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. […]
5 Basics of Cat Happiness Read More »
Tugger was a champion English cocker spaniel, the kind so handsome he spent years in the show ring alternating between four-square poses and trotting around the ring alongside his handler until invited to the stand to have his long lush ears pulled forward over his eyes while a judge conducted a knowing frisk. Maintaining favorite
The Petty Larcenist Read More »
Pets are family. Now more than ever pet owners want to feed their dogs and cats as they feed themselves: natural and free-from. Pet food companies have acknowledged the inner circle status of pets by offering a broad range of solution-oriented diets boasting high quality ingredients to improve health at every stage of life. Owners
How Fresh Is Your Pet’s Kibble? Read More »
Baxter and Bitty could have stepped off the pages of the Bengal cat breed profile: sweet-natured, affectionate, playful, high energy, and exotically beautiful. Baxter was perennially outgoing, Bitty’s charm was masked by shyness around strangers, keeping her in the shadow of her spirited 14-pound brother. She followed him everywhere, including into trouble. I entered the
Disorderly Conduct Read More »
Carmen was a gift to a brilliant veterinary student the breeder believed had saved the life of his dog and her unborn puppies. The student was enthralled with the delicate little dog, naming her after a favorite opera while building a contact list of canine couturiers. Just like that Carmen scored a personal physician and
From Fearful to Fun-loving Read More »
The Penn professors had recently moved into a large Victorian-era house with Monkey, their 2-year-old gray tabby. He was small, lively and very cute. His special talent was scaling the seemingly impossible, a penchant aided by an extra toe on each snowy front paw. Monkey’s new home was a paradise of tall windows, stairways, mantels,
Friendly, sweet-natured Periwinkle spent the pandemic years holding down a sofa, a commitment on full display the afternoon I met with her owner. She did not budge when I knocked on the front door and, amazingly, did not bark. Around the open living area were bags of dog food and assorted treats, most within reach
Princess Drop & Drag Read More »
Never underestimate what your dog (or cat) can or will do when they want something badly enough. The Mischief-Maker is about Homer, a little dog that only wanted his owner’s time and attention but ended up feeling grumpy all the time because his favorite human was exasperated and exhausted by his persistent attempts to get
Is Your Pet Demanding? Read More »
Homer was 7 years old when we met, a short-legged roly-poly terrier mix with coarse grizzled fur, a black nose, and bright dark eyes under bushy brows. He looked like an animated stuffed animal yet behaved at times like a Borgia having a bad hair day. Homer and his owner were very unhappy. She was
The Mischief-Maker Read More »
Discouraging an insanely gifted athlete from popping up onto kitchen counters would seem a hopeless endeavor. Yet there are persistent, determined cat owners who have succeeded. If you happen to live with a cat more persistent and determined than you are — but the idea of a cat on kitchen counters drives you crazy —
Advice for Keeping Cats Off Kitchen Counters Read More »
Standing between the kitchen sink and Sapphire’s feeding station is an island regularly used by a pet owner who loves to cook and a cat that appreciates its value as a social platform perfectly suited to her pint-size flair for brand placement. Of course, taking a walk on the countertop would be a mere trifle
Confident, athletic, and clever, Pepper’s adolescence had been particularly vexing for his owner, a busy corporate executive who desired the companionship of a dog without realizing how trying it can be to raise one. She had adopted Pepper at 6 months wanting to bypass the demands of house training, while hoping they could skip right
Turnabout is Fair Play Read More »
