Patricia McMurry: Pets are more than they seem

kAm%96 }2E:@?2= r6?E6C 7@C w62=E9 #6D62C49 C6A@CED E92E h_ >:==:@? p>6C:42? 9@FD69@=5D[ C6AC6D6?E:?8 f_ A6C46?E @7 E96 A@AF=2E:@?[ @H? A6ED]k^Am

kAm%96 DEF5:6D C676C6?465 2C6 7C@> E96 2CE:4=6 “!6ED 2C6 v@@5 7@C *@FC w62=E9[ 2?5 (6 w2G6 E96 $EF5:6D E@ !C@G6 xE” 3J $:5?6J $E6G6?D] x 2=D@ H2?E E@ A@:?E @FE E92E >2?J @7 E96D6 DEF5:6D FD6 5@8D] $EF5:6D D9@H E92E 42ED 6I9:3:E D:>:=2C C6DF=ED[ H96C62D @E96C A6ED DF49 2D =:K2C5D[ 7:D9[ 2?5 3:C5D 2C6 =6DD 7C6BF6?E=J C6D62C4965]k^Am

kAm|F=E:A=6 DEF5:6D :==F>:?2E6 E96 A@H6C E92E A6ED 92G6 @? @FC A9JD:42= 2?5 >6?E2= 962=E9]k^Am

kAm• !6ED 42? 92G6 2? :>A24E @? E96 :>>F?6 DJDE6> 2?5 A6E 2==6C8:6D] !6E 52?56C 2?5 7FC 42? 42FD6 2==6C8:4 C624E:@?D :? D@>6 :?5:G:5F2=Dj 9@H6G6C[ C6D62C49 :?5:42E6D E92E 7@C D@>6[ =:G:?8 H:E9 2 42E @C 5@8 5FC:?8 E96 7:CDE J62C @7 =:76 >2J C65F46 A6E 2==6C8:6D[ 564C62D6 E96 C:D< @7 2DE9>2[ 2?5 DEC6?8E96? E96 :>>F?6 DJDE6>]  k^Am

kAm• r2?:?6D 96=A FD 4@??64E H:E9 A6@A=6] %9:D :D 5F6 E@ E96 52:=J 5@8 H2=<D E92E 3C:?8 FD :?E@ 4@?E24E H:E9 @E96CD] s@8D 96=A FD >2<6 7C:6?5D 2D H6 D66> 2AAC@24923=6 2?5 ECFDEH@CE9J] p DEF5J 7@F?5 E92E H966=492:C FD6CD H:E9 5@8D :?E6C24E65 >@C6 H:E9 @E96CD E92? E9@D6 H:E9@FE 5@8D]  p55:E:@?2==J[ A6ED 6?4@FC286 A9JD:42= 24E:G:EJ[ H9:49 3@@DED >@@5[ 6?6C8J 2?5 962=E9]k^Am

kAm• p DEF5J 7@F?5 E92E 49:=5C6? H:E9 2FE:D> H6C6 >@C6 D@4:2=[ E2=<65 2?5 =2F8965 >@C6[ 2?5 4C:65 =6DD H96? 8F:?62 A:8D C6A=2465 E@JD] xE :D 8@@5 E@ D66 E92E C@56?ED 42? 92G6 2 A@D:E:G6 :>A24E] w@H6G6C[ :E :D F?=:<6=J E92E x H:== C6>6>36C E92E H9:=6 492D:?8 2 >@FD6 :? E96 32D6>6?E]k^Am

kAm• %96C2AJ 5@8D 42? 96=A E9@D6 F?56C8@:?8 EC62E>6?E 7@C 42?46C] %96 p>6C:42? wF>2?6 pDD@4:2E:@?’D C646?E 7:?5:?8D 7C@> 2 4=:?:42= EC:2= D9@H E92E 49:=5C6? 7:89E:?8 42?46C H96? A2:C65 H:E9 E96C2AJ 5@8D[ 6IA6C:6?465 C65F465 DEC6DD[ =@?6=:?6DD 2?5 56AC6DD:@?] %9:D =65 E@ E96> A2CE:4:A2E:?8 >@C6 24E:G6=J :? E96:C EC62E>6?E C68:>6?]                                         k^Am

kAm• {6E FD ?@E 7@C86E D6CG:46 2?:>2=D E92E 3C:?8 AC24E:42= 2:5 2?5 6>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE E@ E96:C @H?6CD] r2?:?6D 2=D@ =@42E6 A6@A=6[ 8F2C5 2?5 AC@E64E FD[ 2?5 2DD:DE E96 A@=:46]k^Am

kAm(6 C64@8?:K6 E96 6>@E:@?2= 36?67:ED @7 :?E6C24E:?8 H:E9 A6ED] u@C :?DE2?46[ >2?J J62CD 28@ x H2D A2CE @7 2 >66E:?8 5FC:?8 2 DEC6DD7F= E:>6 2E H@C<] $@>6@?6 2D<65 H92E H6 5:5 E@ 2==6G:2E6 DEC6DD] p== @E96CD 5:D4FDD65 6=23@C2E6[ E:>6\4@?DF>:?8[ 2?5 D@>6E:>6D 4@DE=J D@=FE:@?D]  x C6A@CE65[ “x A6E >J 42E] t?@F89 D2:5]” !6EE:?8 2 42E @C 5@8 C6=62D6D 6?5@CA9:?D[ H9:49 :>AC@G6 >@@5 2?5 @G6C2== 962=E9] !6ED @776C 4@>A2?:@?D9:A 2?5 F?4@?5:E:@?2= =@G6] #646?E=J[ &]$] $6?] y:> yFDE:46 3C@F89E 9:D 5@8[ “q23J s@8” H:E9 9:> E@ E96 $6?2E6 E@ 62D6 A@=:E:42= E6?D:@?D] yFDE:46 D2:5[ “x7 H6 >2<6 A6@A=6 D>:=6 2?5 =@G6 6G6CJ@?6 =:<6 q23J s@8[ E96 H@C=5 H@F=5 36 2 36EE6C A=246]”  k^Am

kAm}@E DFCAC:D:?8=J[ DEF5:6D 92G6 D9@H? E92E :?E6C24E:?8 H:E9 A6ED 42? =@H6C 3=@@5 AC6DDFC6[ C65F46 2?I:6EJ[ 2?5 :>AC@G6 42C5:@G2D4F=2C 962=E9] p a__h DEF5J 7@F?5 E92E 42E @H?6CD H6C6 c_ A6C46?E =6DD =:<6=J E@ 92G6 2 962CE 2EE24<] %92E :D F?=6DD J@F @A6? E96 5@@C E@ J@FC 42E 6?E6C:?8 J@FC 9@>6 H:E9 2 H@@5A64<6C :? :ED >@FE9 2?5 :>>65:2E6=J C6=62D6 :E] qJ E96 H2J[ H@@5A64<6CD H:== 4@@A6C2E6 H:E9 FD E@ 86E 2H2J 7C@> 52?86C] x =@G6 E92E 23@FE E96>]  k^Am

kAm&?=:<6 D@>6 A6@A=6[ A6ED 42? 36 6I46==6?E =:DE6?6CD] %2=<:?8 E@ E96> 23@FE J@FC 52J[ >@@5 @C 492==6?86D 42? 36 DFCAC:D:?8=J E96C2A6FE:4] %96J ?6:E96C ;F586 ?@C :?E6CCFAE H9:=6 AC@G:5:?8 2 42=> AC6D6?46] |2?J 7@=<D 7:?5 5@8D E@ 36 24E:G6 =:DE6?6CD H9:=6 42ED 2C6 G:6H65 2D 49:==65] q@E9 7@C>D @7 DFAA@CE 42? 36 2 A@H6C7F= 2?E:5@E6 E@ E96 AC6DDFC6D @7 =:76]  k^Am

kAm}@E DFCAC:D:?8=J[ >@DE A6@A=6 E92E x <?@H C6A@CE E92E E96:C 7FCCJ 4@>A2?:@?D 2C6 G:6H65 2D 72>:=J >6>36CD] %96C67@C6[ :E :D ?@E DFCAC:D:?8 A6ED 92G6 9F>2? ?2>6D]  x 92G6 2 7C:6?5 H9@ ?2>65 96C 42E %@> qC25J] %9:D 42E[ >F49 =:<6 9:D ?2>6D2<6[ H2D @?6 @7 2 <:?5] x >6E 2 e\J62C\@=5 8:C= H9@D6 $E] q6C?2C5 H2D ?2>65 $:C q6C?2C5 r@DE\2\=@E] w6C 72E96C ?2>65 E96 5@8]k^Am

kAm!6ED AC@G:56 6>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE 2?5 ?F>6C@FD 962=E9 36?67:ED] %96J @776C >F=E:A=6 25G2?E286D E@ 9F>2?D E92E >2J @7E6? 36 @G6C=@@<65] %96J 2C6 A2HD\2\E:G6=J 2>2K:?8] x <?@H[ D@ 5@88@?6 4@C?J]  w6=A >6[ >J 7:?86CD 2C6 EJA:?8[ 2?5 x 42??@E >2<6 E96> DE@A 4C62E:?8 E6CC:3=6 AF?DPk^Am

kAm!2EC:4:2 |4|FCCJ =:G6D :? t2E@? 2?5 :D E96 7@C>6C 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 (9:E6 |@F?E2:? r@>>F?:EJ w62=E9 r6?E6C]k^Am