It’s no optical illusion… this is a real-life zebra crossing.

The animal led police a merry dance around the city of Bitburg, in Germany, 200km (125miles) west of Frankfurt, when it escaped from a circus then suddenly vanished from view.

Baffled officers couldn’t understand where the zebra had disappeared to –  then realised its black and white markings were the perfect disguise to blend in with striped markings at a road junction.

The camouflage confusion sounds like a tall tale, but police say it took them a few seconds to realise the circus performer was standing directly in front of them as it stood motionless in the middle of the road.

Police say the animal showed no fear as cars drove past the unusual sight.

It obediently waited in the road until a circus keeper came to collect and return it to the Big Top.

‘Everything went smoothly in the end,’ a police spokesman told German newspaper Bild.

For the original article, go here.

A cat resembling Garfield carries all the same characteristics as the lovable cartoon feline: a passion for food and slight resentment towards dogs.

A video posted on YouTube shows this fat cat desperately trying to squeeze through a tiny dog flap to get inside his house.

In the 23-second clip, the frustrated kitty manages to get two legs inside before meowing loudly and taking a small moment to reflect on the weighty task ahead.

He then frantically scratches at the floor to find something to grip onto before successfully hauling the rest of his oversized body through the tiny dog door.

Owner Linda Joiner posted the video of her tubby ginger tabby online last month saying: ‘My 26lb cat won’t stay outside. Here he is squeezing through the small doggie door.’

It is not clear where the cat, who weighs over a-stone-and-a-half, is from or what his name is, however, it is clear he might need to rethink his entrance strategy.

To see a youtube vidoe of the cat going through the door, go here.

For the original article, go here.

Here’s one thing you wouldn’t expect to see upon leaving your house for work.

A family in rural Waynesboro, in the US state of Georgia, were left stunned after a 7ft Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket appeared overnight in their front garden.

Shocked mother Aleena Headrick immediately phoned her sons to verify what she was seeing, although they were left disappointed by the lack of fried chicken inside.

‘You just don’t expect to see that when you leave your house,’ she told ABCNews.com.

‘There’s not a road where it’s at and we have dogs that would have barked, you know, if anybody was nearby.’

Ms Headrick added: ’It was surprising that it’s all of a sudden sitting in the corner of my front yard.’

KFC, sensing a golden PR opportunity, promised to send them some free chicken to enjoy next to the giant bucket.

‘We have been in touch with her and we’re working on a date when we can deliver Kentucky Fried Chicken and all the fixings for her and her family,’ said a spokesman.

The bucket, believed to have been left by the family’s sign-collecting landlord, has now become a tourist attraction.

‘Some people have come to take pictures with it,’ added Ms Headrick. ‘We’ve got people going across our yard all morning long to go take pictures.’

For the original article, go here.

One little labrador puppy has discovered the trick to getting down stairs the easy (or maybe slightly painful) way.

A ten-second YouTube clip titled ‘Chocolate lab puppy stair surfing again’ shows the excited puppy hastily making his way towards the stairs before effortless gliding down on his front and happily jumping off at the end.

With such precision, skill and dedication in getting from A to B, the stairs-surfing pooch makes belly-sliding down each step look ‘hystairical’.

And he certainly appears to be enjoying himself as he wags his tail on every step.

Whilst the name, age and location of the wannabe- tobogganist have not been revealed, the owners said it was ‘our puppy’s favourite way to get down the stairs each morning’.

The video clip posted by the dog’s owner, LabLover2013, and has already clocked up over 312,000 views.

For the original article, go here.

Dear Miss Smarty Pants,

Did Spazzz break Xanga this time - or did it just fall apart by itself? Is it fixed yet?

Donkey

Dear Donkey,
 
Xanga just needed a few nips and tucks to stay as beautiful as we all know and love.  Recovery time is unpredictable, but I believe that by the end of August things will be peachy  keen!
 
Miss Smarty Pants