ArcaMax

Your pets may not understand fashion, but they understand patterns.

They notice the sound of your footsteps, the way you move through the house and whether you are preparing to leave. Shoes can mean a walk, a car ride or a long day away from home. Bare feet often mean something simpler: You are staying close.

For dogs and cats, that relaxed ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — A 77-year-old Florida woman and U.S. Postal Service employee has been arrested after officials found nearly 100 cats and dogs being hoarded in her home.

Gail Giustino is facing misdemeanor charges for animal cruelty and confinement of animals without sufficient exercise, according to a Facebook post Tuesday from the Martin ...Read more

Dear Cathy, I live on a large farm in Virginia and over the years many feral cats and dogs have come to live here. This Spring, a very young and friendly feral cat showed up and, as usual, I fed it. I got him neutered, all his shots, and tick and flea treatments. He now lives in my barn.

The problem is that he is too friendly. I am in my late ...Read more

CHICAGO — Mike Russell regularly checks the weather before work. He’s the co-owner of J&M Dog Walking, so weather plays an important role in deciding how much time his clients spend outdoors.

When Russell saw the advisory for poor air quality Thursday morning, he “didn’t know what to expect,” he said. Still, he told walkers to take ...Read more

NEW YORK — New Yorkers aren’t the only ones facing a housing crisis. More and more pets need a place to stay, too.

The city’s largest animal shelter is running out of space, and is so close to capacity that it is making cuddly cats and dogs available for just $25.

For the price of an Uber Eats order, pet lovers can bring home a new ...Read more

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Elizabeth Kobliha knows her one-eyed cat Likho has more friends than she does. So much so that on his 15th birthday last Saturday , the sidewalk outside her downtown Long Beach store where he spends most of his time transformed into a makeshift fair.

There were vendors selling peach cobbler, watches, hot dogs and offering ...Read more

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Elizabeth Kobliha knows her one-eyed cat Likho has more friends than she does. So much so that on his 15th birthday last Saturday , the sidewalk outside her downtown Long Beach store where he spends most of his time transformed into a makeshift fair.

There were vendors selling peach cobbler, watches, hot dogs and offering ...Read more

Dear Cathy, I recently adopted a seven-year-old male poodle rescued from an out of state puppy mill where he spent his entire life. Since then, he wakes me every morning at around 4 a.m. to relieve himself. After coming back inside, he howls until I feed him. He then gets hyper, running around until he settles down around 6 a.m. I have tried ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My fiance and I often talked about maybe getting a dog. He really wanted one, but I never fully committed because I knew it would be additional work and responsibility I don't have time for. I work full time, do part-time work as well and manage the household tasks, shopping, cleaning, etc. When I ask him to pitch in, he always does, ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife began volunteering at our local animal shelter last year, and at first I thought it was wonderful. She has always loved animals, and I was proud of her for giving her time to such a good cause.

The problem is that she has now brought home five dogs.

It started with one older dog she said no one else would adopt. Then came a...Read more

Amid record-breaking temperatures and headlines about “heat domes,” I worry profoundly about dogs like Cash, who spent his life deprived of relief from extreme weather—and everything else—while chained to a tree in North Carolina. Legislators there are considering Duke’s Rescue Act, a bill that would restrict tethering—a move we ...Read more

Dear Cathy, We adopted an orange tabby, Wyatt, seven years ago and have been fighting all that time to keep him off our counters and tables. Initially, we tried things like spraying water at him when he jumped on counters and tables, but it had no effect, and nothing else we've tried has worked. I find it very unsanitary and upsetting to have a...Read more

Cats are graceful, agile and capable of leaping onto a narrow shelf without disturbing a single object. Yet many of those same cats appear completely unable to walk through a kitchen without weaving directly between a person’s ankles.

The behavior can feel especially dangerous on stairs, in dark hallways or while someone is carrying hot food....Read more

Hounds have a special way of winning people over. They often arrive with long ears, soulful eyes, big personalities and an almost comical determination to follow their noses wherever those noses lead.

They can be affectionate, gentle and deeply loyal companions. Many are relaxed in the house, patient with family members and content to spend ...Read more

A dog growls when a visitor reaches toward him. Another snaps when awakened from a nap. A third barks and lunges at unfamiliar dogs during walks but plays peacefully with dogs she knows.

To a worried owner, these behaviors may look like aggression. But aggression is not a personality type or a moral failing. It is behavior, and that behavior ...Read more

Dogs do not experience a walk the way people do. For us, the point may be exercise, a bit of fresh air and a chance to get around the block before dinner. For a dog, the walk is also a newspaper, a social network, a neighborhood bulletin board and a mystery novel written in scent.

That is why one of the simplest ways to make your dog happier is...Read more