The Fort Dodge RabVac 3 TF serial number 873113A rabies vaccine has been recalled after a vaccinated dog contracted rabies. Fort Dodge began selling this batch of vaccine in January 2005 and sent recall notices out on May 25, 2006.

The company mailed notices to veterinarians on May 25, and will reimburse them for re-vaccination. Your vet should notify you if your pet was vaccinated with the problem batch. You can also check the rabies certificate that you should have received, which lists the manufacturer and serial number. Call your veterinarian if you're in doubt.

CBC News recently reported this amazing but true story.

This black bear clings to a backyard tree after it was chased by a New Jersey cat. (Suzanne Giovanetti/Associated Press) The 10-year-old New Jersey tabby defended his neighborhood turf earlier this week by chasing a wandering black bear up a tree — twice.

A West Milford couple first noticed a bear huddled in a tree in their backyard on Sunday afternoon. Sitting beneath the tree was a fifteen pound, orange-and- white, declawed neighborhood cat named Jack.

The bear remained in the tree for about 15 minutes, frequently looking down at Jack. When it slid down the tree and ran off, Jack was hot on its heels, hissing at the bear all the while.

The bear climbed up into a second tree until Jack's owner, Donna Dickey, called the cat home. "The cat sauntered back toward the group, rubbing up against everyone," said the newspaper. As soon as the cat left, the bear clambered down the tree and walked into the woods.

Little Michaela traveled hme from your place very well and she is getting aquainted with her new bedroom. The dog is wondering why he got evicted, but he'll be okay. She is laying on my left hand currently watching my fingers and the screen. She is sooooo precious a little purr machine. she loves to climb on the 8 pillows on the bed, rub her little head and face on mine, kneed the pillows.... oh so cute.

i98q1 little "Mike" just typed that, she says hi. "MIke" (her nickname) for the tiger LSU geaux tigers. Michaela had her "get acquainted" appointment at the vet last week. She checked out just fine and made a bunch of friends. The office staff loves her. She is so cute. I have been meaning to write but she is quite distracting. We have a bunch of toys, teasers, scratchers, little mice and balls, and a couple other things I have no idea the name of them. Thanks again for letting me have Michaela, she puts a smile on my face every day, at 7 am, which is very difficult. however it comes naturally to her. She is truly precious.
June, 2006 (Will, Mikey, and the whole gang! In New Orleans)

Princess insists on "feeding" her toys. She puts at least one (sometimes up to half a dozen) of her toys - usually the ones she fetches - in the food bowl. It's not like the toys are beside the bowl to start with either - she'll bring them from wherever they are in the house. She has done this off and on since shortly after we got her, but has done it most every day for the last month or so. One time it was the piece of cloth (about 12"X12") that Gina knitted for her to sleep on when we got her. She has carried this piece of cloth around from time to time since she got big enough to carry it without tripping - pretty comical when she was little. She likes to knead it and sleep on it - guess it's like Lionel's (from Charlie Brown cartoon) blanket. Dunno why she'd think it needs feeding though...
June, 2006 (Mike in Georgia)

Kaloa has claimed the leather chair that used to be Jessi’s. It is one of his favorite places to chill out after a hard day of attacking Jessi’s stuffed animals. His arch enemy at the moment is Winnie the Pooh, I’m not sure what has started the dispute but Kaloa is determined that he is going to win the battle -- much to Jessi’s disapproval. He is truly a member of the family and rules our family with an iron paw.
May, 2006 (Mark in Enterprise, AL)

Q: Is it okay to feed my cat chocolate?

A: Never. Most pet lovers know that chocolate can be toxic. In fact, the darker the chocolate is, the more likely it is to contain toxic compounds. Cats aren't as fond of the taste as dogs are, but you still should be careful. Eating chocolate can result in your cat suffering heart failure, seizures, coma, and even death.

Q: The breeder I got my cat from told me not to feed it table scraps. Why?

A: Table scraps are usually high in fat and carbohydrates, and low in calcium and protein. This leads to an imbalanced diet. Table scraps can cause vomiting, diarrhea, pancreatitis, fussy appetite, begging at the table and obesity.

Q: Why does my cat sometime hiss when I am petting him?

A: Sometimes, your cat may give you a hiss, or even try to scratch or bite you seemingly without warning right in the middle of what you thought was a pleasant petting or stroking session with him. It doesn't mean that your cat no longer likes you! This behavior most likely is just the only way he knows to signal to you that he has had enough of the petting and stroking - perhaps it has gone on longer than what he enjoys. Chances are, if you think about it, perhaps you had actually continued the session longer than usual, or started thinking about something else while petting him, not realizing that your cat was getting uncomfortable and that so much time had passed.

FACT # 1: Cats rank high up on the intelligence scale, and one of their greatest assets is memory. Studies at the University of Michigan and the American Museum of Natural History show that cats can remember problem-solving strategies for as long as 16 hours.

FACT # 2: At night a cat can gather into the extra-large corneas and lenses of its eyes more than six times the amount of light than humans can. Seeing far better than humans do at night time and tending to focus best at a distance of eight to twenty feet makes cats excellent night time hunters. However, cats cannot see in total darkness as some believe.

FACT # 3: In addition to using their noses, cats can smell with the Jacobson's organ which is located in the upper surface of the mouth. That is why you may see a cat holding its mouth slightly open seeming to suck in air.

FACT # 4: In ancient Egypt, cats were mummified; and embalmed mice were placed with them in their tombs.

FACT # 5: Cats can donate blood to other cats.

The following friends of ours have kittens available, too. If we can't help you with that special kitty, then I encourage you to check out these links. Photo courtesy of Mike Strickland

Savannah River Bengals

Ryan Creek Bengals

Mom Dukes Bengals