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The real reason why you should always pet your dog before leaving the house

Research shows the dogs experience a "plateau of melancholy" when you walk out the door.

Photo credit: Canva

Who doesn't wanna pet their dog before they leave?

One of the most wonderful things about having a dog is how attached they become to their owners. I work from home and my Jack Russel terrier, Scout, lies next to me on his bed for most of the day. The only time he leaves my office is for a sip of water or to go outside and sun his belly on the porch.

That's why whenever I leave the house and can't take Scout with me, I wonder, "Does he miss me? Is he sad that he's alone?" I know I'm not alone in feeling this way, and turns out, the science says we have reason to ask ourselves these questions.

Do dogs miss us when we're gone?

A study published in Psychology Today shows that our dogs do, in fact, miss us the moment we leave the house, and that feeling slowly intensifies until we are gone for about four hours, and they have a "plateau of melancholy." That's why the longer you're away, the more excited your dog is when you return home.

dogs, pets, dog anxiety, dog studies, dog psychology, pet psychology We might be in a hurry. But it feels like a lifetime when we're gone. Photo credit: Canva

That certainly explains why the moment I pull up in my car, Scout begins to howl like a wolf trying to contact someone who's miles away. It's like, "Dude, I'm 30 feet away. Give me a second to grab the groceries out of the trunk."

However, another study made by researchers from the Universities of Pisa and Perugia, Italy, has found that if you give your dog some affection before you leave the house, they'll have less anxiety while you're away.

How to calm your dog before leaving the house

They conducted experiments with 10 dogs between the ages of one and 11 without attachment issues. The group was composed of seven mixed-breed dogs, one Labrador retriever, one Hovawart, and one Chihuahua.

Participants in the study walked their leashed dogs into a fenced area where they were greeted by a researcher who took their dog's heart rate. In the first test, after the owners walked their dogs into the area, they talked with a researcher for one minute then left without giving the dog any special attention.

dogs, pets, dog anxiety, dog studies, dog psychology, pet psychology Dogs that were petted showed "behaviors indicative of calmness for a longer period while waiting for the owner's return."Photo credit: Canva

In the second test, the dog owners petted the dog during their interaction with the researcher. In both tests, the owners left the fenced area and hid far enough away so that the dog couldn't smell them.

After the owners left, the dogs looked for them for about three minutes on average. After the owners returned, the researchers measured the dogs' levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as their heart rates.

The researchers found that whether the dogs were petted or not, their cortisol levels were unchanged. But their heart rate showed a marked decrease if the owners petted them before leaving. Researchers later watched videos of the dogs and found that the ones that were petted showed "behaviors indicative of calmness for a longer period while waiting for the owner's return."

dogs, pets, dog anxiety, dog studies, dog psychology, pet psychology A simple gesture that speaks volumes to your doggo. Photo credit: Canva

Next time I'm ready to leave the house and Scout follows me to the front door after saying, "Sorry bud, you can't go with me on this trip," I'll kneel down and give him a little extra love and attention. Maybe that way he won't howl like the house is on fire when I pull up in my car after a trip to the grocery store.

This article originally appeared four years ago.

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Cat that wandered onto the stage during orchestral performance becomes surprise star of the show

“He KNEW this was about him."

via abcnews/TikTok

A cat wanders on stage in Istanbul.

Oh, what it must be like to be a cat. To never suffer from imposter syndrome, to take on foes at least twice your size without hesitation, to navigate the world like you’re on every VIP list in existence. What a glorious life indeed. Take this concert-crashing kitty, for example. During a live orchestra performance at the 52nd annual Istanbul Music Festival, a curious feline wandered up on stage without a care in the world—and of course, it was all anybody could talk about.

In a clip shared to multiple social media platforms by several news outlets, including @abcnews on TikTok, we see the gray and white cat traipsing onto the stage, as if drawn in by the whimsical tune being played.

Then, it literally catwalks across the stage, unbothered from beginning to end.

Watch:

@abcnews

A curious cat wandered onto stage during a live orchestra performance at the 52nd Istanbul Music Festival. #turkey🇹🇷 #orchestra #catsoftiktok

Of course, as many viewers pointed out, this is an all-too-common sight in Istanbul, which, like many Muslim countries, holds a special place in its heart for felines. According to Catster, cats don’t have owners. Instead, they are taken care of by the entire community all around the city—from tea houses to ferries to public transport and beyond. Istanbul even funds veterinary care for its stray cats, including spaying and neutering, emergency care, and a mobile Vetbus. It’s pretty much Kitty Heaven over there.

In Islam, cats have special privileges over other pets. "Cats have a very special place in the Muslim household and in the Muslim culture in general," Imran Malik told The Columbus Dispatch. A big reason for this is that they are considered pure, clean, and hygienic. The Prophet Muhammad was also known for his fondness for cats.


cats, felines, furry cat, pets, grey and white cat, house cat A perfectly posed cat. via Canva/Photos

Besides commending Istanbul for its feline-friendly atmosphere, people also shared their delight for the cat who “stole the show.”

“He KNEW this was about him. HIS moment! Lol,” one person wrote.

Another added, “that’s his background music, and he’s off on a big adventure.”

Another tapped into the cat’s POV, writing, “How lovely, the humans are playing me a song.”

Some even offered their best cats puns.

“I think it was trying to find the ‘purr-cussion’ section,” one person quipped.

Another said, “That is an ARISTOCAT.”

Istanbul might go above and beyond for its cats, but the respect we have for feline audacity is strong just about everywhere in the world.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Woman praises Target for taking responsibility after a pet toy killed her cat

"They don’t know if no one speaks up.”

via Shein and Mike Mozart/Flickr

A cat toy and Target location.

A recent tragedy shared by Mazie Kayee on TikTok shows that good can come out of a terrible situation when people take responsibility and practice forgiveness. It all began when Kayee gave her cat, Blue, a new toy for Easter—a Fish Trio Wand cat toy that cost her under $5. The toy features a stick, resembling a fishing rod, that has fake fish dangling from it for the cat to paw at.

On the morning of Thursday, June 26, 2025, the can began throwing up and continued to vomit into the evening. The vomit was brown and had a wretched odor. After taking the cat to the vet, Kayee learned that the tassels attached to the fish had become stuck in the cat’s digestive tract. “Here was a bunch [of tassles] in his stomach and then some little strings had made their way down further, and actually somehow wrapped his intestines from the inside,” she said in a video posted to TikTok. The entanglement led to Blue developing sepsis.

Blue’s tragic final days

The vet planned to perform surgery on Blue to remove the blockage, but unfortunately, the cat died before they were able to start. “I feel like I failed as a fur parent,” she said. “This is something I didn’t read reviews on because it was a $4 toy.”

@mazie.kayee

Replying to @andie🦇 TikTok removed the last one already so part 2. #catsoftiktok #cats #cattoys #target #bootsandbarkley #sedgwick #insurance #catloss

Target takes responsibility

After the tragic death of Blue, Kayee contacted Target’s corporate office to notify them that her cat died because of their pet toy. The administrator directed her to contact Target’s insurance company as well. The great news—in the heart of a terrible situation—was that Target was entirely open to taking responsibility by fixing the problem so more cats aren't hurt by the toy.

“Target said they’re going to redesign the toy. They're going to completely redesign it,” she shared in a follow-up video. “After hearing my story and then reading the reviews, they just said ‘no more.’ Like, it's being resent to the design team. And I'm going to hear from their insurance company about some other things."

@mazie.kayee

UPDATE!! #catsoftiktok #cat #cats #target #cattoys #bootsandbarkley #catloss #fyp #trending

Further, Target’s insurance company said that it will compensate Kayee for her loss. “The insurance company has sent a letter to the manufacturer stating that they are legally obligated to give us compensation,” she told The Daily Dot. “The lady I talked to through Target said she greatly appreciated me reaching out because they don’t know if no one speaks up.”

The story of Kayee and Target is an excellent example of the good that can happen in the wake of tragedy. Target could have ignored the issue or simply refused to talk to Kayee about her cat’s death, but instead, they took her complaint seriously. Not only will they remove the dangerous item from their shelves, but they will also compensate Kayee for her loss. Kayee also demonstrated a wonderful sense of humility by practicing forgiveness and praising Target and its insurance company for their responsible actions. Kayee should also be commended for reporting her loss to Target, so no more cats are hurt by the toy.

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Pet behaviorist explains the viral phenomenon of people buying their cats concrete slabs

A pet behaviorist explains why this trend is actually purrfect enrichment.

@annieknowsanimals/TikTok

Cat owners everywhere are shocked to see how much their feline love a simple $2 concrete slab.

If you’ve traipsed through @CatTok over the past few days, you’ve undoubtedly come across various videos of cat parents bringing their feline friends a fairly unusual yet surprisingly effective enrichment tool. We are talking of course about a concrete slab. Yes, you read that right. Not a fancy new scratching post. Not some laser contraption. A cement square. That’s it.

Seriously, folks are going in droves to Home Depot to purchase these unassuming blocks. And every time they present their kitties this new treat, the reactions look something like this:

@shecatcalls

PART 2 | Cat enrichment ideas. The way she sits more on this $7 brick than any of the actual cat beds and huts I buy her 😂 Can anyone else relate? 🤦‍♀️ Video idea inspired by Kurt the Cat @Abram Engle @The Home Depot #creatorsearchinsights #cats #cattok #sillycat #funny #meow


@renusdelph

I bought concrete slabs for my cats #cat #catsoftiktok #orangecat #orangecatbehavior #catlovers #viralcats #funnycat


@mrmilothechonk

I should have bought 3 😂 #foryou #foryoupage #cats #catsoftiktok #viral

The trend seems like it could have been ignited by this orange tabby (named Kurt) below, who loved rolling around on the sidewalk, thus inspiring his owner Abram Engle to see if he'd enjoy a concrete slab just as much. Spoiler alert: he did.

@abrameng

Kurt was conking the crete

There have been as many theories as to why kitties go gaga for concrete as there are toy mice under the couch (meaning, a lot). But below, pet behaviorist Dr. Annie gives a few of her hunches as to what's driving this phenomeownon…though she adds the caveat that there haven’t yet been any official studies on it. So it's all based on her educated guesses.

@annieknowsanimals

why do cats like concrete? 🤔 here are my thoughts on the latest cat enrichment #trend! vc: @aero.mace #catbehavior #catsoftiktok #cat #cats

“First, I think cats are enjoying the concrete slab being brought into their homes because they are new and kind of out of place. There’s probably nothing quite like them already in the home environment,” Dr. Annie says.

This might initially sound counterintuitive, since it’s generally accepted that cats thrive on routine. While this may be true, as Dr. Annie has discussed in previous videos, their "predatory and territorial nature” makes them "sensitive to novelty.” When a toy seems static, it no longer mimics actual live prey, and therefore does not stimulate kitty as it would in nature. Same goes for cat beds and scratching posts, as they’re used to exploring and monitoring their environment. When something “new” appears in their territory, they are very motivated to interact with it.

@annieknowsanimals

Replying to @joshtmeadows let’s explain why cats are so sensitive to “new” stuff! @Abram Engle

Second, Dr. Annie surmises that the concrete’s porous surface makes it really great for holding onto the cat's scent, which is a key factor in marking a kitty's territory. Again, cat’s really like knowing (or in this case, smelling) what’s theirs. In many videos, you can see cat’s actively rubbing their cheek glands on the slab, Dr. Annie notes.

Also, and probably more of a no-brainer, the concrete surface is very, very fun for scratching! And while we all might know that cats enjoy the tactile pleasure of using their claws, having a part of their environment that they have control over is very fulfilling for their mental health.

Lastly, Dr. Annie confirms what many cat parents assumed, which is that temperature plays a huge role in making the concrete slab cat-friendly. Cats like warmth because they have a higher body temperature, and evolved from creatures that live in warmer climates (like topical jungles, African plains, etc.). If they are seeking a way to raise their temperature—especially in air conditioned homes—a concrete slab that’s been soaking up the sun is a great way to do so.

Thank you Dr. Annie for that fascinating deep dive. Those all seem like pretty solid theories. And while we might not ever get actual studies on this, there’s yet another fact that becomes abundantly clear: cat parents will go above and beyond to make their fur babies happy. Even if that means taking on a job in construction for free concrete.

For even more fantastic cat facts, give Dr. Annie a follow on TikTok.

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