As Further Confusion draws nearer, the time in which we offer hotel rooms
at the con rate of $99/night for 1-2 people gets shorter. At this time, we
have completely SOLD OUT of both suites AND double rooms, but still have a
number of single bed rooms left. However, you only have until January 12
to take advantage of this rate.

John "The Gneech" Robey, author of The Suburban Jungle, wrote this editorial about some of the recent press coverage furries have received. The editorial includes "Proud to be a Furry" images that he invites others to add to their webpages.

The FC2002 Charity Auction

Further Confusion is just over two weeks away. The events are getting
ready; the panelists are studying; the artists are putting the final
touches on their paintings; and the folk of Tiger Touch and the Comic
Book Legal Defense Fund are hoping for your help.

Click Read More... for the rest of the announcement.

Ferrets in Australia are being dumped in the wild by stupid owners and ferret groups aren't happy. They say breeders are not giving ferret owners enough information to make an informed choice about owning the animals, and because of that the ferrets are suffering.

Specifically, the tendancy to nip and smell is being downplayed, as well as the amount of care ferrets need. Many bad breeders classify them as "easy to care for cage animals".

Ferrets in Australia have already been outlawed in Queensland, and many Oz ferret owners worry such dumps may make them illegal where THEY live too.

It's only a teaser site, but I say "Forget Beauty and the Beast, Disney, and bring this out first!" Coming January 2003.

Plus, in other Disney news, two 'furry' movies also comming out this spring, according to Dark Horizons, are "The Country Bears" and "Lilo and Stitch".

A Guelph vet, Miroslaw Ruka, is trying to set up a hospital dedicated to transplanting organs into seriously ill cats and dogs.
Like humans, cats and dogs often suffer from diseases and cancers of vital organs, and like humans there is a severe shortage of organs and competent doctors to implant them. Unlike humans, of course, most of these animals would have to be put down.

The Cambridge Centre for Medical and Veterinary Services will cost $16.5 million to set up initially, but with an estimated 1.5 % of the North American pet population suffering from a condition which necessitates a transplant, there will be the demand to make up for it.

Kidney and pancreas transplants are planned, but not heart and liver ones, which require huge amounts of blood. Just as there are no animal organ donor cards, there is no animal blood bank.

BBC Online reports a lioness on the Samburu Game Reserve in central Kenya, baffled experts recently when she adopted a baby oryx. The oryx is a type of antelope normally eaten by lions. The lioness defended the oryx from other predators, and even allowed its natural mother to feed it. Unfortunately, the story doesn't have a story book ending. While the lioness was asleep, after caring for the oryx for two weeks, another lion ate the oryx.

In a recent e-mail alert, it was announced that this year's Furry Spring Break was canceled. However, the convention was replaced by another similar one, called "PawPet Megaplex Convention". Same time slot and location. Details can be found here.

From cartoonresearch.com:
Believe it or not, Disney has set up a webpage to get the public's vote for this film on VHS or DVD!
Go to the Disney Video & DVD page NOW and vote!
http://psc.disney.go.com/disneyvideos/moviefinder/products/0153103.html

As an owner of budgerigars, also commonly known as 'parakeets', I've always been fascinated by their 'feather talk', the puffing and displaying of head feathers between a pair of mated birds. Researchers in Scotland have discovered, though, that the feathers not only puff for a chosen mate, they fluoresce as well. Birds generally have a more diverse and acute colour sensitivity than primates, so the natural fluorescent feathers could give off a beaconlike glow to the objects of attraction.

ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) has posted a free CG short on the web for perusal. It's...interesting. And it has furry elements. Only broadband connections need apply, it's pretty big.


http://www.ilm.com/ilmshorts.html

Though the Sydney fires have not killed a person yet, thank heavens, many pet owners and wildlife people alike have been worried about the animal toll. In the evacuations, cats, dogs and other animals have often had to be left behind, especially when an 'outdoor' pet could not be found. Possums, wallabies and other slow moving urban wildlife are being rescued by various animal groups. The RSPCA is also working to provide food and water to displaced pets.

Links to key numbers (Wires, RSPCA) as well as bushfire news can be found at Animalworld Australia.

A example of a rescued possum is here.Warning, upsetting link

The Clinton's retriever. Buddy, has been killed. This story on Yahoo! News summarizes the situation. For more details try this Washington Post story.

Online pre-registration for Further Confusion has now ended. Thanks to all of you who took
advantage of it!

We will continue to accept mailed-in registrations through Friday, January 4th.

From cartoonresearch.com:
"As if 2001 wasn't bad enough. Michael Mallory reports the sad news: "Ray Patterson passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 30th." He was 90 years old.