Pets - The Atlantic

Pets

February 26, 2026

Science

Should You Sunscreen Your Cat?

Katherine J. Wu

July 21, 2025

A cartoon elephant dumps sunscreen on its head.

Time-Travel Thursdays

New Yorkers Won’t Stop Complaining About Dogs

Kate Cray

December 26, 2024

A beagle sits on a bench surrounded by different dog breeds

Technology

Has Your Cat Closed Its Rings Today?

Kristen V. Brown

December 16, 2024

Family

Why Are Dogs So Obsessed With Lamb Chop?

Kate Lindsay

November 18, 2024

Various dogs worshipping the Lamb Chop Toy

Ideas

The Animal-Cruelty Election

Helen Lewis

November 2, 2024

Illustration of a cat's head peeking out of shadows amid a tangle of barbed wire

Science

A Moon-Size Hole in Cat Research

Marina Koren

October 21, 2024

A wide-eyed calico cat in lavender lighting, with its shadow visible on the white wall behind it

Technology

What Does That Bark Mean?

Caroline Mimbs Nyce

October 17, 2024

A GIF of a dog with binary coding numbers coming out of its mouth

Science

Dogs Are Entering a New Wave of Domestication

Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods

October 14, 2024

Painting of a pre-Industrial Revolution nobleman reclining next to a yellow labrador retriever

Technology

Smartphones Are So Over

Caroline Mimbs Nyce

September 17, 2024

Collage of people wearing the new Snap Spectacles

Politics

What Was He Even Talking About?

David A. Graham

September 11, 2024

Health

The Science of Pet Ownership Needs a Reality Check

Michael Schulson

June 29, 2024

A black dog wearing a white harness with a red cross

Family

Dog Food Is So Fancy Now That I Ate Some

Ellen Cushing

June 21, 2024

The Atlantic Daily

The Cat Who Saved Me

Tom Nichols

May 10, 2024

Science

Medieval Pets Had One of Humanity’s Most Cursed Diseases

Katherine J. Wu

May 3, 2024

a modern sketch of a woman reclining in a woodland, surrounded by squirrels

Ideas

Why Your Vet Bill Is So High

Helaine Olen

April 25, 2024

Illustration of a dog wearing a cone that looks like a dollar bill

Ideas

Why a Dog’s Death Hits So Hard

Tommy Tomlinson

April 23, 2024

Photo of a dog surrounded by ethereal light

Family

What Can Having Pets Teach You About Parenting?

Kate Cray

April 16, 2024

A collage of images including a dog's face, someone brushing a dog's fur, and someone tying a ribbon on a pet

The Atlantic Daily

Go Ahead, Get a Pet Rat

Elaine Godfrey

February 23, 2024

Health

Pets Really Can Be Like Human Family

Katherine J. Wu

January 16, 2024

a brown, pointy-eared dog, wrapped in a blanket, gazes up at the camera

Family

Are Pet Cloners Happy With Their Choice?

Chiara Dello Joio

October 26, 2023

multiple images of a caramel-colored puppy, layered over each other

Ideas

Too Many People Own Dogs

Rose Horowitch

October 22, 2023

An illustration of various dog silhouettes

Poem

Rainbow Queen Encyclopedia

Sam Sax

September 13, 2023

The Wonder Reader

An Atlantic Reading List on Pets

Isabel Fattal

August 12, 2023

Ideas

My Family’s Best Friend

Peter Wehner

June 19, 2023

Science

You Don’t Have to Cremate Your Cat

Eleanor Cummins

June 13, 2023

A grid of blue images showing fur, water, dog tags, and letters engraved as if on a tomb stone

Up for Debate

A Chatbot’s Predictions for the Future of AI

Conor Friedersdorf

December 21, 2022

Health

The Pet-Name Trend Humans Can’t Resist

Katherine J. Wu

October 24, 2022

Two side-by-side photos of a blond cockapoo and a black cat grooming its paw

Family

What Babies Hear When You Sing to Them

Kathryn Hymes

September 2, 2022

A silhouette of a parent holding up a baby with music notes on the inside and a blue background

Science

Cat Owners Can (Almost) All Agree on One Thing

Katherine J. Wu

August 23, 2022

an orange cat atop a green toothbrush on a pink background

Ideas

All Creatures Great and Small

George Packer

April 3, 2022

Family

Which Pet Will Make You Happiest?

Arthur C. Brooks

August 5, 2021

Material World

Why So Many Millennials Are Obsessed With Dogs

Amanda Mull

September 2021 Issue

photo of yellow frisbee with 2 heart-shaped ground-beef patties as eyes and arc of dog collar as smile

Science

Pay No Attention to That Cat Inside a Box

Katherine J. Wu

May 12, 2021

Ask Dr. Hamblin

Paging Dr. Hamblin: A Kid Tried to Pet My Dog and I Said No

James Hamblin

August 26, 2020

Health

Don’t Get Your Pet Groomed, Groomers Say

Olga Khazan

April 14, 2020

An illustration of a woman washing a dog and wearing a mask

Sections

The Print Edition

A Presidential Problem of Canine Proportions

Should You Sunscreen Your Cat?

New Yorkers Won’t Stop Complaining About Dogs

Has Your Cat Closed Its Rings Today?

Why Are Dogs So Obsessed With Lamb Chop?

The Animal-Cruelty Election

A Moon-Size Hole in Cat Research

What Does That Bark Mean?

Dogs Are Entering a New Wave of Domestication

Smartphones Are So Over

What Was He Even Talking About?

The Science of Pet Ownership Needs a Reality Check

Dog Food Is So Fancy Now That I Ate Some

The Cat Who Saved Me

Medieval Pets Had One of Humanity’s Most Cursed Diseases

Why Your Vet Bill Is So High

Why a Dog’s Death Hits So Hard

What Can Having Pets Teach You About Parenting?

Go Ahead, Get a Pet Rat

Pets Really Can Be Like Human Family

Are Pet Cloners Happy With Their Choice?

Too Many People Own Dogs

Rainbow Queen Encyclopedia

An Atlantic Reading List on Pets

My Family’s Best Friend

You Don’t Have to Cremate Your Cat

A Chatbot’s Predictions for the Future of AI

The Pet-Name Trend Humans Can’t Resist

What Babies Hear When You Sing to Them

Cat Owners Can (Almost) All Agree on One Thing

All Creatures Great and Small

Which Pet Will Make You Happiest?

Why So Many Millennials Are Obsessed With Dogs

Pay No Attention to That Cat Inside a Box

Paging Dr. Hamblin: A Kid Tried to Pet My Dog and I Said No

Don’t Get Your Pet Groomed, Groomers Say