My World

When Betty White was honored for Lifetime Achievement by the Screen Actor's Guild in January, she said it was the greatest honor, ever. That was until the Morris Animal Foundation presented a Lifetime Achievement Award of its own to the actress Feb. 15 at the Western Veterinary Conference here.

So, what's the deal with cats? Clearly, with 82 million pet cats in America, there are over 10 million more cats than dogs. According to the math, cats are man's best friends.

There are dog shows, and then there's Westminster. Established in 1877, Westminster is second only to the Kentucky Derby as America's most established sporting event. The founders thought that having a little event in New Year City might stir up interest in dogs. If only they could know what they built!

I try to occasionally share my column with you. Here are a few comments from readers. (I always welcome both email and snail mail.)

It turns out that your dog's brain isn't all that different from your own. Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the behavior clinic at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, has been studying compulsive behaviors in dogs, horses and cats for decades. And for years he's been encouraging using these animal models to help understand what's going on with people with obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). However, he's had to wait for both popular scientific culture and gene identifying scientific techniques to catch up with his notions.

Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank is on the phone, sounding positively chirpy. Or perhaps that's a parrot in the background. "Yes, that's my African Grey; I have two parrots," says Swank. "Let me give you the great news. From October 1st (2009) through January 4th (2010), Iams Home 4 the Holidays adopted nearly one and a half million animals!" (1,363,638 to be exact).

Service and assistance dogs have never been so popular. "With so many veterans returning from overseas, and a greater understanding of what these dogs can do to help people, the need is growing," confirms Carl Rotans, head dog trainer at New York City-based Puppies Behind Bars.

It's one of those ironies of life. Sometimes people who bring the most joy to others are themselves tortured. Stephen Huneck, 60, was an author and artist who depicted canine whimsy and devotion as few ever have.

What do you think of the story about allowing the shooting of feral cats in New Jersey? We're torn, having a problem with some cats spraying in the garden and yowling some nights and waking us.

Just look at a puppy or kitten and you probably feel good. There's a biological reason behind that, according to certified applied animal behaviorist Patricia McConnell.