Cats are basically freeloaders. They’re perfectly capable of foraging for food on their own, but there they are at feeding time, tails twitching like clockwork, waiting impatiently for you to open the can. Maybe you should make them work a little harder for their supper. Puzzle feeders can help.

If we want to save seabirds, banning plastic straws alone won’t cut it. We need to ban plastic balloons. A recent study of more than 1,700 dead seabirds showed that the deaths of more than 25% were linked to eating plastic.

At least, that’s the conclusion reached in a new study that tested the efficacy of using computer touchscreens to stimulate dogs’ mental abilities, especially older dogs. Researchers in Austria and Hungary tested the cognitive abilities of 265 dogs of various breeds and ages by training them to push their snouts against a special touchscreen and select one of two pictures.

If you know a couple that’s having trouble trying to conceive, their couch could be part of the problem. Or their shower curtain. Or any number of other household items, depending on what they’re made of. New research by scientists at the University of Nottingham (UNOT) in Nottingham, England suggests that common chemicals and environmental contaminants found in the home could be causing infertility in men—and in male dogs, too.

This week: One day soon, your dog could be tucking into a bowl of Kibbles ’n . . . Tusks? Plus, feeding a stray cat costs a Florida woman $48,000, and eating human food could cause premature aging in bears.

Usually, scientists discover cures for human health conditions by testing them on animals. This time, it’s the other way around. In a refreshing change of pace, a veterinary cardiologist and her colleagues have discovered a way to cure a rare but life-threatening heart arrhythmia in dogs by adapting a treatment pioneered in humans.

Dogs’ personalities can change to reflect similar changes in their owners. Which means your midlife crisis could have life-changing consequences for your dog. “When humans go through big changes in life, their personality traits can change," said William Chopik, PhD, MS, an assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University. "We found that this also happens with dogs—and to a surprisingly large degree.”

Originally from East Asia, the longhorned tick, or Haemaphysalis longicornis, successfully established itself in other areas of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, and, as of last November, eight states in the US, mostly in the East. These little guys get around. But where are they going next?

It depends on what you mean by smart. A new study published in Animal Cognition indicates that bigger dogs, who have larger brains than smaller dogs, perform better than smaller dogs on some measures of intelligence. Specifically, bigger dogs with bigger brains do better on a specific type of intelligence called “executive functioning,” which is linked to self-control in both humans and canines.

This week: Unhand that hedgehog! Plus, animal-free cosmetic testing closer to reality, and you might want to double check your dog’s cremains.