As anyone familiar with Workman will tell you, we really love cats. We also love stories with happy endings—which is why we were excited to read this story of a missing cat who was reunited with his family almost a year after he disappeared.

Zach was selected as a winner of the 2012 365 Cats Page-a-Day Calendar, but by the time his owners were notified last fall, he had gone missing from their yard. Happily, after seeing a picture of Zach in an article celebrating his appearance in the calendar, a neighbor realized that the cat she’d been feeding for months was a certified cat celebrity! She reached out to the owners, and the happy family has since been reunited. Hopefully now Zach is back for good.

Zach's photo appears on Nov. 9 of the 2012 "365 Cats" calendar.

It’s Monday morning—woof. Instead of worrying about the week ahead, watch this video of a boxer puppy meeting some cows! It’s sure to melt your heart (and your anxieties).

For more charming stories of unusual animal pairings, pick up a copy of Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland.

Dogs, dogs, dogs! We can’t get enough of them here. And as all dog people know, your most important responsibility is making sure your pup is in tip-top shape. After all, a healthy dog is the happiest dog! In the final installment of our family-friendly My Dog! video series, author and dog expert Michael J. Rosen takes you through a basic 60-second check-up to make sure your pooch is feeling fabulous.

Simple, right? Give it a try — and then go whip up some Liver Lover’s “Brownies” to thank your dog for being so awesome. Trust us, despite your human “eww-that-sounds-gross!” bias, your dog will love ‘em!

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For even more tips, crafts, recipes, and games, check out the official My Dog! website. And make sure to like the My Dog! Facebook page and follow Michael J. Rosen on Twitter (@fidosopher) to keep up on all the latest My Dog! news.

We’ve already established how much we love dogs. But you know what we love most of all? Pictures of pups (either of the gorgeous or hilarious variety)! You, too?! Want to elevate your canine picture-taking game? Let’s turn once again to dog expert, and author of My Dog!, Michael J. Rosen for some picture-perfect tips.

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Got it? Now get out there and start snapping some cool canine pics!

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For even more tips, crafts, recipes, and games, check out the official My Dog! website. And make sure to like the My Dog! Facebook page and follow Michael J. Rosen on Twitter (@fidosopher) to keep up on all the latest My Dog! news.

So, you love dogs. (We do, too.) You want to make a special treat for your furry best bud–maybe it’s his birthday, or she mastered the “stay” command, or it’s just a Tuesday and you feel like baking something yummy. How does a dog-friendly peanut butter carrot cake sound? Amazing?! Great! Check out the video below, where Chef Josh teaches you how, with a little help from guest sous-chef (and author of My Dog! A Kids’ Guide to Keeping a Happy and Healthy Pet), Michael J. Rosen.

Mmmmmmmm. Want the full recipe? Head on over to the “My Dog! Delights” section of the the My Dog! website.

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For even more tips, crafts, recipes, and games, check out the official My Dog! website. And make sure to like the My Dog! Facebook page and follow Michael J. Rosen on Twitter (@fidosopher) to keep up on all the latest My Dog! news.

It’s no secret that we love dogs. Pretty pups, bad doggies, and those that need a little training to bring out their best–by which we mean all of them. And now we’re welcoming a new breed into the mix: My Dog! A Kids’ Guide to Keeping a Happy and Healthy Pet. It’s the ultimate family owner’s manual that teaches everything you need to know about your pet, from choosing a family dog to training, care, feeding, games, and more.

So, what’s the first step? Figuring out what breed might be right for your family. Let’s turn to the expert, author Michael J. Rosen, who breaks it down in a handy little video to help you learn about different breeds for different needs.

Unless you DO plan on asking your dog to herd reindeer or rescue you from a snow drift, any well-trained dog should fit perfectly in your family! Now go out there and adopt the large/tiny/fuzzy/hairless/regal/smush-faced pup you’ve always wanted!

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For even more tips, crafts, recipes, and games, check out the official My Dog! website. And make sure to like the My Dog! Facebook page and follow Michael J. Rosen on Twitter (@fidosopher) to keep up on all the latest My Dog! news.

We’ve brought you lots of stories about all sorts of unlikely animal friendships: Elephant dotes on dog. Deer protects goose. Puppy plays with pony. But today’s story, which comes to us from the U.K.’s Daily Mail, takes things to a whole new level. Not only is Jack the sheep best friends with a sheepdog—he thinks he is one!

Watch below to learn the story of Jack, a lamb who was born on a farm and raised alongside his owners’ springer spaniel named Jesse. Just like his canine brother, Jack loves to chase sticks and go for walks on a leash. He even helps out when it’s time to herd the other sheep!

For more awwww-inspiring stories of interspecies buddies, pick up a copy of Jennifer S. Holland’s New York Times bestselling book Unlikely Friendships.

Brace yourselves, folks: Here comes yet another adorable video of an unlikely friendship in the animal kingdom! This time we’re celebrating the bond between Herbie the pit bull puppy and Jabby the horse.

Jabby seems happy to have a playful visitor at the stable, and clearly Herbie is ecstatic at having made such an enormous friend! I didn’t think anything could even come close to “too cute” until I got about 20 seconds in to this video. A horse and a puppy—snuggling! It’s puppy love indeed.

For even more sweet videos and photos of interspecies bonding, check out the official Unlikely Friendships website—and pick up a copy of the New York Times best-selling book by Jennifer S. Holland!

By now you’ve probably seen that adorable video of the sleepy cat pulling her kitten into a hug. (You haven’t?! OMG watch it right now!!) Yeah, that video is absurdly precious. But you know what’s even cuter than mom-on-baby loving? Interspecies loving!

Can you imagine anything sweeter than a dog who just wants to be BFFs with some dolphins? (Also watch that video. You won’t regret it.) Jennifer S. Holland’s new book Unlikely Friendships details forty-seven remarkable stories just like that: true tales of all sorts of critters breaking the bounds of their species and forging the unlikeliest of bonds. Like the snoozing kitties, this book is beyond adorable—it’s amazing. Here’s a first-person account from Workman employee Craig, who saw with his own eyes how the book’s cuteness can make people positively squeeeee with delight.

Jennifer Holland’s Unlikely Friendships will melt the heart of everyone who picks it up. Case in point: I get home from work a couple of days ago and my wife Tanya and ten-year-old daughter Maddie are going at it like two screaming harpies. It’s over homework, long division to be specific, and Maddie’s to the point of tears, claiming that mom doesn’t know anything, and, “That’s not how Ms. Lesiner taught me how to do it!” At this point, I’m thinking about a quick retreat, but the two she-devils spot me and so I approach them cautiously and say, “Hey, check out this book that just rolled off press.”

I place the copy of Unlikely Friendships in front of them, quickly step back to avoid losing a limb, and then watched the most amazing transformation take place. Their faces softened as they slowly flipped through the pages, they leaned into each other as Tanya read the story of the Macaque and the Kitten, and the banshee-pitched screams that first greeted me when I walked into the house miraculously subsided into angelic whispers of delight. My two girls moved over to the couch and there the two of them remained for the next two hours reveling in the magic of this absolutely moving book. As a result, I ended up having a bowl of cereal for dinner by myself, the math homework never got done, and now Maddie wants a baby orangutan for a playmate for our dog.

Unlikely Friendships goes on sale July 1, and is available for pre-order now.

—Avery, whose favorite story is the one about the Dachshund and the piglet. They’re both so wrinkly and cute!!

“To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.”

-Benjamin Franklin