Blog Posts by vetstreet.com

By Kristen Seymour

Think your kitty is itching to spin some tunes?As cat owners, we put up with certain things. We put the litter box in a fairly out-of-the-way corner (but not so out-of-the-way that the cat won't go there), we have strings and toys hanging from most doorknobs, and we baldly accept the fact that we'll never use our own toilet without an audience again. But, you know, it's nice when the things you have to put up with also give a little something back, right?

Enter the DJ Cat Scratching Pad. It's a scratching pad for your cat (obviously) with the added bonus of being absolutely hilarious. It's funny enough that you won't have any problem keeping it wherever your kitty likes to scratch; even when your cat isn't using it, it's certainly a conversation starter!

Actress Lena Dunham and her new dog LambyLena Dunham has a new pride and joy in her life ... and we don't mean the two Golden Globes she took home last night for her insanely successful HBO hit, Girls.

The actress and her mom (photographer Laurie Simmons) rescued a dog from the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition last week. Dunham first showed off her scruffy new pup on Instagram, writing: "And because no day is stressful enough on its own, meet Lamby Dunham. He comes from BARC (@barcanimals) and @lauriesimmons and I sprung him this afternoon."

We can't help but wonder if little Lamby has been some kind of instant good luck charm for Dunham. The second season of Girls premiered last night to more fanfare than any 26-year-old could ever hope for. And that same night, Dunham made a huge splash at the Golden Globes, reeling in a best actress award for her role on Girls - plus a win in the best TV series (comedy or musical) category for the show itself.

We don't want to jinx anything ... but keep up the good work,

By Kristen Seymour

We've already examined the most popular puppy names of the year, but many of the same names top the list year-after-year. Digging a little deeper in Vetstreet's database of 1.26 million dog names we uncovered which names are the gaining popularity the fastest this year. So without further ado here are 2013's hottest names.

More on Vetstreet.com:

* Top 10 Kitten Names

* 14 Dog Breeds You've Never Heard Of (But Soon Will)

* 5 Dog Breeds That Are Sadly Losing Popularity

See Also: A Veterinarian's Surprise Confession

By Dr. Marty Becker | vetstreet.com

Many people can't seem to get a good night's sleep, and they already have stress, caffeine or snoring spouses to blame. But researchers at Mayo Clinic's Center for Sleep Medicine are finding another surprising reason behind those tired eyes: dogs and cats.

Please let me sleep KittyMore than half of the people coming to the famous Rochester, Minn., medical center for help sleeping reported sharing their bedrooms - and often their beds - with pets. The physicians started by recommending they toss the pets out, but that doesn't fly for most animal lovers.

Related: Should Pets Sleep on Your Bed?

Top veterinarians say there are other options: Keep your pets clean, keep them lean and get them on your sleep cycle. With help from your veterinarian, you'll be soon be enjoying sleep instead of counting sheep.

Getting pets on the same sleep cycle can actually be fun, says Dr. Gary Landsberg, a veterinary behaviorist in Thornhill, Ontario. When a pet sleeps all day,

By Amy Sinatra Ayres

These puppies were found during Sandy and adopted out together.Joanne Monez lay on a bed with her rescue's resident cats, worrying as floodwaters rose around her. It was the only island of safety she could find as Superstorm Sandy ravaged her one-story Queens, N.Y., home - which also served as a cat shelter.

"My fear was that if [the water] got any higher, I might have to go to my attic for safety, but felt the resident adult cats would try to follow me," which would put them in danger, says Monez, who's the director of All About Spay Neuter. With the mattress soaked, the water finally started to subside, and volunteers arrived at her door to help.

Sadly, Monez lost two of the 40 cats she was caring for, and her home-and-shelter was no longer livable. With the help of emergency grants and donations from supporters, she quickly moved to a new location and has a grand reopening planned for Jan. 20, but the group still needs help to recover its losses.

Photos: Comfort Dogs Bring Solace to Grieving Newtown, Conn.

By Arden Moore

7 foods to never feed your catAlthough it can be irksome for owners, being branded finicky could ultimately be a boon for cats - especially when it comes to ingesting potentially dangerous foods.

"The main drivers of palatability for cats are protein and fat content, with moisture and texture being important too," says Dr. Sally Perea, DVM, DACVN, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist at P&G Pet Care in Ohio.

Related: 6 Human Foods Dangerous For Dogs & Other Pets

Some "people food" is safe for cats in small amounts, but certain items - like raw fish and eggs - are definitely hazardous. Dr. Perea lists the top seven no-no foods for kitties:

"Human-grade sushi is generally safe for people, but it can cause gastrointestinal upset in cats," says Dr. Perea. "There is thiaminase in raw fish that could break down an essential B vitamin called thiamine in cats. Thiamine deficiency can cause neurological problems - and even lead to convulsions."

By Dr. Patty Khuly

Dog stareing at his ownerIt's not hard to imagine why a loyal dog might stare devotedly at his master. It's the stuff of Old Yeller, White Fang and Lassie -- starers, all. But some dogs take staring to extremes, following their owners around with baleful eyes as if expecting links of sausage to fly from their human's fingertips.

Let's face it: Dogs love their owners, but when they stare expectantly, it's not usually because they're trapped in a reverie of devotion. Rather, it's because they're thinking they might get something. And usually, that "something" involves a tasty snack.

See Also: Why Does My Dog... Roll on Her Back When Scared?

But dogs can-and do-stare at their owners for plenty of non-food issues, too. Indeed, anything a dog might want that a human can provide could be the source of the staring behavior, from a fun game of fetch to a ride in the car or a long run.

Then there's the possibility that a dog is simply seeking attention in any form, or perhaps

By Amy Sinatra Ayres

While this baby learns to translate Spanish to English, her feline tutor has already got it down pat.

Watch it in the funny video below.

More on Vetstreet.com:
* Blind Dog Gets Help From Guide Cat
* Why Does My Cat... Head Butt Me?
* My Dog Has a Gay Tail - What Does That Mean?
See Also: Baby Tries to Catch Cat's Tail in Cute Video