Here are some that got our attention in recent weeks. Amazing animal stories Animals make headlines almost every day -- from silly stories to scary tales to heartbreakers. Thunderously purring cat Sound specialists at a British community college recorded the purr of a housecat named Smokey and said it was 16 times louder than the average purr. How many decibels? Bronx Zoo cobra It didn't take long for the alleged adventures of a cobra that disappeared from the Bronx Zoo to start entertaining followers of a fake Twitter account (one silly tweet) and a Facebook page. Shark jumper Talk about jumping the shark! A Texas fisherman was out hoping to catch some red snapper when a 375-pound mako shark (how long was it?) flopped onto the back of his boat in the Gulf of Mexico. Raccoon's sticky situation A raccoon attracted quite a crowd when he spent eight hours perched on a utility pole with his head stuck inside a peanut butter jar. The animal (what's his nickname?) quickly scamper...