As a cat parent, there's no denying that you love your feline friend—but there’s one behavior that can be a little, well, annoying: scratching. Whether it's your favorite couch, the leg of your dining table, or your brand-new rug, your cat's claws seem to have a mind of their own when it comes to where they want to scratch. But before you pull your hair out (or worse, toss out your furniture), let’s talk about how you can redirect this natural behavior to a more suitable target—the scratching post.

The US is in the midst of a powerful winter storm, with much of the state buried under well over a foot of snow, heavy winds, and bitterly cold temperatures that could linger for days. Officials have declared a state of emergency, imposed travel bans, and urged residents to shelter in place as snowfall rates and single-digit temperatures create harsh conditions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cautioning pet owners that eight samples of Raaw Energy dog food have tested positive for one or more types of pathogenic (harmful) bacteria, specifically: Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), Salmonella, and Campylobacter jejuni. One sample also contained Escherichia coli(E. coli) O157 bacteria, which may be harmful. See the “Product Information” section of this advisory for details on affected date codes and flavors of Raaw Energy dog food.

If you have never heard of New World screwworm, you are not alone. But veterinarians and animal health experts have been keeping a close eye on it, and now pet parents have one more reason to feel prepared rather than panicked.

January is Walk Your Dog Month, but for much of the country, it is also the season of frozen sidewalks, brutal wind chills, and sunsets that arrive before most people leave work. For pet parents, that combination can turn a once dependable daily walk into a logistical and safety challenge. For veterinary professionals, it raises an important question: how do we help clients maintain canine physical and mental health when winter weather makes outdoor activity risky?