We invite our readers to interact here on the pets section any chance we get, and one thing is evident: people are passionate about their pets. And as we see at the end of each week, they like to show off their cute pet photos!

It's always fun to see what our readers lives are like with their own pets and other animals, and there are always interesting stories to tell.

This week, you'll see a cat who leads a very stimulating life outdoors — even in the winter — and a cute dog who is ready to enjoy a birthday cupcake fit for a canine, among others!

Photo submissions for future slideshows are always being accepted, and participating in our weekly photo blog is easy! Simply email a photo of your pet, just being him or herself, to ppsa2mi@gmail.com any time for our weekly Pet Photo Friday feature.

Be sure to include the name of the animal(s), as well as their age and city or township of residence in your email. Photos should be 1200 pixels wide and in .jpg format.

We put the week's photos into a slideshow, publish and promote each Friday here in the Pets section.

Lorrie Shaw is lead pets blogger for AnnArbor.com. Follow her daily pet adventures on Twitter.