All the children were monitored as they played and interacted with their classroom pets i.e., two guinea pigs and with toys like Beyblade tops, art supplies and dolls. The study found that children with ASD looked at their peers and talked to them a lot more when they played with the pet than when they played with the toys. They were also less likely to whine or cry when approached by fellow students. In comparison to situation when kids with ASD played with toys, they smiled more and engaged in social behaviors 55 percent more when they were with the animals.

Children with ASD often suffer from heightened stress and anxiety and struggle to interact socially. The study shows a big improvement for such children that find social interaction and behavior a challenging task. In the U.S. alone, one in 88 children is affected with ASD and the fact that pets can get them talking, more accepting of people approaching them and get them to smile more is a huge finding. It is also vital to note that the guinea pigs used in the study were regular classroom pets and not trained therapy animals. Since trained animals are used in animal therapy by psychologists, psychiatrists or trained practitioners, they have clear goals and their behavior is “led”. The finding of the new study could be a real boon for parents who cannot afford costly therapies for their kids.

Studies have already shown the beneficial effects of living with a dog, petting one or even watching one down the street. According to University of Zurich’s Dennis Turner, even cats are quite beneficial to clinically depressed folks as they tend to stay longer with depressed individuals, rub against people more, vocalize more and accept the amount of contact that their owner is ready to give.

For people who have a hard time finding the heart to get out of the house, pets like dogs are ideal as they push an individual to take them on walks. Even though this act may be forced, in the long term, it encourages the individual to leave the home which could be therapeutic and an amazing encouragement as well. For older individuals, walking dogs has a lot of health benefits as well and communities where people are out walking their dogs are generally perceived as being safer and friendlier for families with children.

In a study of over 6,000 people around the world, it was revealed that the notion that Muslims aren’t very tolerant of pets is a myth. Even though Muslims generally don’t like pets getting on their prayer mats indoors, their attitude towards them was more or less friendly. Jews and Christians did not believe that animals had feelings and thought as humans did though Buddhists and Hindus were the most tolerant of animals.

The luxury pet boutique is based in Houston though it also has a very popular online store. To make sure that the special holiday activities over St. Patrick’s Day and Easter are as enjoyable for dogs as they are for their owners, the boutique is launching a number of special promotions and products that would make for some fun family photos. For St. Patrick’s Day, Funny Fur will launch dog clothes in numerous styles, a Leprechaun Pet Hat and special Organic Dog Treats named Pint of Gold.

The Easter product collection would include bunny rabbit themed pet products, organic dog treats with Easter and Spring themes and dog dresses in Spring and pastel colors. The company’s website will offer the St. Patrick’s Day special promotion the day before that will be valid for purchases on the holiday itself while the Easter promotions will be announced on Good Friday and will be good for the duration of the four-day sale. Funny Fur will also announce promotion details on Facebook and Twitter social networking pages though folks can also sign up for their newsletter to avail of special offers.

The idea has now inspired the Office of the Dean of Students at Washington State University to use the notion to help students at the institute to relieve stress during midterm. Last week, the university hosted the “Pet Your Stress Away” event at the Compton Union Building where students were allowed to interact with animals and cope better with the stress of studying for the midterms. The Pullman chapter of the Whitman County Humane Society brought in two cats and three dogs and more than 4450 WSU students beelined to the two hour event to spend some time with the animals.

The event allowed the students to take a break from studying for their midterms exams. Rebecca Liao, the Graduate Assistant at the Office of the Dean of Students and project coordinator said that students were quite excited about being able to play with the animals and pet them and were even waiting outside for hours before the event actually kicked off.

Pets have been known to add plenty of relaxation and fun to their owners though apartments and residence halls on campus often forbid college students from having pets in their rooms. The Office of the Dean of Students at WSU is quite excited by the response to the event and has stated that another one of these events will be held during the Dead Week before finals where stress levels around campus are at an all time high as students are preparing for their exams.

The markings make Sam look like he is very concerned about everything. Even though the cat doesn’t seem to have any other talents than having the unique markings, he already has his own Twitter account which is used by his owner to keep his fans updated with his daily activities. Sam also has an Instagram account where has more than 10,000 followers. Of course, the cat doesn’t have a whole range of activities to please his throngs of followers with though his owner ensures that there are enough shots of the cat looking cute to make up for his lack of talent in other avenues.

Sam’s owner now plans on launching a whole website in honor of his beloved pet which will feature his daily activities, a number of quizzes and trivia about the cat, photos and other downloadable and perhaps even a shopping segment where people would be able to buy clothes, sheets, mugs, tableware and even kitty items with the cat’s mug on them. Sam’s owner hasn’t yet revealed whether the cat has been approached with endorsement and advertisement deals yet or not.

1. Monkey-style knit hat

Monkey hat style headwear is great for dogs since these can be easily slipped on and taken off. These hats provide a good head and neck coverage for days when your pooch might need a little extra protection from the weather and look cute to boot as well.

2. Fake ears knit hat

For folks that love fairytales and dogs with oversized ears, a fake ears knit hat could be a great option when it comes to headwear for their pups. These cute knits add a lot of flair to your dog’s costume and allow you to dramatically play their appearance up as well.

3. Festive knit party hat

Everyone loves a good party hat but you will never be able to get your pooch to stay still enough to keep a paper party hat put on his head. This is where a party hat inspired knit headwear could be a great find. Designed with tassel detailing, these hats are perfect for dogs’ party outfits and can be passed down doggie generations as a beloved heirloom piece.

4. Open ear crocheted hat

If you want to give your doggie the freedom to catch all sounds naturally while keeping a cute hat on his head, an open ear crocheted hat would be a good find for you.

5. Cute crocheted cupcake hat

For costume-inspired dog costumes, crocheted hats are a natural fit. This cupcake like hat gives you doggie all the protection from the cold while making him look cute as a, well, cupcake!

1. Dog couch

If you love your dog but don’t want him lounging on your couch, this awesome dog couch could be the perfect present for you as well as your pooch. Upholstered with a removable and washable cover, the water resistant and spun-polyester filled couch will ensure that your pup never misses lying on your expensive sofa again.

2. Retrieval toys

If your dog loves to play fetch, a soft and cushy retrieval toy could be a great gift idea for him. Ideal for training as well as causal playtime, the retrieval toy’s plush design is durable, buoyant and suited to play on dry land as well as water.

3. Natural antler chew toy

Dogs love chewing bones but the ones that ones you get from the butcher are obtained from livestock or poultry which splinter and disintegrated easily. This is where longer lasting chew toys like ones made from naturally shed deer antlers could be a great option. These are collected uninvasively, cleaned and cut to make them suitable for pet dogs.

4. Interactive squeaking Mallard toy

A squeaking mallard toy could be the perfect entertaining gift for your pooch as it comes with a plush body that is easy to pick up yet durable enough to last through years of play and chewing! The internal squeaking mechanism of the toy is activated when the toy is played with which keeps your dog occupied and entertained for hours on end.

5. LED Frisbee

A LED fitted Frisbee could be just the perfect gift for your dog and can help you play with him out in the yard even after dusk. These Frisbees are constructed using a bite durable and mouth friendly material that prevents scrapes and scratches in your dogs’ mouth when he catches it mid air.

You may think that all video games are bad for kids and that they introduce them to way to violence that they should be seeing. However, there are a lot of flash games available online that allow kids to play interactive games that are more suitable to their sensibilities. Pet sitting games are by far the most popular online games among kids and the relatively relaxed gameplay allows kids to enjoy it without feeling stressed to finish goals and targets. Here are four enjoyable pet sitting games that kids of all ages can enjoy.

1. Cat Sitter

Cat sitter, like its name suggests, is a game that requires kids to take care of a pet cat. The naughty cat has a very bad habit of getting into trouble and kids have to ensure that the kitty stays trouble free while keeping her well fed, well groomed and well napped!

2. Sami’s Pet Care

Sami’s Pet Care is a unique pet sitting game that also teaches kids to learn the basics of pet grooming. Kids have to manage a luxury pet salon for cats and dogs where they have to play with their “clients”, bathe them, offer them treats, care for them and keep them happy.

3. Sue’s Dog-Sitter

If your child is a dedicated dog lover, you can introduce her to Sue dog Sitter by KibaGames.com. The flash online game combines elements from pet sitting, babysitting and pet care games and asks players to dress, style, shower, clean and groom dogs that they also have to sit.

4. Petpetsitter

The gameplay of Petpets revolves around the numerous pets that old Mrs. Williams has. She goes away and leaves the player in charge of all her pets and the player has to ensure that all the pets are taken care of.

1. Hairy tarantula

Have you ever imagined in your wildest of dreams that your ‘loving pet’ will a giant hairy tarantula? They are scary and venomous, but they make great pets too when you allow them to stay on their own! But do not try to fondle with them, or else it can be really dangerous.

2. Gigantic snail

Snails have their own aesthetic beauty. But you will hopefully not like one which has a diameter of 12 inches! Although they can create havoc in the ecosystem, you can keep one such giant snail as pet if you belong outside the US.

3. Huge Emperor scorpion

Believe it or not; scorpions make excellent pets! These Emperor scorpions with their black and brown combination of their body, ability to emit a bright green-blue illumination and the enormous size of about 6 inches can make you scared, but provide them suitable climate and they will be the happiest creature!

4. Albino Python

Although taming a python can sound a really mammoth task, you can actually keep a Burmese albino python. But be cautious while handling them as minor mistake can give most fatal outcome!

5. Massive millipedes

If you think that going to the beach means leaving your dog alone at home, here are some beaches that will cheer you up. They are all dog-friendly and some even welcome dogs with ‘open arms’!

1. Fernandina beach

Located on the beautiful island of Amelia of the coast off the Atlantic coast of Florida, this beach is very dog friendly with the only condition that it be on a leash. The beach has a separate dog park which has been further classified into areas for large dogs and areas for smaller ones. There are special dog pools there too. Even the eateries, hotels and other establishments along the beach welcome dogs.

2. Walton-on-the-Naze Beach:

All you need to ensure that there is a leash around the neck of your dog which can otherwise romp and play on this beautiful beach in Essex, Britain. There are separate picnic sites marked out and the wonderful naze for which the beach is famous for is at a ‘running’ distance from the beach as far as your dog is concerned. The beach has won the ‘Quality Coast Award’ which makes it a wonderful place to be for a vacation with your pet dog.

3. Thurlstone Beach

This beautiful and captivating beach allows dogs to freely romp its shores all the whole year through without a leash also! The combination of beautifully blue waters and the sunny sands make it a paradise for dogs to play in. It is very expansive and has a lot of beach area. So, in all possibility, you and your dog could get your own private beach space to play.

4. Snettisham Beach:

This beach located in Norfolk seems to be natural favorite for fauna as a host of birds frequent it throughout the year. Snettisham beach too allows dogs without any restrictions. The excellent parking facilities, great availability of bird reserves and gay abandon with which pets can romp makes it a perfect spot for the weekend.