WAIT A MINUTO! Those aren’t dogs… are they?
According to Wikipedia, there is such a thing as a raccoon dog… amazing BUT TRUE
Biopix.com, nice photo—I still don’t believe it though.
Raccoon… dogs!? Ruh roh!
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It is true! Raccoon Dogs are native to Japan and are know for their crafty ways. There are even japanese tales of the raccoon dog and the fox, each trying to out-trick the other!
Did a search on Wikipedia … ’tis true.
These are the cute little buggers that are killed and used as “faux fur” in Chinese manufacturing. Poor guys.
Those aren’t tanukis are they?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanuki
A ‘coon by any other name is a … dog?!!
Who’da thunk it!
Beautiful animals! from the link i learned that Racoon Dogs are the only species in their Genus.
Katy–i hope you are are wrong about them being use for fur toys. that makes me cry.
{{{{hugs coon dogs}}}}}
Sorry, Mars, it’s true. I think it was PDiddy that got caught using the fur for his coats. They are cute fat little things though.
Is this the result of Interspecies Snorgling? Who knew the CO categories had such cute consequences…
It is sad but true, they are used as “fake” fur. I saw a program on tv that said a lot of their fur ends up in coats & other things sold around the world labeled as synthetic or fake fur. Best not to buy anything that remotely resembles fur…stick to cotton!
*reaches arms to screen*
Ehhhnnn…ehhhnnn….must havvveee…
GameLuvGirl, those are tanukis! There are some interesting Japanese tales featuring tanukis wherein they use their fat little bellies as drums. Same animal…cute little guys.
Those are definitely Tanukis!
You can find adorably chubby statues of them outside of all sorts of businesses in Japan. They are known for their giant, er, “junk” and it’s good luck to rub their “junk” (on the statues of course)
Raccoon dogs/tanukis are featured in the Ghibli movie Pom Poko, which is kind of long but a very cute movie!
Also remember the raccoon suit that Mario wore in Super Mario Bros. 3? Where you could turn into a stone statue? That was a tanuki suit! The stone statue thing is because of the folk tradition that tanukis can change into stone statues to trick people!
/know-it-all mode!
Racoon dogs are timid and gentle members of the canine family. If you ride the subway in New York like me you will see many pieces of these little guys sewn on to the hoodies of many subway riders. Burlington coat factory sells a lot of racoon dog fur on it’s products. I say dese doggies r more cute chillin’ wif friends like in cute pic than cut up and sewn to a hoodie.
You agree, no?
No way. Are you all pulling my tail. They can’t be dogs.
Are they? No way.
Tanuki! Someone already mentioned the exceedingly weird Studio Ghibli movie Pom Poko, but I would like to add that, in this movie, the Tanukis somehow use their testicles to fly. I saw it without subtitles and must tell you, this was mystifying.
I think there is a segment on raccoon dogs in David Attenbrough’s Life of Mammals… if I’m remembering rightly.
AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!! too cute, too cute!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!
that’s kinda creepy.
Eeeeeeeee! The expression on the little fella on the right is too much! He’s all, “Yes. Yes, I am. I AM too furry for my own good,thankyewverramuch.” And the other little guy is “Dude, they’re taking pictures again. Sheesh. And me with no product on the coif.”
Hee hee hee. I also love the wiki-scription: “Raccoon Dogs are secretive and not very aggressive; they prefer to hide or scream rather than fight.” The guy on the left certainly fits it.
Thank y’all for the link!!
They look like fancy keeshonds.
They use them for fur? Now I’m sad. This should be in sad category.
Stick to Cotton is right.
Me and a friend saw our first and only wild tanuki (they looked like a couple) wandering outside our cabin in broad daylight in the Western part of Japan a few years ago. We were so excited that we even bought tanuki costumes!
Katy, I thought ‘Faux Fur’ was fake material designed to look like fur?
So round and fluffy. I imagine they probably aren’t huggable, but they look like they would be so nice to hug if they were. Great model for a stuffed animal – with faux fur of the acrylic variety.
Look how fat and fluffy they are! Urk. *dies*
How could anyone possibly think that marvelous s’mores fur looks better on some dumb human than on its original owner? I mean, they’re SQUEEZABLE!
Poor little fellers. Please to use for snorgling, not collars.
YM walks slowly up to the redonkulous fluff balls and sinks her hands in the floof to see how deep it is….
PS, You might want to sign the Humane Society of the United States petition for The Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007:
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2007_fur_labeling?source=gabawy
Luvin, what Katy meant is that some items sold in the US as “faux” or fake fur, have been found to have real tanuki/raccoon dog, and other dog and cat fur. That’s why there needs to be more stringent enforcement of labeling standards. People who would never buy real fur can be deceived into buying items made from the fur of these poor little critters. Please go to the HSUS Website through the link I gave above, and sign the petition, but *don’t* look at the terribly sad and horrifying video of one of these little beasties being killed in China.
NEIN! They cannae use these cute beings for FUR!
And, a question: Are they legal as pets? Because I is SO wanting one!
there are such things as racoon dogs, in fact, sometime when you buy cloths with the faux fur on them, its acctually the fur of these animals, who live in china. Peta is working on fixing that though.
They do exist and sadly their fur is often used as trim. There are horrible stories [...which don't belong on Cute Overload - Ed.] It’s barbaric. Poor little guys.
If you want to know what you can do to help the fur-free cause, go here: http://www.hsus.org/furfree/
Theresa, Thank you for the information. I will go onto that link and sign the petition now, believe me every petition I have signed I never look at the videos. I also am a member of Care2 and visit it every day.
there is also a video [edited -- not C.O. material] …that’s when i stopped watching….
At first I thought they were dogs bred to look like raccoons.
did you know there’s raccoon cats as well…
I’ve definitely heard the stories about htese cute wittle fluffers [edited] but I’m too chicken to watch them. Just reading the description made me kind of dizzy. What I wouldn’t give to adopt all of them from the cages and keep them from being made into ugly coats. I believe it was JC Penney’s who carried the coats and refused to stop selling them when they learned what it took to make those garish “faux fur” hood linings. ;_;
These little guys are so cute, why would anyone ever think they shouldn’t be allowed to flourish in their fuzzy cuteness?
Wow, typos.
these
alive
I need to hug a raccoon dog.
Yay Tanuki!
The babies are the cutest!
http://homepage.mac.com/lsippu/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2004-02-17%2003.13.10%20-0800/_1202052.jpg
Sometimes I know why I love animals more than alot of people. I can’t believe that people could actually do this. When will it end.
Why if they are going to do this why must they make the poor helpless animal suffer [edited].
I didn’t think I would come to cuteoverload and cry.
they look just like my pommie Sugar Bear!
its just heart breaking.
i wonder if they are considered vermin in China or something.
you would have to be a pretty heartless _-hole to be able to do something nasty like that to something this adorable. i just dont understand it.
To Sarah and others who mentioned the Tanuki’s…”junk”; I totally hear you! The first time I went to Japan I saw a statue of a tanuki with the biggest testicles I’ve ever seen! At first I was kinda shocked, but I had to laugh, and of course we all eventually rubbed the “junk” for luck. Unfortunately I never saw a real tanuki the whole time I was there. There are too cute!
KidUgly you have. killed. me. ded. *ploit*
Man! I had no idea such an animal existed! o_O
And how come they use their real fur as fake fur? It’s fake fake fur, because it’s real!
::Mind Boggles::
Soooo what you’re telling us is that there are dogs with THUMBS?
*runs for the hills*
On a serious note, I just don’t get how people can wear fur. God bless and protect these dear little creatures. *sniff*
Y’all, I am shocked [at the fur trade... - Ed.] But I am also a little bit surprised that nobody who is allergic to animal fur has ever bought a garment with their fur on it and then sued the company. That’s the kind of thing that would get the practice stopped pretty quickly–allergic child in hospital, parents devastated, style of fing.
However, those of you who are contemplating how cute the tanuki are and wanting one for a pet–don’t do eet! Wild animals aren’t meant to be pets. They won’t get what they need from you, no matter how much you wuvs them.
Wait, do they have thumbs or not…I mean, are they more dogy or more racoony?
*ponders*
You know what? I don’t come to Cute Overload to hear folks talk graphically about animal cruelty [edited *myself* there]. And you know what else? I don’t have to.
Stop now.
Dang, I was familiar with the tanuki from Japanese cartoons and pop culture, but until this very day, I thought they were mythical! Boy, do I feel dumb!
They’re not true canids, by the way, quoth Mr. Wikipedia, so they’re not dogs, exactly, but doglike nonetheless.
It’s easy to see raccoon dogs around here… Alongside highways.
Poor creatures.
*Smack forehead with palm of hand*
Now I understand what the stange little statue is in my favorite sushi restaurant. And now I know that, yes, that really was what I thought it was down there….
So pretty!
KidUgly is absolutely right about the babies being the cutest. OMG!
ditto
thanks Theo.
When I saw the pictures of the raccoon dog come on the screen, I knew what the topic would turn to
I stumbled on their horrible plight one day by accident. I can say I’ve never truly recovered from it either.
I truly think this entire posting should be deleted.
[Quite honestly, I'm tempted... - Ed.]
I hate PETA. I really wish someone else more reputable was taking up the faux fur being tanuki fur cause.
And tanukis notoriously have huge testicles.
http://tn3-2.deviantart.com/fs11/300W/i/2006/193/b/5/My_Neighbor_Tanuki_san_by_itsacookbook.jpg
From the wiki: “The actual wild tanuki has unusually large testicles, a feature that has inspired humorous exaggeration in artistic depictions of the creature. Tanuki may be shown with their testicles flung over their backs like travellers’ packs, or using them as drums. As tanuki are also typically depicted as having large bellies, they may be depicted as drumming on their bellies instead of their testicles — particularly in contemporary art.”
Thanks, Teho. Cute little tanukis! It’s so funny how they look so much like raccoons but aren’t related.
A fluffy tanuki?
Thanks Theo. I’m sick to my stomach.
I want to kees their little noses!
Oh man, I have a coat from the Gap with fake fur around the collar, I wonder if it’s really fur from a tanuki? Say it aint so because if it is then the coat is going bye bye.
Tanukis are NOT dogs in terms of species, but they are more closely related to dogs than raccoons. They just look like a raccoon crossed with a dog would look like, so they’re called that.
The best part: “it turns its tail into an inverted U to express dominance.”
That picture alone is enough to for me to keel over!
Sadly, it’s true about raccoon dogs being killed for their fur. Unfortunately [large portion deleted]
…you will be a changed person after seeing the pics and videos…for some of us, that might be a very good thing…
[However, Frayda, this is Cute Overload. Not the hunt club. - Ed.]
PLEASE DON’T DELETE THIS POST!!! IT’S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY IF WE IGNORE IT!!! EDUCATION CAN CHANGE THE WORLD…PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING TO THESE ANIMALS AND OTHERS!!!
Yep, those are tanukis, a species native to Japan. I do wish people would stop calling them raccoon dogs though, isn’t their native name tanuki just fine and more accurate? You wouldn’t call a kangaroo a “bouncing deer” just cause the word kangaroo isn’t in your language!
They may not be *actual* dogs, but that one on the right has that vague look of self-satisfied canine smuggery I’ve seen pups wear on occasion. That look that says ‘Yuss … I’m just straight-up cuter than you.’
Frayda — consider your audience. Who do you think you’re yelling at, a factory full of fur trappers?
I wasn’t yelling at anyone, but there are people that are saying we shouldn’t be talking about this on here. I disagree. I think if we as animal lovers ignore it because it’s too hurtful/stressful to talk about, then how can we bring others around to our point of view?? All coversations have to start somewhere.
I just got a letter from Humane Society yesterday about these guys. Someone said they wish others besides PETA were on the cause, the Humane Society is and they are (in my opinion) non-controversial in their approach. Probably anyone interested could get info there but thanks for the warning NOT to watch the video.
So now let’s just admire the beauty of these and all other animals…please…
Frayda (again) — so, do you really think the fans of Cute Overload are ignoring animal cruelty? Because that’s what you’re implying.
This is not a forum for airing socio-political agendas (yours, mine, or anyone else’s) even though it may well be full of sympathetic and like-minded folks. If you truly feel passionate about your issue, then I applaud you, but you need to take some real action. Figure out some more effective tactics and do something positive and concrete.
I won’t have you (or anyone else!) using the C.O. comments to rub our noses in the world’s excrement, though; there’s no call for that and we don’t deserve it.
To repeat myself: thanks, Theo! It’s enough to tell me that these animals are used for fur, folks – no need to share horrible details or exhort me to action. I’ll take action if I want to. I’m here for teh qte!
(Advance apologies, Theo. Take it down at your leisure if I’m too shouty.)
Guys.
Think about the reason for this post.
The picture is not PROMOTING the killing of these animals. It is simply showing how CUTE they are. I honestly think, and I’m guessing from a lot of the comments, that people were sitting there going ‘Hmm, cute critters, let’s go out and skin us a few! Thanks for the tip, Meg!’
No.
Yeah, life sucks. Bad things happen in the world that probably won’t go away. But why are you coming in and getting your knickers in a bunch in someone else’s blog when there are more than enough RELEVANT soap boxes out there? Honestly, it’s bad enough when people are accusing posters and sender-inners of animal abuse and cruelty and there’s at least a passing (but 99% of the time highly subjective) relevance.
I dunno about you, but I check out new posts when I’m having a rubbish day at work, and I look forward to reading a lot of the comments from people because, honestly, they can be pretty funny. But I’m starting to think people are coming in here just to start fights when there are plenty of more appropriate places to take that sort of behaviour online.
I’m not saying you people shouldn’t feel strongly about a cause, but I have plenty of causes I get bent up about, too. There’s a time and a place for everything, and you’re not being clever or helpful by not being able to figure out when and where that is.
Sorry, mods. I’ve just been dying over here.
Also — it’s an accepted online convention that WHENEVER YOU USE ALL CAPS, it’s the same as shouting. That’s not just a Cute Overload thing.
I am mortified. I just realized that I bought one of their tails at a cat show as a toy for my cats. The cats loved it but I bet the tanuki wasn’t thrilled.
Kara — that’s essentially what I’ve been saying too; you’ve even worded it better in parts.
I’m sorry folks, especially Meg and Theo, whom I mucho, mucho respect and thank for bringing so much fun and cuteness to our attention. I just thought a quick click on a link. I’m afraid I initiated a trip down a slippery slope,
Theo — I’m an editor for a ‘net newsletter company. I spend all day rephrasing people, so I’ve had tons of practice. Always glad to be of assistance.
Nicely said, Kara. Could we go back to talking about tanuki balls?
Oh and for the person who suggested calling them “tanuki” instead of “raccoon dog” – tanuki is only their local name in one part of their range, so it’s not really that much more correct than raccoon dog. They’re native to China and Russia, too, and I bet the Manchurians object to using Japanese names for their animals.
Let’s just go all out and call ‘em Nyctereutes procyonoides!!
The real ones are SO much cuter than the statues! Some of the statues look more like pigs than tanukis and they totally don’t convey the marvelous fluffiness.
With three dogs and three cats in my home, I wear fur everyday. I’m just sayin’.
These fuzzbutts are teh adorabuhls, especially the behbehs. Live free, tanukis, but you can’t stop me from fantasizing about a snorglefest with you! I won’t do it.
i feel that it’s important to get the word out about animal cruelty…however there is a time and place for everything and this is cuteoverload…a place to look at cute pictures and comment about how cute they are. We come here to be uplifted and make our days better…not to get more depressed. I love these things, I have never heard of them before and I am so happy I know about them now. It’s extrememly horrible what people do to them…but can we not just look at the cute pictures and admire them rather than talk about all the bad stuff that goes on??
oh and thanks Theo..for keeping this a happy site!!
To clarify, I actually really appreciate hearing that they’re used for fur – I didn’t know that, and I think it’s very sad, and I want to learn more about it. But I don’t need any graphic descriptions, thankyouverymuch!
hey-h — Can we shorten that up for people like me who can’t talk straight? How about, like … nycteries? Procies? Um … wait, those both sound dumb. Someone more creative?
Like…giant-testicled canids?
oh I whole-heartedly agree that we should know what people are doing to animals…I think that if we don’t learn we’re only supporting ignorance and nothing will ever be accomplished if we don’t learn..but again a time and a place…and frankly i don’t feel cuteoverload is the place…it’s supposed to be CUTE
But Tanuki Balls sounds cuter than Raccoon Dog Balls, and it’s shorter, too!
Wikipedia has two diff. listings, one for Raccoon dogs as the biological being, and for tanuki, as kind of the folkloric-cultural theme. And on the Tanuki page, it says:
The comical image of the tanuki is thought to have developed during the Kamakura era. The actual wild tanuki has unusually large testicles, a feature that has inspired humorous exaggeration in artistic depictions of the creature. Tanuki may be shown with their testicles flung over their backs like travellers’ packs, or using them as drums. As tanuki are also typically depicted as having large bellies, they may be depicted as drumming on their bellies instead of their testicles — particularly in contemporary art.
A common schoolyard song in Japan (the tune of which can be heard in the arcade game Ponpoko and a variation of which is sung in the Studio Ghibli film Pom Poko) makes explicit reference to the tanuki’s anatomy:
Tan Tan Tanuki no kintama wa,
Kaze mo nai no ni,
Bura bura
(Roughly translated, this means “Tan-tan-tanuki’s/Raccoon-raccoon-raccoon dog’s testicles, there isn’t even any wind but still go swing-swing-swing”.[1] It then proceeds to continue for several verses, with many regional variations. It is sung to the melody of an American Baptist hymn called Shall We Gather At The River?.[2])
Wow.
‘ems cute little buggers… the bubs are fantastic…..
Very cute!! I bet they are nothing but cute ‘trouble’
Thanks Theo for the kick ars editing job, very much appreciated! And thanks for the post Kara! 
I know it’s true for I remember seeing it on the news one night, BUT I still find it hard to believe that someone could raise such a beautiful animal to kill it for thier fur.
Myself I would love to have one as a pet and snuggel it to sleep every night. GADDDDS
Nasty beasts. They are vicious and terrorize family pets and kill cats.
[In other words, they're wild animals? Oh noes. - Ed.]
[Our cats stay indoors.]
ode to tanuki balls:
(with apologies to the original author)
do your balls hang low?
do they wobble to and fro?
can you tie them in a knot?
can you tie them in a bow?
can you throw them o’er your shoulder
like a continental soldier?
do your balls…hang…low?
(if i was clever like some o y’all, i’da modified the little song to include more eastern influences…origami, samurai, etc. but my brain is bustimatated this friday afternoon…)
be sure to add “Pom Poko” to your netflix. Great anime that you *won’t* see on american tv very often, basically due to an aspect of tanuki that “loom large in their legend”, so to speak. :-O (very cute and fun but best to watch it first before deciding to share with the kiddies.) it’s about tanaki (who live sorta like smurfs) trying to protect their forest from developers. wiki it for more info.
What cute dogs! You can have the cuteness of the raccoons with the love of a dog!
The HSUS site also says you can send unwanted fur coats or pieces to them and they send them to wildlife rehabbers, who use them to warm and comfort injured or orphaned critters. Think of a motherless little somebody snorgling down into your fur and feeling better. Cute, right? The URL is
http://www.hsus.org/furfree/campaigns/c4c/
[I was THIS close to knee-jerk erasing the link, but then I checked it out... - Ed.]
[...just avoid the video link unless you've got a high tolerance for real-world ick]
the video [at HSUS; see Tina Rhea's comment above - Ed.] is TAME compared to a video i saw from PETA–this video was more horrifying than ANY horror film i’ve seen and i like horror films.
i haven’t been able to get it out of my mind since i happened upon it. INHUMANE doesn’t begin to describe it.
[edited out... it doesn't belong here, NYGirly - Ed.]
Oh, lawsy … and I thought *our* playground songs were weird … bwahahaha.
Wow, Teho…you really have to edit this comment stream with an iron fist, dontcha?
I prefer to think of it as claws.
NYgirly- I thought Teho and Kara made it clear this was not the time and place for it? And if the link is continuing to disturb you, please do not inflict it on others.. I am sure if they want to find something like that they can google it.
when i saw the pix, i too immediately thought of the p.diddy story and his label’s use of these animals…but it also makes me think of shoe companies that use kangaroo leather in their products, and how many people may not be aware of that either…
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/20736/story.htm
[borderline, but I'll leave it... - Ed.]
Plabonga plabonga…
I recommend all Tom Robbins books, but especially “Villa Incognito” with tanuki woven right into the story.
Yup, I’ve seen Pompoko too!! (I’m a big fan of Studio Ghibli).
Boy, is that one FAR OUT movie. Extremely cute though! And it makes so much more sense (sort of) now that I know they’re Tanukis.
And I so want one!
But I bet you’d have to brush them all the time with all that floofy fur.
thank you for your viscious editing Theo – THANK YOU
Theo, If I was you which I’m glad I’m not, I would just delete all the comments keep the picture up and make it so no one could post anymore.
[That'd be the *easy* solution, yes - Ed.]
Okay now I’m going to see all the other cute posts.
Tanuki balls and editing claws…so much to discuss today!
they’re as cute as a dog and a raccoon at once! if they’re also as clever as a dog and a raccoon at once, they’ll soon take over the world.
and i love the tanuki-testicle stories!
thanks, theo, for your editing prowess… and for doing it all with a rapier wit
and thanks, NYgirly for posting such a cute/happy resolution. it’s like a happy ending to a story that took some dark turns.
sorry… it was tina rhea i meant to thank for bringing back the cute.
i’m sure it’s true, but it being on wikipedia doesn’t MAKE it true. anyone can post pretty much anything on wikipedia. it’s good if you’re just looking to get an idea of something, but lots of it is misinformation and it should never be used as a reference!
Thanks Theo for your mod work and nixing the nasty video! It was thankfully gone before I read the comments.
Those dogs are so adorable! I’d so want one, but they probably shed like crazy. Hmmm….huge balls? Maybe that is why they have to much fur-to preserve their dignity.
Their fur is used on coats. They are of the dogs species but their fur is labeled as Raccoon. I’ve seen a Burberry coat where the label mentioned that the fur on the hood was “Racoon”.
theo–sorry for the disturbing video and details i tried to post…i understand why you took it down. it slipped my mind that the comments are to talk about how CUTE the animals are…….. oops. i <3 animals.
check it out!
http://homepage.mac.com/i/hpti/1/wimg/Shared/SlideShow/SlideShow.html?lang=en
Liz — link doesn’t work.
Please tell me it’s positive, relevant, and not graphic photos of animal cruelty.
My patience reserves are pretty tapped out, today.
no it is a beautiful slide show of the racoon dogs in the wild.
i found it on the wikipedia link.
i would not post anything vile like that.
[Thank you... - Ed.]
sorry people cant see it.
Theo Thanks for the awesome edit job. I was really enjoying these cute racoon -fox -dog -tanuka’s.
I love their picture.
Holly – I loved Mario’s tanuki suit! He was so cute in it! I also loved the little shoe thing, remember that? You could jump really far in it. Ok /80’s Mario memories.
Theo, thanks for the eds. No harshing the cute!
Let’s start a new topic! If you had a racoon dog, what would you name him/her?
I would name mine Rooney McScoodle.
I second/third/whatever thanks to Theo for the editing. On occasion I’ve stumbled on videos I really didn’t want to see. Thanks for not assisting.
And for my fantasy racoon dog, I would name her Princess FluffMuffin.
I would name my raccoon dog Teho, just because.
I would name him… something wickedly ironic that I’ll keep to myself.
Mr. McMischiefsons. Missy for short, even though he would be a him.
I’m with you, Meg – I still can’t believe these floofballs actually exist. Their fluffulence is ootraaaaaaaaaageous!
And, to add to the slim list of positive tanuki links, and since the marvellous Ursula Vernon has a drawing for ANY occasion:
http://ursulav.deviantart.com/art/Tanuki-s-Teacup-31025983
Ahhhh green tea. An excellent beverage combined with an excellent animal. If Red Wombat Tea Co. existed, I’d give up the whole artist thing and work there in a shot.
my little fluff puff would be named Roque.
Just another reminder, peeps, that this isn’t the agora or speaker’s corners…it’s Meg’s website (although I’m starting to think of it as “Meg and Theo’s website”), and while they pay the bills and do the work, they get to have some control over the content and the conversation. It’s not our right to post links or give people a lesson about what we believe, and they’re nice to let us do so. We’re a group of pretty open-minded, friendly people, and I think we need to respect that.
I’m not even going to start talking about large testicles.
I saw one of these when I lived in Japan!
I had no idea what it was, and the Japanese friend I was with had a hard time explaining that it wasn’t a badger. The one I saw had a little baby with it, and they were just wandering around in some suburbs by a canal. So cute.
This is for BerthaSlave…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chrismoyles/rallyoke/gallery_launch/5.shtml
(OK, one encore: http://tinyurl.com/2te88s )
They look so fluffy. I must snorgle them at once!!!
I would have two and name them Bandito Poofpaunch and Parka Fuzzool. Boy and girl, natch.
What does “natch” mean? I see people use it a lot on the internet.
IHFC: Naturally = Natch. I think.
[Tru dat... - Ed.]
Wow, those are some beautiful animals! I just love dogs, and I love racoons with their hands! lol… something inbetween would be awesome!
I just want to say, Theo, you’re awesome.
It seems to me that commentroversies happen most often on Fridays, when peeps are itching to do anything but work…
p.s. Yay for big balls!
If I had a racoon dog he would be named Moses, because really, whatelse would you name a crazy haired flooferson with a penchant for standing on his back legs. All he needs is a little staff to hold in his paw.
(yea, I’m weird, I know)
You’re in good company, Renae.
One Eyed Daruma – I was just about to mention Tom Robbins! Hoorah, I’m not the only [obsessive?] fan! What’s your favorite by him? I’m torn between Skinny Legs and All, Jitterbug Perfume, and Still Life With Woodpecker.
/uber nerd.
First of all, thank you, Theo, for being so vigilant.
To the people who posted the vids etc? Don’t you realise you’re preaching to the choir here?
Okay…enough about that.
These guys are adorable. What would I name one? Well, I would probably call it “The tanuki/raccoon dog who lives in the forest”.
Hey, That’s what Mario turns into when he gets a leaf in Super Mario Brothers 3…Tanuki! Cool.
OMG-OMG-OMG…
MUST.OWN.NOOOOOOWWWWW!!
I love tanukis. I saw the Pom Poko film years before its American DVD release and was frustrated to learn that once again, importers feel that Americans are too dumb to absorb the concept of an animal which sort of looks like a racoon but isn’t. EVERY TIME a tanuki is featured in media that makes its way to the US, they change all references to the animal to say “racoon” instead of “tanuki.” Anyone here played Animal Crossing? Tom Nook’s name is derived from Tanuki, because that’s what he is, and yet they call him a racoon in the U.S. version. Just like in the Japanese folklore, his biggest rival is the sly fox, Redd. I really wish translators and importers of popular media would just give people the benefit of the doubt. Let them absorb a little bit of outside culture instead of dumbing everything down for them. /rant
(They’re really precious creatures. Pom Poko will pluck at your heartstrings as it is a film about the struggle between nature and human development.)
And I just misspelled “raccoon” that whole time..
I haven’t managed to read through ALL the posts yet but I just hope that people realise this isn’t a dog/racoon hybrid. It’s a real animal for certain but a cross between those two animals is impossible.
arachnophile, I think most folks know, I was calling it that because that is what it looks like I know it is another species versus a dog-racoon-fox. but it is really like it got a little bit of each species in it. and soooo cute.
Good job dealing with the comments today, Theo
. I like the balance you’ve struck between letting people express their opinions until things get out of hand, and keeping Cute Overload cute and fluffy without too much darkness getting in.
Hmmmm….thinking about the name thing again…..I’d still want to name it Teho, but I would have to go with somebody with abnormally LARGE bean bags. So. Confirm or deny?
I haven’t been able to find it, but my darlin’ man found a website one time that had pictures of a small islet in (I think?) Japan where the Tanuki started congregating because it was safe and people fed them. There was a picture of a bridge with a bunch of Tanuki on it.
These guys are definitely on the list of animals that live in my fantasy menagerie (along with the red panda, Mindoro stripe-faced fruit bat, fennec fox, & sugar glider!)
omg bugmom you did NOT just do that?!
Carrie….indeed I did! And since it’s already on the interwebs I can’t take it back….but I still need to know!
Bugmom– it looks like YOU’VE got the big ones.
“Also remember the raccoon suit that Mario wore in Super Mario Bros. 3? Where you could turn into a stone statue? That was a tanuki suit! The stone statue thing is because of the folk tradition that tanukis can change into stone statues to trick people!”
I…I never heard of the statue bit. I think I only got to the ice level though.
Note to fur questions: “faux” fur is SUPPOSED to be fake, but it’s often cheaper to kill these poor little guys than make fake fur. So real fur can be mislabeled “faux”. And I know some people will say fur or meat, what’s the difference? [OK, we GET it already! Don't you have your *own* blog? - Ed.]
Ok so are they dogs or raccoons? What do I call them!!! And the first time I read Tanuki I thought, “Mario?” (giving away my age there.)
Thanks for the powerful editing. I come here for teh kewt. If I want violence I can easily go somewhere else. Glad I didn’t come in here before Theo took his claws out!
Our dojo uses the tanuki as an unofficial mascot – they are terribly adorable and all over Japanese art being naughty (adorably naughty!)
Also, as an animal rights activist, I wander over to Cute Overload to take a break from seeing the usual disgusting stuff, so thank you for the editing.
Also, I would like to ask for more photos of rats, because they are the cutest animals on the planet. Well, and tanuki. And hooglehogs, And red squirrels. And ‘munks with purple flowers. Oh crud. . .
Our dojo uses the tanuki as an unofficial mascot – they are terribly adorable and all over Japanese art being naughty (adorably naughty!)
Also, as an animal rights activist, I wander over to Cute Overload to take a break from seeing the usual disgusting stuff, so thank you for the editing.
Also, I would like to ask for more photos of rats, because they are the cutest animals on the planet. Well, and tanuki. And hooglehogs, And red squirrels. And ‘munks with purple flowers. Oh crud. . .
No arguement there Annie – these are CRAZY-FLOOFY-Cute critters.
I always had my suspicions about some of that faux fur.
I love it when we get exotic cute here on C.O.
Aw, tanuki.
Racoon dogs ARE real dogs. They are members of the canine family and not related to real racoons like what we have here (they just look similar). They are native to Japan and called Tanuki, and they are portrayed in legends as tricksters and fertility icons (hence why you see statues of them with large testicals).
Always loved these fuzzies. Right now I have the uncontrollable urge to fluff one and beep their big black nosies.
I must say, the part about tanuki being nonaggressive is a bit off. My first encounter with live tanuki (as opposed to the fat little statue sort) was in 2003 at the Ehime Prefectural Zoo in Japan, and some genius decided that since monkeys and tanuki are both native to Japan, they could share the same enclosure. Now, the enclosure was huge and contained a cliff/mountain in the middle for the monkeys to climb, and caves at the bottom for the tanuki, BUT.. Japanese zoos let you fee the animals, and so every time a person threw in a snack for them, the tanuki would try to grab it as fast as they could while monkeys divebombed them from above. We just stared in awe at the fighting and screaming of the monkeys and the tanuki barking, enjoying the sheer chaos.
I did get a 10 cent tanuki stuffed doll from a friend in Japan, it is very cute and has little puffball testicles and carries a jug of sake and wears a woven hat.
Oh, forgot to add: a photo of a girl tanuki doll, particularly rare in Japan: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmurawski/283466679/
Awww they look a little like my Keeshond Kassie: (don’t have a good enough photo to illustrate this though
)
and my Pom mix Renee:
http://photo.ringo.com/215/215346584O490921791.jpg
Metz – Can’t begin to tell you how glad I am Kassie is a girl. And Renee. Fo sho.
Hope no one considers my earlier fur post too dark. Apologies if it offends anyone. Was trying to strike balance between answering someone’s question and not getting too graphic. Please delete if it it offends
Sigh. I had just read some people saying the fur posts were depressing them, so I offered apologies if mine had offended anyone. I also said I would understand if my earlier fur post were edited/ deleted. However, I was very dissapointed to see it was done it such a snippy manner. I can understand getting frustrated with the number of fur posts, but since I only posted ONCE, I find the attitude and sarcastic “we get it” comment unnecessary. If I offended anyone, it was unintentional. YOU, editor, did so on purpose. BIG difference.
Colleen Cool it. Everyone had enough today. Your post may or may not have been that bad but the combined effect of all of them was too much. Theo did it for everyone and if you are looking back at it after the edit you will not understand. If you are trying to start it all up again Then go away. I hope you are just here to appoligize nad then enjoy the cute with the rest of us.
That’s my problem. I DID apologize, unprompted, but was still chastised. You are correct in saying the combined effect was probably too much, but since I was unaware of that, I still maintain that snapping at me was simply not nice. Deleting my comment without adding the sarcastic side bar would have had the same effect.
Oh so glad these got posted! I saw this picture and immediately started thinking about the possibilities with a pomeranian and a bucket of (safe, animal friendly, non-toxic, vegetable based) paint…
pyrit, ok I’ll bite (heh) whu-huh? Why are you happy my gals are well, gals?
Is it the whole giant package thing? LOL
Okay, so I still don’t know if you can have one as a pet? Because that would be totally awesome. If there’s any animal that looks skunk-ish, I would want one of those too!
Oaklandcat, have you been peeking up my skirt again?
Oh! I is tie-tie! Misspelled my own name! The above post was written to oaklandcat by me bugmom.
SQUEEEEEEEE!!! Cho chweet!
PS They look like poms!
Metz darling, “Is it the whole giant package thing? LOL”
Yes! :-p
wow, theo. who’s a control freak?
GAAAAAAAAAAAHEVERYBODYSHUTUPANDLOOKATTHEFUZZYTHINGSPLZ
*headdesk*
*mouthvodka*
Colleen — (catching up since Friday night) — I didn’t realize you’d posted your apologetic note that quickly. Probably you were writing at the same time I was editing. So, thanks.
I personally consider deleting whole comments to be a bit more harsh and faceless than picking & choosing & editing.
Theo–I really appreciate and respect the awesome work you do for this site; it’s absolutely one of my favorites. Please try to hear this as intended-the harsh tone you’ve adopted in editing in the racoon-dog and tickled puppy posts is simply unnecessary and as inconsistent with the overall tone of the site as the ’nuffers comments often are. I can appreciate how frustrating it must be to edit so many posts, but I look to the moderator of a site to set the tone they wish commentors to adopt (i.e. sarcasm and personal attacks from the moderator gives commentors the “all clear” to do the same). If this trend continues, I won’t be coming here anymore–not because I’ll be angry–but just because it won’t be any fun.
Oh gawd..
I went the the HSUS link and watched the video…it made me cry, i had to stop it within the first 2 minutes…
so sad, how these poor beautiful creatures have to suffer so greedy mankind can make a buck…
*sigh* ok..i went and snorgled my floofy kitten for a pickme up..
Aw, I do love tanukis. Just the cutest things. In addition to inspiring Mario’s Tanooki Suit, they have also given rise to the funniest Halloween costume I’ve seen in a long time: http://www.syslog.com/~jwilson/pics-i-like/asian-nutsack-suit.jpg
I realize the link makes it sound dirty, but don’t worry, it’s completely silly, not nasty.
Colleen, really, get over it. If you actually read through the entire past of the site, what you are construing as harsh is actually a VERY rare thing. Time to buck up and deal with it, it happens and guess what? Moderators are humans too, trust me, I’m one elsewhere on the net and I can tell you crap like this makes us want to reach through the computer and physically beat someone.
So relax already and stop harping on it. The rest of us are over it, so join in.
Kittermama–I agree that the harshness is rare, but given that it’s occurred over two very recent posts, I’m just putting my two cents in that I really hope it’s not the start of a new trend. Why do you object to that?
Kittermama–Also, I am very familiar with this site–including the animal rights ads that often appear on the sidebars (today’s is horse protection, previous ones have been anti-seal fur hunt). Seems kind of disingenous for folks to make the claim that animal right discussion is inappropriate or unnecessary “preaching to the choir” on this site when those issues are so clearly being promoted on the site. And yes, it’s their (Meg, and increasingly, Theo’s) site, and they can do what they want-no argument there. Doesn’t mean I can’t have an opinion (and they’re free to delete that opinion if they like). But the “physically beat” someone comment you made is exactly the sort of excessive vitriol I’m objecting to.
1. Perhaps you should take a serious look over the posts that spawned the hardcore nuffing and the rare harsh response. Perhaps that will answer your own unfounded fears and prove them, well, unfounded and show that you are making a bit of a fuss over absolutely nothing at all.
2. I object? Actually I’m just fed up. Perhaps its because someone on the forum I moderate on actually picked up the phone and called the board owner trying to get me not only removed from my mod position but banned from that forum altogether. Why? I made the terrible mistake of expressing my opinion on a subject that disagreed with their own and furthered that evil by using the open post window to actually conduct mod duties by asking everyone in the thread (a touchy subject was the topic) to keep it nice.
So I guess you can say that, being a moderator, I know what it takes and I know EXACTLY how it feels when someone publicly complains over several posts about how they don’t like what the moderator is doing/how they are doing it. Because 9 times out of 10 it’s over nothing at all.
Like this time.
You aren’t the only one edited. Others were. Theo stated that he did not see your original apology because at the time it went up HE WAS DOING MOD STUFF, and yet you keep on compaining.
It’s over. Deal with it.
Cause I’m done this discusson with you.
I think you might well have taking my ‘phyically beat’ crack seriously.
Try not to. Cause it wasn’t serious. Just using words to express the fustrations that moderators go through when getting flack for doing their job.
Don’t take things so literally for crying out loud. it’s kind irksome.
Yeah, totally done now. Chow Bella.
Didn’t take the “physically beat” comment seriously–apologies if that’s what it sounded like. Just expressing my general frustration with the tone of speech folks so often allow themselves because it’s “only” the internet. (I doubt this little convo between you and I would have escalated so quickly in person–but I can’t see you and you can’t see me, so we make assumptions about each other) And I would NEVER want Theo “removed”–gah, perish the thought–hoping for more foster kitty stories myself
. Just saying (or trying to say)– to Theo alone–maybe take a little breather before you bust out the sarcasm, please. And that’s all. So now I’m out too–off to see if I can turn my scrap yarn into a ping pong ball cozy. 
Okay…I’m so sorry if this is out of line here, but I think the biggest problem is that people don’t read other posts before posting themselves. I realise it’s not easy when there are over 100, but you should at least skim.
Colleen, had you read how many people had already posted about the fur etc. and how many times Theo had to edit, you most likely wouldn’t have posted your comment. Theo was basically saying, in general, “Enough already!”
I’m a mod on a couple of other boards and I know the printed word can often be misunderstood. As Colleen said, we can’t see each other, so why don’t we all imagine everyone smiling now, okay?
Group hug?
Group hug. We all lurves the kyoot!
(and I am eating pudding right now, caramel vanilla, with a warm dog on my lap who is snoring. I appreciate this no end, because I have a horrible cold and my big furry fellah seems like he is breathing in tandem with my soul)
Life can be so good, if we just focus on what is love-filled.
Peace, folks.
How comes we get the only *modest* tenuki boys around?
Hmmmph.
there so plump!!!
I just want to squweze one
I’ve never heard of these!!
I looked at the title and saw “Raccoons” but didn’t see any “dogs”!!! This is so cool. I’d love to have one.
berthaslave—They can’t get me to talk about big testicles, either. No sir!
Did anyone mention that the animated versions of these animals bounce on their testicles as a form of travel? Probably, but an important fact!
*boing boing boing boing boing
Lone–YOU’RE KIDDING!!! That may be the best thing I’ve heard all week!!!
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