Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 3 minutes A half-century ago, most cats lived outdoors, rarely visited the veterinary clinic, and lacked any commercial toys designed to encourage them to play with a purpose. The year was 1968, and there was not a single cat-only veterinary practice in the country. Funding for feline behavioral research was essentially nonexistent. You’ve come a long way, […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Each day that I took Chipper out for a walk, I launched into high-attentive mode. My husky-golden retriever mix who lived to be 14 was quite friendly to all people and even all cats. And she was extremely loyal to and tolerant of dogs in her pack of pals, but when it came to encountering […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Want to know the secret to truly achieving your New Year’s resolutions? Set goals for your BFF: best feline friend. When you shift your focus on your cat, you may find you are more motivated to set and meet goals in the new year. This strategy has worked purr-fectly for me to the benefit of […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes One sure bet about New Year’s resolutions – they are always crafted with good intentions. Did you write down the same ambitious resolutions from last year: to eat more spinach salads and fewer pizzas or to spend more time on the treadmill and less time in the recliner in 2018? Realistically, what are the chances […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes The holiday season reminds us that home is where the pet is. Just ask the homeless huddled in highway underpasses in Los Angeles, women fleeing domestic violence in New York City, families in Minnesota too poor to pay for veterinary care, and homebound seniors in San Diego who must depend on others to bring them […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes When looking to adopt a puppy or dog, compatibility between you and this new four-legged member of your family should be paramount. Not looks or age. So, that explains why when I temperament tested Chipper and discovered we were a match, I overlooked the fact that I just adopted a super shedder. Yep. Make that […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes When a doorbell rings on a television show or commercial in my sister Karen’s house, her three dogs unleash a chorus of barks and dash to the front door. When a dog pops into view on my high-definition television screen, Kona, my terrier mix, will sometimes trot up for a friendly look-see, give a sniff, […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes For many pets, there is no escaping Halloween. Each year, people dole out more than $370 million in pet costumes so that their four-leggers can join them in celebrating this bewitching holiday, according to the National Retail Federation. This begs the question: do dogs and cats view donning costumes as a welcoming treat or a […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes In the 18 months since adopting Kona from a shelter, we’ve traveled from Dallas to San Diego (twice) and made dozens of trips throughout the Lone Star State and even a few jaunts to Oklahoma and Arizona. Kona has yet to turn three, but I’m estimating she has already logged more than 11,000 miles inside […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes Despite reputations for being aloof, many cats like to ham it up by performing tricks before an audience. I know firsthand as Casey, my orange tabby, feels right at home in the spotlight. That spotlight can be before students in my pet first aid classes where he happily volunteers to be toweled, have his pulse […]