breed

The World of Rare Cats and Dogs: Meet the Ashera and the Lundehund

Filed under: Pets

If you're an animal lover you probably have at least one cat or dog, if not several. And whether you're into mixed breeds from the local animal shelter or purebreds worthy of showing, pretty much all pet owners think their little baby is the most beautiful and unique of all. And although that may be true (I've got 3 unique sweeties of my own) there is something to be said for which kinds of cats and dogs really are the most unique, or in this case, the most rare. When it comes to rare breeds different experts have different opinions, but regardless who you ask certain names keep popping up.

The rarest cat breeds seem to be the Sokoke, the Egyptian Mau, and the Ashera. Of those the Ashera is the most expensive($20,000+), the Sokoke the most exotic (from the wilds of Africa), and the Egyptian Mau has the coolest history (lived with the Egyptians).

As for dog breeds, the one that keeps popping up on all the 'rare' lists is the Lundehund, or Norwegian Puffin Dog. Bred originally by the Vikings to hunt Puffins its most unique characteristic is its incredible flexibility in the joints. Other rare breeds include Otterhounds (about 350 in the US) and Stabyhounds (about 100 in the US).

Tags: ashera, breed, breeds, cat, cats, dog, dogs, egyptian mau, EgyptianMau, lundehund, otterhounds, pet, pets, rare, rarest, sokoke, stabyhounds

Pit Bulls Are Popular in LA

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Pets, Celebrity Shopping

Vogue may have picked the Dandie Dinmont Terrier as the top dog for the summer, but celebrities and celeb-wannabes in Los Angeles all seem to be picking up Pit Bulls instead. Jamie Foxx has two and one even has a staring role on the TV show Veronica Mars. The dogs are being welcomed with open arms by the dog-loving community in the city, and registrations have doubled in the past few years. But unlike the toy dogs that can be simply tucked away in a bag if they misbehave, pit bulls require excellent training and many precautions in their care before they make safe pets - and hopefully the trendy pooch lovers will keep this in mind before getting their own.