Mrs. Murphy and Lopito lived in a 3-story house with so many windows and soft furnishings to choose from, they were seldom seen together on the same floor. The two black cats shared upholstered seating, windowsills, litter boxes, daily bowls of kibble, and a single female owner on separate timetables, but dining together in the […]
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Is it safe to share the Thanksgiving feast with your pet? Nobody likes a holiday buzzkill. But our national food culture has changed — from viral food fads to the decline in cooking at home. More money is now spent at restaurants and bars than grocery stores while food marketers have aided and abetted America’s
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In addition to modeling their mother’s behavior and incorporating her attitude, kittens also learn social manners and boundaries through interactions and playtime with siblings. But it is the father’s genetics that provide the blueprint for a kitten’s personality development. All of these inputs, along with early exploration, help kittens build self-confidence, including those produced by
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Peanut squirmed in her owner’s arms as she was carried from hiding to meet the new pet sitter. She was super shy with outsiders, always streaking into hiding when the door buzzer sounded. Yet her owner believed meeting new people would help Peanut become less afraid and what better way to get acquainted than from
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This image was captured moments after Sam spun away from the hummingbirds on TV to zero in on a bird visiting a feeder his loving owner had mounted on the outside of a window. I thought Sam was merely distracted but it may have had more to do with what he perceived. I wondered what
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By two years of age, Zoey was maintaining her pleasantly plump figure on a daily bowl of kibble with a side of wet food. To her veterinarian, Zoey’s weight had become “less than ideal.” But to her owner, she was perfect. Affectionate, sweet-natured, and playful, Zoey was a loving friend and companion the owner wanted
Since dogs and cats do not come with trouble-shooting guides, you could be forgiven for missing a few cues here and there, particularly when a pet is feeling sick or troubled. Even for those of you most in touch with your pet’s feelings, evolutionary hardwiring will likely prevent the pet from communicating her wants and
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Sleek and glossy black, Mister and Lady were easy to tell apart because Lady was always the first on scene when I catered mealtimes. And that was a problem for her everlastingly shy brother. Both cats loved wet food and, if Mister didn’t put himself out there, his sister would lap it all up. But
On a sunny morning I had finished watering the potted plants framing the dining area windows to notice T, a plump gray tabby, sitting at the opposite end of the kitchen watching me. Odd because his breakfast had been served and he never passed up a meal. As I approached the sink, T lowered to
Shy, sweet-natured Itta lived peacefully in a charming two-story house on a quiet Philly street. By the time I sat down with her owner, the plump brown tabby had a new feline housemate called Cubbon, named for his ginger fur and a personality so big his doting owner could speak of little else. To his
As the holiday season approaches, pet parents may question if it’s really such a bad thing to share the feast with four-legged family members. Pets are loved and it is the season for giving. Surely a little bit of turkey is okay, right? Nobody likes a holiday buzzkill. And among children and guests, it is
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On the flip side The cat’s use of scent to maintain social equilibrium can cause problems in the human-feline relationship. With paws stretched wide, claws extended, scratching releases pheromones that give off a strong scent that reassures cats their environment is safe. Usually not a problem until this innate drive is directed at your furniture.
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