Crafty cats, retired dogs, empathetic cows and warring octopuses.

Cats have a reputation for being mysterious, independent and downright strange. They may be domesticated but house cats retain a little bit of the wild, says Tom McNamee.

Photo: creative commons - pixabay - Lichtmagnet

In New Zealand, we have an estimated 1.4 million owned cats and 14 million feral cats. How did we get into a “domestic tango” with such a solitary animal? It comes down to charisma, says wildlife writer Abigail Tucker.

Photo: supplied

When heading dog Spur was kicked by a cow, his working days were definitely over. But Spur was given a second chance at life. He was saved by Retired Working Dogs Adoption, an organisation that has found new homes for hundreds of working dogs that are too old, have been injured or just aren't up to the job.

Photo: RNZ

If you want to change a dog's behaviour get yourself a clicker, says animal behaviour consultant Mark Vette. Hercules – the beloved star of Toyota's 'bugger' ads – was one of Vette's dogs.

Photo: supplied

When ultra marathoner Dion Leonard set off on a 250km run across China's Gobi desert, he expected to do the grueling race by himself. But a little stray dog refused to leave his side. When the race was over, Leonard named the dog Gobi and decided to find a way to bring the dog back with him to Scotland. But what happened next made the race seem easy.

Photo: @findinggobi

In her book Tamed, writer, broadcaster and anthropologist Alice Roberts explores ten familiar species with wild pasts.

Photo: (Matthew Henry)

Animal behaviour expert Clare Browne gives advice on wayward dogs.

Photo: Supplied

Steven Oates, 41, organiser of ‘Woof: The Auckland Pride Dog Show’ lives with his mum and two dogs, Ruby, a Ridgeback-cross, and Murphy, a Golden Retriever, in Mt Roskill, Auckland.

Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

Cows are far smarter and more emotionally connected to each another than we give them credit for, says UK farmer Rosamund Young.

Photo: Flickr user Cath S / CC BY 2.0

Fish not only have lifelong relationships and intricate dating rituals, they also use tools, hunt in tandem and punish wrongdoers, says Jonathan Balcombe, author of What a Fish Knows.

Photo: (opencage.info)

Not just a garden but a 'city' of octopuses has been discovered off the east coast of Australia, and it isn't the first. Philosopher and scuba diver Peter Godfrey-Smith talks with Kim Hill about the discovery.

Photo: Copyright (c) 2005 Richard Ling (richard@research.canon.com.au). Licensed under GFDL and CC-by-sa-2.5. All other rights reserved.

Mamaku chook-lover Kelly Phelps has rescued 15,000 battery hens in the past three-and-a-bit years.