Awesome Animals

The WWF (no, not that WWF) exposes us to some unusual and extraordinary recently discovered species, encouraging us to preserve our planet and habitats so we still might discover more.

We still enjoy the antics of beloved YouTube cat Maru, even though he has sold himself out now and is about to release a book. On the other hand we’re jumping on the list for preorder, because why not?

Petey the wonder dog enjoys the occasional game of volleyball. And we’re not talking about a random bounce here and there – he can volley longer than most humans could. No serves yet, though.

We’re guilty of contributing to the widespread epidemic of cat videos on the Web. But until now, we didn’t know the truth behind the myriad cat clips clogging the Interpipes with hairballs.

We all know by now that Maru isn’t exactly the most dignified cat. But that doesn’t stop him from charming the pants off of us with his gymnastic abilities behind the door in this clip.

May this guy’s sacrifice not be in vain. Watch it repeatedly, and when you’re done laughing internalize the moral within. Let this be a lesson to every man: DO NOT TOUCH A HORSE’S JUNK.

Pamper your pet with these well-designed dog mansions. They’re available in different sizes as well as architectural styles, from a cozy Swedish bungalow to a 20th century Bauhaus-inspired cube.

Is there nothing that Jesse the Jack Russell can’t do? He puts most mutts to shame making the bed, toasting toast, microwaving popcorn and sorting recyclables. He even buys his own dog toys.

The Mariachi Connecticut play a song for an appreciative Beluga whale at the Mystic Aquarium. It spends its days being watched by people, so it’s only fair that we return the favor once in a while.

(NSFW: language) Since we think cats can be regal, fastidious and intelligent creatures, the lyrics in this anthem to stupid cats aren’t exactly accurate; on the other hand, they are rather hilarious.

Mishka and Laika have a heated argument. One wants to play and the other doesn’t. Only on the Internet can we understand what a couple of dogs are saying but not what’s on these humans’ minds.

This bird my be small, but he has an iron will (and claws of steel), hanging on to this moving windshield wiper like a champ. He may not look like he is, but perhaps he’s related to this guy.

Send Amanda Wolfe a picture of your pet and she’ll make a charming and funny mugshot, using gouache – an opaque watercolor – on cardstock. Available in different sizes – 3×3, 5×5 and 9×9.

Jasper the dog doesn’t live in a mansion, but his suave transition from fully awake to sleep mode more than makes up for his modest abode. Watch Jasper swagger to sleep on YouTube.

Apparently fanny packs are for real men. Not only is this guy crazy enough to go into a tiny pit full of the most pissed off cobras we’ve ever seen. He does it in flip-flops with his pants rolled up!

An unstoppable object meets an irresistibly cute force. We’re not sure what this dog is doing – standing guard, watching or just chilling. Whatever it is, it’s not gonna let some door get in its way.

The primates from Rise of the Planet of the Apes have a score to settle, and from the looks of this footage released for Comic-Con this week, they’re not going down without a major fight.

What’s not to like about corgis? Here, Penny, the stubby-legged welsh corgi tries out for the doggie rodeo with a tiny rider strapped to her back. Hang on for a wild ride on a tiny buckin’ bronco.

Based on his ability to perform household chores, we already knew that Jesse the dog was talented, but all work and no play makes Jesse a dull boy. Bet you never saw a dog run backwards before.

Artist Laura Bifano creates these surreal portraits using blocky pixels (or technically, voxels) to represent Mother Nature’s creatures in their natural habitats. Bambi – you’re looking a little blocky.

Murdock the dog fetches YouTuber th7985 a cold can of Bud from the fridge. He really is a man’s best friend. This is why we prefer dogs over cats. Felines are too smart(ass) to be taught to care.

Ya Kwanza – one of the gorillas at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust – fools around with a camera. Turns out the big guy is just as vain as us. Or not. He’s also polite, relatively speaking.

Shark Week’s coming up fast, but don’t believe all the media hype. As Christina Zenato here shows us, sharks aren’t really the ruthless killing machines Hollywood wants you to believe.