Amy Shojai's Blog, page 110
October 23, 2013
Adopt A Pet Month!
Of course, you can adopt ANY month of the year! But October is a great time for cat and dog adoptions. I wanted to share this neato infographic from my buddies over at BlogPaws, just to give you some inspurr-ation for howling success!
For the puppy lovers out there, you may also be interested in these helpful articles (most apply to cat adoption, too):
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
October 21, 2013
Monday Mentions: Erotica Panic, Kitty Face & Scottie Pinwheels
I’m feeling a bit like that baby rat, in a world out of my control and running the hamster wheel fast as I can with nowhere to safely jump off! Whew! Finally completed the orchestration for our performance of STRAYS, THE MUSICAL (this Sunday Oct 27 locally, and Nov 1 at the Cat Writers Conference). And I’m *this close* to having revisions completed on HIDE AND SEEK.
My Puppies.About.com site needs new material, and that’s on the agenda for this week, too. Oh, and the yard needs mowing, the roses wacking, and pets need petting. Somebody send me some extra hours in the day! I’ll resurface soon, gang, but need to dive back into the race.
Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo writer links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Check out the THRILLERFEST video at the bottom, too. For new followers to the blog, welcome! and you can expect more cat and dog specific schtuff later in the week on Wednesday and Friday.
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
Book Hub Indie Pub’ing Group something to check out
Make Your Own Book Cover in MS Word
Kobo Culls Titles, yikes! Now they’re having to fix it. Here’s Writer Beware thoughts on the erotica panic
Writer Beware Warns of Early Termination Fees
Kristen Lamb On Fueling the Muse (for NaNoWriMo & beyond) and Alexandra Sokoloff on Story Elements CheckList
Interview With BookBub and how to get your book listed
Gene Lempp’s Linky Roundup lots of great resources here!
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
Can You Read Kitty’s Face? Prof Daniel Mills researches the question
Dogs Follow the Friendliest an interview with the fine folks at Dognition
Your morning CUTE! a Scottie Pinwheel…
2012 Thrillerfest Panel
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
October 18, 2013
Increase Cat Life Expectancy With #HillsPet
Seren is allowed to drink from my glass, too. Image Copr. Amy Shojai, CABC
This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s Science Diet for Cats, but I only shares information I feel is relevant to my readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.
For an old fogey 16-year-old kitty, Seren-Kitty is remarkably well preserved. Siamese as a breed tend to have a longer cat life expectancy, and the average age of cats has increased to mid-teens. But it’s not unusual for cat longevity to reach the early twenties and beyond. With the exception of a recent URI, she’s never been sick and enjoys clean teeth, good appetite, normal litter-ary habits, sound heart and no lumps or bumps.
Seren now has a few white hairs surrounding her eyelids, made visible by the dark mask. And she’s got some arthritis so she doesn’t leap as high any more. A couple of her claws have thickened and require more frequent trims since she has trouble pulling them in (she “clicks” when she walks on hard surfaces). But keeping the dog in line seems to keep her very happy and engaged in life! I figured in “human years” she’d be around 75-80. You can find out your pet’s age with this neato cat age calculator.
HOW OLD IS “OLD?”
What is considered “old” for a cat? Those who follow this blog know I spent a couple of years researching and writing about aging pets (including Complete Care for Your Aging Cat) and wanted to share with you some of what I learned from talking with over a hundred veterinary experts. The question of what is old is complicated by the impact of genetics, environment, and individual characteristics. Consider human beings: one person may act, look and feel “old” at 65 while another 65-year-old remains an active athlete with a youthful attitude and appearance. The same is true for our cats.
“I think that actually varies a lot, and it’s getting older every year,” says Rhonda Schulman, DVM, an internist at the University of Illinois. “It used to be that eight was the major cutoff for the cat that was geriatric. Now we’re moving to the point that’s a prolonged middle age.” According to Guinness World Records, the oldest cat on record was Creme Puff owned by Jake Perry of Austin, Texas. Cream Puff was born August 3, 1967 and still living at the age of 37 in 2004.
A good definition of old age for an animal is the last 25 percent of their lifespan, says Sarah K. Abood, DVM, a clinical nutritionist at Michigan State University. However, since we can’t predict what an individual cat’s lifespan will be, the beginning of old age is a bit arbitrary. Certain families of cats may be longer lived than others, in the same way that some human families enjoy a much greater longevity than others. The lifespan of your cat’s parents and grandparents is a good predictor of how long you can expect your cat to live. People who share their lives with pedigreed cats may be able to access this information through the cat’s breeder.
Old cats benefit from more frequent veterinary visits and exams. Image courtesy of Hill’s Pet Nutrition
Longevity of unknown heritage cats are much more difficult to predict. Even when felines are “part” Siamese or Persian, for example, these felines may inherit the very worst, or the very best, from the parents. When all is said and done, one should expect the random-bred cat-next-door kitty to be neither more nor less healthy than their pedigreed ancestors—as long as they all receive the same level of care and attention.
Here’s some perspective comparing cat age to human age. “The World Health Organization says that middle-aged folks are 45 to 59 years of age and elderly is 60 to 74. They considered aged as being over 75,” says Debbie Davenport, DVM, an internist with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. “If you look at cats of seven years of age as being senior, a parallel in human years would be about 51 years,” she says. A cat at 10 to 12 years of age would be equivalent to a 70-year-old human. You can check out human aging stats here.
IS AGE 7 THE MAGIC NUMBER?
I have to be honest here. While many dogs truly could be considered “mature” at age 7, healthy cats tend to age much more gracefully. Aging and longevity is so individualized, your cat may not be ready for a diet change until she’s 9 or 10. But since no pet food company has a crystal ball to pinpoint the EXACT time for a change, most recommend using the 7-year benchmark to transition cats and dogs to a mature formulation that helps reduce age related health challenges, like potential kidney issues (a BIG problem in aging felines). Today cats aged 7-10 are considered “mature adults” while 10+ are considered “seniors.”
What kinds of aging changes can you expect? Some are more obvious–like Seren’s white hairs, thickened claws and loss of hearing. But what about her “innards?” While it’s clear a kitten shouldn’t eat the same food as an adult, what’s the big deal with lifestage food choices once the cat’s a senior? Here’s the deal–age changes the way cats perceive–and use–nutrition. Responsible pet food companies research these changes and seek to provide formulations that address changing needs.
AGING KITTY TASTE
Changes in flavor perception are thought to reflect those experienced by aging humans, says Nancy E. Rawson, Ph.D., of the Monel Chemical Senses Center, a nonprofit research institute in Philadelphia dedicated to research in the fields of taste, smell, chemical irritation and nutrition. “But as a carnivore, the feline’s senses of taste and smell are quite distinct from those of the human, and responses to age-associated changes may differ,” says Dr. Rawson.
Cats aren’t able to detect carbohydrate sweeteners (dogs do! so beware the Halloween candy dangers to come!) Cats instead taste and seem to prefer meaty flavors described by people as “sweet.” Detection of meaty, salty and sour flavors doesn’t seem to be affected by age. Bitter tastes are more sensitive to aging changes.
Chemical irritations and “mouth feel” influence how well the cat likes or dislikes a flavor. Pet food companies have whole groups of scientists studying exactly what makes kitty belly up to the bowl, or snub it. Mouth feel can be influenced by changes in saliva content, for example, caused by dehydration that commonly develops in aged cats.
Disease or medication can reduce or increase the sensitivity of the mouth and tongue, and alterations in taste (and smell) can remain even after the disease is cured and the medicine is stopped. Dental disease creates a hypersensitive mouth, interferes with chewing ability, and produces unpleasant tastes and odors that prompt the cat to refuse certain foods. Warming foods increases the volatility of tastes and scents to make them more intense and appealing to the aging cat’s palate.
OLD CAT SMELL SENSE
Scent is very important for cats, but few studies have documented exactly what happens to its acuity in relation to age. Cats do lose smelling sense the older they get, but nobody knows the amount due to changes of aging compared to lifetime damage, says Lawrence Myers, DVM, PhD, associate professor of animal behavior, physiology and medicine at Auburn University. “We’re just starting to get a handle on how much the vomeronasal organ contributes to the total scent picture for dogs and cats,” he says. The vomeronasal, or Jacobson’s, organ is in the roof of the mouth between the soft palate and nasal passages and is thought to be important in the detection of pheromones, chemicals primarily involved in prompting sexual behaviors.
Age-related losses in the sense of smell result from changes in the anatomy—scent cells aren’t replaced as often—and at the molecular level when existing nerve cells and “messenger” molecules in the nose become less sensitive. Reduce salivation or altered nasal mucus composition also impact the way odor chemicals are dissolved and detected.
“We did a study a number of years ago and published it in the annals of the New York Academy of Sciences that dealt with the lack of the sense of smell in the cat, and the influence of food intake,” says Dr. Myers. “A complete loss of vomeronasal as well as olfactory nerve caused the cats not to eat at all. It seems as if the sense of smell gives them some sort of cue that it’s edible,” he says.
OLD CAT DIGESTIVE CHANGES
The digestive system includes the mouth, teeth, stomach, intestines, pancreas and liver. It processes nutrition and eliminates waste. One of the greatest digestion-related problems of aging cats is obesity, or “over-nutrition.” Older cats don’t exercise as much, and their metabolism slows down, so they gain more weight.
However, because cats are true carnivores and use protein as a source for energy, if they don’t eat enough, they’ll lose weight as they age. Cats may gain weight up to age ten, but then lose as they have less ability to digest protein and fat. In fact, weight loss particularly of lean muscle, tends to occur in cats at about two to two-and-a-half years prior to their death from age-related diseases, says Joe Wakshlag, DVM, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at Cornell University. He says studies in otherwise normal adult cats indicate that increasing dietary protein by 35 percent (dry matter basis) enhanced lean muscle mass in these cats.
“The gastrointestinal tract in cats is relatively well protected from the ravages of time,” says Dr. Colin Burrows, an internist and professor of medicine at the University of Florida. “In older cats, just as in older people, the ability to digest diminishes somewhat but it’s not frightfully significant.” Smaller but more frequent meals often help the cat’s body absorb more nutrition.
HILL’S PET NUTRITION HAS ANSWERS
MAINTAIN health while aging with Science Diet® Active Longevity™ foods. Image courtesy of Hill’s Pet Nutrition
DEFY the visible signs of aging with Science Diet® Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying. Image courtesy of Hill’s Pet Nutrition
Hill’s Pet Nutrition offers a range of cat foods designed to meet the needs of your aging cat–whether she just celebrated her 7th birthday or 17th. For example, Science Diet® Age Defying™ cat food contains precisely balanced nutrition for senior cats as they age. In fact, Hill’s says you’ll notice a visible change for the better in your cat after just 30 days on this food, including increased play, interaction, and agility, and less potty accidents–and more awake time.
Modern cats age seven and older can still live full, happy and healthy lives. Age is not a disease. These days veterinarians often see still-healthy and vital cats of a great age. “I think if the cat lives to 25 years, I shouldn’t be doing anything but saying hello,” says Steven L. Marks, BVSc, an internist and surgeon at North Carolina State University. “If you’ve ever had a pet live that long, you want them all to live that long.”
Your turn! How old is YOUR cat? What kinds of aging changes have you noticed? Have food changes benefited your furry wonder? Do tell!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
October 17, 2013
FREE PREVIEW PERFORMANCE FOR STRAYS
(Sherman, TX, 10-17-13) – Local playwrights, co-authors Amy Shojai and Frank Steele, have cast STRAYS, THE MUSICAL with five popular local performers. The completed original show will feature a dozen catchy songs, an ensemble cast, and laugh out loud dialogue.
A free preview of the music from STRAYS, THE MUSICAL will be performed locally at Trinity Lutheran Church on October 27 from 7-7:30 pm. The show will also be the featured entertainment on Friday, November 1st in Dallas at the 19th Annual Cat Writers Association Conference.
STRAYS, THE MUSICAL explores furry foibles from the PETS’ point of view. The actors give voice to a variety of cat and dog characters in this hilarious–and often moving–musical review “drama-dy” that seeks to edu-tain audiences about normal pet behavior while honoring the bond we share with them.
Playwrights Amy Shojai and Frank Steele are both passionate pet advocates. STRAYS, THE MUSICAL is written especially with pet lovers in mind. “We hope the completed show will benefit animal welfare organizations in their fund raising efforts, as well as entertain pet lovers,” they say. STRAYS is their fourth co-written show. The duo most recently wrote, directed and produced the critically acclaimed original show KURVES, performed at the Rialto in Denison.
The cast for the STRAYS preview performances include both Steele and Shojai, with Theresa Littlefield and Gil Nelson (both performed in KURVES), and local orchestra teacher SuEllen Davis. Not only talented singer/actors, the cast brings their love and understanding of cats and dogs to their performances.
Cast for the preview/premier performance of songs from STRAYS, THE MUSICAL: L-R: Amy Shojai, Frank Steele, SuEllen Davis, Gil Nelson and Theresa Littlefield
The music includes solos, duets and full company numbers in styles ranging from pop rock to blues, calypso, gospel and Celtic. The 30-minute performance is accompanied by recorded full orchestral arrangements.
“The performance is a preview only, intended to offer a taste of what to expect from the full two-hour show,” say the playwrights. “We’re looking for feedback from the audience after the performance. That helps fine tune the future show.”
Shojai and Steele plan to hold open auditions (all ages, singers and nonsingers alike) for the premier of the full show at a future date. The completed show’s monologues, scenes and music are written to be modular, to allow only the cat portions, only the dog sections, or both to be performed, based on the audience demographic.
See the free preview performance of music from STRAYS, THE MUSICAL on Sunday, October 27, 7:00 pm at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1515 N. Travis Street in Sherman. To learn more about the performance at the Cat Writers Conference in Dallas, refer to http://www.catwriters.com for more information.
Please SHARE with all your pet-loving friends and animal advocacy groups!
October 16, 2013
Ask Amy: Pets Pester When I’m On Computer
I’m head-down crazy in the middle of revisions on HIDE AND SEEK. If you missed the NAME THAT DOG/CAT contest and want in on the fun (and get you and your pet name in the book) be sure to Add your suggestions for names in the comments.
Just because I’m at deadline doesn’t stop the fur-kids from demanding quality time. Even when they’ve had lots of one-on-one attention, though, they often decide that the best time to pester is…
When I’m on the computer. Usually in the middle of a tricky plot point. Or at deadline on something. Seren-kitty simply walks across the keyboard, and Magical-Dawg becomes a lap dog (all 90 pounds of him!).
This was one of several questions I got over the past several months, and since many of my readers also are writers (and pet lovers), it seemed the perfect topic for this most recent Ask Amy. How about your pets? What do they do when you’re head-down busy on the computer? And…what do YOU do?
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
October 14, 2013
Monday Mentions: NAME THAT CAT, NAME THAT DOG!
That’s Elle (pronounced “Ellie”) in the picture and yes–she’s a Pit Bull. She’s also the hero dog of the year! Click the picture to find out about her and the other doggy heroes.
I got NEWS…the next thriller HIDE AND SEEK is done! Well, I’m heavy-duty-head-down in revisions, but I’m very pleased with this book. There’s more dog viewpoint, more cat involvement, more September and her friend Teddy…and some new characters (and villains). Those gnashing their teeth over the first book’s unanswered questions will find out the secrets September must keep.
NAME THAT DOG, NAME THAT CAT!
Oh, and there are a couple of dog and cat characters that need names. Yes, it’s time for NAME THAT CAT and NAME THAT DOG contest! As before, I’d love to include the name YOU choose (and perhaps description, too) in this next book. The winners will have that pet name/description in the book, get an acknowledgement in the book, get an ARC of the book (advance reader’s copy) before anyone else, AND a paw-tographed print book once it’s released. So what do you have to do? It’s easy…
Post your suggestion in the comments, and whether it’s for a dog or a cat (or both). Tell all your friends. I’ll narrow down the suggestions to the top 5-10 (depending on numbers) and then YOU get to vote on the ones you want. Here’s the furry characters and how they figure in the plot:
DOG CHARACTER is a resident therapy dog in an Alzheimer’s unit.
CAT CHARACTER is a barn kitty, with several half grown kittens, cared for (on the sly) by a nine-year-old girl whose mom won’t let her have cats.
So ready…set…NAME THAT CAT/DOG!
Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo writer links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Check out the THRILLERFEST video at the bottom, too. For new followers to the blog, welcome! and you can expect more cat and dog specific schtuff later in the week on Wednesday and Friday.
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
The Importance of Self Publishing–Top of the Heap?
The Fussy Librarian a new “match making” service (similar to BookBub) for authors and readers launches today! And yep, one of my books is on the schedule. Check it out, sign up, and get your “read” on!
Robotic Surgery and another blog on the subject could give y’all some fiction-icity ideas!
Prepare for NaNoWriMo! and yes, this year I’M IN!
Bloomsbury & Author Solutions, urk…
Merchandising for Apple advice from Mark Coker (and if you have to ask who he is well…
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
Dogs Vs Cats, Which Is Better? Hoooo boy, here we go again…
ACL & Dogs, Dexter’s Journey See what you can learn from my friend Carol’s experience with her dog
8 Ways to Get Your Dog Stolen another great post from Carol Bryant
2012 Thrillerfest Panel
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
October 11, 2013
Why Pets Drink from Toilets
Eww! But both cats and dogs drink from the toilet and gross us out. I’ve written about why pets drink from the toilet for the puppies.about.com site but the topic was just too perfect for an Ask Amy video.
Do your pets indulge? Image Copr. ArtGoesHere/Flickr
Do your cats and dogs indulge in potty games? It can be very dangerous especially if you use household cleansers that can poison pets, so it’s really important to prevent the behavior if you don’t object to potty-mouth-kisses from your pet. DOUBLE EWW!
Image Copr. Amy Shojai, CABC
Thankfully, Seren these days only indulges in sink-sipping rather than potty-water-chugging. But there are the pets that don’t drink from the toilet but consider it a jacuzzi…
Image via izismile.com
What have I missed in the Ask Amy video below? Any other reasons you can think of why your dog or kitty might be attracted? Do they enjoy watching the water swirl around (watch out for cats that flush, LOL! can make for a very high water bill). Do tell!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
October 9, 2013
Dogs Demand Vacation Time! Where Do Dogs Beg to Stay?
Image courtesy of Rover.com
I recently discovered ROVER.com and was intrigued by the company’s philosophy–that is, to provide match-making services between dog owners and dog sitters on the local level. I liked the idea so much that I agreed to write a few sponsored posts, including this one, about the company and its services. I’m being compensated by Rover.com, but as always, the viewpoints offered here are my own and I only share information with readers that I feel is relevant.
I’ve written about vacationing with (and without) pets many times in the past, and even discussed the situation on my Pet Talk TV segment–the one posted below is a couple of year’s old but still relevant. (Note: that doggy HAS been adopted, yay!).
Starting next month with Thanksgiving, many of us will travel to visit family and friends, have folks visit, or spend vacation time away from home. Time off from work and a change of routine offers humans much-needed stress relief. But the same is not always true for furry family members.
Magic loves car rides! Well…he thinks it’s his car. Image Copr. Amy Shojai, CABC
Good vacation plans depend on the individual pet, and your special circumstances. Does your dog love riding in the car, meeting new people, hide, or become hyper around strangers? Perhaps Chance the cat enjoys riding in the car but your brother’s dog hates kitties, or Grandma is allergic. Are pets more comfortable at a kennel away from your nephew’s hair-pulling fingers? Or does your pet go on a hunger strike if boarded?
WHAT DO PETS WANT? TO STAY AT HOME!
In general, cats tend to prefer staying in their home amid familiar surroundings. Anyone comes into our house, my Seren-kitty stomps up to them on her lil’ non-foggy cat feet and demand they get the #$%^&YUI! out of HER house! Other kitties might dive under the bed, or go on a hunger strike if taken to a kennel. Some do well if left alone for a day or two when provided with adequate food and water, and extra litter boxes. That’s not appropriate for kittens, cats older than 10 years, or any cat with a health issue that needs attention, though.
The best choice for kitties, paws down, is a pet sitter. That person can come into the home at least once a day, sift the cat box, check the food and water, and make sure Kitty hasn’t picked the window lock with his rabies tag and escaped into the great beyond.
Leaving dogs at home is also an option. But unless your dog is litter box trained (yes, it can be done!), people visits must be more frequent for potty breaks and meals. Some dogs eat four-days’-worth of food at one time if it’s all left out at once.
WHEN STAYING HOME WON’T WORK
Boarding kennels are one option, and reputable kennels require proof of adequate health care, so get vaccination proof from your veterinarian in advance.Veterinarians may have kennel space for pets with health issues that need monitoring. The best of these boarding facilities offer home-like environments with sofas, playtime with other dogs, cat trees, videos of squirrels to watch, or even internet access for you to check in on them from the road. Of course, the more they offer, the higher the $$ too, so sometimes it comes down to whether you’ll fund holiday gifts for the rest of the family, or a stay-cation for your pet.
And then there are dogs that detest boarding. In fact, you can read about how I broke my arm boarding my dog.
Pet sitters treat your pet like you’d treat them–with LOVE! Image Copr. Amy Shojai, CABC
Pet sitters are the ideal choice. There are some professional pet sitter organizations that make it easy for you to find credentialed professionals with a searchable database that lists individuals in your area. ROVER.com is one of the newest on the scene.
Rover.com is an online community of hand-selected & insured dog lovers founded on the belief that every dog deserves individualized attention in a safe, loving home when their family is away.
Rover hand-selects and approves all sitters, provides complimentary Peace of Mind™ coverage for your dog, photo and video updates, free last-minute concierge services, 24/7 customer support, 24/7 vet advice through their Ask-A-Vet service, and an end-to-end 100% satisfaction guarantee. Some of their “pet hosts” also offer cat care services. (Hey, I gotta give equal time to the kittehs :))
Wherever you find your pet sitter, check out their credentials, ask how long they’ve been in business, if they’re bonded/insured, what services they provide, and be specific about fees. If the pet sitter visits your house, ask how much time s/he spends on each visit—average is 30 minutes but for dog walking (especially multiple pets) or grooming/medicating it may take more time and require a higher cost.
Ask for references (and check them!) before you decide if the service or individual is a match for you and your pets. That’s another plus with Rover.com services, you can read reviews and ratings from other clients. It’s also important to see if the candidate interacts well with your cats and dogs, and Rover.com strongly encourages these “pre-visits” to make sure the furry fit is ideal. Some pet sitters specialize in special needs animals. For instance, they may be able to medicate your diabetic cat or “pill” your reluctant dog.
BE A RESPONSIBLE PET PARENT, TOO
Be sure to leave caretakers with detailed information about each pet’s care needs, veterinary contact information, and emergency phone numbers where you can be reached. Leave your pets’ leash, medications and other “must haves” in an easy access area and show the pet sitter where to find them, or provide them in the kit that accompanies your pet to their home.
Alert the neighbors that a pet sitter or family friend will be coming and going from your home so they won’t be alarmed at strangers in the neighborhood, and give the pet sitter your neighbor’s name and phone number. Talk with your veterinarian about signing a “just in case” authorization for medical care (you can designate the dollar amount). That way, emergency care is available and funded even if you are unavailable to give your okay in person.
Preparing for your pets’ comfort during your vacations gives you peace of mind so you can enjoy your time free from worries. After all the joy they bring you throughout the year, don’t your cats and dogs deserve happy howl-adays, too?
$25 DISCOUNT!
The lovely folks at Rover.com have provided me with a discount code to share with you! Any new Rover customer will get $25 off their first booking through Rover.com. It’s only good through the end of the year, though. Just enter this code during the checkout process after booking a sitter:
AMYSHO25
Create a free member profile for your pooch at Rover.com; search for sitters by price and location and enjoy your trip knowing that your dog is having a great time. Prices vary by location, but are considerably lower than kennels, and range from $15 to $30 per night. Most importantly, 95% of Rover Sitters are rated 5-stars by fellow members-our highest rating.You can find out more by visiting the Rover.com Facebook page, too!
What have I missed? Do you take your pets with you to Grandma’s? How do you keep pets happy if you leave them behind? Please share!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
October 7, 2013
Monday Mentions: Writer-icity & Pet-astic Links & CHEW on THIS!
I love that picture! Used it as the header for my Puppies About.com Facebook Page which…has GONE AWAY! (or it will, shortly). Oh, the puppies.about.com site isn’t going anywhere, but the About.com powers that be have made a few changes. I’m no longer the Puppies Guide. Now I’m the Puppies EXPERT (can you see my virtual tail wagging?!). In addition, since guides/experts also often have our own platforms and social media sites, we are now encouraged to use THOSE to continue sharing our content–in my case, that’s lots of puppy-licious info I’ll be sharing regularly on my various outlets. So I hope y’all will join me–and if you previously “liked” my puppies site on facebook, just wag on over to the new hook up:
Of course, I also hope you’ll subscribe to my Pet Peeves quarterly newsletter (gave away over 20 books with the last issue…just saying 
) And you can always subscribe to this blog…see the link below to manage your subscription, too. Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo writer links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Check out the THRILLERFEST video at the bottom, too. For new followers to the blog, welcome! and you can expect more cat and dog specific schtuff later in the week on Wednesday and Friday.
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WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
ALLi WARNING! Writers & Artists Comparison Site is a pay-to-play site, so the good may be listed alongside the very bad. Details in the link.
Writerly Motivations from Zig and Jenny Hansen
GallyCat’s Freelance Editor Directory you can find your next editor–or list your services
Swoon Reads, CrowdSource Publisher for Teen Romance Interesting concept, just be sure to read all the fine print.
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
Cats May Be Key to Developing Human HIV Vaccine!
Dogs Are People, Too …according to some awesome new MRI brain studies! Fascinating stuff.
Vote For Hambone Awards the most outrageous pet insurance claims of the year–the winner gets $10,000 donated to the clinic that treated the pet, to be used for needy critters that otherwise can’t afford treatment. (Named originally after a dog that ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while stuck in a refrigerator)
Innovative Canine Nasal Tumor Treatment
Thanks to Colin Falconer for the video, below–If you want something bad enough, don’t be afraid to plunge in after it!
2012 Thrillerfest Panel
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
