Pet Q+A

Here, Luna!

What are the most popular pet names from the past year? Drawing from its database of more than 1.5 million pets, Embrace Pet Insurance shares its findings. In both canines and felines, the preference for human names continues, cementing our pets' standing as full-fledged family members. The top 10 dog names of 2022 are Luna, Bella, Charlie, Lucy, Daisy, Cooper, Max, Bailey, Milo and Coco. The top 10 cat names of 2022 are Luna, Oliver, Milo, Bella, Charlie, Leo, Loki, Lucy, Nala and Lily.

Hand-feed at first

Hand-feeding your new puppy, at least for the first week, can have benefits, including teaching it to pay attention to you and being gentle when taking things from your hand. Measure the amount you would normally give, and hand out pieces of kibble when your pup is sitting still or looking at you. Do this in different areas of the house, encouraging it to follow you. Start asking your puppy to do things first, like sit, spin or lie down, then hand out a kibble reward. When you feed like this, your puppy learns trust and self-control, not to wolf down its food, and to focus on you. Those are all important for future training.

Habitat for hamsters

Keeping your hamster's habitat clean is important for good physical health, but invading his space too frequently isn't good for his emotional health. The following schedule can help you provide your hamster with a clean home and a space in which he feels safe and secure. Daily: Clean the area where he eliminates and give fresh water and food. Weekly: Remove everything from the habitat, wash habitat parts and food and water dishes with unscented soap and warm water, and replace old bedding with new. As needed: Change bedding if it is soiled or wet.