health
Playing is fun, but a pet owner's primary responsibility is to monitor their pet's health and look out for medical problems.
Cubby - My first Best Friend. Content Warning.
This is the story about a girl [Jessie, illustrator of The Hound Who Saw, coming out near Easter 2026] who meets her furever first best friend. This is the story about Cubby. He was a burnise mountain dog, border collie mix. He was rescued at three years old, when his first furever family, fell apart. Mom and Dad of that family got divorced, and Dad took Cubby with him. From what we were told, where the man lived, he wasn't allowed to have the dog inside, so, he left him outside all the time. At one point the man stopped feeding him, and he became rather thin. We think when we got him, he was almost 35 pounds soaking wet [he was a little over a hundred pounds when he passed]. He was just shy of ten years old when he crossed the rainbow bridge. This goes out to all the first amazing pets anyone could ever have...
By The Hound Who Sawabout a month ago in Petlife
Keeping your pets safe (and calm) this holiday season . Top Story - December 2025.
The holiday season may be magical for some humans, but for pets it only means confusion, changed routines, overstimulation, extra noise, guests or pet sitters come and go, and sometimes the festive season means danger for pets.
By Susan Fourtané about a month ago in Petlife
Can Dogs Eat Watermelon?
On a sunny afternoon during the summer, there could hardly be anything better than consuming a slice of refreshing watermelon. But with your dog looking up to you eagerly, the following question tends to arise: Can your dog eat watermelon?
By iftikhar Ahmad2 months ago in Petlife
In Memory: Aspen's Great Expectations of LoupGarou
This story has been an entire year in the making. Pip passed away precisely one year ago today, December 17, 2024. I've tried writing it several times, but I've never been able to get past the first paragraph. Losing Pip has been an experience wrapped up in loss, in guilt, in the pain of promises unable to be kept. Every time I post about him, I cry over the knowledge that I will never have another picture of Pip, that the loving little dog that I knew so well had his life end tragically, so needlessly, that I have a hard time celebrating the lives of the puppies that he left behind. He had so much potential, so much promise. I had told myself that the spring of 2025 would be the time for working on agility, on weight pull, on all of the fun things that he loved to do. For Pip, spring of 2025 never arrived.
By Kimberly J Egan2 months ago in Petlife
For No Reason
I wrote this as a teenager and forgot it existed until I found it again in old files. I’m putting it here because the core point is still true, and still denied. It’s told in the voice of a dog, but it’s not a breed or pet-specific statement. It’s a sequence statement. Same logic applies to any animal living under chronic neglect or abuse.
By Dr. Mozelle Martin2 months ago in Petlife
The passing of pets
We've all heard that expression, "you don't need to be blood to be family," but does that also apply to pets in September? I lost the dog that I had had for about 15 years. I'm not much of a dog person. I'm more of a cat person. My dog Rosie was a corgi mix, and to be 100% honest, in the beginning, I really did welcome the dog. Sadly, I thought my dog was kind of ugly, and I rejected her, but the dog did something I couldn't believe she did. She saved my life. I won't get into detail, but let's say I was actually gonna hurt myself, and my dog saved me. She even got the cat to help. Stop me from hurting myself. That is why I love my animal so much, so when they passed away, it was a heartbreaking day that still is to this day. Nothing can fill that void. Yes, I currently have two other cats. They're amazing animals, but not as amazing as the two that recently passed. Amber was born a stray. She was a runt, but she was a fighter, even as we all know runts usually don't survive because the mother refuses to feed them. The original owner that, at a young age, Amber began eating dry food to survive. She was a fighter.
By stephanie borges2 months ago in Petlife
Pet Insurance and Wellness Plan Cover different expenses
Pet insurance or a Wellness Plan? I found out today that Pet Insurance and Wellness Plans are not the same. My cat Maxine died last week, but we have to continue paying her Wellness Plan premiums for six more months because we are under contract. I had thought we could cancel it now that she has departed this life, but there would be a $500.00 penalty.
By Cheryl E Preston2 months ago in Petlife
Introducing: LoupGarou Cleopatra Addams!
Honorable Precedents! LoupGarou Cleopatra Addams, aka "Cleo," has been a dream five long years in the making. Her first name, "Cleopatra," comes from a dog once owned by Dan's daughter, many years ago. While I don't know the breed of the original Cleopatra canine, Dan's daughter said that her face was marked very similarly to the puppy I was unromantically calling "Blue Tux Girl." Given that I don't like giving human names to dogs, especially those of historical figures, I took it one step farther: she is named for Morticia Addams' plant, Cleopatra, giving Cleo her surname. My thanks to Dan's daughter for helping me name this lovely puppy!
By Kimberly J Egan2 months ago in Petlife
How Long Is an ESA Letter Good For?
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) letter is an essential document that proves your need for an animal to help manage mental or emotional disabilities. Whether you’re using it for housing or personal support, knowing how long an ESA letter is good for helps you avoid complications with landlords, travel, or legal protections.
By Emma Johnson2 months ago in Petlife
Can a Bearded Dragon Be an Emotional Support Animal
Many people are familiar with dogs and cats serving as Emotional Support Animals, but an increasing number of individuals are turning to more unique companions. One of the most surprising yet popular choices is the bearded dragon. These calm and gentle reptiles have become well loved pets, and many owners wonder if they can also serve an emotional purpose. The good news is that a bearded dragon can legally and effectively function as an Emotional Support Animal, as long as certain conditions are met.
By Emma Johnson2 months ago in Petlife
Nine Lives Are a Myth:
The saying that cats have nine lives was never meant as comfort. It was a myth born from observation—how they fall, land, hide, and survive when they shouldn’t. But survival is not the same as life, and the average feral or stray cat doesn’t make it past 4 years. Their bodies endure what their environment demands: hunger, infection, fear, and the steady corrosion of stress. The myth of resilience has become a moral anesthetic. It keeps us from seeing the suffering we created.
By Dr. Mozelle Martin3 months ago in Petlife
