Cats playing with virtual mice? There's an app for that

An iPad app aimed at cats -- or, perhaps more accurately, aimed at lazy cat owners with iPads they don't mind sharing with their pets -- was recently released as a free download.

The app's creators bill it as "All the fun of your cat chasing a laser pointer without any of the work!" Now if they can just create cat-feeding and litter-box-cleaning apps, they'll be all set!

And Apple product fans, don't worry -- according to the owner of Iggy, the cat who became a YouTube star when a video of him playing with iPad apps went viral earlier this year, the tablet device's screen is tough enough to withstand even the most enthusiastic cat's claws.

You can download the app at iPadGameForCats.com. If your cat has a blast playing with the thing, let us know (or better yet, make a video and send it to us!).

RELATED POSTS ABOUT ANIMALS AND TECHNOLOGY:

• Tech company makes it possible to play with shelter kittens via webcam

• Your morning adorable: Dog plays iPad hockey

-- Lindsay Barnett

Tech company makes it possible to play with shelter kittens via webcam

SEATTLE — A company that has developed technology for controlling remote robotic arms over the Internet has adapted the system so that people around the world can play remotely with kittens.

The company first tested its system by building a paintball shooting gallery. But while Apriori Control, a tiny Boise, Idaho-based company, waits for paying customers, it's putting its systems through their paces at animal shelters in the West.

Scott Harris, head of Apriori, thought the systems would be used to meld real-world and online gaming, or as part of military training. A "beta" test drew more than 2,300 people to a website to shoot a paintball gun by pressing computer keys and watch their results splatter in real time.

Afterward, Apriori went to work on software improvements. It also decided to donate time and spare equipment to a good -- and very cute -- cause.

The Idaho Humane Society and the Oregon Humane Society now have kitten play rooms equipped with cat toys attached to robotic arms. Web surfers can visit the animal adoption groups' websites, download a browser plug-in and get in line for a turn at moving the toys. While they wait, they can watch over a live webcam as others try to catch the kitties' attention with a flick or bounce of the toy.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology's 'All About Birds' website wins Webby Award

ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's "All About Birds" website will be celebrated alongside film critic Roger Ebert, rock band OK Go, comedian Jim Carrey and Twitter in the 14th annual Webby Awards.

The Webbys, which honor Internet achievement, were announced by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-member group of Web experts. The awards ceremony is June 14 in New York City.

"All About Birds" won the Best Lifestyle Site award. The site helps people identify and learn about nearly 600 species of North American birds, and features photos, sounds and videos. It also has bird-feeding tips, gear reviews and an online magazine.

This year's competition received nearly 10,000 entries from more than 60 countries and all 50 states.

RELATED NEWS FOR BIRDERS:
Robins, geese, crows among most common birds spotted in Great Backyard Bird Count
Orange County-based barn owl cam attracts an international audience of online bird-watchers

-- Associated Press

Video: An excerpt from one of Cornell's live webcams showing nesting birds.

Orange County-based barn owl cam attracts an international audience of online bird-watchers

Okay, so it's not quite as cute as Shiba Inu Puppycam -- after all, Shiba Inu puppies are far less likely to be caught on video eating a rat -- but the Live Barn Owl Cam produced at the National Audubon Society's Starr Ranch preserve in Orange County is still pretty compelling viewing.

The live cam project was started a few years ago by Pete DeSimone, the ranch's manager, and Sandy DeSimone, its director of research and education, who worked with techie folks to bring barn owl viewing opportunities to the masses.

The live cam documents the lives of a nesting pair of adult barn owls and their offspring, and the DeSimones told the Orange County Register that viewership nearly doubled between last breeding season and the current one. Virtual bird-watchers from five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, if you're keeping score) have tuned in to watch the owl family.

Broadcasting the owls' activity online isn't just about entertaining viewers, Pete DeSimone told the Register; the online community of bird-watchers can also help him study the birds and document their activities. (That's not just a nice idea -- it's one that has some precedent to back it up. Keepers at a wildlife park in Scotland were alerted to the impending birth of a southern white rhinoceros by a webcam viewer who noticed that its mother's water had broken last year.)

Remote-control pet door keeps intruders out

Doggy doors are a convenient solution for pet owners who are away for hours at a time or are too lazy to tend to their animals when they need to go outside.

But the problem with cutting a hole in your door and covering it with a rubber flap is that any petite burglar or curious animal could crawl their way into your home.

The Plexidor Pet Door is an interesting alternative. After installing the mini door, only pets with the compatible RFID chips attached to their collars can enter. The door opens when it detects a nearby chip, which the company assures is waterproof and shockproof.

We wonder how a dog with prior experience testing invisible shocker fences might react to someone attempting to outfit him or her with this collar device. (Yelp!)

But the product seems like a smart solution to a common flaw with doggy doors. Maybe the best part about it, though, is this line from the press release: "It is like having a personalized garage door and electronic opener specifically for your dogs."

There's just something hilarious about picturing a golden retriever waiting patiently while the door creaks its way open.

-- Mark Milian

Photo: Pet Doors USA Inc.

LOLcats review music

In case you hadn't noticed, LOLcats have been everywhere.

The cute kitty pictures with misspelled captions dominate a popular blog called I Can Has Cheezburger, inspired an off-Broadway musical and are the subject of two bestselling books.

And now, as the LOLcats might say, "We r in ur CD collekshun, revyooing yoor muzik."

Kristyn Pomranz and Katherine Steinberg, the brains behind the stage production of MusicLOL, put together a series of LOLcat pictures critiquing some popular bands for the Times' Pop & Hiss blog.

Check out the nine LOLcat music reviews.

-- Mark Milian

Images: Kristyn Pomranz and Katherine Steinberg

New ad campaign aims to dispel myths about shelter pets

Sure, some people say that Super Bowl ads are the best commercials out there (though PETA might disagree).  But for our money, a new advertising campaign called the Shelter Pet Project gives those high-profile, often-high-concept commercials a run for their money.

The ads -- which were created through a partnership between the Humane Society of the United States, Maddie's Fund and the nonprofit Ad Council -- are designed to dispel common myths about animals in shelters, and Humane Society president and CEO Wayne Pacelle describes them as part of the largest advertising campaign ever launched by the animal protection movement.  "There is a nagging perception on the part of some Americans that there is something wrong or defective with animals in shelters," Pacelle wrote on his blog. "But nothing could be further from the truth. Most of the animals in shelters would make great pets, and they are often well socialized, vaccinated, sterilized, microchipped, and primed for a wonderful new home."

It's easy to say that shelter pets aren't defective at all, but the new ads make the point with humor -- and they're all the better for it.  In one (above), an innocent-looking terrier mix plays against type by calling his owner a "total loser" after being abandoned -- and then makes a mess of the man's dropped wallet.  In the other (which aired for the first time on Animal Planet last week -- if you missed it, you can see it after the jump), a Boston terrier owned by a finance wizard accused of fraud laments that he's about to end up in a shelter because "I like tennis balls; he likes insider trading" before confessing to having once stolen a cheeseburger.

Pets on Twitter raise funds for needy animals

Dougal and Romeo live in different countries and have never met in person. One's a dog, one's a cat. But they're quite the party animals.

The two pets -- OK, their owners -- host "pawpawties" on Twitter to raise money for animal causes.

Every month, a date and cause are chosen. Through social networking, word spreads, the countdown begins and anticipation builds until the pawpawty and donation pledges begin.

It all started in February when Caroline Golon in Charlotte, N.C., opened a Twitter account for her rescue cat, Romeo, to make a co-worker laugh. She then turned the account into a fundraising program she calls Furpower, offering to donate a nickel to the Humane Society of the United States for every new follower.

"I realized that the pet community online was quite remarkable. I started raising money on Twitter right away," she said. "My number of followers exploded."

Golon launched a blog, Romeothecat.com, and people started telling her about other animal charities that needed help. Money came through donors who found her on Twitter, Facebook and the blog. She started selling magnets that said "Rescue Mom" and "Rescue Dad." Corporate sponsors started pitching in.

Rescue success story: Hard work, perseverance and one amazing photo save Nico the Dogo Argentino

The sheer volume of abandoned, hurt and abused animals in need of rescue can be daunting to animal lovers -- it's difficult to fight for them knowing we can't save them all.  That's why we love guest blogger Janet Kinosian's post about one needy dog named Nico who was saved through the sheer force of will of some determined rescuers.  Here's Nico's story:

When I first saw this photograph I was in tears.

Nico's redemption story begins with this amazing photograph and for anyone who walks the rows inside L.A.'s South Central animal shelter, this emotive image of a sad, suffering dog is repeated everywhere you turn.  But to encounter that suffering captured so compellingly inside one moment, well, you’ll see what became of it.

Nikki Audet of local rescue group The Mutt Scouts  posted the picture in late July on Facebook, hoping that its raw emotion would help save this suffering, sad animal.  To her surprise, the photograph flew like wildfire across the country and caught the attention of a rescuer, Kelly Gibson in San Diego. 

Nico, it turns out, is a 6-year-old Dogo Argentino, a rare and graceful breed from South America, and he is also deaf.  Bruised, malnourished, covered in fleas and sores and cuts, with teeth missing and a large tumor on his back, this magnificent animal had about zero chance of making it out of the shelter alive, unless someone stepped up quickly and with a structured plan.  Nico would need not just good medical care, but also extensive training.