Two pet dogs riding in a stroller, at Central Park in Manhattan, June 12, 2024. As concern grows over a global fertility crisis, people who chose to have dogs or cats but not children have become a popular scapegoat. But new research shows that, at least in Taiwan, rather than replacing children, pets are actually more likely to be a steppingstone to having them. (Graham Dickie/The New York Times) By AMANDA TAUB Are pets crowding out babies? As concern grows over the global

The Ichigaya Kamegaoka shrine in Tokyo on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. A traditional Japanese festival is being adapted for poodles and Pomeranians, amid a booming pet industry and a dearth of children. (Kentaro Takahashi/The New York Times) By LISA FRIEDMAN and MAXINE JOSELOW The worshippers, dressed in kimonos and bespoke belts, took their places inside a sacred Shinto shrine. One by one, they received blessings from a priest and listened obediently to ancient chants. Then they

Dogs in an off-leash area of Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, Feb. 1, 2023. New studies of canine genetics shed light on the diversity of dogs and our longstanding, still-evolving relationship to them. (Calla Kessler/The New York Times) By LISA FRIEDMAN and MAXINE JOSELOW In the beginning, there was only Tasha. Twenty years ago, the purebred boxer became the first domestic dog to have her genome sequenced, ushering in a new era in canine genetics. “Once that happened, everything

Cats compete in a “cat-licking” competition during the four-day Thailand International Pet Variety Exhibition in Bangkok, Oct. 10, 2025. “We don’t encourage forcing them to compete,” the emcee said, in an exhibition hall in Bangkok’s northern suburbs. “Let them be as normal as they can. We’re having fun here.” (Lauren DeCicca/The New York Times) By SUI-LEE WEE The champion competitive eater stood on a table in front of dozens of people and methodically attacked the salmon. “W

An undated image courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol of the bull terrier found tethered and abandoned along Interstate 75 near Tampa...

Pet food, geographer Gregory Okin estimated, accounts for about a quarter of agriculture-related fossil fuel emissions in the United...

A bag of insect-based treats for cats. Insect-based foods may be a good choice for pets with sensitivities or allergies to other common...

Workers pack dental treats for dogs at Siam Inter Pacific in Bangkok on June 11, 2025. After rapid growth, Thailand is the biggest...