Answer Your Cat’s Question Day

Hey readers,

I think today is the purr-fect day to answer a cat question. Why? Because it’s Answer Your Cat’s Question Day, of course!

Photo: Dreamstime

This question is from chickaDEE reader, Albert.

Question: “Why does my cat, Tommy, always sit under my chair and sleep there?”

Answer:

Some cats simply like sleeping in places that are out of sight because it makes them feel safe. Another possible reason Tommy relaxes under your chair is to be close to you! Sleeping in this spot may be your feline’s way of saying “Hey, I love you a lot!”

I hope that answers your question, Albert!

Remember to send your pet questions to chickadeeblog@owlkids.com. You may just see it answered in chickaDEE’s Pet Patrol one day!

Melissa, chickadeeblog@owlkids.com

Penguin Awareness Day

Little Penguins

Happy Penguin Awareness Day! Did you know that there are 18 species of penguins? Unfortunately, 13 types of these birds are endangered in some way. Penguins rely on the world’s oceans to hunt for their favourite food, fish. It is important to keep oceans and beaches clean so our penguin friends can stay happy and healthy.

Now it’s time to meet one of my favourite penguins! Little Penguins, also known as Fairy Penguins, live in Australia. As you might have guessed from their name, Little Penguins are the smallest penguins in the world. Little Penguins hang out for most of the day in the ocean searching for food. At night, they come out of the water and waddle back to their homes in the sand dunes. To learn more about these loveable birds, click HERE.

Before I go, here’s a funny penguin joke!

Q: What do penguins like to eat?

A:: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrritos!

Hilarious!

Mandy, chickadeeblog@owlkids.com

Reptile Awareness Day

Hi readers,

Happy Reptile Awareness Day, everyone! Today is dedicated to all animals that are cold-blooded and scaly.

Let me introduce you to this cool fellow, the tuatara (say: TOO-uh-TAR-uh).

It lives in New Zealand and scientists call it “a living fossil”. Why? The tuatara’s closest relatives are a group of lizard-like reptiles that lived during the time of the dinosaurs. Experts say that this reptile hasn’t changed much in the last 225 million years. Other cool facts about the tuatara is that it can hold its breath for an hour (don’t try this at home!) and it can also live to be over 100 years old. Wow!

What’s your favourite reptile? Leave a comment below!

Talk soon,

Mandy, chickadeeblog@owlkids.com

P.S. Today is the last day to enter our blog-only Anna & Froga contest. Enter here!

Animal of the Month: The Raven

Hi readers!

If you haven’t already, remember to check out the Animal of the Month in the October issue of chickaDEE.

Photo: Dreamstime

The raven is one smart bird, in fact it’s known as one of the most intelligent birds in the world. One of the coolest things this bird does is communicate with different calls. It has a call for when it’s happy, surprised and angry!

Click here to have a listen to some of this bird’s sounds.

Check out the October issue of chickaDEE for the full scoop on this mysterious and very impressive bird.

See you later!

Melissa, chickadeeblog@owlkids.com

Miniature Horses at HorseCapades

Hi Readers,

This week, I had the chance to visit some miniature horses at HorseCapades and I learned a lot! Check out my pictures below.

Mini horse at HorseCapades

Mother and foal at HorseCapades

Foals can stand up quickly so they can drink milk from their mothers. Also, long before horses lived in stables, horses in the wild needed to be able to make a quick getaway from predators, such as wolves and mountain lions. Standing and walking soon after birth gave foals a better chance of survival. That’s also the reason horses sleep standing up!

Mother puts hay on her foal at HorseCapades

This picture is so funny! It looks like the mother horse was trying to help her foal get some hay, but instead, she got it all over her foal’s head! Mini horses eat hay, the same food as big horses, but just a lot less.

Finally, here’s a video of the cute foal eating the hay—once it was off its head, of course! Enjoy!

If you live in the Toronto area, you can visit HorseCapades at the Canadian National Exhibition from August 16 to September 2.

Have a great day,

Mandy, chickadeeblog@owlkids.com