It's a world of dogs and cats!

Did you know...

Facts about famous canines in history

by Ruwini Jayawardana

* Laika - The first dog in space. Laika was aboard the Soviet satellite 'Sputnik 2' in 1957.

* Lassie - An y of a line of popular collies in movies and in television series. The first Lassie starred in the 1942 movie 'Lassie Come Home'.

* Le Diable - A notorious French dog that smuggled lace and other costly items across the French border under a false skin dyed various colours by its owners to baffle the customs guards.

* Rin Tin Tin - A German shepherd who ranked as one of the all-time famous canine movie stars. "Rinty" was in 19 movies before its death in 1932.

* Saur, or Suening - A dog that was "king" of Norway for three years during the 11th century AD. The Norwegian king, angry that his subjects once deposed him, put Saur on the throne and demanded that it be treated regally.

* Soter - One of 50 watchdogs of ancient Greece that alone survived attack by invaders and ran to the gates of Corinth to warn the citizens.

Kittens at Birth

A cat's gestation period (amount of time the mother is pregnant) lasts about 63 days.

Kittens are born with a sac or membrane of skin around them, which the mother chews away just after birth.

Kittens are born with their eyes closed. Their eyes open when they are about a week old.

By week two their mum will start moving them around, lifting them by the nape (back) of their necks.

At four weeks old kittens start to eat solid food, usually sharing a large plate their mother and siblings.

Kittens will start walking around on their own when they are about six weeks old, and will start playing at about eight weeks.

At twelve weeks kittens can be vaccinated, micro-chipped, and taken to a new home.