First, things slowed down at Itchmo.com, eventually posts ground to a halt and then the URL went kerflooey. Itchmo is/was a pet-flavored Web site, created in Seattle, that we loved here at NWsource. It was loaded with helpful dog and cat news and information, especially during the pet-food recall when it became a go-to resource.

At first, I figured the folks at the keyboard had taken a holiday. I mean bloggers have lives, too, you now. Then, when the site went dark, I did what everyone does: Googled.

I discovered, thanks to Gina Spadafori at the Pet Connection blog, that Itchmo creators Ben and Emily Huh have had to give up their labor-of-love-turned-taskmaster to pursue other activities (read: day jobs). Among the paying gigs distracting the Huhs is Icanhascheeseburger.com, a quirky pet site I mentioned in April. Back then, I didn't recognize the handy Mr. Itchmo was behind it. Now it makes perfect sense.

According to Spadafori's information, the Huhs planned to keep Itchmo alive with self-sustaining, reader-driven forums but those appear to have entered the shadowlands as well. So for local pet people seeking to fill the hole left by Itchmo, we've got our own pet forums, free-speech opportunities for all you fur, feather and fin fans out there.

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