Experts say it's a good idea to check the batteries in your smoke detector twice a year, when setting the clock forward or back. For the last few years, I've tried to encourage another safety check: t... more
Don't forget those who help animals in this, the season of giving. While they may not be out ringing bells in front of stores this time of year, they need your help all the same.... more
With the U.S. jobless rate reported recently at 24-year low, perhaps its time to address an unemployment problem no one seems to talk about, even though it affects tens of millions of Americans -- of ... more
People and cats live in completely different worlds when it comes to smell. The cat's sense of smell is many times more powerful than a human's, so keen that smells are among the most significant elem... more
The colder nights we have now are perfect for reading, and if you can find something heartwarming to read, you're always better off. Fortunately, two books are out now that should warm your insides ev... more
For all his life Andy has ridden in the car seat next to mine, a special spot no other dog has dared covet, a place he abdicates for the occasional human only because I insist on it, and never with go... more
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, perhaps because I've always loved make-believe. These days, though, if anyone in my family is pretending to be something he's not, it's likely to be the young... more
In Roger Tabor's opinion, cats would be better off if we left them largely alone to run their own affairs. We should feed them, pet them and make sure their health needs are met, he says, but when it ... more
The first step in turning an adult dog into a reliable house pet is to embrace a key concept: There's no such thing as a "partially" house-trained dog. He either is or he isn't.... more
As pet-lovers, we always need to keep in mind one of the basic facts of life: Not everyone loves animals the way we do. And even those who do can find the antics of other people's pets a little hard t... more
The first step in dealing with a new behavior problem in a formerly well-mannered pet is to rule out that it might be a medical problem. In few instances is this rule more applicable than when a cat s... more
On the bulletin board in my "pet-centric" home office is a cartoon a reader sent me a couple of years ago: a dog sitting at a computer, paws on the keyboard. "On the Internet," reads the caption, "kno... more
Are you making decisions about your pet's health without understanding the risks and the benefits? In the case of anesthesia, too many people still cling to some outdated ideas, to the detriment of th... more
Fall is a time for changing routines, as children go back to school and the long, lovely days of summer start to disappear. For some dogs, household changes may be particularly distressing, triggering... more
Although most cats do a credible job when it comes to keeping themselves well-groomed -- better than a great many humans, in fact -- even the most proficient can use a little help on a regular basis. ... more
You can lose yourself in the fur of a cat. Warm under your fingers, glossy-sleek to your eyes, a cat's fur can relax you, make you smile and ease the strain of a hard day. In so many lovely combinatio... more
When you consider that four of the nation's top five breeds in recent years have been big dogs, it's no surprise that there are a lot of dog owners out there with sore arms and shoulders from trying t... more
Many dogs do it, although their owners are too disgusted to admit it, and sometimes too embarrassed to talk about it even with their veterinarians.... more
A dark smudge runs the length of the center hallway in my house, a streak that just happens to coincide with the shoulder height of the retriever, Benjamin. In another room, a matching stain closer to... more
Ozzie is a beautiful cat, black with perfectly placed patches of white on his chin and his chest, a fluffy purr machine whose job in life is sitting in the lap of my friend Jan. His veterinarian would... more
From the goldfish won at a school carnival and gone just as fast, to the hamster who escaped from his cage and was never seen again, to the cat or dog who has been in the family for years and is now t... more
Dr. Roger Gfeller has seen a lot of hot dogs on the Fourth of July. He has also set a lot of broken bones and stitched up a great many nasty lacerations.... more
Behind every picture there's a story, and this is certainly true of the snapshot of my dogs perched on a windswept bluff over the Pacific Ocean, their long coats swirling around them, their eyes inten... more
Summer is the time of year when families pack it in, hustling to clear out of the old place and settle into a new one before the school year begins.... more
When you live with a retriever, you can mark the beginning of summer from the day when it's warm enough for you both to go swimming -- if you happen to have friends who don't mind both people and dogs... more