You may think that cats have to go outside to be happy. But cats would disagree with you (and so would local birds!) Actually, close to two-thirds of owned cats live indoors either exclusively or for a majority of the time. Cats can live a happy and healthy life indoors with their families. Allowing...

Whether you’re adopting a blind pet or your longtime companion is losing their vision, you want to do what’s best for your vision-impaired animal. Follow these tips on helping blind cats and dogs to keep your companion safe and comfortable.

Shelter, food, and water are especially important to outdoor cats--feral and stray--in the cold of winter. Follow our advice on building the best kind of shelter and keeping food and water from freezing. Also, to TNR or not to TNR? We'll answer that question.

Leaving your beloved companion home while you’re at work or travelling is hard enough; finding a trustworthy pet sitter shouldn’t be. Faced with hectic schedules and long commutes—or even a pet who’s dealing with separation anxiety—more people are hiring professional sitters to ensure their animals’...

When a person you love dies, it's natural to feel sorrow, express grief and expect friends and family to provide comfort—but although people often feel the same feelings of grief when they lose a beloved pet, it might go unacknowledged by others. Know that your grief is normal, and it’s OK (and even...

It’s a horrible, panic-inducing situation: Your cat has gone missing. What can you do to get your beloved companion safely back home? First, don’t give up. Persistence is key, and you may need a combination of search strategies. A systematic approach based on typical lost cat behavior, as well as...

The process of finding a vet should be similar to selecting your own doctor. You’ll ideally want to seek recommendations from trusted sources and also research the veterinarian (and the clinic) on various criteria to ensure that they best meet your family’s needs and your pet’s individual health...

If you’ve encountered a cat outdoors, or an unfamiliar cat has started hanging out in your backyard, you’ve likely wondered if the cat needs your help. The answer is maybe. The cat may be: an owned pet who lives nearby and is allowed to roam outside. a lost cat whose owners are searching for their...

You're driving your car when you see a dog on the side of the road. With a sinking feeling, you realize they are alone. What should you do? This is a wrenching scenario for all who care about animals. After all, what if your own pet were standing there? Use our guidelines for providing safe and...

Animal shelters and rescues are amazing! Usually with limited resources and very little publicity, they help untold numbers of animals and people. Give back by choosing one or more of the following ways to show your appreciation for the groups that do so much for animals, people and your community.

Cats can be finicky about their bathroom habits, so keeping your cat's litter box up to their standards is very important. You don’t need to teach your cat what to do with a litter box; instinct will generally take over. You do need to provide an acceptable, accessible litter box and show your cat...

Bringing a new cat into your home is a big deal for your resident cat(s). Why? Because your cats are likely to initially view the new cat as a threat as opposed to a friend. That’s not an ideal way to start a relationship, but that’s the reality with cats. However, there is good news! By following...

If community cats are aggravating you or your pets, you should first identify who is caring for the cats and connect them with local trap-neuter-return ( TNR) resources. Simply removing outdoor cats is seldom a long-term solution as more cats move into the area to take advantage of handouts from...

Millions of people are at home now in the midst of a pandemic, disinfecting and cleaning, taking cold and flu medications—with the potential they might unwittingly poison their pets. The cleaning products consumers have carried home from stores, stripping shelves bare, can kill the virus that causes...

Take these five steps to reduce the symptoms of pet allergies.

In a few short months, the sweet scent of thawing soil will have me searching under trees, by streams and in gardens for new life peeking into the frosty air. During winter’s dark days, it’s hard to imagine anyone more excited about spring’s brave first blooms. But just below ground, creatures on a...

Machine-washable items Add a one pound box of baking soda to your regular detergent and wash as usual, air drying if possible. If you can still see or smell the soiling, wash again with an enzymatic cleaner—these break down pet waste odors. If your pet soils the sheets or blankets on a bed, cover...

Scratching is a normal, instinctive cat behavior. Cats have a need to scratch. They do it to express emotions, like excitement or stress, to mark objects with their scent (they have scent glands in their paws), to remove the dead part of their nails and, often, just to get a good stretch. It’s also...

Trimming a cat’s claws every few weeks is an important part of maintaining your pet’s health and protects him, you, your family and visitors as well as the sofa, curtains and other furniture.

The stories reach Amanda Arrington via text message these days: The immunocompromised hospital worker in Milwaukee who brought her spunky dog, Rusty, onto her porch to give a socially distant thanks when a Pets for Life team member dropped off dog food. The veteran with four dogs—including a...