PopSugar

Relax Already: Play With a Pet

FitSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:00:00 -0700

People de-stress in different ways, and if soaking in a warm bath doesn't do it for you, try something a little more active and playful in the four-legged variety. Many studies show the health benefits of pets for relieving stress, reducing high blood pressure, and boosting your mood.

Calm your mind by playing with your pet. If you don't have one, canoodle with your friend's goldendoodle. Pet your neighbor's cat. Visit a shelter and play with the animals there. Aside from a cute face, cats and dogs provide unconditional affection, which is great after a stressful day.

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Fit Tip: Be As Excited to Exercise As Your Dog Is

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:00:00 -0800

Early in the morning, my dog Bonnie is raring to go. She wakes me up with tons of licks, and paces coyly around the room until I pull my lazy bum out of bed. She can't wait to get outside, not only to "do her business," but to run and jump and chase and play. Every day her boundless energy inspires me to get my body moving, too. She reminds me to stretch and I feel I should do a down dog every time she does. So the next time you see a dog zooming by, catch their buzz and be just as excited to exercise as they are.

If you have a dog that motivates you to get up and go, be sure to check out PetSugar's giveaway to win $250 worth of food, toys, and grooming supplies. Plus, two Kuranda beds will be donated to the animal shelter of your choice. It's a great way to thank your dog for encouraging you to get off the couch and move.

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Do Tell: Have You Ever Lost an Animal in a Breakup?

DearSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0700

There's nothing easy about a breakup, but when you own an animal together, things get even more complicated. The way one loves an animal is like nothing else - your pet is your most loyal friend, the one that brings you instant happiness, and your favorite cuddle buddy - so if your partner feels the same way about your four-legged friend, who gets custody? Of course sharing it is always an option, but the constant communication makes moving on that much harder, which is why one person usually ends up saying goodbye to their pet post-split. I've never owned an animal with anyone before, but what about you? Do tell, have you ever lost an animal in a breakup?

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You Asked: Can I Use My Dog to Get to My Ex?

DearSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar,
I realize that I am supposed to cut off all ties with my ex-boyfriend, but I've broken the rules. We didn't talk for a month and I haven't seen him since we broke up, but I just texted him about my dog, whom he had cared for a great deal. My dog just got diagnosed with cancer, and my ex about this opened the floodgates for communication. We have arranged for him to see my dog without me present. We haven't talked about ourselves or our lives, it has just about the dog, but I want more. Can I use this tragic situation to my advantage? - Pining Penny

To see DearSugar's answer, read more.

Dear Pining Penny,

Using your dog's condition to get to your ex will certainly do the trick, but I think it would behoove you to be honest with him from the start. While I'm sure he appreciates being able to see your dog, it just seems a little cheap to use the dog as a way to get close again. If you miss your ex, just tell him! If this situation does in fact bridge the gap between you, great, but make sure he's aware of your intentions or your plan could actually backfire - he could end up resenting you for using such a sad scenario to your advantage. Like I've said a million times before, honesty is the best policy. Good luck with everything.

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Handle This: You Make a Big Mistake

DearSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:00:00 -0700

Your new boyfriend went away on a business trip for more than two weeks and left his pet bird in your care. A graduation present from his family, the bird means a great deal to him and holds sentimental value. He's given you very specific instructions on caring for it, with the very explicit declaration that he'll be destroyed if you kill it.

You're not a huge fan of pet birds, but you know that he cares about it, so you do your very best. In an effort to avoid going to his house every day, you decide to bring the bird to your place. One morning when you go to feed it, you find it lifeless in its cage, completely dead. A trip to the pet store confirms that it's really gone. He won't be back for another week, but you feel awful and can't bear the idea of telling him. It's an inevitable conversation, so how would you handle this?

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Buzz News Roundup, 2/8

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:30:00 -0800

Martin Scorsese will focus on Bob Marley for his next music documentary, writes Variety.
Yael Naim - the singer from the MacBook Air commercials - will have her album released in the U.S. in March, Billboard reports.
ComingSoon has the news that Uma Thurman will play Nanny in the feature film version of Eloise in Paris.
SalesGenie will be dropping the Chinese panda ad after viewers who saw it during the Super Bowl complained it was offensive, The New York Times reports.
Woody Allen will cast Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood in his next project, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Not surprisingly, Zap2it reports that kids these days are into Shrek and Miley Cyrus, at least according to the Kids Choice Awards nominations.
Val Kilmer will replace Will Arnett as the voice of KITT in Knight Rider, Variety reports.
Dominic Monaghan has been cast in a psychological thriller titled Pet, writes ComingSoon.
Disney World is getting an American Idol-themed attraction, writes Hollywood Reporter.

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News to Me: Pets Are Good For the Soul

DearSugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 08:00:00 -0800

What's not to love about pets? They're cute, cuddly, loyal friends, and they have an amazing ability to cheer you up when you're down. I'm a huge animal lover and now research shows that owning a pet can be beneficial to your mental and physical well-being (as long as you're not deathly allergic!).

Not only do pets offer you unconditional love, but they may also help to reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, and improve the appetites of Alzheimer's patients.

Having a pet such as a dog also gets people out of the house and promotes exercise, which can help with depression and social anxiety. Pet owners also benefit from the feeling of being needed and loved, so a pet can help improve poor self-esteem and loneliness.

Dear's Advice: You don't have to own a pet to reap the benefits of animals. Take a friend's dog for a walk or cat sit for a neighbor who's going on vacation. You can also visit a shelter or volunteer as a dog walker. Whatever your choice, you'll both benefit from the time spent together.

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Sunday Confessional: I Got My Boyfriend a Puppy

DearSugar — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:00:00 -0800

Dear Sugar,

I've been with my boyfriend for almost three years. He owned a dog that he got many years before he met me, and unfortunately, she was recently diagnosed with cancer and passed away. My boyfriend has understandably been devastated, and acts really depressed. In the beginning, he openly cried to me and talked about all the memories he had with her. He said someday he'd definitely want to get another dog, but he wanted to wait a little while.

It's been about two months since she passed on, and I got the idea to surprise him for Christmas and get him a puppy. A coworker and friend of mine owns a Chocolate Lab (the same breed of the dog he lost), and she recently had puppies. She wanted to give him one since she knows what he's gone through. The puppy was ready to come home with me this week, so on Thursday night, I brought her home with a big red bow tied around her collar.

When he saw her he just burst into tears. He thanked me for the kind gesture, but said that he just wasn't ready to invite a new dog into his life, and that he wouldn't be able to keep her. He also said that he couldn't believe I would make that kind of decision without him, that a dog is a huge responsibility and a personal decision. Now he seems even more upset than before. I was only trying to help, should I be forgiven for my actions?.

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Love It or Hate It? Kitty Washroom

CasaSugar — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 05:30:54 -0700

Most of my kitty-owning friends are looking for a decor-appropriate solution to the litterbox. Maybe this Kitty Washroom ($99.95) is the answer to their prayers?

via Outblush

Sunday Confessional: I Didn't Mean To Be Insensitive

DearSugar — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:00:00 -0700

A few days ago, my sister emailed me with some terrible news. Her dog, that she had for 7 years, had been unexpectedly rushed to the emergency room in the middle of the night. He was in horrible pain, and after taking an x-ray, she and her husband discovered that he had cancer. A tumor had ruptured and there was nothing the vet could do. They had to put him down.

She had raised him from a puppy and her 2-year old girl adored the dog. While I was devastated for her loss, I'm not really an animal person so I really couldn't sympathize with her.

After work, I called to tell her how sorry I was, and to see if there was anything I could do. I was a little scared to call, I just didn't know what to say and in my nervousness, I blurted out the suggestion that she should get another puppy from the breeder that my friend had just gotten a dog from. She got really upset, yelled "How could you even bring up the idea?" and then hung up on me.

I admit that it was probably too soon to bring up replacing their dog, but I was only trying to make her feel better. She totally took it the wrong way and now she's not speaking to me. Do you think she is over-reacting or was I truly being an insensitive person?

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