fact or fiction

Is it fact or merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the myths and beliefs we hold about our pets, like why dogs wag their tails and cats purr.

A Dart at Dusk. Top Story - January 2026.
Seconds ago, the sullen sun set on the two of us… my exuberant furry companion and me. A fresh breeze embraces us, delivering welcome relief from the day’s oppressive heat. His typical stumbling and staggering along — apace with a sloth — has turned into trip-trapping, high-stepping, almost skipping along.
By Angie the Archivist 📚🪶2 days ago in Petlife
Real camouflage for people and machines is getting closer thanks to materials inspired by octopuses.
Engineers now have a closer resemblance to octopus skin thanks to a new colour-changing material that can change both its colour and surface roughness in less than 10 seconds. The soft photonic skin was created by Stanford University researchers using patterns on its surface that are tiny than a human hair.
By Francis Dami3 days ago in Petlife
Frozen Clash: Wolf vs Bear. AI-Generated.
The morning light broke gently over the snow-covered wilderness, turning the frost into a blanket of sparkling diamonds. The forest was silent except for the soft whisper of wind moving through the icy branches. Every tree was coated in white, and the frozen ground glistened under the soft sunlight. In this serene landscape, life thrived in quiet ways, even in the harshest winter conditions.
By Bilal Mohammadi4 days ago in Petlife
The Wolf Moon Marks The First Full Moon Of TheYear
The night sky has always fascinated humanity, guiding calendars, cultures, and countless stories. Among the many lunar events that capture our imagination, the Wolf Moon holds a special place. Rising as the first full moon of the year, usually in January, the Wolf Moon symbolizes beginnings, endurance, and the deep connection between nature and human life. What Is the Wolf Moon? The Wolf Moon is the traditional name given to January’s full moon. While scientifically it is simply a full moon—when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth—the name comes from centuries-old traditions. During the long, cold nights of winter, people in earlier times often heard wolves howling outside villages and settlements. These haunting sounds echoed across frozen landscapes, giving rise to the name “Wolf Moon.” It is important to note that wolves do not howl because of the Moon itself. Howling is a form of communication used to mark territory, locate pack members, or coordinate hunting. However, winter scarcity of food brought wolves closer to human habitats, making their calls more noticeable under the bright January moon. Historical and Cultural Significance The term “Wolf Moon” is commonly linked to Native American, Colonial American, and European traditions. Many Native American tribes named full moons based on seasonal changes, weather patterns, or animal behavior. January’s harsh cold, deep snow, and active predators inspired names such as the Wolf Moon, Old Moon, or Moon After Yule in different cultures. In Europe, the Moon After Yule marked the period following midwinter festivals. For agrarian societies, this moon served as a reminder of survival and patience—spring was still far away, but the cycle of nature continued. A Symbol of Survival and Renewal As the first full moon of the year, the Wolf Moon carries symbolic weight. It represents endurance during the hardest part of winter. Trees stand bare, nights are long, and food is scarce for both humans and animals. Yet, the bright, round Moon shining in the darkness offers reassurance that light persists even in the coldest times. For many people today, the Wolf Moon has become a symbol of new beginnings. Just as January marks the start of a new calendar year, the Wolf Moon encourages reflection, goal-setting, and resilience. It reminds us that strength often develops during difficult periods. Astronomical Features From an astronomical perspective, the Wolf Moon can appear especially striking. Because January nights are longer and often clearer in colder climates, the Moon may look brighter and sharper in the sky. When it rises or sets near the horizon, it can appear larger due to the “Moon illusion,” a visual effect that makes celestial objects seem bigger when they are close to the horizon. Sometimes, the Wolf Moon may coincide with other celestial events, such as lunar occultations or conjunctions with bright planets, making it even more exciting for skywatchers. Modern Celebrations and Spiritual Meaning In modern times, many people observe the Wolf Moon through photography, moonlit walks, or quiet reflection. In spiritual practices, it is often associated with inner strength, intuition, and clearing old emotional burdens. Some view it as a time to release negativity from the past year and prepare mentally and emotionally for the months ahead. Social media and astronomy communities frequently celebrate the Wolf Moon, sharing images and reminding people to look up and reconnect with the natural world. Why the Wolf Moon Still Matters Even in an age of artificial lights and digital calendars, the Wolf Moon continues to captivate us. It connects modern life to ancient rhythms, reminding us that the cycles of the Moon remain unchanged despite technological progress. The Wolf Moon is more than just a name—it is a story of survival, continuity, and hope. As the first full moon of the year rises, glowing against the winter sky, it invites us to pause, reflect, and remember that every year, like every lunar cycle, begins in darkness before moving steadily toward light.
By Mustafa13 days ago in Petlife
How I Learned Not to Trust Animals with Alibis
Chapter 1: The Perfect Witness My name is Detective Harlan Voss, and I've spent twenty years chasing killers in the foggy streets of Eldridge Hollow. I've seen liars twist truths into knots, spouses swear eternal love while hiding bloodstained gloves, and mob bosses with alibis tighter than a noose. But nothing prepared me for the case that taught me the hardest lesson: never trust animals with alibis.
By HearthMen19 days ago in Petlife
Cubby - My first Best Friend. Content Warning.
This is the story about a girl [Jessie, illustrator of The Hound Who Saw, coming out near Easter 2026] who meets her furever first best friend. This is the story about Cubby. He was a burnise mountain dog, border collie mix. He was rescued at three years old, when his first furever family, fell apart. Mom and Dad of that family got divorced, and Dad took Cubby with him. From what we were told, where the man lived, he wasn't allowed to have the dog inside, so, he left him outside all the time. At one point the man stopped feeding him, and he became rather thin. We think when we got him, he was almost 35 pounds soaking wet [he was a little over a hundred pounds when he passed]. He was just shy of ten years old when he crossed the rainbow bridge. This goes out to all the first amazing pets anyone could ever have...
By The Hound Who Saw21 days ago in Petlife
14 Animals That Are Often Confused for One Another
Have you ever confidently pointed at an animal in the wild only to realize you were completely wrong about what you were looking at? The natural world presents us with countless creatures that seem almost identical at first glance, yet belong to entirely different families, habitats, and evolutionary paths. With over eight million species sharing our planet, nature has developed some remarkable similarities that can fool even experienced observers.
By The Big Bad 22 days ago in Petlife
Your Dog Is Not Truck Cargo
In much of the country, dogs standing loose in the back of a pickup have been treated as part of the scenery for decades. People point at it, smile, say the dog “loves it” and keep driving. The scene looks normal because the community has rehearsed it for years. From a forensic and trauma standpoint, it is anything but normal. It is a low-speed, high-frequency mechanism of serious injury and death that we keep pretending is harmless.
By Dr. Mozelle Martin | Ink Profilerabout a month ago in Petlife
Evaluating a Rodent Control Contract: What Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Professional
Rodents are a real danger to health, safety and property. From hearing the scratching sounds in your walls, seeing gnaw marks on food boxes, or having pet food or birdseed plundered, they can cause you a headache. You feel stressed by thinking about what will go into the stomach of the rodent tonight,
By Jamal Mooreabout a month ago in Petlife
Why Dogs Target Certain Cars
Dogs have a way of noticing things humans have conditioned themselves to overlook. People hear an engine and register transportation. A dog hears the same engine and registers information. Not a brand, not a make or model, but a sensory fingerprint that gets filed in the oldest part of the nervous system. The part that never stops scanning, never clocks out, and never cares that humans prefer to interpret the world through language instead of instinct. When a dog barks at one specific car or truck yet ignores the rest of the traffic, the dog isn’t malfunctioning. The dog is retrieving a stored pattern and responding to it with the same precision it uses when assessing footsteps, body weight shifts, or the emotional temperature of a room.
By Dr. Mozelle Martin | Ink Profilerabout a month ago in Petlife
My Senior Dog Who Came Back
Zeus will be 12 years old in two weeks, a large American Pitbull Staffordshire Terrier ("pit mix") with the kind of gentle loyalty that caused me to underestimate his pain for far too long. For 9 months, he was quietly falling apart. The changes crept in so slowly that each one looked like simple aging, and the pattern only started to make sense when viewed in hindsight.
By Dr. Mozelle Martin | Ink Profilerabout a month ago in Petlife
5 Animals with Seriously Strange Superpowers
Nature is full of surprises, and some of the animal kingdom's inhabitants possess abilities so bizarre they sound like they were ripped straight from a superhero movie or a villain's backstory. They’re walking proof that you don't need fancy tech or magic to be totally impressive; sometimes, you just need a horrifying bone-claw defense or an unstoppable desire to roll dung. Get ready, because we're diving into the real-life oddballs who make fictional powers look tame.
By Areeba Umair2 months ago in Petlife