How many of us have to leave a beloved cat or dog at home while we're toiling away at work? The Petcube was designed to give pet owners a virtual connection from our beloved furred ones from afar, a pet monitoring device designed to connect to a home Wi-Fi network and allow pet owners to call out to their tailed companion, control a laser for remote entertainment, and even take and share photos of a pet to share with others while away from home...

My poor sister is pulling out her hair from worry right now. Her newly adopted puppy was lost by a dog walker yesterday; the young dog dashed out of the walker's car and is now lost/scared somewhere on the streets of West Oakland (if you live in the area, please check out this flyer* and help bring Benny home). The situation got me wondering, in this day and age of GPS tracking and Google Maps, what options were available to help find lost pets...and keep them from getting lost in the first place.

It's a gem finding handmade artisans that fit your style. The pieces featured here are unique, beautifully crafted and made mostly of eco-friendly or natural materials. They're also very modern, without the patchwork look that sometimes comes with handmade goods.

If you own a pet, chances are he or she rules the palace and you are merely one of its subjects. My cat, Zola Jones, definitely reigns supreme as princess of the household ... and I wouldn't have it any other way. Check out this roundup of stores offering products fit for your four-legged royalty.

I'm not sure about where you live, but in Seattle and the rest of the Pacific Northwest, raising chickens is about as prevalent as having any other kind of domesticated animals. It's not uncommon to see city suburb coops in neighbors' backyards or to be gifted fresh eggs from a friend's chickens.

The founders of Growler Goods, Matt Graber and Heather Roma, want to give dogs a cool, and relaxed California attitude with their accessories. From cute ponchos to clever leashes with poop bag holsters, their handcrafted dog accessories are practical and stylish. 

I sort of laughed after reading about the motivation behind this project, a virtual aquarium its designers conceived as an "outlet to the persistent and inexplicable desire to poke at fish in a fish tank". 

We all love our pets but we don't always love all of the things that come along with them. Often it feels like you are limited to the generic supplies at the big box pet store or to the opposite extreme, overpriced supplies at posh boutique pet shops. Enter Etsy, the handmade marketplace is filled with quirky, stylish finds that won't break the bank and look good enough to leave out.

We've noticed many of our favorite submissions from My Bedroom Retreat showcase an array of artwork situated above the bed. Paintings, graphic prints, oversized photographs, and even decorative sculptural pieces...they're all a crown to the head of where we slumber. But in the process of gathering up some of our favorites, we noticed half of these artfully arranged entries came accompanied with furry companions comfortably situated below (including a pillow which almost passes for a pet)...

Spring has sprung (or so the calendar says), which makes it the perfect time to head outdoors and tackle those projects you've been planning all winter. My list is long — filled with landscaping and gardening projects galore — and now I can add another to my list: a modern dog abode to shelter my four-legged kids from the hot summer sun. Here are five DIY doghouses that can easily be modified to fit your own needs.