BEING A PET OWNER IS NEVER EASY. While pets bring us joy and companionship on a daily basis, they also require training, veterinary care, time, love, attention, and even tolerance. Tolerance is especially necessary when a pet owner is allergic to his or her companion animal.

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’RE EXPECTING A BABY! If your family already includes a pet, you’ll need to help that first "baby" adjust to the new one you’ll soon bring home. You can help your pet cope with this big change in much the same way parents help children understand that a new brother or sister will be joining the family. By following the tips below, you can ease your pet’s stress, help her welcome your new baby, and ensure that your pet stays where she belongs—with you and your growing family.

EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE TIME ALONE NOW AND THEN— unless of course you are a dog who suffers from separation anxiety. Dogs with separation anxiety exhibit behavior problems when they’re left alone. Typically, they’ll have a dramatic anxiety response within a short time (20–45 minutes) after their owners leave them.

MUCH LIKE THE MINERS DURING THE GOLD RUSH, dogs and cats are territorial animals. They "stake a claim" to a particular space, area, or object. They let other people and animals know about their claim by marking it using a variety of methods at different levels of intensity. For example, a dog may bark to drive away what he perceives to be intruders in his territory. A cat may mark a valued object by rubbing her head against it.

YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES: The minute you turn your back, your pet decides that your new carpet is the perfect place to relieve himself. You clean and clean, but you can’t get rid of that smell. What can you do?

FOR MANY KIDS, THE FAMILY PET IS their best friend—a companion who not only provides unconditional love, but also teaches them about friendship, responsibility, loyalty, and empathy. While most family pets are cats and dogs, other animals may also be appropriate for children. Rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, small birds, and fish can make great family pets, for instance, as long as they receive the specialized care they need.

MOST PET OWNERS APPRECIATE an enthusiastic welcome from their dogs at the end of the day. But their pleasure can be substantially lessened when their dogs’ wiggles of delight are coupled with a puddle of urine requiring cleanup. Your dog may have passed his housetraining with flying colors yet still not be able to control his bladder in certain situations. Submissive and excitement urination are not housetraining problems; they are involuntary reflexes that require patience and specific training methods to correct.

IF YOUR PET HAS AN APPETITE FOR such oddities as socks, rocks, or even feces, chances are you’ve wondered—and worried—about her unusual eating habits. In this case, your worry may be justified: Not only can your possessions be destroyed or damaged, but objects such as clothing and rocks can produce life-threatening blockages in your pet’s intestines.

WHEN YOU LOSE MUCH OF YOUR STRENGTH OR MOBILITY, simple tasks like walking a dog or cleaning a cat’s litter box can seem overwhelming. And if your immune system is weakened by HIV/AIDS, cancer, kidney or liver disease, old age, or pregnancy, you must take extra precautions to avoid disease-causing agents that any human or animal— including pets—can transmit.

DON’T FALL PREY TO MYTH AND MISINFORMATION!  Being pregnant doesn’t mean you have to give up caring for your cat. Learn the real scoop on pregnancy, cat litter boxes, and toxoplasmosis— and the simple steps you can take to reduce the risk.