Explore Long Island

Take a hike. It's a great way to give your dog some exercise and mental stimulation. ("Look ... a squirrel!") Though Long Island can be profoundly dog-unfriendly when it comes to public

Mmmmm, turkey. Once today's tryptophan haze subsides, many families - the obsessive-compulsive ones, at least - begin their holiday decorating and shopping in earnest.

Mmmmm, turkey. Once today's tryptophan haze subsides, many families - the obsessive-compulsive ones, at least - begin their holiday decorating and shopping in earnest.

It made for a lot of cute jokes about being "biting mad" over everything from his master's imminent departure to liberal media bias. But there's nothing funny about the bite that Barney, President George W. Bush's Scottish terrier, gave a Reuters reporter recently.

Should you? Shouldn't you? Vaccinating your companion animal is an intensely personal decision that should be made in concert with your veterinarian. But it sure helps to have a little guidance along the way.

There are some topics you just can't write enough about, and vaccines are one of them. At some point, owners become aware of what is in those shots their veterinarian administers - and want to know if they are all necessary.

Earlier this month, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement discouraging "nontraditional pets" in households with young children.

Doctors and lawyers have nothing over pets columnists at cocktail parties: Nothing is off limits to the free-advice seekers, from impacted anal glands to unrepentant humpers.

Doctors and lawyers have nothing over pets columnists at cocktail parties: Nothing is off limits to the free-advice seekers, from impacted anal glands to unrepentant humpers.

A recent reader letter on inexpensive options for feral-cat shelters generated lots of e-mail. Apparently, there's more than one way to house a cat. And with winter fast approaching, those who feed and fret over cat colonies are looking for as many gimme-shelter options as possible.

Long Island has a thriving parrot community - and the owners are no slouches, either. Psittacine lovers convene Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Parrot Expo 2008 at the Freeport Recreation Center (130 E. Merrick Rd., Freeport; call 631-957-1100 for info).

I have two indoor cats that I adore. But my major concern right now is for the two feral cats that I have begun caring for since early March. Do you know of anyone who makes outdoor cat shelters? I have searched on the Web, and have found companies that make them. However, I don't know what exactly to look for in a cat shelter. Some shelters are quite expensive, more than $200, and some are more reasonable, less than $100. I am not particularly handy. Making a shelter may not be my forte. Any advice?

Five-week warning: Halloween is just a little more than a month away, and he who hesitates winds up with a Dachshund-as-hot-dog costume.

Five-week warning: Halloween is just a little more than a month away, and he who hesitates winds up with a Dachshund-as-hot-dog costume.

It's just a cat.

If ever there is an evergreen topic in pet-dom, it is house-

Lots of things peaked in the '80s, from leg warmers to big hair. Vietnamese potbellied pigs also were "hot" 20 years ago, and, like Michael Jackson, they have faded, but persist beyond their heyday.