The Internet Cat Video Festival is Back!

If you're local to Oakland, Calif., (and the Bay Area), grab your furry feline friend and head to the Bay Area's premiere of the Walker Art Center’s Internet Cat Video Festival benefiting the East Bay SPCA on Saturday, May 11 from 3-10 PM PT on West Grand between Telegraph and Broadway. Grab your ticketes here!

Cats and kittens will be on hand for adoption and visitors can learn about fostering felines as well. Additionally, festival-goers will be able to enjoy bands playing cat-themed music, visit pet product vendors, pick up some grub from local food trucks, enjoy the work of local artisans and much more. The night will conclude with a screening of what everyone on the Internet loves - super amazing cat videos - all projected on the Great Wall of Oakland!

Not local? Don't fret! You can still enjoy cats at their finest by watching a few of last year's favorites or by sitting through our adorable You've Got to be Kitten Me! playlist - which, not surprisingly, features kittens at their cutest.

It's Party Time at Animal Planet HQ with Cleo the Cat and Sandy the Dog

 

Prepare yourselves. Get ready to see the most AMAZING cat-dog dance duo of your lives. Thank you, Fab.com for introducing us to this fabulous pair, Cleo the cat and Sandy the dog — these are the coolest speakers you will ever own!

Just plug your iDevice into one of these guys, play your favorite tune (or, the song playing in the video) and watch them get down. Their hips don't lie. Watch:

 

 

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Betty Chu is a Digital Media Executive Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @beddychew or Facebook for the cutest animal posts EVER.

WATCH: Can You Identify This Monster?

Looking like something out of a prehistoric movie, a strange animal washed ashore the Pukehina beach area of New Zealand after some violent storms last week.

According to SunLive, experts believe the remains are that of a decomposed Orca whale, but that hasn't stopped the curious from believing the 9-meter remains were that of a prehistoric creature.

Check out the video below and let us know what you think the "monster" could be:

To see more "monsters," check out our playlist of mermaids and 15 other mythical creatures believed to be real!

Tune in for an action-packed Monster Week starting Monday, May 20 at 8PM E/P!

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Jodi Westrick is a Digital Media Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @jodilyn and/or Instagram @jodilynw for photos of and posts about her ridiculously cute cats, Otis and Etta.

Shiba Inu Just Says NO to Kissyface

 

Sometimes Dad can get WAY embarrassing. And, this Shiba Inu has clearly had it. Sorry, pops! No kisses from Mari!

And, thanks to HuffPo, here's a translation of the video:

"Mari-kun, you are so cute, aren't you? Kissies!"
"Mari-kun, you're a handsome devil, aren't you? Kissies!"
"Mari-kun, you only have good sides. Let me kissie your best side. Kissies" (ring) "...you can go on ahead!"
"Mari-kun, kissies!"
"Mari-kun, kissies!"

 

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Betty Chu is a Digital Media Executive Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @beddychew or Facebook for the cutest animal posts EVER.

River Monsters: Jeremy Wade Hunts a Bride Slasher in the Colombian Amazon

 

A bride on honeymoon is dragged to her death in the Amazon in Colombia, one of the most dangerous countries in South America, notorious for its drugs, remote jungles and hostage-taking rebels.

Tune in Sundays @ 9PM e/p for all-new episodes of RIVER MONSTERS.

Jeremy Wade's investigation in this episode is turned on its head by a crucial piece of evidence. He concocts a farfetched hypothesis about the bride's death and in proving it, he uncovers a little known method of killing which reveals the true horror of this tragic story. To complete the puzzle, Wade pushes himself and his gear past breaking point to understand what killed this bride in Colombia’s Rivers of Blood. 

How did he catch this monster? Watch the How to Catch a River Monster series and see for yourself:

Visit the RIVER MONSTERS site for more photos and videos >>

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Betty Chu is a Digital Media Executive Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @beddychew or Facebook for the cutest animal posts EVER.

CUTE ALERT: Tumblr's TommyPom Patiently Waiting for Weekend [PHOTO]

 

We visited our friends at Tumblr HQ today in NYC and had the GREAT pleasure of meeting the ONE. The ONLY.  THE CUTEST - Tommy the Pomeranian! 

Even TommyPom is hard at work - checking email on his iPhone and posting to his Tumblr:

Someone who will go unnamed may have had a cute meltdown in the middle of their meeting ... But pretty sure Tommy is used to it.

Happy Weekend, friends!

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Betty Chu is a Digital Media Executive Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @beddychew or Facebook for the cutest animal posts EVER.

Ice Cold Gold: Meet Hard Rock Miner Jesse Feldman

Credit: Peter Stoddard

Will the men of Ice Cold Gold strike it rich this week? Watch an all-new episode this Sunday at 10PM E/P! In the meantime, get to know hard-rock miner Jesse Feldman.

Animal Planet (AP): Tell us a little about yourself. You’re from Apache Junction, Ariz., and you, your brother and friend Gator were brought on for your hard-rock mining expertise. What is life like for you in Arizona?

Jesse Feldman (JF): I live and work in a microcosm where the people that make a living on the land where I live are ranchers, cowmen and they’re also miners. Many of them work for large mining companies and own their own mines and that’s just the culture I grew up in. One day I might be on a horse, one day I might be in the mine. Every day is something new so life isn’t so boring – I don’t sit at a desk every day.

Take a look at what's in store this week on Ice Cold Gold!

Pit Boss: Shorty's Top Dog: Mario Crowned Future Top Dog!

 

Mario has been settling into the family and training for many months now, learning all that he'll need to know to be a service dog to Shorty.  And, it's now time to decide if he's got the chops to take the spot of Top Dog someday, when Hercules retires.

Is Mario ready for this big role?! Shorty breaks down his decision - watch it now:

 

 

 Watch all the episodes at the Pit Boss: Shorty's Top Dog site >>

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Betty Chu is a Digital Media Executive Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @beddychew or Facebook for the cutest animal posts EVER.

Brave Puppy Survives Overwhelming Ordeal: Bath Time

 

You know you're cute when bath time is this ADORABLE. Watch this precious Golden Retriever get pampered and primped!  He's loving every minute!

This wittle Golden is such a good boy!  But, some pups aren't so into bath time, *ahem* Mario. He may not be into his ordeal but this video is just as CUTE:

Watch more adorable puppy clips of Mario, Shorty's Top Dog >>

 

 

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Betty Chu is a Digital Media Executive Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @beddychew or Facebook for the cutest animal posts EVER.

Ice Cold Gold: Meet Hard Rock Miner Josh Feldman

 

Credit: Heath Grantham

Last week you met the great cast of Ice Cold Gold in our season premiere. Tune in again this Sunday at 10PM E/P to see what new discoveries the crew is making in Greenland.

In the meantime, we had a chance to talk with hard rock miner Josh Feldman in an effort to get to know him a bit better. Learn about his experience growing up in Arizona, what brought him to Greenland and why he hates the cold below!

Animal Planet (AP): Tell us a little about yourself. You’re from Arizona, and you, your brother and your best friend (Gator) were brought on for your hard-rock mining expertise. What is life like for you in Arizona?

Josh Feldman (JF): I spent my life growing up in Apache Junction, Ariz., where my family owns some gold rock mine property. That's where my expertise comes from - I grew up in the mines and worked there through the years. When we wound up with this opportunity to take off and go to Greenland, I thought what better way to test my skills. It seemed like the ultimate adventure and what better place could there be to find gold?

The appeal of heading to Greenland was that it had been untouched. Our mines in Arizona have been around for over 100 years - we didn't get to find them first hand. That opportunity of discovery is gone for me in Arizona, but I had that chance in Greenland. It wasn't the dessert - but I still had to use the same instincts: follow my nose and set off to discover some unknown properties. That's the dream - that's what made me want to go to Greenland.