Pets

For lovers of (little) pets, the Cuddle 'n Carry Shirt may be barking up just the right tree. The cotton-polyester-blend sweatshirt has a pouch sewn into the inside front of the zippered chest section that lets you keep your animal companion close to your heart - literally. A small dog, cat, ferret, or any creature under 10 pounds that is amenable can snuggle inside with head free to look around at the passing scene. The Cuddle 'n Carry is machine washable and dryable and comes in black, blue, or camel.

Michelle, 11, wants to be adopted by a family who will spend time with her. Just taking a walk and talking, one-on-one, is a great pleasure to this child, and being an older sister to a brother or sister would also bring her joy. She'd like two parents or a single mother, and it would be a plus if they had pets to cuddle. There is neglect and abuse in Michelle's background. She is receiving therapy that helps her to deal with feelings of loss, and is working on her behavior and issues around adoption.

Most dogs, and some cats, like to eat fruits and vegetables. In moderation, these vitamin-filled foods can make an excellent addition to a pet's rations. My old cat, Maggie, was addicted to cantaloupe. He (despite its name, the cat was very much a male) would steal it from the table when my back was turned. And I've known dogs that ate tomatoes from the vine. Samoyed fancier Judy Mears gives her dogs whole oranges. She says they first play with the oranges like balls, then gobble the tooth-marked remains.

The Main Line Emergency Center cares for animals when many veterinary practices are closed. It opened Oct. 1 at the Ardmore Animal Hospital.

I'M VERY UPSET ABOUT the recent huge meat recall. I saw video of sick cattle being "shoveled" off on forklifts to be slaughtered. Reminiscent of the Holocaust. As an animal lover, I don't believe we should be breeding animals for our food. But if we must breed animals for food, then we should breed them for their products that won't kill them - like milk to make cheese, yogurt, etc. We should breed chickens for their eggs only. All should have names and be treated as pets.

It's hard enough for soldiers to head overseas and leave behind their spouses, children, parents, and friends, but saying goodbye to your blue-eyed husky can break a man. As soon as Andrew Chern, a young Navy recruit from Palisades Park, N.J., received his orders this summer to report for boot camp, he and his wife, Grace, made the rounds, hoping to find a friend or relative to take care of Mac. The puppy, a purebred, had been a gift to...

It's important to keep your pets safe every day, but especially so around Halloween. I grew up loving this magical day - full moons, pumpkins, ghosts, goblins and the best part: all that trick-or-treat candy. However, as I got older I found out some of the terrible things that happened to animals around this otherwise fun time of year. Without going into sad details, let me just say: Don't let your cats out, especially if they are black, until several weeks after Halloween. This could save their lives.

Don't worry, master. Just give me a sack and have a pair of boots made so that I can go into the brambles, and you will see that you are not so badly off after all. - "The Master Cat" by Charles Perrault Robert Mitchell lay awake in bed, wracking his brain for an idea. And then he saw D.C. D.C. is the 2-year-old calico Mitchell and his wife, Marlena, found on the campus of Delaware College while visiting their daughter. An unexpected addition to the Mitchells' Yeadon household, the cat had charmed her human companions.

A few years ago the Humane Society of the U.S. had a TV commercial that told the whole story. Two men were sitting at a kitchen table with a roaring fire in the background. One guy says "Where is that cute puppy you had last year?" The other guy says "He's older so he stays outside now. " The camera shows a dog outside with its nose pressed up against the window, longingly looking to come inside. The announcer says, "Animals need warmth and comfort too. " OK, you know where this is going.

A 70-year-old man died early yesterday trying to save his cat and dog from his burning rowhouse in the heart of Port Richmond. Joseph Shields, who lived on Edgemont Street near Allegheny Avenue, initially escaped the 3:30 a.m. fire with his wife, Gladys, 50, and his 20-year-old son, Joseph, authorities said. But the elder Shields couldn't bear the thought of his pooch and kitty trapped inside, so he returned to the house to rescue them. As thick smoke filled the place, Shields climbed to a second floor bedroom to find his beloved pets, but was overcome by smoke.

Cat Burrell (right) — yes he's named for recently retired Phillies slugger Pat Burrell — is a handsome 4-year-old tabby. His $35 adoption fee includes neutering, vaccinations and a free month of pet insurance. Visit the Pennsylvania SPCA at 350 E. Erie Ave. Or visit the PSPCA's website at www.pspca.org to learn more about how to adopt Cat Burrell or other animals and to download an application.

It was the kind of pitching experience that might make some guys, forever and ever, switch to another position. Or even to a different sport. A few years ago, while playing in one of the 21st Ward League's many in-house groupings, Ray Guinther surrendered two grand slams and another home run in the very same inning! "It all happened in not too long a period of time," he said. "There were some errors mixed in, but mostly they just kept hitting the ball. After it's all over, you really just have to laugh.

An off-duty Philadelphia police officer was walking his personal dog today in the city's Fernhill section when it was attacked by two other dogs. The off-duty officer flagged down a passing on-duty officer, according to police. One of the attacking dogs lunged at the on-duty officer, who then fired his gun, killing the dog. The other dog fled. Police say the incident occurred about 10 a.m. on the 4000 block of McKean Street. It was not immediately known if the owner of the attacking dogs faces charges.

THE HORRIFYING report of the Gloucester County woman charged with starving her dog nearly to death seems to warrant specific attention from prosecutors. The condition of both the dog and the cat, who was euthanized, indicate, at minimum, a disturbing lack of empathy on the part of the owner. Caring for one dog but abusing another might also involve some sort of punitive action that needs explaining. As a psychotherapist familiar with animal-related cases, I know from experience that animal neglect and abuse are cause for serious concern, especially in cases of starvation that happen over a long period of time.

BERKS COUNTY porn starlet and Penthouse pet Gina Lynn slept with Flyers winger Scottie Upshall while married, her ex-husband Travis Knight has revealed on the radio show of former 94WYSP host Kidd Chris now heard on Atlanta's Project 96.1. Lynn and Knight, who still work together, were interviewed yesterday to promote her photo spread in the current issue of Penthouse , and the radio hosts asked Knight what famous guys Gina had slept with. As Gina pleaded with Knight not to reveal her personal business, Knight said she had slept with a member of the Flyers.

The Daily News Pets of the Week are Bennett and Sinatra, 7-year-old brother cats at the Pennsylvania SPCA. Bennett and Sinatra are a couple of classy guys, but their owner could no longer take care of them. They've been together their whole lives, so it would be ideal if they could be adopted together. Both are quiet and calm and enjoy sitting in a warm, sunny window or having their bellies rubbed. The adoption fee of $35 each includes a month of pet insurance. Both cats are neutered and have had their current vaccinations.

LOS ANGELES - They still fight like cats and dogs in divorce court. But more and more they are fighting about cats and dogs. Custody cases involving pets are on the rise across the country. In a 2006 survey by the 1,600-member American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a quarter of respondents said pet custody cases had increased noticeably since 2001. The academy is due for another survey, but there is no doubt such cases have grown steadily since then, said Ken Altshuler of Portland, Maine, a divorce lawyer and AAML president.

LOS ANGELES - They still fight like cats and dogs in divorce court. But more and more they are fighting about cats and dogs. Custody cases involving pets are on the rise across the country. In a 2006 survey by the 1,600-member American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a quarter of respondents said pet- custody cases had increased noticeably since 2001. Breakups in same-sex marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships are among reasons pet-custody fights have become more common, attorneys said.