Pets

Putting your cat out into nature may do significant damage to the local ecosystem.

Conservationists can never perfectly manage an ecosystem, but this is a problem that's creating an obvious ecological imbalance and should—and can—be addressed.

One of his peers calls him a curmudgeon, but human-animal interaction expert Harold Herzog believes the perceived consensus that pets are good for you is overhyped.

Backyard chickens may be dirtier than you think.

Research confirms that losing a pet dog is a stressful life event.

A new study finds that a dog might be just what the doctor ordered.

And is dog walking a good way to persuade people to get more exercise?

Is a better understanding of biology something your child can pick up from being around dogs and cats?

And the "dangerous" woman who played a vital role.

Spending time observing an aquarium leads to improvements in mood and reductions in heart rate.

A study looks at how Petfinder profiles influence adoption rates.

Anxiety is clearest when it’s loud—and most dangerous when it’s quiet.

The perils of pet ownership.

Even indoor pets help us get to know other people, according to new research in four cities across the U.S. and Australia.

New research opens up the possibility that the bond between humans and dogs is much older than previously thought.

Humans may not be the only ones with attachment disorders.

New research looks at intriguing parallels between human parenting styles and styles of pet ownership.

Recent research compared American Kennel Club registrations with the release date of 100 movies that have prominent dog characters.

Reductions in certain stem cells that account for requisite levels of fear and stress also code for cute morphologies.

Humans are hardwired to go jelly-kneed around creatures with kinderschema—infant traits like big eyes, big head, and small body. Can we resist it?

A study of over 2,000 shelter animals investigates, with some surprising results, the physical and behavioral characteristics that help dogs find new homes.

A brief history of the vilification of the pit bull.

What America’s most prestigious dog show tells us about our relationship with our canine companions.

A new paper argues that academics have been missing important connections.