A 26-year-old man is facing a possible six-month jail term or $2,000 fine after being convicted of animal cruelty in Vancouver on Friday. B. C. Supreme Court Justice Frank Cole reversed an earlier provincial court ruling that said John Ronald Hughes was not guilty, The judge ruled that the evidence was strong that the accused knew his actions would cause unnecessary pain and suffering to the cat and had previously said he hated cats and talked about what it would be like to put a cat in a microwave.

Coffee made from beans that have passed through the bowel of an Indonesian jungle cat is being sold by a department store here for $100 a cup. The coffee, called Caffe Raro, is made from a blend of a rare Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, and another, Kupi Luwak, which is harvested from the droppings of civet cats.

While there was an unexpected uptick in the February sales of existing homes at 2. 9 percent, home foreclosure filings across the U. S. grew by 60 percent and bank seizures more than doubled for the second month of the year. Aside from Americans struggling with the economy, the subprime crisis also hit a vulnerable sector who could do nothing about losing their roof, except whimper. Homeowners and their pets are being separated by escalating incidents of home foreclosures across America. According to USA Today, thousands of pets are being sent to animal shelters although no exact figures are available due to the lack of accounting standards for recording pets affected by foreclosures.

PGA Tour golfer John Henry "Tripp" Isenhour III has apologized after he was charged on Wednesday with killing a hawk on purpose with a golf shot because it was making noise as he videotaped a TV show. The 39-year-old Georgia Tech graduate was charged with cruelty to animals and killing a migratory bird. He was at the Grand Cypress Golf Course on Dec. 12 to film "Shoot Like A Pro" when he became annoyed with the shrieking hawk.

It's the Chinese Year of the Rat but it is unlikely the animal's status could be elevated above the sewer and loathsome level. Never mind that last year's hit film Ratatouille showed their humorous - and culinary - side and that Mickey Mouse and Tom and Jerry have been a long-time favorites.