It's a New Year's tradition around my home, one that has outlived three generations of pets but still works to help ensure the safety of the animals I live with now.... more
Every year, I make the rounds of pet-industry trade shows and veterinary conferences, and every year I at least glance at thousands of new pet-care products. While a few are truly innovative, many are... more
We give cats the time we can spare and the love we can share from our busy schedules, but that's not always enough. Sometimes a furry friend of the feline persuasion helps to fill a cat's day when his... more
An eye-popping $50 billion dollars is spent on pet care every year, with the lion's share going to the dogs, literally. But even though thousands of dog-care supplies are on the market now with thousa... more
In pets, as in people, having one doctor to oversee and coordinate care has definite advantages. But in these days of larger veterinary hospitals, it can be more difficult to see the same veterinarian... more
Is "people food" safe for dogs? Some is, some isn't, and knowing what's OK to share can mean the difference between a healthy treat and a trip to the emergency clinic.... more
It's a fact of life that cats scratch, and it's good for them to do so. But you don't have to live with shredded furniture or ratty-looking walls and flooring. It's easy to teach a cat to use a scratc... more
In less than a couple of generations, our dogs have moved from the barnyard to the backyard to the kitchen to the bedroom to the bed. It's a cultural shift that has passed some pet owners by, however,... more
When my 14-year-old Sheltie, Drew, was diagnosed with kidney failure, my veterinarian offered me something that wasn't really an option when I started writing about pets a couple decades ago: hospice.... more
Our culture has become very pet-friendly, but as much as I love this shift in attitude, I am also aware that some people don't approve of the change, especially when other people start planning to br... more
Dogs are content to live in dog-smell heaven, a place where water is only for drinking or swimming and never has soap added. Sadly, from a canine point of view, we make the rules that dictate how ofte... more
Pets seem to enjoy fall as much, if not more, than we do. They all seem to perk up as the evenings get cooler. With their incredible eyesight, cats find interest in the early darkness, and dogs love b... more
From the goldfish won at a school carnival who didn't make it home alive 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... more
Hardly a day goes by when there isn't a news story about a dog attack somewhere. When school starts, children may become especially vulnerable, walking and biking through their neighborhoods to class.... more
Some of the saddest emails I get are from people who are punishing or even contemplating ending the lives of formerly well-mannered pets with new behavior problems. So many of these pet lovers chalk u... more
All dogs need exercise. All of them. The amount of exercise varies by the type of dog, the shape, the size and the original purpose of the breed or breeds that lurk in the genetic code of a particular... more
Listen to your head or follow your heart? When it comes to choosing a cat, it's possible to do both, as long as you know what you're getting into.... more
There's one pet care routine as familiar to generations of dog and cat owners as daffodils in the spring: Yearly shots. But it may surprise many that these annual needlings are no longer necessary for... more
The very reason our ancestors first decided they wanted cats around is used today to argue against allowing any cats to roam freely: They hunt, efficiently.... more
Your veterinarian makes it look so easy: Pill. Pet. And like a magic trick, suddenly the pill is inside the pet, and the pet seemingly none the wiser.... more
My retrievers love to swim so much that one of them once attempted to squeeze herself through a cracked window to jump out of a moving car heading over the Mississippi River.... more