The American Veterinary Medical Association has found that Americans own fewer cats and dogs than they did in 2006 – 2 million fewer dogs, and 7.6 million fewer cats, to be exact. It's not a huge decline in pet-owning households percentage-wise – 2.4 percent – but it's the first such decrease since 1991.

Karen Felsted of Felsted Veterinary Consultants in Richardson, TX presented the numbers at the AVMA's annual meeting in San Diego, and said the dip in pet ownership is "clearly" thanks to the bad economy, and called the dwindling "significant." Ownership of pets of all species had shown steady growth since 1986, when the AVMA began conducting the survey (it's performed every five years and surveys fifty thousand households). Between 2006 and 2011, though, the trend reversed itself. The AVMA's CEO, Ron DeHaven, theorized that people are less likely in the last few years to replace older pets who have died – because they may not be able to afford a new one.

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By Dr. Marty Becker | vetstreet.com

Q. When my granddaughter comes over, my cats go into hiding. Is there any way to teach them to accept being petted by her?

A. They might learn to accept her if you're patient. To give it the best chance, you need to teach your granddaughter how to approach, pet and pick up cats in a way that makes them feel unthreatened. If you accomplish that - easier with an older child than a toddler! - you're halfway there. The other part of the equation is your cats, who are ideally friendly, tolerant and interested in food.

See Also: Why Does My Cat... Stare at Me?

Train Your Cats to Tolerate People

Set up a routine with your cats when your granddaughter is not around, getting them used to sitting calmly in your lap for treats and gentle petting. Remember that cats are most likely to tolerate petting along the chin line, and are most likely to become agitated when touched on their bellies. Stick to the petting that makes your cats the calmest

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By WebVet.com

Dogs can join the police force and monkeys are our fellow primates, but new research found that parrots might be the smartest animal of them all. A new study found that African Grey Parrots performed as well as three-year-old children on a mental test.

The test involved hiding pieces of walnut inside one of two containers. "One or both was then shaken and the birds, which are used to the idea of the containers holding treats, used their beak to upend the one with the hidden walnut 70 to 80 percent of the time," according to the Daily Mail.

The high success rate means that the birds were able to link the rattling sound to food -- and even more impressively, understand that when an empty container was shaken, it meant food was in the alternate box.

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"Such behaviour has so far been shown only in great apes but not in any other non-human animal," concluded researcher Dr. Christian Schloegl.

African Grey Parrot:

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Max went missing on my birthday. One minute he was begging for breakfast and the next minute he was gone, out a door accidently left ajar.

What does your heart do to heal when the friend you lost was packaged in fur and sported a tail? If you are a pet owner, you know in your head that your pet's life will probably be shorter than yours, yet the magnitude of their loss can be overwhelming. If your heart is filled with sadness from such a loss, here are five ways to find comfort and give you back some peace of mind.

1. The magnitude of your loss becomes real. In my case, Max was a wild, orange rebel given to biting and leaping onto my indoor hanging baskets to flatten the flowers and swing for the hell of it. The only way I could brush him was to feed him the tail of his catnip mouse as a distraction and brush fast.

There is no good reason why I loved him so much. I just did. When he went missing, I was inconsolable. My heart knew this loss was a big one. You will know too, if wel

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By Jennifer Paull, vetstreet.com

As cardiovascular disease becomes increasingly common, the American Heart Association and other health organizations are ramping up their efforts to educate and motivate the public about the importance of heart-healthy foods, exercise and other ways to combat heart disease.

But what about our animal companions? Can parallels be drawn between human heart disease and feline and canine heart disease?

See Also: 7 Foods to NEVER Feed Your Cat

Veterinarians at Tufts University recently looked at this very issue while developing the new Cats' Assessment Tool for Cardiac Health (CATCH) survey for veterinarians to use when seeing feline patients. The questionnaire prompts owners of cats with heart disease to assess a pet's quality of life - and it was inspired by a similar quiz used with human heart-disease patients.

Vetstreet sat down with Dr. John D. Bonagura, DVM, DACVIM, a professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Ohio State Univer

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Moving is a hassle, no matter how excited you are about your new home (or sick of that leaky shower head in the old one). Wrapping each plate and glass in paper, packing all your shoes by mistake, getting all the utilities changed over, reassuring your kids (and yourself) about the new school…it's really stressful. Adding the pets to that seemingly endless to-do list doesn't help.

And it's a tough time for them, too. Animals often pick up on anxious vibes in their homes, and may respond by acting out, hiding (in a box you're about to seal with tape, sometimes), or running away. On the other hand, Fluffy may not be bothered at all – but God forbid she gets underfoot while the piano's getting loaded onto the truck.

You have a lot of planning to do already, but a little pet-related preparation before moving day will save you a lot of stress during it. Our tips:

Keep pets out of packing areas. If you can, pack one room at a time, which minimizes literal and emotional upheaval, and close pet

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By WebVet.com

Everyone is inspired to lose weight in different ways. For some an unflattering picture will spark a diet and exercise routine, others are motivated by an upcoming event -- and for Lindsey Evans, it was her dog Millie.

Millie had nearly starved to death when Lindsey rescued her, but the Rhodesian Ridgeback quickly put on weight thanks to her new mom's TLC -- and the junk food Lindsey shared with her. Soon Lindsey had ballooned to 350 pounds, while Millie tipped the scales at 126 -- nearly twice the weight considered "healthy" for her size.

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Vets were shocked at Millie's girth when Lindsey brought her in for a leg operation and quickly put her on a crash diet. As Lindsey watched her pup shrink to healthy 70 pounds, the 39-year-old knew it was time to follow.

"I thought if my dog Millie can do it so can I," Lindsey told the Daily Mail. Earlier this year, she started a diet program and cut junk food from her life.

"I am

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When your cat leaves you the occasional "gift" on the back steps, you probably don't think much of it. He's a cat, after all – a hunter. Catching mice, birds, even the occasional garter snake is just what he does (even if you sometimes wish he'd hide the evidence).

But Tigger may kill more than four times as much as what he brings home. Kittycams attached to house cats by researchers at the University of Georgia revealed what USA Today called "a secret world of slaughter," and while only 30% of roaming domesticated felines kill small prey – averaging about two animals a week – the feline population is responsible for a significant decline in U.S. bird species. "One in three" of those species is on the decrease, American Bird Conservancy president George Fenwick told USA Today, and "cat predation" is one reason why.

Why didn't we know the extent of said "cat predation" before? U of G researcher Kerrie Anne Loyd explained that "previous estimates were probably too conservative," because t

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Don't expect this to be covered by your insurance, but getting a pet might be just the thing for teaching autistic children to share and comfort. A new study found that autistic children with pets have better "prosocial behaviors" like sharing, and comforting, than autistic children without pets. The study, conducted in France and published this week in the journal PLoS ONE, was small, and researchers said that larger studies would be needed to confirm the findings. Interestingly, the study only found the difference when the child's family adopted a pet when the child was age five or older. Children who had had pets from birth did not show the same results.

Does this mean all parents of autistic children should run out and get pets. Absolutely not.

"We certainly don't want families who are already stressed to get the idea that they need to add a pet to their family if that pet is not really wanted," said Alycia Halladay, PhD to WebMD. Dr. Halladay is director of envi

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By GalTime's Consumer Watchdog Mary Schwager

Here's to lower pet meds!

Here's the scene: You're sitting in your vet's office and he says your dog needs a prescription. You realize you're in a dilemma: You know you can get your pet's medicine cheaper online or in a drug store. But you feel sheepish asking your kind veterinarian, who loves your pet, for a paper prescription. This is the vet who has taken care of your family's pets for years. He's even driven through a snowstorm to see your beloved furry one through an emergency. You want your vet to stay in business, but you have to watch your bottom line. It can be an uncomfortable moment. So what do you do?

The Federal Trade Commission is actually looking into making this situation. The FTC wants to hear from pet owners, veterinarians, and people in the pet medication industry. The Feds are taking public comments about "pet prescription portability."

Related: How to Find the Right Vet for Your Pet Online

Pet Prescription Portability:

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