ArcaMax

Dear Cathy, One of your readers wrote to you about having trouble with an aggressive male toy poodle after many years with a King Charles spaniel. To me, this sounds like another case of people buying expensive “designer” dogs. In the foster/rescue world, we have strong feelings about the purchase of pricey purebreds, especially since poor ...Read more

Somewhere between the crinkle of a paper bag and the hum of the vacuum cleaner lives one of the great domestic mysteries: catnip. It arrives quietly, usually in a small plastic pouch or sewn into a mouse-shaped toy, and within seconds transforms a dignified predator into a rolling, drooling philosopher. The cat flops. The cat chirps. The cat ...Read more

For generations, pet owners have casually labeled animals as “good” or “bad,” often with little reflection on what those words actually mean. A dog that chews shoes, a cat that urinates outside the litter box, a parrot that screams incessantly — these behaviors are quickly framed as moral failings or stubborn defiance. The implication ...Read more

For many pet owners, the daily ritual of leaving the house comes with a familiar question: *What do they do all day without me?* While we imagine naps, window-watching, or mild mischief, the truth is more complex—and more revealing. What pets do when we’re gone offers insight into their emotional lives, their coping strategies, and how ...Read more

Kelsea Ballerini's dog has died.

Dibs passed away on Wednesday (07.01.26) - more than a year after he was diagnosed with cancer - and the 32-year-old country singer announced his death on Instagram the following day with a series of videos and photos of her beloved pooch throughout his lifetime.

Kelsea captioned the post with: "My sweet dibs ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

My dog has zero interest in toys. He doesn’t fetch, chew, squeak, or even look at them. I’ve tried balls, stuffed animals, and ropes. He won’t play with anything. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?

— Ashley, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Dear Ashley,

You’re not alone. Some dogs love toys, some tolerate them, and others...Read more

Creating an indoor garden is a wonderful way to bring the beauty of nature into your home. However, for pet owners, it's crucial to ensure that the plants you choose are safe for your furry companions. Many common household plants can be toxic to pets if ingested, leading to harmful consequences. To strike the perfect balance between greenery...Read more

California wildlife authorities are urging residents of a small Central California town to lock up their pets and secure livestock following a series of mountain lion attacks.

Multiple animals have been killed in the Monterey County hamlet of Corral de Tierra, about 12 miles east of Monterey, officials said.

Residents have claimed that family ...Read more

By the time the house feels empty, most people have already noticed something else is wrong.

The food bowl remains untouched. A dog waits by the back door long after the familiar footsteps will never return. A cat sleeps in a place it had ignored for years, pressed into a lingering scent like a question with no answer. These moments often pass ...Read more

Travel has a way of revealing who’s really in charge of your schedule. For some people it’s the museum clock. For others it’s the dinner reservation. For me, increasingly, it’s a senior dog who has very clear opinions about heat, distance, and how long a “quick walk” ought to be.

Traveling with an older dog forces a recalibration. ...Read more

Australian shepherds are not subtle dogs. They are fast learners, relentless problem-solvers, and creatures of motion whose idea of a good day involves both physical exhaustion and mental satisfaction. Bred to herd livestock and make independent decisions at a distance from their handlers, Aussies bring intensity into any household they join. ...Read more

By any outward measure, the modern pet lives a life of abundance. Heated homes. Soft beds. Specialized diets. And yet cats still wedge themselves into cardboard boxes, dogs still sprawl on cool tile floors, and both will abandon expensive bedding for a patch of sunlight or a well-worn couch cushion. Comfort, it turns out, is not about luxury. It...Read more

By now, most pet owners have asked some version of the same quiet question while locking the door behind them: *Do they know how long I’ll be gone?* The answer, like most things involving animals, is stranger and more interesting than a simple yes or no.

Pets do not experience time the way humans do. They don’t count minutes, anticipate ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

My wife and I have a wonderful companion in Julia, a loving, playful four-year-old King Charles Spaniel. There are two situations that are concerning.

The first occurs when one of us leaves for the supermarket and the other stays home. We’ve read your advice column (“Series of small steps can defeat separation anxiety”) and ...Read more