more about: pets

My Favorite Pet Gifts Under $25

First, I should tell you that I had some canine assistance for this post–my own dog Monkey (who was secretly hoping to score some swag from the endeavor) tagged along and played the role of Chief Sniffer. It was not a hard sell: Second, let me say that I am amazed at how many pet toys could stand to benefit […]

Read More

Halloween Costumes for Pets?

There, I’ve asked the question, and all my friends with no pets can wonder where my head is and all my friends with pets can clamor for more information. But first, a picture, of Mr. Finn in his Halloween costume. Isn’t he fabulous? I think even skeptics would agree. Photograph by Kent Hardouin In my family alone, this topic has […]

Read More

Are You Considering Pet Adoption?

October is the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)'s Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month. I asked Gail Buchwald, Senior Vice President of the ASPCA Adoptions Center, to list her top considerations for making your best match. Choosing Your Pet 1) Good Behavior Counts Gail's Take: Don't judge a book by its cover.  All too often, decisions are made solely […]

Read More

Pet Names: From Fido and Fluffy to Molly and Chloe

My cousin called the other day with big news–she and her husband had chosen a name for their soon-to-be-born baby girl! Let’s hope the name matches the baby’s personality.  As we all know, you can do your homework, research baby names and name trends or go on a hunt for the perfect name for your pet, only to find your plans foiled […]

Read More

Illustrated Pet Portraits

Let’s face it: we love our pets and do all sorts of crazy things to show it from dressing them up to placing them in designer totes to carry around. It’s just how we roll! In addition to everything else we do to show Spot and Felix how much we adore them, there’s another great idea out there and it just so happens to make an excellent gift for a friend, too. It’s the gift of giving an illustrated pet portrait (which has been around forever I know). What makes this so “new” is that you can have one made for you by an independent artist who won’t charge an arm and a leg (or tail!). Just search online marketplaces like Etsy…

Read More

Can You Read Your Pet’s Mind?

More often than I’d like to admit, I’d answer affirmatively to this question, no matter how foolish that might be. But the other night, my answer would have been an emphatic “no.”  I could not for the life of me figure out if my dog wanted to go outside for a walk, play indoors, or have something more to eat. […]

Read More

What My Dog Taught Me This Summer

The weather in Eastern Long Island was as gorgeous this summer as it was dreadful last year.  Walking or running with the dog on the beach, I felt far away from the siren-filled, humidity-ridden, horn-honking city.  I had a chance to relax and reflect.  But enough about me. If my dog could talk, here’s what I imagine he would have […]

Read More

When Nothing is Too Over-the-Top for Your Pet

Greetings, fellow pet-lovers. Before we get into serious debate about what pets do and do not understand or how to pick the best pet insurance or when to let go and make the tough decisions, I figured a bit of lighthearted confession was in order.

Nothing is too good for our pet. No piece of furniture (ok, well maybe the antique desk in my parents’ home), no choice morsel of food (all it takes is one imploring look for me to set a piece aside on my plate), no mode of transportation (the car’s seen better days but that’s what vacuums are for).

What have my husband and I done that could be considered over-the-top behavior?

Read More

This Dog Mom Welcomes You to the Pets Blog

Hi, I’m Jennifer Mirsky, former Managing Editor of RealSimple.com, then interim discussion leader of the No-Obligation Book Club, and now pets blogger for the site. Did you see how people answered our poll asking if they had a pet?  Predictably, many have dogs or cats or a combination thereof. But there are more esoteric pet owners amongst us–some have ferrets and […]

Read More