Amy Shojai's Blog

Dealing With Feral Cats: Our Responsibility

Dealing With Feral Cats: Our Responsibility

October 16 is National Feral Cat Day. North Texas is home to quite a large population of ferals--wild felines--that would benefit from a formal TNR program.

This is very close to my heart because Seren-Kitty was dumped on the streets at age seven weeks, and Karma met the same fate at eight months old. Had I not found and adopted them, their lives would have been much different.

Feral cats live life on the fringes. They breed, give birth, and raise kittens with little to no human contact. These are not pet cats gone wild (strays)--they are wild animals that really cannot be tamed unless caught as kittens. Even then, they may never be a typical pet cat, but face behavior challenges all their life.

Why should we care? Because if not managed properly, feral cats become a nuisance and health risk to owned cats, and even humans. Felines squabbling outside your window wind up your owned indoor cats and can result in cat fights. Caring for ferals is also the ethical, humane thing for caring people to do. Here's what you need to know.

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

WHY WE MUSTN’T ALWAYS GIVE IN TO CUTENESS

WHY WE MUSTN’T ALWAYS GIVE IN TO CUTENESS

From time to time, I'm honored to share the blog with talented writers with a unique and important message. I'm no different than others who adore CUTE ANIMALS yet let's take a step back and consider what cute means, for wild creatures and our own cute dogs and cute cats.

Help me welcome Taylor Waters, Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, and Farm Animal Advocacy Staff Attorney, Animal Law & Policy Institute at Vermont Law & Graduate School

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Black Cat Appreciation Day & Halloween Black Cats

Black Cat Appreciation Day & Halloween Black Cats

August 17 is Black Cat Appreciation Day to counter the Halloween black cat negative myths. Of course, those folks who share their lives (and pillows!) with a special black cat know better. Sadly, too many black cats remain in shelters rather than being adopted.

In fact, some evidence supports the notion that black cats (one of the first "mutations" of wild coat color), enhanced what I call the feline friendly factor. Black cats often seem to be much more agreeable and love spending time with their chosen human. Maybe that's why so many of the so-called witches were associated with black kitties.

People have more difficulty picking cats because they assume all felines are the same. And because usually, cats pick us.

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Cat IBD: Dealing With Feline Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Cat IBD: Dealing With Feline Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to the chronic inflammation of the small intestine and occasionally the stomach. The cause isn't known, but it's suspected that something prompts the immune system to misfire and attack its own cells. ..

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Does Your Dog Hate the Vet? Get Quick Solutions Now!

Does Your Dog Hate the Vet? Get Quick Solutions Now!

We want to provide the best care possible for our beloved dogs, but what do you do when your dog becomes a howling mess at the vet? Fearful dogs visit veterinarians less often because their owners hate to see them upset and afraid of the carrier, car ride, and stranger handling....

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

TRICK OR TREAT: PREORDER INFO!

TRICK OR TREAT: PREORDER INFO!

Here are all the links for your favorite book-reading platforms--you can now preorder the newest thriller Ebook here!

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Your Hero Pet Winners: TRICK OR TREAT Thriller #9

Your Hero Pet Winners: TRICK OR TREAT Thriller #9

Today, Friday October 3, I sent my latest thriller TRICK OR TREAT to my editor. Yay! Once again, the book takes place in Texas. But the characters (and readers) come from all over the world. So it's fitting that my editor lives in Canada.

Oh, and my cover designer lives in England--he just sent me the draft, and I'm over the moon! I hope you'll love it!

As with past books, I invited my newsletter subscribers to nominate hero pets to appear in the upcoming TRICK OR TREAT thriller. Boy, did y'all come through! Here are what these amazing characters add to the story, and the winners that YOU voted for! Following the theme, the hero pets come from Texas, from Ohio, and from Mexico! Without further ado, here are your hero pets...

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Karma’s Swollen Ear: Aural Hematoma & What to Do

Karma’s Swollen Ear: Aural Hematoma & What to Do

Some years ago, Karma-Kat visited the veterinarian for his annual wellness check. He'd lost a little over a pound (yay!), and the doctor said Karma looked like a two- or three-year-old kitty rather than a mature nine-year-old man-kat. He's a senior kitty now, but doesn't know it or act like it. We celebrated a great exam until I got home--and discovered the swollen ear flap, or aural hematoma on Karma's right ear.

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Voting Open! Name That Hero Horse!

Yes, there's a hero HORSE in the next thriller TRICK OR TREAT! Share and vote often--voting closes SEPT 28. Who will be the hero CAT, hero DOG, and hero HORSE? It's up to you!

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Voting Open! Name That Hero Dog!

Vote NOW for your favorite for HERO PETS in the next thriller TRICK OR TREAT! Share and vote often--voting closes SEPT 28. Who will be the hero CAT, hero DOG, and hero HORSE? It's up to you!

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing