The Telltale Turtle (The Pet Psychic Mysteries) (31 page)

I'M HAPPY TO BE here with news from the world of animals! For thousands of years, we've heard stories about smart animals-animals that can predict earthquakes or manage to communicate a threat to their owners and save their lives. Many people pretend the stories aren't true, but animal lovers know that pets can be amazing!

Animals are really much smarter than people think and here are some real-life stories to prove it:

• Kwanza is a male ape. His trainer, Dr. Sue Limbroke, says he is able to understand more than 3,000 words and a few simple sentences. Limbroke says he can even combine words to create some simple sentences of his own making.

• Tiki is a border collie being studied by Professor Anna Marsh, an animal behavior expert. Marsh says Tiki can bark and growl his recognition of more than three hundred toys. He can also understand a telephone conversation and act on it. Scientists are currently working to understand how animals can understand human language but are not able to use it.

• An African parrot named Causa has a vocabulary of more than a thousand words. She uses the words in conversation with her trainer, Larry Rice. Causa is able to express her feelings by using the words Rice has taught her. She can recognize photographs and relate their content to Rice.

• A cat named Oscar saved the life of a man in Toronto by dialing 911 on the phone to summon police officers. The cat's owner said he had worked to teach the cat how to summon help because of his serious health problems. The owner was found in time when help was summoned and he was taken to the hospital. Of course, Oscar was cared for by friends and returned to his grateful owner.

• In 1964, a young boy was found surviving with wolves outside a small village in Tibet. According to newspaper reports, when he was taken back to civilization the wolves attacked to protect him. They were all killed. After years of learning to speak, the boy described hunting with the wolves, running on all fours, and eating raw meat. He said the wolves cared for him like their own pups. He couldn't recall his human parents.

• Goldfish enjoy music as much as people do, according to a new study in animal behavior. Scientists say that fish think and have definite tastes in music that they remember from one session to another. The study took place over a period of three years. Scientists played many different types of music for the fish. Each fish had its own preference between opera and bluegrass.

• Researchers say the blind mole rat uses crystals in its brain to orient itself on long journeys. They have discovered that mole rats always check where they are in relation to the Earth's magnetic field so they can tell which way they're going. The researchers say there are magnetic crystals in the moles' brains that line up with the Earth's magnetic field, acting like an internal compass.

• Cheeto, the hamster, has been trained to roll over and play dead, do back flips, and come when called. His owner, Danny Robinson, has been working with Cheeto for more than two years. The hamster can also dance to music and prefers carrots to hamster food.

Live animal cams are a great way to see what's really going on in the animal world. Check out these live websites:

MARY CATHERINE'S
SECRET RECIPES
FOR ANIMALS

BRUNO'S FAVORITE ICE CREAM TREAT

(for those dog days of summer)

Blend everything together until smooth. Freeze in ice cube trays. Microwave for a few seconds before serving.

BAYLOR'S EASY CAT TREATS

Mix dry ingredients together, then add molasses, egg, oil, and milk.

Roll out flat and cut into small, bite-sized pieces. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes in 350-degree oven. Let cool and store in tightly sealed container.

Don't forget to talk to your pets and listen for their responses.

Just because an animal doesn't speak our language doesn't mean it doesn't understand. There are many things we don't understand about animals, but we know they can be loving, compassionate, and caring.

Until next time,

Mary Catherine

If you enjoyed reading The Telltale Turtle by Joyce and Jim Lavene, read on for an excerpt from J. B. Stanley's

Chili Con Corpses

available from Midnight Ink

TURKEY BACON
RANCH WRAP