NEUHERBERG, Germany: You may want to keep your baby away from Mr. Whiskers for now.

MISSOURI: Wormed? Check. Flea collar? Check. Neutered? Check. Canine testicular implants? Erm, check.

Neutering can be a difficult process for both dog and owner to undergo. While it is an essential step for many pets to enjoy a happy stress-free life with their families, the guilt pet owners can feel over the pain and disfigurement such a procedure may cause can leave owners wondering whether they did they right thing.

SAN DIEGO, California: Limited edition, a one-year warranty and a 12-month wait - the new designer 'super breed' Ashera might just make your tabby obsolete.

TOYAMA, Japan: Is Fido looking a bit frantic? Is Mittens moping? At your wits end trying to work out why?

Well don't worry, help is at hand. A company has come up with a way of determining whether your beloved pet is suffering from that blight of our fast-paced society - stress.

JAVA, Indonesia: Rare, exotic, $40 a cup - and brewed from cat's droppings. Would you like a cup of Luwak coffee?

Yet this evil-sounding brew is not quite what it seems. According to Fox News, 'kopi luwak' is made in Indonesia from coffee beans excreted by native palm civet cats (or luwaks).

RALEIGH, North Carolina: The Yorkshire Terrier is now the second-most-popular purebred dog breed in America - but still has a lot of ground to make up to beat the reigning champ, the Labrador Retriever.

MADABA, Jordan: A cat nursing four kittens has stunned observers by adopting seven baby birds into its litter.

The feline, from Madaba (a city lying just south of Amman in Jordan), accepted the seven chicken chicks into its own family after the baby avians lost their own mother hen a month ago, according to news.com.au.

LONDON, United Kingdom: Dog owners are healthier than cat owners – but owning a cat is better for your wellbeing than nothing at all, according to a new study.

SAN FRANCISCO, California: Plasma TVs. Wall paintings. Facials and massages. Private spas. And that's just for the pets.

In fact it's all for the pets. Welcome to the Wag Hotel, a pet-only luxury resort boasting 24-hour staffing, an indoor swimming pool, fish tank and two meals a day for each of its lucky four-legged furry guests.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, New Jersey: Hot on the tail of dog-only beer brands, lucky canines will be licking their lips at the idea of gobbling up the latest swathes of pet-only fast food products - including doggy ice cream.

From Memphis to Mumbai, canine-specific fast food is a fast-growing market.