It used to be when I wrote about indoor cats, the majority of responses would be from people who argued vehemently that there was no way a cat could be content without outdoor access. I'd also hear fr... more
Time magazine called The Bark "the New Yorker for dog lovers." Oprah calls it a "must read." Famous writers and illustrators are delighted to be asked for contributions, and a Hollywood production com... more
When I first started writing about animal issues more than 20 years ago, I went to a conference for shelter workers put on by the Humane Society of the United States.... more
About once a month, I'll get a frantic e-mail from someone who's frustrated to the point of desperation. "Help!" the e-mail will scream. "I have a Jack Russell, and he digs, barks and chews when we're... more
Thanksgiving is at hand, and the rest of the holiday season looms ahead. It's a busy time, but you need to make sure in the whirl of activities that you aren't ignoring any danger to your pets.... more
Can indoor cats really be happy? Cat lovers can -- and do -- maintain vehemently opposed opinions on this issue. But you can't disagree with the fact that the free-roaming life can be dangerous for a ... more
For most of my adult life, the animals and I made do with a series of compact cars and small station wagons. But when I adopted my second big, bouncy and usually damp retriever a half-dozen years ago,... more
Urban living for dog lovers can be a challenge, especially when it comes to finding housing. "No dogs" is the rule at many otherwise promising properties, and those buildings that allow dogs often do ... more
Three years ago, Kendra Luck was starting to wonder what else could possibly go wrong with her life. She'd lost her brother, and staff reductions at her newspaper had claimed her job as a photojournal... more
My first exposure to serious dog training came almost a quarter-century ago in a class taught by a man who'd trained dogs for the Air Force. His method was direct: The dog was to execute the command o... more
For Jan Haag, it started with one half-starved, half-grown and completely wild cat she thought was male when she took the terrified animal, still in a live-capture trap, to a veterinarian to be neuter... more
SEQUIM, Wash. -- Indoor facilities for dog-training classes are common in places where winters can be as long and nasty as their days are short. So it's no surprise to see a spacious room at the heart... more
It's truly a shame how few things most people teach their dogs. What many people don't realize is that training is a way of communicating with your dog, of sharing a common language. The more you teac... more
When my first parrot died a few years ago, I was grief-stricken. Patrick's loss wasn't a total surprise: He came to me as a homeless, feather-picked disaster, and he'd had health problems throughout h... more
We're in full stride on kitten season now, which means I'm getting questions about feline pregnancy from people who often had no idea they'd be midwife to pets who are often not much more than kittens... more
Summer is a great time to be a pet. The days are long and most kids are out of school. That leaves plenty of time for lots of attention and some serious fun.... more
When I started writing about pets 20 years ago, parrots had a reputation for being messy, hard-to-tame pets who'd just as soon bite you as look at you. They never left their cages, and the only reason... more
Is air travel safe for pets? While no one can guarantee a trouble-free trip, the good news is that the vast majority of pets get where they're going in fine shape. Even better news: Careful planning o... more