cats

Although the companionship of an animal is priceless, their upkeep costs money, and too many people get involved with pets before realizing they can't actually afford to take proper care of one. Our pounds are overflowing with creatures who were evicted by owners who found themselves in...

Have you become a human Pez dispenser for dog treats? Is your dog's idea of a walk that what occurs in between the sofa and the door to the backyard? Where is Michelle Obama when we need her? Never mind the first lady; why is Bo, the first dog, not chasing his tail over this? Certainly childhood...

Would you pay $79.99 to find out whether Bowser was part-Schnauzer? Or any other kind of breed? A company at the recent NYC Pet Show was hawking its doggie DNA test. You take a cheek swab of your mutt and mail the sample back to the lab. Three weeks later you have three generations of your hound's...

Are you trying to find a landlord who will not only welcome Fido with open paws, but understand the pooch's need to use the backyard as a potty? Are you someone whose home-buying priority isn't good schools but rather proximity to a dog park or 24-hour vet clinic? If you had your druthers, would...

Pet owners can add another item to their house shopping checklist, should the U.S. decide to follow a British strategy to protect its wild bird population. I love birds, but I also love our cats and would be rather put out to discover that my housing development prohibited cats and dogs. That's...

If you've been trying to decide whether or not to fulfill your child's holiday wish for a puppy, consider this: if you live in or near Pennsylvania, you can make your kid's wish come true and do a good yuletide deed in one fell -- and inexpensive -- swoop.

As owner of some of the most successful blogs in the history of the Internet -- I Can Has Cheezburger, Fail Blog and Engrish Funny among them -- it might be expected that Ben Huh spends lavishly. But Huh recognizes the importance of frugal living; it allowed him and his wife to save enough money...

It's been clear for some time now that the recession has taken its toll on consumers, leading them in many instances to winnow purchases down to the bare necessities. And the food industry, always on the outlook for a new gimmick to sell its wares, is paying attention. It's one reason you may...

The economy may be tanked but people are still eager to have their furry friends at their sides. An Associated Press poll released this week found that over half of American pet owners consider their pets as much a part of the family as any other person. Another 36% said their pet is part of the...

When you think about getting a pet, the number one consideration is probably time. Do you have the energy to walk a dog several times a day? Do you have someone in your neighborhood who can feed the cats while you're traveling? Usually, if a person can handle the time commitment of pet ownership,...