April last Saturday - World Veterinary Day
World Veterinary Day was instigated by the World Veterinary Association in 2000 to be celebrated annually on the last Saturday of April. The WVA (World Veterinary Association) and the OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) agreed on the creation of the World Veterinary Day Award aimed at rewarding the most successful celebration of the veterinary profession by national veterinary associations, alone, or in cooperation with any other selected veterinary body.
April last weekend - Cuckoo Day
This annual celebration welcomes the return of the cuckoo to Marsden, England with artistic workshops, an all-day craft fair, banner-making, a village procession, maypole and Morris dancing for two days.
Marsden's love for this feathered friend stemmed from the fact that the spring and sunshine always came along with the cuckoo's arrival. In days gone by, the people of the village reputedly built a huge wall to try to prolong the cuckoo's visit. But the wall was too low and the cuckoo flew away. As the legend goes, "It were nobbut just wun course too low!"
April 27 - National Hairball Awareness Day
Every cat owner, at least once (usually in the middle of the night), has stepped into a pile of something that looks and feels like anything but hair and wondered, “Does she do this on purpose?!” No, she doesn’t. In fact, hairballs are the number one condition reported by 35 percent of households. Is your household one of them? If so, we understand and we recognize you and your cat on this day, National Hairball Awareness Day.
Hairballs are a common feline condition that is brought on by self-grooming and the associated ingestion of hair. The ingested hair can accumulate in your cat’s throat or stomach causing irritation.
“It’s often an unsightly situation for cat owners, but not uncommon,” said Dr. Debbie Davenport, a Hill’s veterinarian. “Some 50 to 80 percent of cats produce hairballs as frequently as once a month. In most cases, hairballs are normal but unpleasant, and in a few cases, hairballs can be a symptom of something more serious happening in the cat’s digestive system.”
April 27 - Woody Woodpecker Day
Many remember Walter Lantz only for Woody; however, one of his most famous moments was the creation of an animated opening sequence for Universal Studio's first, major musical, "The King of Jazz" in 1930.
Lantz' Woody Woodpecker made his first appearance in the 1940 film, "Knock, Knock". He became so popular that his wacky laugh and taunting ways were celebrated in "The Woody Woodpecker Song". By 1948, Lantz and his studio were celebrating the hit record success of that song, too.
Walter Lantz put several more decades of wonderful cartoon characters and films under his belt before he was honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. It was 1979 when he was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Oscar ceremonies. Walter Lantz has left us and many generations to come with a lifetime of enjoyment; one can still see Woody Woodpecker in cartoons on television. You'll recognize that zany laugh anywhere!