Behavior
Why Do We Have Pets?
People have an innate interest in other species, but we like having pets for a variety of social reasons
Features
What Your Pet Reveals about You
Is there a typical cat person or snake owner? The jury is still out
Behavior
How Dogs Became Our Best Friends
Why dogs fit into families so well
Behavior
Can Animals Be Therapeutic?
Is animal-assisted therapy the cat’s meow or a red herring?
Evolution
Wild Foxes Can Be Transformed into Pets in a Few Generations
To test ideas of animal domestication, a bold experiment in Siberia put evolution on a fast track
Neuroscience
Dogs Have a Lot More Neurons Than Cats
Dogs beat their domesticated rivals, cats, in a new attempt to measure cognitive power
Behavior
A Dog Expert Talks about the Canine Mind
New science reveals the multiple intelligences of our best friend
Behavior
The World According to Dogs
Scientific findings uncover what our best friends know, why they do what they do and how to keep them happy
Behavior
For a Model of Fair Play, Look to Dogs
Looking for the roots of human morality in the animal kingdom? Focus on canines: they know how to play fair
Fitness
That Dog Is Too Fat
Many dogs are overweight or obese, but their owners don’t seem to notice
Fitness
Researchers Seek Cancer Clues from Pet Dogs
Cancer studies in dogs can offer unique help in the fight against human malignancies while improving care for our pets
Evolution
How House Cats Evolved
Genetic and archaeological findings hint that wildcats became house cats earlier—and in a different place—than previously thought
Evolution
The Inner Life of Cats
If you have ever wondered why your cat behaves the way it does, wonder no more
Biology
Why Cats Taste No Sweets
An old gene mutation is at fault
Evolution
The Mystery of the Cat's Inner Eyelid
The real question is, why don’t humans have one, too?
Biology
A Case for Cat Contraception
Strategies that prevent pregnancy without requiring surgery could improve the health of free-living cats
Mind & Brain
Common Parasite Could Manipulate Our Behavior
Toxoplasma gondii, an insidious and common parasite spread by cats, controls its rodent host’s brain—and may be manipulating our own behavior as well
Evolution
Evidence Implies That Animals Feel Empathy
We call a callous turncoat a “rat.” Rats and other animals, however, are giving scientists clues to the evolutionary origins of empathy
Cognition
Humans Are Not the Only Creatures Who Mourn
Mounting evidence from species as diverse as cats, dogs, giraffes and dolphins indicates that humans are not unique in grieving over the loss of loved ones
Behavior
The Social Genius of Animals
Research shows that animals interact in amazingly sophisticated ways
Departments
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Our Truest Companions
- Opinion
Why We Need to Take Pet Loss Seriously
