Lisa Maloney

Anchorage

Award-winning travel author based in Alaska. Also tweeting outdoorsy stuff as @HikingAlaska #cometoalaska #hikingalaska #getoutside #travelalaska

Articles

Here's What It Could Mean If Your Dog Chases Its Tail

1 week ago | cuteness.com | Lisa Maloney

There goes your dog. It's taken off, sprinting across the park or your living room for a few seconds before settling down to the real business at hand: a twisting, turning, and gyrating battle to capture the furry tail that's been following it everywhere. Maybe you laugh with delight at this silly antic, or maybe you're hit by a sudden pang of concern. Why is your dog doing that? Is it alright?
Expert Tips To Help Your Dog Live Longer

2 weeks ago | cuteness.com | Lisa Maloney

Let's set the stage: A 2023 study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science showed that the average life expectancy for dogs is just over 12.5 years, although that span can vary widely based on a number of factors, including breed, size, and body weight. No matter what lifespan fate serves to your pup, any dog owner will tell you that it's nowhere near enough time with your furry best friend.
14 Tips For A Stress-Free Visit To The Dog Groomer

1 month ago | cuteness.com | Lisa Maloney

Maybe you've adopted a long-haired dog you already know will need special grooming throughout its life, or perhaps your dog just won't sit still enough to let you trim its claws at home. Regardless of your exact situation, a professional dog groomer can — and should — become your and your pooch's best friend.
The Science Of Pets And Sleep: How Animals Help Us Rest Better

1 month ago | cuteness.com | Lisa Maloney

As anybody who's cuddled up to a slumbering cat or dog can tell you, pets have a profoundly relaxing, restful effect on our bodies and psyches. So, it's probably no big surprise that there's a growing body of scientific evidence to show what pet owners have always known: Spending time with pets can improve our sleep just as much as it helps us feel more connected to them.
Porthole Cruise and Travel News

1 month ago | porthole.com | Lisa Maloney

One version of me stands in the bitter cold of Interior Alaska, bundled in layers of wool and puffy insulation, breath swirling around me in a cloud as I stare up at a sky that boils with swirls of aurora in green, pink, purple, and red. Another version of me lounges in a hammock on the deck of my favorite cruise ship. I’ve brought a book with me, and as I turn the page, I lift my head to gaze at the flat line of water against the horizon. Surely it goes on forever?
8 Small Towns in Alaska You Have to Visit—and How to Get There

2 months ago | frommers.com | Lisa Maloney

There's no escaping the wildness of Alaska—even in the state’s biggest cities, you might encounter a moose or spot the northern lights dancing overhead. But those sorts of quintessential Alaska experiences grow even more pronounced when you leave the cities behind and venture into some of the state's best small towns. Sure, that sometimes means giving up some urban amenities.
13 Smells Cats Despise (And Dangerous Scents You Should Avoid At All Costs)

2 months ago | cuteness.com | Lisa Maloney

Who doesn't love a nice waft of essential oils, perfume, or maybe a fragrant flower? Your cat, that's who. Not because they're judgey (although, of course, they are) but because some scents are toxic to them, while others are simply too strong. Although you feline's eyesight and sense of taste aren't very sensitive, their noses are 14 times more receptive than ours — making scent one of the primary ways they relate to the world.
11 Tips To Make Crate Training Your Puppy Easier

2 months ago | cuteness.com | Lisa Maloney

If you're worried about your puppy getting overstimulated when you have visitors, chewing things up when not directly supervised, soiling the house while you're gone, or being able to travel comfortably, crate training can be a powerful solution. Sometimes dog owners project their own feelings about being confined in a small space onto their pets, thinking that because they wouldn't want to spend time in a crate, their canine won't want to either.
5 Ways to See the Northern Lights in Fairbanks, Alaska

2 months ago | frommers.com | Lisa Maloney

This year and last, a string of powerful solar storms has been setting nighttime skies around the world ablaze with the colors of the aurora borealis, aka the northern lights or, in the Southern Hemisphere, the aurora australis. But to see the brightest, most spectacular northern lights displays, you need to head somewhere with dark enough skies. Somewhere like Fairbanks, Alaska, during the mid-August to mid-April aurora season.
13 Things You Do That Break Your Cat's Heart

2 months ago | cuteness.com | Lisa Maloney

Cats have a reputation for being aloof, but a lot of feelings go on inside those furry little bodies.