He's not unlike many members of his species; he can be a lot of things, but dull is not one of them. We have definitely had our difficulties over the years, with his habit of letting out his wailing meows just before the crack of dawn, destroying things in the house and plenty of other things.

Let's just say that we've come to understand each other over time and learned to compromise (in the latter case, I mean me). It's like any relationship, right?

Lorrie Shaw / Contributor

For so many of us, our lives have come to encompass our pets. Co-existing with companion animals means a lot of things — how we care for them, the toys that they need and the important area of nutrition.

As Kelly Swanson, a University of Illinois animal sciences researcher tells it, when it comes to pet food, sustainability should be paramount.

But how realistic is the prospect? Swanson, who with The Nutro Co. (they produce pet food brands like Natural Choice & Ultra), propose that this area of sharing life with a pet can easily be made more sustainable.

Lorrie Shaw | Contributor

Have you captured your pet taking advantage of all that the outdoors has to offer? Why not submit a favorite photo of your pet?

Any pet or animal in the family is welcome in the slideshow we feature each Friday.

Lorrie Shaw | Contributor

But what it really comes down to, according to a recent study by Banfield Pet Hospital, is the human factor.

The State of Pet Health 2013 Report fleshed out some interesting findings, including how far both dogs and cats have come in recent years in terms if their longevity, how advances and availability of specific kinds of preventative care have influenced the change — even pinning down in which geographic regions they have a higher quality of health and life.

The most compelling conclusion is that spaying and neutering pets plays a huge role in extending their healthy years.

Lorrie Shaw | Contributor

We know that levels of anti-stress hormones are known to be released when we have close physical contact with an animal. Our blood pressure tends to drop when we are petting and interacting with animals, too.

Previous research has shown that the affection and connectivity that pets promote can reduce stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness in their owners and elevate a sense of self-esteem.

Another valuable aspect of sharing time with animals — enhanced physical health — has long been assumed to be a peripheral effect of having that mental boost.

That idea is now better supported after a panel of heart disease experts reviewed research linking heart health and owning a pet and discovered that owning a pet may correlate with a lower risk of heart disease for those without a history of heart problems. Additionally, the findings indicate that heart disease patients may have a higher survival rate.

Lorrie Shaw | Contributor

Have you captured your pet taking advantage of all that the outdoors has to offer? Why not submit a favorite photo of your pet?

Any pet or animal in the family is welcome in the slideshow we feature each Friday.

Lorrie Shaw | Contributor

One sticking point I'm often caught in the middle of is the use of terms like "pet owner," "guardian" and "pet parent."

In fact, I interjected this conundrum and my own thoughts about it on social media several weeks ago, and the responses were sometimes scathing.

It wasn't surprising — that level of emotion often accompanies the idea of referring to our pets in a way people feel is more or less than they deserve prompted me to raise the topic then, and to write about it now.