But something about dogs and the breadth of these new scientific discoveries makes me think the word “attachment” just isn’t good enough to describe the unique relationship that has coevolved in this context.

"Burying the beautiful and unusual Princess Peony," Stewart wrote alongside a photo of a grave being dug by workers.Following the initial news, Stewart posted an up-close photo of her late cat on Instagram, captioned, "This was the Princess Peony".

Jerome loves Lilly and buys her luxury food and toys, but he’s very happy to risk Lilly’s life by letting her use a dirty litter box.We agreed before we got Lilly that the litter tray would be Erica’s job.

Rescuers point out that people impulse-bought pets amid the pandemic, and eventually ended up abandoning them when they realised that they were not ready for the responsibility.

Vihan says you and your partner should see a future together before considering having a pet, but there is no perfect time for that to happen.Vihan recommends having a back-up plan if your relationship doesn’t work out before taking this step, as it is important for each partner and for the pet.

The emotive language of Gaby Hinsliff’s article (What a story to tell the world: Britain values dogs more than Afghan people, 30 August ) not only risks deflecting attention from the consequences of the reactive, rather than proactive, response of the British government, but also suggests that one cannot care equally about the victims of humanitarian crises and the plight of other innocent species in manmade conflicts.

And so, we have listed down a few responsibilities every pet parent should always be aware of.If you are a pet parent, you have to allot a certain time period for your pet’s exercise.

Caroline Moss is an author and host of the podcast "Gee Thanks, Just Bought It," which helps people find the products they need to make life easier, better and more productive.

I wanted, in no particular order apart from the first one: a dog; to go hillwalking more; travel less; have a baby; write a book; sort out my chronic back pain from years of typing thousands of words a week; learn the names of trees, flowers and birds; and so on.

Russell the Dog, 13, listening to school children read at Coalsnaughton Primary School (Picture: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS.com)An adorable dog loves helping primary school pupils to read, and even has his own school uniform and backpack.

When Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, says that Hamas “pile up as many civilian dead as they can” to make Israel look bad, he is speaking from a mind-set that has informed the political attitude of Israel’s leaders for many years.