“It’s unprecedented really,” says Dr. Jane Goodall about the special relationship that’s shown in Disneynature’s movie “Chimpanzee,” which opened April 20.

What’s so “unprecedented” is that the alpha male of the chimpanzee group, Freddy, adopts an orphaned chimp, Oscar, who would have perished without the leader’s help.

According to Goodall, there’s only “one observation of an alpha male adopting an infant in the last 53 years from the chimpanzee study site and nobody knows why that happened.” However, Goodall says that Freddie’s ultimate adoration of Oscar “just shows that these big, tough males have a soft side, a gentler side.”

UPDATE: The opening weekend of “Chimpanzee” was a 10.6 million dollar success, so Disneynature is celebrating by extending the “See Chimpanzee, Save Chimpanzees” benefit through May 3.

That means when you see the movie through May 3, a donation will be made to the Jane Goodall Institute to help chimpanzees who face threats like deforestation, as well as little chimps who’ve been orphaned by the bushmeat trade.

So, what should you expect when you go see “Chimpanzee?”  Goodall predicts you’ll fall in love with little Oscar. “There’s no way you can’t,” suggests Goodall. The movie, which is kid-friendly, doesn’t show any gory details, no dead animal bodies. Rather, it’s beautifully filmed to help viewers really get to know the rainforest.

Goodall, who was not involved with the production of the film, says, “The shots showing you what it’s like down deep in the forest are amazing.”

Indeed, you’ll not only see shots of intricate forest details from the ground, but from above –revealing the unspeakable splendor of the waterfalls.

Goodall says she has “enormous admiration” for the filmmakers who braved vicious biting army ants, bees, and high heat and humidity to “crawl through the vegetation with really heavy loads on their backs.” On that note, I’d like to remind you to stay through the credits. You’ll get to meet the filmmakers and see a few forest encounters.

If you, like Goodall predicts, fall in love with Oscar, then please do try to help chimpanzees. You can do that by learning more at the Jane Goodall Institute, and by finding out more about the program for kids and college students called Roots & Shoots, which is now in 120 countries. Roots & Shoots gets young people involved in community service projects to help make the world a better place.

Goodall sums up the main message for us all:

Every single one of us makes a difference, every single day. If we would just think about the consequences of the choices we make—what we buy, what we wear, what we eat. How did that affect the environment? Did it involve cruelty to animals? Did this involve sweat shop labor in other countries? If we just start thinking that way, and thinking about choices we make, like turning taps off, and saving electricity, and riding a bicycle if possible—these kinds of little things.

If you’ve seen “Chimpanzee,” please share your thoughts with us!

I love my two cats, but they do create extra work. However, I don’t have to use that much extra energy (the electrical type!) to get their kitty hair off of my upholstered furniture.

Please don’t think that your best choice for removing pet hair from furniture is a disposable product. Companies want you to think that. After all, those refills cost bucks.

Products like the Furniture & Upholstery Flat Surface Lint Roller by Scotch-Brite are lazy and wasteful. Yes, it’s a roll of sticky tape on a plastic handle. And yes, there are other products like that marketed to pet owners.

I get that you don’t always want to get out your handheld pet vacuum each time you want to remove pet hair from the sofa. And, yeah, it can be annoying to attach the appropriate tool to your large floor vacuum. Those things require electricity anyhow. (But you’ll need to use them sometimes!)

The pet hair removal option I’ve been loving lately is microfiber. I know that it’s made of polyester and nylon, two materials that aren’t eco-friendly. However, microfiber is extremely durable, and you don’t have to plug it in to charge or buy refills. And it’s machine washable.

All you really need to do is swipe your fabric with the microfiber cloth and the pet hair will attach itself to the cloth, and also roll into balls. It’s amazing, really.

I would be very completely super surprised if microfiber damaged your upholstered furniture, but there are many types of furniture fabrics, and brands of microfiber products, so please test first. Microfiber cloths are also useful for other household chores, but don’t forget to use a freshly washed cloth if you’re cleaning a hard surface that may scratch.

Have you used a microfiber cloth to remove pet hair from furniture?

See “Chimpanzee” during its first week (April 20-26), and Disneynature will donate to the Jane Goodall Institute to help orphaned chimps like the star of the film, Oscar.

The movie is an amazing true story, with real footage, not a cartoon. Sadly, chimpanzees are in trouble due to the bushmeat trade and deforestation, but you can help by seeing “Chimpanzee” opening week.

Mark your calendar: The movie opens on April 20. See you there!

Learn more about Spring, a 1.5 year-old mixed breed female with lots of sweet puppy energy, and maybe even adopt her at Project Rescue Chicago.

Spring Naturals is sponsoring Spring, the beautiful blonde dog, in honor of their new “Spring Into Action” program, which officially kicks off this May.

As part of the “Spring Into Action” program, Spring Naturals will recognize everyday heroes who help animals in need. Each month, Spring Naturals will highlight one everyday animal hero and the animal rescue group they support on the Spring Naturals Facebook page.

Each animal hero honored will receive a 26-pound bag of Spring Naturals dog food and a 6-ounce treat pouch. The estimated retail value of the prize is more than $75.

In March 2013, the selected grand prize winner’s favorite animal rescue organization or shelter will receive $2,000 (retail value) in Spring Naturals dog food, as well as a $500 cash donation.

More about Spring, the sweet beauty

Bridgid Nolan, founder of Project Rescue Chicago and dog trainer, notes that Spring is adjusting well in foster care. She’s working with Spring to teach her basic doggy manners to prepare her for her new family.

Bridgid says, “Project Rescue Chicago is a proud partner of Spring Naturals. We believe Spring the dog is a perfect example of all the wonderful, loving animals you can find at your local shelter. It’s because of dogs like Spring, Project Rescue Chicago works around the clock to save as many pets as we can in Chicago.”

Please watch the short video of Oscar playing with his Cat ‘n Around catnip toy from Imperial Cat. The toy also came with a cheerfully colored, curly-looking ball that’s not in the video, but you can see plenty of examples in the photos.

I was given one free Hedgehog toy with ball for review purposes. Read more about my disclosures.

Here’s what I like about the new Cat ‘n Around toy in addition to its tummy of certified organic catnip:

• It’s unusual. I’m not talking about just the fact that it’s a hedgehog instead of a mouse (though I don’t think the cats care), I like that it has appendages that dangle below the main body of the toy. Watch the video above to see how Oscar likes this feature too.

• It makes noise! Cats are motivated to hunt by sound, so silent toys are never winners in our kitty household.

• The really soft and uniquely fuzzy cat ball is handy for cats who like to play catch (don’t laugh!). Oscar  loves to catch things, though his chosen “ball” is typically a ponytail holder. He carries his toys in his mouth, deposits them in front of me, and stares with pitiful eyes or yowls until I play catch.

More thoughts…

The organic catnip used in the toy is grown in the US, but the toy itself is made in China.

Given that Imperial Cat manufactures their very practical, yet artistic recycled cardboard scratchers in the US, I was a bit surprised to see that the toy was made elsewhere.

The Imperial Cat website says they have the “largest selection of USA made toys,” so hopefully they’ll stick with that good habit and maybe also make some toys out of recycled materials when possible.

Overall, Oscar has given his hedgehog toy and ball a claw’s up, and he’s hoping that Imperial Cat comes out with more classy looking toys that he can carry around in his mouth!

Does your cat play with Imperial Cat toys?

The really cool thing you’ll learn is what compares to chocolate for a baby sloth. Plus, you can hear those cute wee-one sloth sounds.

Sloths, weighing up to 19 pounds, live in Central to South America. Their conservation status is vulnerable.

Even if you really like lions already, you’ll have a new respect after watching the true story shown in “The Last Lions” from National Geographic.

Watch the trailer below, and learn more about big cat conservation at Cause An Uproar.

Parents with young children may wish to view “The Last Lions” before showing to children. The movie presents lions as they are, complete with love and violence.

ASPCA has teamed up with WebThriftStore to offer an online thrift store where you can shop or donate to your heart’s desire.

When a donated item is sold at the ASPCA WebThriftStore, the animals served by ASPCA reap the rewards. ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.

How it Works

After the item is listed online and sold, the donor ships to the buyer using a prepaid label available online. Shipping supplies are available free of charge. Plus, the sales price is tax-deductible for the donor.

Buyers pay the shipping costs, but they also have 30 days to return the item to WebThriftStore if it’s not as described or is defective. It’s called the 30-Day Buyer Assurance Guarantee.

Check out this FAQ to answer pretty much any question you may have about the process.

Are you going to shop or donate at the ASPCA WebThriftStore?

(Image via Kevin Dooley flickr)

Xanadu Gallery, located on 140 Maiden Lane, is housed in the beautiful building that Frank Lloyd Wright designed. If you’re walking by (it’s just off Union Square), be sure to also check out Wright’s signature in red just to the left of the entry. And, yes you should visit this art gallery to see the lovely stairs inside.

This kitty nook, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is currently being used for storage. I suppose the current occupants of the building aren’t really set up for cat keeping. After all, a roaming kitty can really mess with expensive art!

Why aren’t we designing houses with built-in spaces for pets?

It would save space and cash that’s spent on cat houses or condos that only last a few years. A nicely built, permanent kitty nook would be greener than stuff offered at most pet stores.

What do you think of designing houses with pets in mind?

Imperial Cat offers 100 percent post-consumer recycled cardboard scratchers in many unique designs, including some festive ones to help you celebrate the holidays.

Scratch ‘n Shapes holiday patternsinclude snowflakes, Christmas treesand several red and green seasonal designs.

More Eco Features

Scratch ‘n Shapes are made in the U.S., and come with certified organic catnip! You can also recycle them when the time comes. My cat Choco (not pictured here) loves his Imperial Cat scratcher.