TIME

Scientists are digging up evidence that animals can help improve mental health, even for people with challenging disorders. Though the studies are small, the findings are impressive enough that clinical settings are opening their doors to animal-assi

People who are looking to stay well as they age may want to adopt a pet, according to 2019 data from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. For the survey, researchers polled about 2,000 U.S. adults from ages 50 to 80. Fifty-five

More than 12 million American households have gotten a pet in the time since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020, according to the American Pet Products Association. The growth in pandemic-era pet adoption continues the trend of Americans

> The origin of the word “pet” is thought to have come from the Middle English pety, which means small or minor. > In 2022, 66% of American households had a pet. > Some pets can carry infections or diseases that can make humans sick, even if the pet

The subject line of the email from his employer was enough to whip Gus Azusenis into a frenzy. “UPDATE,” he read, a lump forming in his throat as he noted the urgency in all the capital letters. Then came the word he had been dreading for months: “RE

Dr. Will Mccauley had just finished his shift at a small Dallas animal clinic when he went home, fed his pet pot-bellied pig and then held a loaded handgun to his head. The then 33-year-old veterinarian was wracked with student debt and worn down by

Odds are you don’t look forward to spending time in a magnetic resonance imager—and with good reason. The clanging, coffin-like machine seems purpose-built for sensory assault. But you’re not Ninja, a pitbull mix, who trots into a lab at Emory Univer

Dogs don’t wear pants—and it’s hard to know how things would work out if they tried. But one thing is clear: If dogs did wear pants, they would use either a belt or suspenders, but definitely not both. That, in some ways, puts them ahead of us. Accor

A pity you can’t ask a dog for the shortest route home when you’re lost. Because if you could, odds are it would know a lot more than you think. In 2015, a dog walked 11 miles from its new home to return to a former foster owner. The feat was especia

An average human can hear 20,000 vibrations per second. Dogs can hear vibrations of 35,000 per second, so they hear higher pitches than humans, and they hear sounds from much longer ranges. Hearing is their second-most dominant sense. A human’s domin

Your dog may be a good boy or girl—but he or she is not as smart as you think, a 2018 research article in the journal Learning & Behavior suggests. Dogs have a unique set of cognitive abilities, but they’re not inherently smarter than other animals,

A dog’s sense of smell is thousands of times stronger than a human’s. Their superior snoots are why canines are used in law enforcement; once they’re trained to detect certain scents like narcotics and explosives, they can pick up traces that human n

Most dog owners would do just about anything for their pups. And a 2018 study published in the journal Learning & Behavior says the feeling may be mutual. Plenty of research shows that dogs respond to signs of their owners’ distress, such as crying,

Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated, with evidence suggesting they were tamed about 15,000 years ago. But the history behind how the four-legged creatures went from wild wolves to pampered pets remains hazy, scientists say. “It’s a puzzle,

Dogs are more than just cuddly companions—research shows that pets bring health benefits to their owners. Researchers have shown that dog owners are more active than those who don’t own dogs, packing in more steps per day on their walks or just regul

Bo, the Obama family’s Portuguese water dog, and President Barack Obama share a playful moment outside the oval office in 2009. Child actor Ashley Olson with one of the dogs who played the family pet, Comet, on the hit TV series Full House in 1994. S

Anna Jentoft doesn’t go to work at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle alone. Franny, her one-year-old black labradoodle, is almost always by her side, sitting at Jentoft’s desk while she’s on calls and greeting other Amazon employees during their workd

Dogs can understand what humans say and how we say it, according to a 2016 study. But while man’s best friend is smarter than a lot of other animals, dogs are still not that tech savvy. Scientists who studied brain activity in some dogs say canines c

Dogs are so connected to their owners that they share similar stress levels, according to a 2019 study published in the journal Scientific Reports. When people are stressed out, researchers found, their dogs tend to be too. Certain aspects of your pe

Good news, dog lovers: Letting your four-legged friend into the bedroom does not worsen your sleep, according to a Mayo Clinic study—and it may actually help you rest easier. But before you cuddle up too close, know this: Researchers still caution ag

Make sure you get your new dog to the vet as soon as possible. Ask friends and family for recommendations and select one that is close to your home. Make sure they have an after-hours policy—emergencies can happen 24/7. Book your initial appointment

Picture a perfect moment with your dream dog. Maybe it’s tossing a Frisbee at the park on a sunny summer day. Maybe you and your pup are snuggled on the couch bingeing your favorite shows. Or maybe your little pal masters a clever trick. The feel-goo

If you are concerned about vaccinating your dog because it may cause autism, don’t be. There is no credible evidence that vaccinations cause autism, and not vaccinating your dog can expose it and other animals, including the humans around them, to a

Some dogs with strong hunting instincts, like bulldogs, enjoy tug-of-war matches because the “tug” mimics what they’d do to keep other dogs from taking their prey. Tug play is a great way to bond with your pet and to teach it about rules and boundari

There are articles all over the internet about which dog breeds are easily potty-trained and which ones are impossible. Although it’s true that some dogs are a little more stubborn than others, in most cases humans can win this battle. All it takes i

If you drop a pill, don’t wait until cleaning day to sweep it up. And do not give your dog human medications unless directed by your vet. Aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and blood-pressure, sleep, and ADHD meds are all harmful to dogs. And make su

You already know the holiday season’s steady stream of sweets and treats takes a toll on your waistline—but experts say it may also pose a risk to your pets. Veterinarians see an increase in food-related illnesses—particularly those caused by chocola

YAWNING “I am feeling stressed.” SMILING “I’m relaxed.” BARING TEETH “I do not like this. Give me some space.” STANDING, STARING FORWARD, LIFTING A PAW “What is that?” LICKING “This is making me very anxious.” STANDING, LEANING FORWARD, WAGGING ITS T

Some dogs bark excessively when they are frustrated or otherwise unhappy with their situations. Maybe you aren’t moving to prepare their dinner fast enough. Maybe it is fenced in the backyard, but it wants to play with a dog walking by or with the ki

Buddie can’t afford to miss taking his meds—and it’s not easy to keep all of them straight. There is the milligram of Xanax he gets every six to eight hours. There are the 30mg of Prozac he takes daily. There used to be Valium and Ativan, but he move

Unlike humans, dogs do not self-cool through sweating. Dogs sweat mainly through their paws, which does not provide ample cooling. Instead, dogs cool themselves from the inside out. When a dog pants, it causes the moisture in their airways to evapora

Q: Are dogs left- or right-pawed? A: A majority of dogs are! Researchers in a 2021 study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science reported that in a survey of 17,901 dog owners, 74% of them reported that their dog favored either the left or right

Humans can see more colors in better saturation than cats can, and we can see objects that are much farther away—an average human can identify objects clearly from 100 feet away, but a cat can only identify things at about 20 feet. Unlike humans, cat

Cellist and Musician David Teie, a Soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra (shown, right), created the first-ever album specifically for cats to listen to. We spoke to him about Music for Cats—and whether it actually works. Q: What made you deci

The climate’s been so inconsistent lately—heat waves, flooding, strong thunderstorms, tornadoes—maybe you should stop listening to weather reports and go back to the only source you can really trust: your cat. That’s the suggestion of H.H.C. Dunwoody

Swift is a proud cat mom who often shares photos of her felines on social media. She currently owns three cats, Scottish Folds Meredith Gray and Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button, a Ragdoll. Swift is shown here with Olivia Benson in New York’s SoHo

Animal navigation has long been something of a black box for scientists. The mystery of how nonhumans—without benefit of maps, language or GPS—manage to find their way from place to place, often over very great distances, has long perplexed us. Studi

If you own a cat, you probably identify as something like its mother, albeit a human version, who feeds it, entertains it, and licks its fur to keep it clean (hopefully not). Unfortunately, your cat sees your pet-owner relationship much differently,

A Basket full of fuzzy purring kittens is hard to resist, as are the adorable, heart-tugging photos rescues post on social media. But before you bring one (or two) baby felines home, make sure you are prepared to raise them responsibly. At times, dog

You can teach a cat of any age to use a litter box, even cats who like to roam outdoors. Follow these tips, and they should be doing their business properly in a matter of weeks. • Location Matters: Put the litter box in a quiet place where the cat c

Ask other cat owners for their vet recommendations. Having a good rapport with the vet and office staff can help ease the anxiety many cats have about interacting with new people and places. Make sure they have separate areas for cats and dogs and a

Cats are naturally playful, curious creatures, so when your new pet finally feels at home, it is going to try to get into almost everything. At best, it will annoy you; at worst, it could hurt itself or worse. • Drapery cords and cords used on window

FACING YOU, TAIL UP, LOOKING AT YOU “Sure, you can pet me.” STRETCHING WITH PAWS DOWN AND REAR IN THE AIR “I’m comfortable.” STANDING FROZEN, STARING AT YOU “Don’t come any closer.” HOLDING ITS TAIL UP HIGH, VIBRATING IT “I’m feeling great!” FLICKING

Federal Agencies provide guidelines to Airlines to keep animals as safe as possible and monitor incidents when they come up. Prepared pet owners can also help ensure animals fly without a problem. Here’s what you need to know about traveling safely w

America’s pets are growing increasingly fatter. About one-third of dogs and cats in the U.S. are now overweight, according to a 2021 report released by Banfield Pet Hospital, which operates nearly 1,000 veterinary clinics across 42 states. The organi

Q: Why does my cat wake me up in the middle of the night? A: Cats are nocturnal creatures, so they assume you are too (even though you sleep at night). The key is not to give in to the cat’s demands. If you do, they will try to wake you up every nigh

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