In the most recent outbreak involving frogs, reports of illness came from 25 states and occurred from June through November, according to the CDC. More than three-quarters of the patients are younger than 10 years old, and the median age is 4 years. No deaths have been reported, according to the CDC.

When health officials investigated the reports, they learned that many of the sickened individuals indicated they had been in contact with pet frogs, the AP said. The strain of salmonella was found in aquariums that housed frogs in three of the homes where people had gotten sick.

"Preliminary analysis of this study suggests contact with frogs, including water frogs such as African dwarf frogs, is a likely source of the infections," said a CDC statement.

Only about two years ago, scientists began to seriously suspect pets were transmitting the bacteria.

In the July edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Richard Oehler of the University of South Florida College of Medicine and colleagues lay out the latest thinking on MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and pets. The infections can be transmitted by animal bites and most threaten young children, the researchers note.

"As community-acquired strains of MRSA increase in prevalence, a growing body of clinical evidence has documented MRSA colonization in domestic animals, often implying direct acquisition of S aureus infection from their human owners," they write. "MRSA colonization has been documented in companion animals such as horses, dogs, and cats, and these animals have been viewed as potential reservoirs of infection."

• Women and the elderly are most at risk of being bitten by a cat.
• Men in general and those aged under 20 of both sexes are most likely to be injured.
• Most bite exposures occur in young children, involve unrestrained dogs on the owner's property, and about 20 percent involve a non-neutered dog.
• Risk is highest in young boys aged 5 to 9 years, due to their small size and lack of understanding of provocative behavior.

Dog owners believe that, not only has their family's level of exercise increased since getting a dog, but their family bond has also been strengthened as they now spend more time playing together or walking the dog.

Forty per cent of dog-owning parents comment that despite the increasing popularity of computers and video games, playing with the family pooch still tops the list of their children's favourite pastimes. Dogz and Puppy Luv may be top selling computer games but it seems that children prefer the real thing!

Nicki Waterman, dog owner and one of the UK's foremost fitness experts comments, "This research by Mars Petcare highlights the positive impact a pet dog can bring to a child's life. Walking and playing with the dog are both brilliant forms of exercise and also a great way to coax children outside and away from the TV."

According to the research conducted by Mars Petcare, makers of Pedigree and Cesar, families with dogs spend more time out and about exploring. One in three dog owners say that they and their family visit their local park more frequently since the arrival of their canine companion and 22 per cent now choose to walk the dog, rather than use their car, as they run errands.

'Petsercise', supported by Mars Petcare provides further ideas about how families can exercise and have fun with their dogs. An information booklet includes a guide to the level of fitness needed and also includes some practical advice and top veterinary tips on medical considerations.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota's Stroke Research Center looked at 4,435 people, aged 30 to 75 years, who were participating in ongoing national government health research from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study.

They found that over a 20-year period, those who had never owned a cat had a 40 percent greater risk of death due to heart attack and a 30 percent higher risk of death due to any sort of cardiovascular disease than previous or current cat owners. Researchers found no such protective effects for dog owners.

"Maybe cat owners tend not to have high-stress personalities, or they are just the type of people that are not highly affected by anxiety or high-stress situations," Qureshi said.

"I have heard an owner with a chronic, debilitating illness say that her cat gives her a reason to get up each day," said Marla McGeorge, veterinarian at The Cat Doctor in Portland, Ore.

"Warm-blooded mammals can't survive the kind of cold weather we have along the Wasatch Front without adequate protection," warns Gene Baierschmidt, executive director of the Humane Society of Utah.

Baierschmidt urges animal owners to take appropriate precautions during the beastly winter weather.

Cats and dogs should be kept inside the house, in a basement or a garage. Pets that are young, old, ill or have short hair should never be kept outdoors.

"Although [pets] are out of the elements [in a garage], a garage may not be adequate shelter with the cold temperatures we have in Utah," says West Valley City Animal Shelter supervisor Karen Bird. "An animal needs to use its body heat to keep warm. A garage is just too big to hold in body heat."

Bird says the enclosure should be just large enough for the animal to sit up and lie down. More space will allow body heat to escape. The shelter should be insulated, both around and underneath, and should be elevated. The door should face south or west and be shielded by a heavy plastic flap. Clean straw is preferred over fabric for bedding, and it should be changed frequently.

Antifreeze is a deadly poison, but it has a sweet taste that may attract animals and children. Wipe up spills and store antifreeze (and all household chemicals) out of reach. Better yet, use antifreeze-coolant made with propylene glycol; if swallowed in small amounts, it will not hurt pets, wildlife, or your family.

It's not unusual for dogs - and sometimes cats - to go into a funk when the kids go back to school in the fall or off to college for the first time. They may even mope around when your work schedule changes.

"Part of that emotional attachment is a behavioral expectation that the two are going to do something predictable," says John C. Wright, an animal behaviorist and professor of psychology at Mercer University in Macon, Ga. "It's important to the cat on a daily basis. So you have a disruption in daily routine when someone leaves for school, a disruption in the emotional security the cat has, and that can result in both emotional and behavioral depression."

With emotional depression, the cat appears to be distraught and may vocalize more than usual, Wright says. Signs of behavioral depression range from lethargy - the cat tends to sleep longer, especially during those times when it's used to interacting with the person who's gone - to hyperactivity.

"For many people, when a kid goes off to college, the whole household is kind of depressed," Nitschke says. "It's a change in status in people's lives, and everybody reacts to that at some level."

Getting out and walking your lonesome dog is good therapy for both of you. If you face the prospect of a child going off to college or camp or basic training, start preparing your dog sooner rather than later, especially if your child and dog share a particularly close bond.

"If the kid going off to school was the major source of the dog's playtime, then when you take that out of the environment, there's going to be what seems like a deficit to the dog," Nitschke says. "I would increase the physically active interactions with the dog. It's not a bad idea to get the dog used to being walked or played with by other members of the household before the child goes off to college or back to school."