This week, we saw a dog enjoying a custom birthday cake and rejoicing over a golden retriever eager to see the vet.
Besides our favorite viral pets, we've been enjoying adorable photos and videos from our readers on our Newsweek Pets of the Week lineup.
If you think your pet might be able to join the squad, don't forget to scroll to the end of this story to find out how to join.
Winner
Buddy the one-year-old blue point Balinese cat lives with his owner and feline sister in Martinez, California.LISA PERLA
This week our Pet of the Week winner is Buddy, a one-year-old blue point Balinese cat.
Owned by Lisa Perla and living in Martinez, California, Buddy's favorite things including chasing toilet paper and spreading it across the bathroom.
In a hilarious video, Perla shared one of Buddy's new favorite things—using a toothbrush.
The Balinese is a long-haired domestic cat breed with Siamese-style point coloration and stunning blue eyes. Known for their intelligence and friendly, playful nature, these vocal and demanding cats were first introduced to the U.S. in the 1940s.
"He gives me great joy with his antics and is vocal about his need for attention," Perla told Newsweek. "I just recently got another kitten, a chocolate point Siamese. Brenda is his new best friend and they play all the time.
Finalists
Manx cat Sox with his owner Lona Banks.LONA BANKS
We can never pick just one Pet of the Week, and our first finalist this week is Manx cat Sox.
"He's almost three and is really a relaxed Garfield," owner Lona Banks told Newsweek. "He is a mama's boy—always next to me throughout the day."
Sox spends much of his time playing with his siblings and has mastered opening doors by stretching up and pulling down the handles.
"He will literally go to every door in the house, open them and walk out," said Banks.
Casper the cat is 19 years old and lives with his owner in Texas.
JEANINE HARKER
The second Pet of the Week finalist this week is rescue cat Casper. Born in 2004 to a wild feral mother, owner Jeanine Harker from Dallas, Texas, took him in when he was just two weeks old.
"His eyes were open, but he could not eat and we had to feed him with a syringe," Harker told Newsweek. "He will be 19 this year and is as naughty as ever."
Unusually, Casper loves to talk on the phone, and is often called upon to deal with unwanted calls. "If we get a sales of scam call, Casper loves it," said Harker. "We give him the phone and he answers everything until the person just hangs up, usually laugh."
"Our favorite thing about Casper is that he has kept us laughing for nearly 20 years," said his owner. "Last week he made us laugh wearing a knitted cap when our power went out in a Texas snow storm and that laughter kept us warm."
One-year-old Borkie puppy Rosie lives in Columbus, New Jersey.GEORGE AND JUSTINE BIFANO
Last, but not least, this week is Rosie, a one-year-old Beagle and Yorkie mix or Borkie.
Rosie lives with owners George and Justine Bifano in Columbus, New Jersey.
"We rescued Rosie when she was six weeks old," George told Newsweek.
When they first adopted Rosie, they discovered that she was struggling to hold herself up: "She was walking like a drunken sailor," said the owner. "We took her to our local vet for evaluation. They took a spinal X-ray and did blood work. Everything came back negative. We were told by the vet that most likely it was neurological and there was not much we could do that wouldn't cost us thousands of dollars."
Rosie's owners took her off store-bought pet food and contacted a holistic veterinarian who suggested a new diet and regime for Rosie, which incredibly offered a marked improvement in her condition.
"It has been a year since Rosie's diagnosis. She acts and plays like a normal puppy, is very happy and loves belly rubs," said George. “We believe she is truly our miracle dog.”
