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Pet Wellness Advocate
Dear Excellent Folks at Wirecutter, I am writing to “right a wrong” about your review this summer of pet water fountains. You left out Brook Glass pet fountains, which are truly the crème de la crème of the category. I say that not because I invited them to be a sponsor of my podcast Cat... Read more »
Cooking for your dog feels like the ultimate act of love. You choose the meat, chop the vegetables, stir the pot and serve something that looks far more appealing than anything that came out of a bag. Then your dog licks the bowl so enthusiastically that you think: Clearly, I am brilliant. But a meal... Read more »
There are certain words in pet food that sound as if they should come with a halo. “Natural.” “Human-grade.” “Gently cooked.” “Air-dried.” They float off the bag with such wholesome confidence that you almost feel rude questioning them. But as anyone who has ever stood in the pet food aisle staring at 42 different bags... Read more »
If you share your life with a cat (and I assume you do, otherwise why would you be here?), there’s something important you need to understand—something most people aren’t told early enough: Your cat will almost certainly develop kidney disease as they age. That sounds alarming, I know. But it’s not a reason to panic—it’s... Read more »
We talk endlessly about behavior in dogs. We talk about what they’re doing wrong. What they should be doing. What needs fixing. What needs managing. But how often do we talk about their outlook? There’s a word I’ve come to love: Dogsitivity. Not forced cheerfulness. Not endless tail wagging. Not “easy.” But something more meaningful... Read more »
Okay, it’s not really a living hell… but it sure can feel like a mental burden to have a dog who’s disinterested in eating. Your rational mind knows he won’t starve to death. You tell yourself he’ll eat eventually. But your emotional mind — the one channeling an Italian mama saying “Mangia! Mangia!” — keeps... Read more »
I recently sat down with my dear friend Marc Bekoff to remember someone who shaped how so many of us understand animals, compassion, and our responsibility to the planet: Jane Goodall. Marc knew Jane personally. They worked together. Traveled together. Shared ideas, laughter, and a deep belief that animals matter—not as concepts, but as individuals... Read more »
Living in a city apartment doesn’t mean your cat has to live a small, boring life. On a recent episode of Cat Chat, I talked with cat behavior expert Stephen Quandt about how to help indoor cats — especially apartment cats — thrive through smart environmental enrichment. Stephen lives in New York City with multiple... Read more »
As the founder of the NY Dog Film Festival and the NY Cat Film Festival, I’ve spent more than a decade curating animal films in every imaginable style—hand-drawn animation, stop motion, documentary, experimental shorts, and deeply personal stories that took years to complete. This year, something new happened. For the first time, I received angry... Read more »
Why “aggressive” dogs are usually just dogs we haven’t listened to yet You can listen to the full Dog Talk® (and kitties, too!) episode with Mark Bridger-Prescott here: 👉 A Growl Is a Wonderful Noise When British dog trainer and canine behaviorist Mark Bridger-Prescott said to me, “A growl is a wonderful noise,” I practically... Read more »