I don’t know how long he spent his days cruising the area before my elderly neighbor Betty began making sure the cat had something substantial to eat and drink. She’s a cat and dog person with a big heart, so her caring enough to put food bowls on her front porch for the wandering cat didn’t surprise me.

Nor did it surprise me when the cat kept coming back to Betty’s porch, looking for food he didn’t have to work hard for. Eventually, she named him Percy, and after a while, he was comfortable enough to enter her home at night and let her stroke him while he slept in her lap.

Not being the stay-at-home type, Percy leaves Betty’s home every morning to do whatever it is he does during the day, and he usually returns to the porch in the evening, waiting for her to open the door and provide the comfort he’s now used to. From time to time, though, he apparently finds something to keep his interest overnight or for a couple of days.

In the summer, I can see him from my upstairs window, lying in the sun in Betty’s driveway. Betty thinks he’s probably 15 or 16 years old. When Betty takes a weekend trip, I get to take care of her animals (she has a dog, too.) Though he used to scoot away whenever I approached him, Percy now lets me pet him when I pass by. I love that. And I love that my neighbor Betty gave Percy a family to love that loves him back.

Percy is lucky to have Betty, and I’m lucky to have Betty as my neighbor.

Their names were Pixie and Dixie, one male and one female we couldn’t tell apart, and they belonged to our next-door neighbors. One afternoon, when I came home from work, I found Pixie (or Dixie) sitting on our back deck, so I went outside and cuddled with the cute kitty. This same scenario repeated for several days. One evening, I left the sliding-glass doors open, and in came the cat, who began curling up on the sofa with us and watching TV at night until we put him/her outside to go home. This happened every night for a couple of weeks; eventually we started buying cat food and feeding the little sweetie. We told the neighbors about it, and they were fine with it.

Within a month, our semi-adopted cat was sleeping in the bed with us at night. It was becoming a very close relationship, as we became used to having the cat in bed with us. Then, deep in the middle of one night, my husband tossed, turned and swept his leg across the bed, sending the cat flying and shrieking across the room until the wall stopped the poor thing. You’d think that would have been a deal-breaker, but no. The cat kept coming.

The Last Straw

We had been talking about getting a dog for a long time, and my husband had always wanted a German Shepherd, so we got ourselves an adorable GSD puppy and named him Zak. Truly, he wasn’t much bigger that the cat that had become our companion for months.

So there was Pixie (or Dixie) waiting for us on the back deck when we came home with Zak. We opened the sliding-glass doors and brought Zak outside to meet what we thought would be his new, little friend. The cat freaked, flew off the deck (voluntarily this time) and never came back to visit again. Pixie (or Dixie) would just sit in the neighbor’s yard (ours was fenced) staring at us with a look that said, “I can’t believe you replaced me with THAT. What were you THINKING?”

We were thinking we might have two pets for the price of one, but clearly, we were wrong. I guess the little guy didn’t want to wind up like this…

Who cares? It’s still a robot, so any response to my emotions would be totally artificial. No, thanks.

When it comes to dogs and cats, there’s nothing like the genuine affection you feel when your pet curls up on the sofa next to you and looks at you with complete trust and love. Do you really think you’re going to get that same heartwarming connection from a bucket of bolts with fur?

Researcher Wei-Po Lee says, “With current technologies in computing and electronics and knowledge in ethology. neuroscience and cognition, it is now possible to create embodied prototypes of artificial living toys acting in the physical world.” For me, the operative word is acting.

I don’t want a pet who “acts” like he or she loves me anymore than I want my husband “acting” like he loves me. I’m human, and I can tell the difference.

While I understand that animatronic pets may be answer for people who live in places that don’t allow real pets or are allergic to pet fur and dander, I can’t help but wonder what’s next–substitute humans for people who can’t get along with anybody? Facebook, Twitter and all the other social networking sites have already begun to replace actual human contact with virtual contact, so we all have hundreds of “friends” who wouldn’t know us if we sat next to them on a bus. We’re actually changing the very definition of friends. So someday down the road, when I can buy robotic friends who are programmed to my wants and needs, why would I need the real thing? True, meaningful friendships will become obsolete.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m dazzled by human progress and advances in technology, but–like superior weapons of mass destruction–not all advancements serve humanity in a positive way. When my pooches cuddle up next to me and lick my face, I’d rather feel the love than some cold piece of metal scraping my cheek.

Hi, folks! Max here, with a guest post from one of our best friends, Susan, who’s having a little difficulty in the dog department. I’ve never had this problem, so I don’t know how to help her. When it comes to training, I’m always on the receiving end. So I’m asking all of you to help her out with some good solutions.

Thanks, Max! This is driving me crazy, and I don’t know how to stop it! What makes it worse is that I’m not sure which of my German shepherds is doing it. I have a 3 1/2-year-old 90 lb. shepherd and a 4-year-old 60 lb. shepherd, and either one could be the culprit. (That’s not them in the photo, though they look amazingly like my two sweeties. But I digress.) Here are the facts:

• They’ve both been housebroken for three years, except for the occasional accident, which might be anywhere in the house.
• The dogs are crated while we’re at work.
• I let them out as soon as I go home, opening all the doors required to get them into the fenced backyard, where their bathroom is located.
• Every few days I discover one of them has urinated in the same place on a corner of the love seat in our family room, so it’s pretty well marked, though I clean it as best I can every time it happens.
  
• We close off the area at night so they can’t get into the family room.
• We let them out first thing in the morning when they get up.
• We’ve been renovating our whole house over the summer, so the house has been in disarray and occasionally full of painters, plumbers, etc., but the urinating started before we began the renovation.
• We’re out of ideas on how to stop it.

I need your help. What can I do to eliminate this problem? Thanks for your help! S

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For decades, I’ve dreamed of doing this exact same thing for dogs. I have nothing against cats, of course. Some of my best friends have cats. I just have this thing for dogs. I truly believe I’m a dog in another existence, because I feel so connected to them. And frankly, I wouldn’t want to live in a world without dogs–the ONLY animals who love and protect their owners.

All I need is about $3M and a nice, big piece of land in the North Georgia mountains. If you can help me out, just let me know! When it’s up and running, you can visit my puppy paradise any ‘ol time you want…

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Why 40? Because Dog Fancy magazine is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Congratulations, Dog Fancy! And congratulations to all the winners. (I’m betting my city is somewhere in that top 40. I love where I live!)

What Makes These Cities the Best?

The criteria used to select the winning city include lots of dog-friendly open spaces and dog parks, events celebrating dogs and their people, sufficient veterinary care, plenty of pet supply and other services, and municipal laws that support and protect all pets.

The next nine cities in the top ten are:

* Carmel, Calif.
* Madison, Wis.
* Benicia, Calif.
* Fort Bragg, Calif.
* Lincoln City, Ore.
* San Diego, Calif.
* Virginia Beach, Va.
* Sioux Falls, S.D.
* Salem, Ore.

I think every city in America should do whatever it takes to win this competition next year!

That’s because the US Postal Service just launched their Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet commemorative postage stamps as part of their Stamps to the Rescue promotional campaign.

Animal advocate Ellen DeGeneres announced the program on her show April 30, when the stamps went on sale nationwide. The loving pets you see in on the stamps are actual shelter pets photographed by veteran stamp photographer Sally Andersen-Bruce. She chose five cats and five dogs, and I’m happy to announce all ten animals were adopted from a shelter in New Milford, CT.

Postmaster General John E. Potter said, “This campaign will increase public awareness about sheltered pets, and our hope is that it will encourage pet adoption and promote humane and responsible pet care.”

Amen. Every year 6 to 8 million cats and dogs end up in animal shelters and, of that number, nearly half are euthanized. If everyone who wants a furry, four-legged companion chooses to adopt a shelter pet and spays/neuters their pet, we’d move toward eliminating not only a horrible end for these poor, sweet, defenseless animals, but we’d also help put unconscionable puppy mills out of business.

You can order the stamps from the postal service at StampsToTheRescue.com or by calling 1-800-STAMP24 (1-800-782-6724.) If you’re like me, you believe there’s nothing as wonderful as a beloved pet licking your face. Well, here’s your chance to lick back–and give another sweet pet the chance to love and be loved.

Thank you, US Postal Service, for caring so much, and thanks to every one of you who adopts your pets from shelters and animal rescue organizations. We have two incredibly loving rescued pets at home, and we simply can’t imagine life without them.

Customize Your Profile, and Then Buy Pets!
Are you a wolf, a cat, or a bird? Choose which animal you want to be and also pick a habitat. Then, check out all of the other human pets, and buy a few to take care of!

Search for Pets
You can find “human pets” near you, and become real life friends! Or, check out the random profile viewer and meet people from all over the world.

Besides online auctions, chats and blogs, games, discussion boards and classified ads, you can create similar interest groups known as “herds,” and discuss your hobbies with new friends. There’s an online market, so you can go shopping and find new items for your pets. You can even open up your own shop and earn virtual points from sales. We think they can take it even further!!

Let’s See How THEY Like It!

You know how much humans like to dress us up in ridiculous outfits they wouldn’t wear in public themselves? Well, Mittens and I think this Web site provides a great opportunity to turn the tables. After all, turn-about is fair play. You know how my Mom and Dad put me in dog sweaters every once in a while? I just suck it up and have fun with it, because it makes them happy. With this new site, you all have a chance to have your pet stroll the neighborhood streets au natural—naked, nude, like pets are supposed to be. Won’t that be fun!? America, get your cameras ready!

I love this site! Created for people who treat their pets like family (and that would definitely be me,) it features a health center and an encyclopedia of animals, where you can find out about hundreds of potential pets. There are also forums for all kinds of pets and some fun games.

Mostly, it’s about hooking up socially active pets and their people, encouraging inter-species connections, too. Just because you have a dog or a cat doesn’t mean you can’t “hang” with a fish or a rodent. You’re invited to create a free profile for your best friend, where you can share photos, videos  and information about favorite activities, favorite toys, even the energy level of your pet. The site covers dog breeds extensively, and you’ll be happy to know the many breeds of cats, horses, fish, birds, etc. are given equal time.

Especially touching is Rainbow Bridge–a place on the site where people can memorialize the pets they’ve loved and lost. The page includes the beautiful work of an unknown author who wrote comforting words about where our deceased pets go and the extraordinary moment when we’re reunited with them.

And, of course, there’s a blog–Cindy’s Blog. She’s a former surgical veterinarian technician and education specialist for the Humane Society. Covering everything from ear mites to raising chickens as pets to heartwarming orangutan/dog relationships, Cindy gives great tips for caretakers of precious pets.

Why not head over there and browse awhile? I think you’ll be amazed, not just at the variety of pets people share their homes with, but the deep, enduring love at the heart of those relationships.