Shadow

We lost our beautiful Shadow on November 8. He was only 13 and, according to his last vet exam this past summer, in excellent health.

He had a seizure of some type and within minutes was gone. My wonderful husband even tried CPR on him but we couldn't bring him back. We talked to a vet who lives next door and he said it was probably a blood clot in his heart or brain. Not uncommon for older cats, he said.

We will miss him terribly. He was so sweet. Boo, our other kitty, looked for him for a couple days. She would go to the places he always laid, particulary up in our bedroom on the rug, and sniff the area and lay down on it. I think she was depressed for a few days; she didn't eat much and was quite skittery.

Mice Sing

You knew they squeaked, but now researchers have discovered mice sing.

Researcher Timothy Holy of the Washington University of the School of Medicine said the sounds emitted by the mice "met two key criteria for song--distinct syllables and recurring themes, 'like the melodic hook in a catchy tune.' "

Male mice sing during courtship and now join a very short list of creatures that sing in the presence of the opposite sex: whales, birds, porpoises, insects and possibly bats.

If you want to hear a mouse song, go to http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/6040.html. Or read the ABC News article.