, were born on December 19, 2012, a year after the zoo introduced their parents, Zinder and Kibali, a new breeding couple from Europe. Carnivore Keeper Tamara Bell said, “Any new arrival is special, but what makes these Fennec kits even more important is that they’re the first offspring born to Zinder, the male who came from Germany, and Kebilli, the female from Poland. This means that these kits are not related to any of the Fennec Foxes here in Australia.” Photo Credit: Rick Stevens Aside from expanding the genetics in the Australasian region, the young Fennec Foxes have also provided a boost to the captive population of the species, which dropped to only six throughout Australia prior to 2010. Read more about the kits, and see more pictures, after the fold:

Hyperbole and a Half Packing all of your belongings into a U-Haul and then transporting them across several states is nearly as stressful and futile as trying to run away from lava in swim fins. I know this because my boyfriend Duncan and I moved from Montana to Oregon last month. But as harrowing as the move was for us, it was nothing compared to the confusion and insecurity our two dogs had to endure. Our first dog is - to put it delicately - simple-minded. When we started packing, the helper dog knew immediately that something was going on. When the soul-penetrating pathos she was beaming at me failed to prevent me from continuing to put things in boxes, the helper dog became increasingly alarmed. Unfortunately for the helper dog, it took us nearly a week to get everything packed up. But the simple dog seemed to enjoy the trip. Even though she threw up seven times. She actually seemed to like throwing up. But as far as the simple dog was concerned, it was the best, most exciting day of her life.

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