Cate Drown

I recently read an intriguing book, “Kinship With All Life” by J. Allen Boone, that had been recommended to me by fellow animal lovers for over 20 years. Boone shares many of his personal experiences communicating with various species, from a remarkable dog that came in to his life to a common housefly. Boone’s first […]

There are two major types of longhaired dogs. A single coat consists of one type of hair all over the dog’s body. A double coat is made up of a coarse, outer layer with a soft, dense undercoat. Single-coated dogs like poodles, lhasa apsos, shih tzus, etc. can be shaved because their hair will grow […]

Why do dogs eat grass? The most common belief is that they do so to inspire themselves to vomit and relieve themselves of something causing them to have an upset stomach. In truth, this has never been proven. Although there is no cut and dried answer, studies suggest that this is a natural and healthy […]

When I moved to Tucson in 2011, I found myself in need of a new source of income. I went back to selling advertising, but my heart was just not in it anymore. So, one day my Saluki, Gabriel, and I went for a run in the wash. I sat on a log for awhile, […]

Here are more examples of how beings other than human show their ability to share compassion and grieve. When my Siberian Husky, Skye, died, I was so grief-stricken, I wanted to die with him. He is one of my soul mates, without question. One day that week, I picked up my little ferret, Tika and […]

Many of us have become aware of various types of companion animals. Most of us have heard of dogs and miniature horses working alongside humans who are blind or prone to seizures, suffer from postraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), have Parkinson’s disease, or are in many more situations where having these companions enriches their lives and […]

While traveling through Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico on a ten-day motorcycle trip three summers ago, taking in some of our indigenous American history, we checked into a motel just south of Moab in the late afternoon. As we got settled in to our room, my friend called me over to the window overlooking […]

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with snakes. Where I grew up we did not have any poisonous ones, so I could play with them out in the garden with no worries. My parents were supportive of my interest in various creatures, but Mom drew the line at snakes. One […]

Ouch! I jumped out of bed. My cat, Dulcie, went flying; my dog, Sunny, sprang to attention; and I went running to the kitchen to see what the heck happened. Something had stung or bitten me. Wow, did it hurt! I popped a Benadryl and a Tylenol, then returned to the bedroom and threw back […]