2026 may only be a few days old, but it’s already been a bumper few days for fans of all things furry and four-legged.
From pregnant dachshunds being doted on by dog daddies to devastating footage of a senior dog with dementia, there have been plenty of stories to warm and break the heart as well as a video showing what happened when a cat was accidentally shut in a baby’s room overnight.
All of which serve as the perfect entrees to this week’s Newsweek Pet of the Week. Every pet featured has been submitted for consideration by Newsweek readers. If you think your pet should be featured, read on to find out how to enter.
Ollie the cat has spent much of his life enjoying an idyllic existence in the company of Micki Smith, 72, from Stoneybrook Country Club in Sarasota.
Smith has lived alone for about 20 years but a little under 15 years ago Ollie came into the picture.
“I found Ollie on Petfinder when he was about three months old,” Smith told Newsweek. “The elderly woman who had posted him was known as ‘the Cat Lady’ and had many up for adoption.”
Not much is known about Ollie’s early life but whatever happened left its mark.
“He was found by a dumpster as a feral cat and had one badly infected eye,” Smith said. “It used to be more expensive to treat the eye with meds over a period of time, than to remove it, so that’s what his carer opted for.”
Thankfully Ollie was able to adjust to the challenges of only having one eye and has enjoyed a happy existence ever since, with Smith estimating he sleeps around 22 hours a day. Sweet dreams, Ollie!
Stretch came into Stephanie Hill’s life during a Fourth of July fireworks display a few years back.
“He was shaking and scared but had no fear of us,” Hill told Newsweek. “He walked right up to us.”
Despite their best efforts in trying to find Stretch’s owners, no one came forward, so he soon became a beloved member of the family. There was just one problem.
“Our other cat, Midnight, was not very fond of him at all,” Hill said. “We had to keep them in separate areas of the house. Midnight was the upstairs cat and Stretch was the downstairs cat.”
Now Stretch lives with Hill’s mom in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he keeps her busy and looks forward to regular visits from Hill.
“He becomes super excited when he sees my blue SUV pull up into the driveway,” she said. “Oftentimes, he will ask to go outside to run and meet me in the garage.”
Thelma Oatman got Boo Boo when he was four months old. Her pooch is part Chihuahua, part Dachshund and, according to Oatman, is “not afraid of anything” including her other dog.
“I already had a two-year-old Chihuahua called Suzy and I thought she would be a good playmate for her,” Oatman told Newsweek. “But Suzy was so jealous of her. It’s been eight months now and they seem to be getting along pretty well but not at first.”
Oatman adores her “wild child” dog and loves spoiling her with treats and gifts like her snazzy Christmas jumper.
When Laura Newell of Madison, Wisconsin’s beloved cat Tyler passed away in 2017, it was a loss felt not only by her but also her other cat, Bo. When enough time had passed, Newell decided they were ready to welcome another feline into the family.
“I went to the local shelter and picked up my new baby Lokii,” she said.
Some cats can be a little standoffish with one another, but not Bo and Lokii.
“They were cuddling from their first day together,” Newwell said.
Now they spend much of their time together, even if things can get a little tense from time to time.
“Sometimes there’s a battle of who gets mommie’s lap, but that’s just sibling rivalry,” Newell said. “They chase each other around for fun and love catnip. There are always boxes on my floor that they play and sleep in.”
If you think your pet could be next week’s Newsweek “Pet of the Week,” send us your funny and heartwarming videos and pictures of your pet, along with a bit about them to life@newsweek.com, and they could appear in our “Pet of the Week” lineup.
