By Tamara L. Waters
Aww, what a sweet little kitty! Such a cute puppy! We hear the oohs and ahhs at pet stores and of course, now online. Websites featuring adorable pictures and videos of dogs and cats doing the darnedest things make us laugh out loud. Yep, I'm talking about LOLcats and LOLdogs, and their cohorts among funny and cute pet websites. Here's a rundown of my personal favorites.
I Can Has Cheezburger is a favorite in my house. These silly "kittehz" and their antics never fail to entertain and make us laugh, giggle and snort. As a cat lover who has a house and yard full of my own LOLcats, I know how much fun kitty cats can create. Anyone who has visited I Can Has Cheezburger knows all about LOLspeak - a misspelled, phonetic method of speech that is used with the captions on the cat photos. Around my house, it's not unusual to hear someone asking "Mom, I can has pizza?" or "U wan know where teh Oreos are? I eated dem."
I Has a Hot Dog is LOLcats in doggy form. The LOLdogs are as funny and cute as their kitteh counterparts and really, when it comes to LOLing, a preference for canine funny or feline funny just doesn't matter - it all makes you laugh. The I Has a Hot Dog site has plenty to offer in the way of giggles and guffaws.
Cute Overload is a fun website that doesn't just focus on cats or dogs, but pretty much any animal. You'll get to see animals from every walk (and hoof) of life doing their thing and making you 'awww' and 'ooohhh' and of course laugh out loud. What's not to love about a herd of deer resting beneath a trampoline or a precocious polar bear cub? Cute Overload shows the silly side of hamsters, bunnies, cats, dogs, gorillas and more. The difference you might notice with Cute Overload is the amount of written narrative and detail about the pictures. There is usually an explanation about the photo or video and for the most part, there is no LOLspeak and proper English grammar and spelling is usually in use.
The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee website exists for a great cause - finding homes for homeless kitties. This website features such awww-inducing kitty pics that you can't help but love it. Knowing that the founder, Laurie Cinotto, started the site as a way to raise money and help these kitties makes it even more special. The IBKC isn't just about being entertained by pets, but it is more about helping them. Responsible Pet Ownership writer Julia Williams has a great article about the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee, and you can read it here.
Animal Planet Funny Pet has a variety of cute and funny video clips from the popular "Planet's Funniest Animals." The clips are usually set to music and have a narrator giving some play-by-play but they will peg your cuteness radar and make you laugh. If you're familiar with the Animal Planet series then you know it's the same as the long-lived "America's Funniest Home Videos" except that it is focused on animals and features all the crazy, funny and amazing antics the animal world has to offer.
When I have some down time and need a quick pick-me-up, I have found that animals are the perfect choice. They make me laugh. They make me smile. They bring out my sentimental and protective nature, and these websites are great choices for getting a quick jolt of digital pet fun.
Read more articles by Tamara L. Waters
