As I write this, I’m being treated to the midnight sounds of outdoor kitty interactions—none of them good, you can be sure of that. The crescendo of screeches typically indicates that one of only two things is in process: fighting or mating (two non-mutually exclusive activities in the feline world, I’m afraid).

I got to thinking about my burgeoning neighborhood population of strays earlier in...

Miami is a movie town. It’s not just that we like to watch.  The film industry also likes to produce its stuff down here. The warm weather and South Beach are a big draw for an industry tired of the same old Hollywood hospitality.

Maybe that’s why “Marley and Me” (based on the eponymous book on the life of a dog who dies after bloating—twice) is being filmed down here in sunny Miami—in a...