Cat revealing a big secret from family on cold night wins pet of the week

A recent survey revealing how much happier canines make people left both cat and dog owners agreeing. But it wasn't only dogs that brought a smile to our faces this week

From a son's life being transformed after the family welcomed home geese to an owner being reunited with his cat after six months, animal stories left us speechless. However, our week wouldn't be complete without the best submissions from our Newsweek readers.

Read below to find more about this week's Pet of the Week winner and finalists—and follow the instructions at the end of the article to submit your pet and possibly be featured.

Winner

This week's winner hails from St. Augustine, Florida, and a family who became swindled by an outdoor cat.

One cold night, a family noticed a tuxedo cat roaming around the streets. The owner, Caitlin Hofmann, told Newsweek that they couldn't stand the thought of her bracing the frigid temperatures, so they immediately brought her inside.

They ended up naming her Clipper. But soon they discovered Clipper wasn't necessarily in need of saving.

"Little did we know she was being fed by other people on our street," she said.

The family didn't mind Clipper using her resources. They've still opened their house to her and quickly learned she's a kitten at heart. She's vocal and loves to jump and bounce off the walls. It's never a dull moment with Clipper.

Finalists

Photos of an owner's two American Eskimo dogs, tired out after they tried to outrun her on one of their 10 daily walks. Courtesy of Ariana Gomez

Speaking of energetic pets, Ariana Gomez cannot get enough of her "loving, cuddly bundles of joy."

Her two American Eskimo dogs, Reis-ling and Mochi-Munster, are 4 and 5 years old. And while they've been out of the young dog phase, their energy levels have yet to taper off.

"Their two favorite things to do are going for a walk and riding in the car," Gomez told Newsweek.

Hoping to drain their energy after one of their 10 daily walks, she began running with them. The aftermath? Two tired dogs who thought they could out-run her.

A photo of Dottie, a 10-pound Chiweenie who loves to dance along when her owner is doing Zumba. Courtesy of Joann Harmening

A dancing diva comes in as our next finalist.

Owner Joann Harmening owns a Chiweenie—half Dachshund and half Chihuahua—named Dottie. The 10-pound dog can't get enough of joining Harmening whenever she's doing Zumba. Dottie will stand on her hind legs and "dance" along.

Harmening took Dottie in when she was only 5 weeks old, after hearing she and her littermates were being taken to the animal shelter. Harmening told Newsweek that at the time, Dottie was "so tiny and helpless." She needed to be bottle-fed for a few weeks.

"She's a very vocal girl and loves and protects her best buddy, Jack the cat," she said.

Photos of Chewbacca, or Chuy for short, a six-year-old Yorkie mix that was gifted to the owner during a low point in her life. Courtesy of Lala

And last, but certainly not least, is Chewbacca, or Chuy for short, who became his owner's "savior."

Owner LaLa told Newsweek that she was gifted Chuy after the person rescued him at 6 months old. Now 6 years old, her Yorkie mix has become her best friend. She named the dog after the Star Wars character because when he becomes vocal, he sounds like Chewbacca.

"I was at a low point in my life when he came along, and he has been with me ever since!" she said. "My little trooper through thick and thin, the good days and the bad!"

If you think your pet could be next week's Newsweek "Pet of the Week," send us your funny and heartwarming videos and pictures of your pet, along with a bit about them, to [email protected], and they could appear in our "Pet of the Week" lineup.

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