For years we managed our lovable but anxious cat’s behavior in ways that, looking back, seem silly. Pepper, an indoor cat, would become upset if she looked through the sliding glass door in our kitchen and saw another cat passing through our backyard. As she began to growl, we would hastily retreat...

It starts out mildly enough: Heading to work on the subway, you realize you forgot your wallet. No big deal, you think. I’ll borrow money to get home. Soon the lights go out and the train hurtles toward the sky, speeding through the atmosphere. Time passes—it’s hard to tell how long. The subway is...

A kitten's life is all about play ... and play is all about prey. Kittens start to play when they are a few weeks old. If you look closely, you'll notice that you now have an itty-bitty hunter in your house. Learning to play nice Kittens learn to control how hard they bite from their mothers and...

Over the decades, humans have come up with a variety of terms for domestic cats. We refer to pet cats, feral cats, wild cats, alley cats, stray cats, barn cats and, more recently, community cats. They’re all the same species ( Felis catus); the terms we use simply describe their lifestyle, ownership...

Imagine a chicken. Picture her downy white feathers and small, intense eyes. Maybe she’s sitting on a nest, softly clucking. Perhaps she’s scratching in the dirt, a quaint red barn in silhouette behind her. Cows graze contentedly nearby; a pig snuffles in the mud. It’s an idyllic vision, familiar...

The Fair Housing Act The Fair Housing Act (FHA) is a federal law that prevents discrimination against tenants in their homes. Under the FHA, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which significantly limits a person’s major life activities. Even if a lease says "no pets" or...

Most animals in our food system live in dismal conditions. Mother pigs are locked in gestation crates so small they can’t turn around. Egg-laying hens are crammed into cages so tightly they can’t even spread their wings. And chickens in the poultry industry are bred to grow so large so fast that...

Our food system has a significant impact on the environment in various ways. One of the key factors is the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) produced by the global food system, which accounts for 20% to 37% of all GHGs. Animal products, such as meat and dairy, have a much larger environmental...

FORT MYERS, Fla.—The Humane Society of the United States is on the ground helping animals and communities impacted by the deadly Hurricane Ian. Responders from the HSUS deployed to Charlotte County, Florida, to assist with rescue calls and community outreach in the days following the storm...

WASHINGTON—As inflation pushes prices higher, many families across the country are struggling to afford veterinary care, food and supplies for their beloved pets. Nowhere is this more acute than for families who were already experiencing systemic poverty. According to the latest consumer price index...

The Humane Society of the United States has released its Protein Sustainability Scorecard, taking a close look at the food service industry in the U.S. and progress toward offering climate-friendly, plant-based foods. To meet client demand and public sentiment, virtually every major food service...

Around the world, animals used for meat, eggs and dairy often suffer on factory farms where they are treated as units of production rather than living, feeling creatures. The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International present comprehensive reports on animal agribusiness and...

We zigzag from tree to tree, seeking refuge under the leaf umbrellas. Drizzle turns to deluge as we dash beneath a tall canopy to plot our escape. The sky booms. My dad takes my hand, and I look up to see if he shares my sense of foreboding. But he’s smiling at me, his eyes twinkling. He says...

Every day, Tiny Tina gives adopter Denise Folcik a gentle nose-to-nose kiss. The little black kitten started the ritual during the long weeks she was quarantined while recovering from ringworm, when Folcik would don her special quarantine-room clothing and come in to play. Tina still does it now...

The annual To the Rescue! gala supporting the work of the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, which took place on Nov. 3, 2023, at Cipriani 42nd Street, raised $2.2 million to benefit the organizations’ work to protect animals. Actress, author, producer and rabbit...

LPM Holding Company Inc and Affiliates, a family-owned business serving predominantly business and industry food service operations, has launched a re-designed, innovative plant-based concept companywide in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States, committing that 40% of its menu...

When making travel decisions, choose what is safest and most comfortable for your pet. For instance, unless you'll be able to spend a lot of time with your dog, they'll probably be happier at home than tagging along on your trip. As a rule, cats are almost always better off in their own home. But if...

Cats lack the facial expressiveness of dogs, they’re generally quieter and their behaviors can be harder to interpret—but this doesn’t mean that the feline mystique is impenetrable. You can better understand your furry friend by paying attention to their vocalizations, body postures and daily...

Thanks to widespread pet vaccinations, effective post-exposure treatment and the relative rarity of undetected bites by rabid animals, the number of human deaths from rabies in the United States caused has declined to an average of only one or two per year—far less than the number of human...

ANN ARBOR, Michigan—The University of Michigan has committed to having 55% plant-based offerings on menus by 2025, in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States. As part of this effort, HSUS chefs provided a plant-based culinary training to the university culinary staff, assisted...