ArcaMax

Tall, elegant and often described as “cats in dog bodies,” the Borzoi has surged in visibility thanks to social media, where its flowing coat and distinctive profile lend themselves to viral moments. But behind the aristocratic look is a breed with specific needs that can surprise first-time owners.

Originally developed in Russia for ...Read more

The first thing people notice is not the women themselves, but the pattern.

Five images, posted hours apart from different parts of the world, somehow feel synchronized. A shoreline at dawn. A desert trail under high sun. A park thick with autumn leaves. A rain-darkened city street. A snow-covered path at the edge of a quiet village. In each, a...Read more

Dear Cathy,

I recently adopted a four-year-old Boston Terrier, Marcie, from a breeder. I chose an adult dog to avoid house-training and was told she was fully house-trained, with only one prior crate accident after being left 12 hours.

I understand there’s an adjustment period. In the past 26 years, I have adopted two other adult Boston ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota’s toughest food critic is a fluffy orange cat named Milo.

Milo sees what you’re eating and he is (urp) appalled.

Pizza slice? Chicken nugget? Potato? Milo greets them all with a suspicious sniff, a look of slowly dawning horror, followed by cartoonishly exaggerated gagging — tongue out, eyes wide, hope lost.

As...Read more

Dear Cathy, Our dog, Ginger, is an almost five-year-old mini-Labradoodle. In the past year, her personality has changed. She has become overanxious and barking at certain times of the day for no apparent reason. This can happen after she’s eaten or gone out for a walk. It comes out of the blue. It’s almost like she’s complaining to us.

We...Read more

There are some household realities that never make it into the glossy home magazines. One of them is this: if you live with elderly pets, rescue animals, puppies, medically fragile animals, or simply a very full house of dogs and cats, eventually someone is going to miss the litter box, leak on the floor, or leave a surprise in the hallway at 2 ...Read more

For millions of people, the dream of sharing a home with a furry companion collides with an unfortunate reality: allergies. Sneezing fits, itchy eyes, congestion and asthma symptoms can quickly turn affection into discomfort, especially in homes with cats or dogs. While some allergy sufferers attempt to manage symptoms with medication or strict ...Read more

For many would-be pet owners, apartment living once meant giving up the idea of having a dog. Limited space, shared walls and strict building policies have long been seen as barriers. But veterinarians and trainers say that with the right breed—and the right expectations—dogs can thrive in smaller living environments.

The key is not size ...Read more

In many homes, the word “pack” doesn’t just apply to dogs. It’s a living, shifting ecosystem that includes cats, humans, and the quiet negotiations that make daily life possible. The modern household pack isn’t about dominance or hierarchy in the old sense—it’s about coexistence, routine, and a shared understanding of space, ...Read more

Cats have a way of turning the ordinary into the uncanny. One minute they’re quietly napping in a sunbeam, and the next they’re sprinting across the house, staring into empty corners, or kneading your lap with an intensity that suggests ancient ritual. To longtime cat owners, these behaviors are familiar—if still baffling. To newcomers, ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ownership of a tortoise, like life itself, has its downsides. Mona Heflin knows both well.

Slim Shady, her roughly 70-pound, 22-year-old sulcata tortoise, farts loudly, sometimes knocks her down and has forced her to find him after absconding in her North Highlands neighborhood when her front gate was left open. Still, ...Read more

Dear Cathy,

My two-year-old Siamese Cat has decided she no longer needs to use the litter box to poop. She seems to think it is perfectly acceptable to use our bed instead. She has been doing it for about a month. Our vet ran tests and found her to be healthy. We honestly can't think of anything that could have upset her.

The vet put her on ...Read more