This hour, stories dedicated to our furry and not-so-furry friends.

Flash! (parts I & II)

by Daimiano Marchetti with Alex Goldman and PJ Vogt (Reply All , 2016 & 2017)

Craigslist: Santa Rosa, California. Lost & found. Post title: Lost tortoise. Flash has escaped.

Charles Mingus Toilet Trained His Cat. We Put His Method to the Test

by Jody Avigran (Studio360 [WNYC], 2014)

The jazz musician Charles Mingus was a celebrated band leader and one of the most important composers of his generation. But at the same time he was recording The Greatest Jazz Concert Ever with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, he was working on another masterpiece of sorts. He figured out how to get his cat, Nightlife, to poop in a toilet — and he decided he’d share his method with the world. And so became The Charles Mingus CAT-alog .

Snowdrift

by Jennifer Wing (Sound Effect [KNKX], 2015)

The story of a lost cat that didn’t actually want to be found.

Are Animals Creative?

by Sean Cole (Studio360 [WNYC], 2006)

What separates humans from animals? It used to be tools - and then we found out some animals are pretty handy. But what about art? There may be nothing prettier than birdsong, but each species sings pretty much the same tune. Are animals ever really creative? Sean Cole went looking for animal artists and found a dog painter and an orchestra of elephants.

Charlie's Conundrum

by Sook-Yin Lee and Veronica Simmonds (Sleepover [CBC], 2016)

Eight-year-old Charlie tells us about her one great love… her guinea pig, Turnip.