Blog

We recently adopted a kitten, Talley, and it’s been a joy to see her whip our dogs into shape, herd Teresa and me, and turn our house into a feline wonderland. Kittens are born with claws, and they need them for many reasons. They use them to stretch, to climb and clamber, to defend themselves, […]

Just like people, cats can have gallbladder problems, including a life-threatening blockage. Here’s what I told a reader who contacted me about her cat’s diagnosis. Q: My cat has an inflamed gallbladder and maybe a blocked bile duct. I didn’t know cats could have gallbladder problems! What can you tell me about them? A: The […]

In the past, Teresa and I made a committment to adopting those cats who didn’t have a chance at the local shelter — the feral, the unfriendly, those who just didn’t like people — to be barn cats at our Almost Heaven Ranch. Caring for them wasn’t always easy, but we always took care of […]

Can we stop worrying about fake Halloween pet dangers and focus on the ones that are real? Fake: That people adopt black cats from shelters to perform satanic rituals. Real: Hundreds of thousands of cats die in shelters each year because they’re not adopted. Fake: That even the tiniest amount of chocolate will kill your […]

I was so excited that my new book, which I co-authored with my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker, and two of the country’s leading veterinary behaviorists, Dr. Lisa Radosta and Dr. Wailani Sung, was supposed to be released this spring. It’s called From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog From Anxiety, […]