Articles
Your Brain on Babies
Look at that face! The instant we catch sight of a photograph like this, much less an actual baby, our brains get to work. We might smile a little, even if we don’t mean to. Of course, our brains respond to any face—young or old, known or unknown—but we respond to babies in a…
Take a Walk. Take the Dog.
There are the days when storms are predicted. On this particular June day, the rain had just started when I headed out, but I figured I could sneak in a walk before the real storm rolled in. Wrong. Within a couple of minutes, light rain turned into a torrent. Water swirled around my ankles. Bear,…
Good News for Shelter Animals
In 2013, when we were ready to adopt a dog, we headed for the local humane society. Our previous two dogs had come from there, but the kennels were practically empty. We tried a couple more times, but there was only a handful of dogs, and none was the right fit. Life intervened, the way…
Our Sydney: Born a Dog, Lived Like a Gentleman, Died Beloved
Bee, A Loving Companion, 1874-1889. My Freddie, 1901-1918, A Noble Cat. Lady Gove, Died March 23, 1940, Sweetheart. Twinkie, 1948-1968. Beside Twinkie’s name sits a skinny outlined cat, its tail folded neatly around its feet. I am wandering around the old section of Pine Ridge Pet Cemetery in Dedham, Massachusetts, on a cool, drizzly morning in…
St Roch, Patron Saint of Dogs
This is in honor St. Roch (also spelled Rocco, Roque, and even Rocky), the patron saint of dogs. He’s also the patron saint of those who are falsely accused, as he was. Most important, he’s a miraculous healer invoked to protect people against illness, who became especially important during the terrible plague years. In 1414,…
Here’s Looking at You, Felis Catus
I climb the stairs and come face to face with the stare. Hazel—an eight-pound, short-haired, high-strung tortoiseshell—crouches on the top step. She stares right at me, but could just as well be looking right through me. If you live with a cat, you’ve probably experienced this moment: the cat, who looked sweetly up at you…
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