Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Petlife.
Raising a Stray (Pt. 2)
The hardest thing for me as a cat mom is to not be able to cuddle my babies when they really need the attention. Arno has always been cautious around people. I spoke a little bit in the first Raising a Stray piece about his origin story and what I thought might be the cause of why he's so shy. But I didn't cover what it's like in the day to day life with Arno.
By Jessye Gould7 years ago in Petlife
Do Dogs Have a Sexual Preference?
It’s a common scenario—you’re playing at the park with your dog and suddenly he's across the field, humping another male dog. While you try frantically to stop it, you're thinking "do I have a gay dog?" Homosexuality occurs naturally in humans, so do dogs have a sexual preference? The answer may be more complicated than you think. There are several examples of same-sex relationships throughout the animal kingdom (including some sex lives of animals that are surprisingly violent) that may be applicable to our canine companions. However, very little is understood about animal sexuality and what drives their sexual behavior. Here’s what we do know.
By Lizzie Boudoir7 years ago in Petlife
Pit Bulls
Why do people hate Pit bulls so much? In the 1920s, Pit bulls were known as safe to children and became nanny dogs. Every Pit bull I have met would be really happy and give you kisses. I never once saw a mean Pitbull in my life. Where do they get their behavior from? Well, them acting kind and loving are from their owners. They just want a home and not to be abused. Some dogs are in illegal dog fighting rings. They are forced to attack each other. That is where their behavior comes from. It is not like they want to do this. They are scared. Lots of people need to learn the real truth about Pit bulls. Now I will tell you about my Pit bull.
By Michaela Weiss7 years ago in Petlife
Five Things to Know About Great White Sharks
One of the most celebrated species of shark in the world, the great white shark (Carchardon carcharias) is regarded as the largest species of predatory shark on Earth. A healthy adult shark can grow up to 21 feet in length and weight up to 4,000 pounds. In addition to having powerful jaws that are full of large serrated teeth, they are also capable of exerting lethal forces of more than 20 tons per square inch when biting on prey and foreign objects. So, in honor of “Shark Week”, here are five facts to know about the great white shark...
By Jenna Deedy7 years ago in Petlife
How 9 Kittens Changed My Family
I thought my mom was crazy when she told me we had nine kittens living in our backyard. Downtown Ottawa is not known for its feral cat population, and my yard borders the main street which is not the ideal place for a furry family. However, with some pleading from my mother, I went out to investigate.
By Sage Kirchmann8 years ago in Petlife
Eco Criminals
Eco criminals are those who commit offenses such as killing wildlife, dumping pesticides into nature, importing wildlife, disposing of hazardous waste, selling migratory bird parts, and more. Hunters who try to get ivory tusks off of elephants, those who go after endangered tigers, even people who hunt wolves in Alaska, are all guilty of eco-crimes against humanity as well as nature. The other sorts of eco criminals such as people who think water is not a human right to have like Nestle, are still those who do the environment harm. In Africa, they still go around hunting elephants for their tusks.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in Petlife
Why You Must Cut Your Dog's Nails
I am not talking about the aesthetics here, although that counts as well since long nails on dogs aren't a pretty sight. Health issues, particularly pain and problems with posture, are the main reason why you must cut your dog’s nails. It's part of caring or your dog at home.
By April Demarco8 years ago in Petlife
Animal Neglect Perpetuated by Pet Stores
A great number of people have owned fish as pets—they are a popular first companion for children due to their ease of care. However, most kids' fish end up replaced over and over again because of their disappointing life spans—but did you know that, in proper conditions, goldfish can live for decades upon decades? It all comes down to proper care.
By Caitlin Hoyt8 years ago in Petlife
Why Does My Dog.....?. Top Story - July 2018.
Dogs are so great. I often wonder what I did with my life before I had dogs, I definitely had more free time, a cleaner house, and a lot more money, but who needs time and money and cleanliness when you have a snoring, furry pillow?
By Samantha Bentley8 years ago in Petlife
Behind the Scenes
The first elephant to be born in captivity in the western hemisphere went by the name "Packy", he was an Asian elephant who lived until the age of 44, which is premature for this breed of elephant as they normally live up to 60 years. Although Packy was the firstborn in captivity in the US, elephants being subjected to capture and taming started more than 4,000 years ago. Many people assume because an elephant has been tamed that its natural place is with humans, which isn't the case because elephants aren't domesticated animals as it takes generations after generations for an animal to become domesticated. Now there are still over 15,000 elephants in captivity for our own entertainment.
By Lillie Maria8 years ago in Petlife
