Amy Shojai's Blog, page 113
July 17, 2013
Saint Spot Syndrome & Puppy Development
Maybe the baby-dog “channels” Saint Spot…to do you both honor. Image Copr. Dave Garber/Flickr
I notice a lot of increased interest lately in “new puppy” information including puppy development. It must be all the cute lil’ guys that arrived in homes this past spring and summer. There’s nothing cuter than a baby dog (or baby anything, really!), and I am totally convinced that puppies are made that way so we’ll forgive them all the silly-crazy-stoopid-destructiveness that comes with them.
Are you familiar with Saint Spot Syndrome? Well…probably not because I just made that up. 
Basically, Saint Spot Syndrome refers to comparing the new clueless cute puppy to that heart-dog that may still share your heart and home, or maybe awaits you across the mystical Rainbow Bridge. Any little pup will suffer mightily in the comparison.
Remember that you spent many years together with the other canine, and likely had rough spots together, too. But time churns the memory cream until the sweetest butter remains and the sour stuff drains away–so give the newcomer a break. Heck, maybe Saint Spot sent him/her to you. Among trainers there’s a saying that we always get the dog that we NEED at that moment in time.
I like that notion.
Here’s some hope for getting past some of the puppy-icity angst. You can learn what to expect in this article about puppy development birth to 12 weeks and then puppy development 10 weeks to adult.
So do you have a young-ish canine giving you fits? How do you reconcile the differences between New Boy and your beloved’s memory? Or does it matter to you?
I want to welcome my newest affiliate to the blog, too–find fun pet-themed gifts for yourself and your pets at the ASPCA Store!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? 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!
July 15, 2013
Monday Mentions: Thrillerfest & Bunny Slippers with Teeth
I’m just home from Thrillerfest. What an amazing experience! This wasn’t my first attendance but was special and a stand-out in so many ways. That’s me at the Debut Author table on Saturday morning with 26 others in our class who were able to attend the July 13 breakfast. There were 60 in the whole class this year–wow! Here’s a Library Journal article.
Each of us had 60-seconds to say anything we wanted. Many talked briefly about themselves, their book, and their journey to reach that wonderful goal, and I was so honored to be among these talented writers, and inspired by their dedication and effort. And yes, a little teary that I’d managed to climb that thrilling mountain, too. Six years ago, I sat in the audience and felt lost…and truly didn’t believe I’d ever have that opportunity. But I went home, put on my bunny slippers and wrote the thriller I’d always wanted to read. LOST AND FOUND was born at Thrillerfest and because of ITW, today my bunny slippers have TEETH and I write Thrillers With Bite!
And yes, I wore my bunny slippers with pointy teeth to the breakfast–you’ll notice the ears also have bling. Enjoy a few of the pictures from the weekend (below) and then you can click on the Thrillerfest 2013 Set for more pictures. Be sure to scroll down to catch the short video from the banquet–I will have some more fun video from the weekend soon, too!
My roomies–Carol Shenold and Paula Lanier. Thursday evening dinner outside at a terrific restaurant owned by Paula’s friend David.
The always classy Steve Berry graciously allows a photo op.
Lee Child at the Friday evening “Fan Fest” (one of my many fan-girl moments!)
Again at the FanFest event, that’s me with the gorgeous thriller gals–August McLaughlin, Carol Shenold, Paula Lanier
More famous authors! August, Doug Lyle, Carol, moi and the gorgeous Twist Phelan. (Can you tell Doug is in heaven?)
We were guests at FanFest courtesy of the WONDERFUL Diane Capri (far right). We even color coordinated…great minds. *s*
Me with the WANA-Mama Kristen Lamb!
Paula, John Land and me…our “annual photo shoot.”
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 Simon’s Cats pet-astic videos 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
Ways to Boost Books After Awards Wins
Reading/Writing Boosts Cognition well…duh!
Marketing Maze–A Guide Through the Jungle?
Kristin Nador’s Blog with some important videos for keeping your writing hands healthy
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
Outsmarting Cats by my colleague and terrific writer/artist Wendy Christensen, is an update of her 2004 terrific Outwitting Cats. You won’t want to miss her terrific illustrations (and great info!).
Iran Bans Dogs in Public Places
Planet Dog Foundation Gives $1 Million! I love this company, they donate a portion of every sale to service dog organizations…and they make GREAT products! (Magical-Dawg luvs their schtuff)
Dr. Sophia Yin’s Guide to Low-Stress Handling hey y’all, it’s FREE for a limited time!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? 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!
July 12, 2013
Cats, Books & Litter-ary Tastes
As you read this, I am in New York at Thrillerfest, celebrating the best writing in thrillers around. It seemed appropriate to offer a post today about the relationship between cats and books–since felines figure so much in my own writing. What’s the deal with cats and reading material, anyway?
In my line of work, my most successful autograph parties happen at dog or cat shows. Invariably I end up with kitty kibitzing in terms of the felines choosing their own pick-of-the-litter-ary selection. How about you?
Do your cats enjoy books? What’s their relationship with reading material? Even with my Kindle, Seren-kitty insists on planting her furry nether regions on top of the screen. Why do cats like to SIT on books? For my answer…scroll down to the video Ask Amy, below. Enjoy!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? 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!
July 10, 2013
Hot Weather Water Games
Yikes! It’s hot-hot-hot here in Texas, nearing triple digits and the Magical-Dawg is NOT happy. He misses his daily Frisbee marathons but with the temperatures so warm, I’m afraid for him to over-do. Heatstroke is a reality in 
this weather. Learn the signs and first aid for heatstroke here.
Meanwhile, the video (below) gives a taste of not only the Frisbee fun he loves, but Magic’s other most-favorite-summer-game. In fact I think this past Sunday he searched out another SKUNK so he’d get a bath again, so he could play water-tag. Thank you to the nice folks at Lambert Kay for sending me samples of their new Skunk-Off products to review. And yes, it did a fine job–check out the skunky redux blog and brief review here.
How do your dogs deal with the weather? Please share your tips for keeping hot dogs cool customers!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? 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!
July 8, 2013
Monday Mentions: Desk Treadmills, Thrillerfest & Persian Problems
On Thursday I get on a plane to fly to New York City and attend Thrillerfest–YEEEE-HAW! Yes, I’m just a wee bit excited. I have my camera packed and will bring back lots of photos and some short videos of various writer-icity sessions to share on future Monday Mentions blogs.
LifeSpan Treadmill Desk
In fact, I spent the last several days writing blogs, newspaper columns and puppy-licious content ahead to clear my calendar (and my head!) in preparation for head-down writer-icity on the next thriller. I have no doubt that when I return from Thrillerfest, the inspiration will carry me through the rest of the month and beyond. Stay tuned for pictures and videos from the event!
What do you do to inspire your writing (or other) goals? Go for walks? Sing in the shower? Play Frisbee tag with a furry friend? These days I’m walking-while-writing on that neato-torpedo desk-treadmill. And since I only use it while working in my office, it’s totally tax deductible! Yep, I can still put in the 8-12 hour writing days while logging anywhere from 1-4 hours walking at the same time. How do you stay in shape–while fighting the desk-spread-blues? Do share!
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. 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
B&N Shelves PubIt! yes, it’s shutting down on July 10
Penguin & Random House Marriage
Why FB Shouldn’t Replace Author Websites from the always insightful Jane Friedman
Hachette To By Disney’s Adult Trade Imprint Hyperion
All About Ingram Spark take a look at the platform here and another discussion here.
Poetry Society of Texas Conference July 12 & 13
Spotify for Books? oooh this could get testy
Avoid Publishing-Assisted Suicide
Coffitivity are you kidding me? ambient coffee house sounds for the creatives
Killer Nashville August 22 – 25 if you missed Thrillerfest, check out this great conference with lots of literary agents and editors
How To Tell A Story this is an inspiring 20-minute TED TALK video writers really need to see
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
Cats “Play Dumb” to Survive here’s a fun and intriguing article that…well…cat owners knew this already but it’s nice science finally agrees!
American Humane’s Hero Dogs Awards plan now for this October bash!
CH InTheWind Peadar Ronan of Donegal (Ronan)
Ronan’s Big Heart Do you love Persians? Have a longhaired kitty friend? adore cats in general? All felines benefit from studies to treat and ultimately eliminate hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart ailment that took Ronan’s life August 2012. Ronan’s beloved human, Jeanne O’Donnell, is passionate about this cause for her own Persian beauties and pet cats everywhere, and calls this endeavor RONAN’S BIG HEART in honor of this lovely fellow. The genetic marker HAS been found for Maine Coons and Ragdoll cats–funding is all that stands in the way for studies to continue for Persians.
HCM Ricky Fund Brochure & Form for Persian research
Along with Jeanne, I urge you to spread the word in the pet cat community to make a donation to Persian Research via the Ricky Fund, allocated through the Winn Feline Foundation. She says, “Your participation can add miles to this research endeavor and help to ensure the future of the Persian cat breed.”
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? 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!
July 5, 2013
Help for Door Dashing Kitties
It’s the time of year when the new kitten is SURE she’s missing out–and so makes a mad door dashing escape to find out about the great outdoors. In my neck of the woods, that’s a recipe for disaster (and the coyotes). This post garnered a lot of comments when first published a couple of year’s ago, so I’m re-publishing it with some updates and tips. Note: This information and more is available in the ComPETablity: Cats book, too.
There is a saying, that a cat is “always on the wrong side of a door.” My cat Seren(dipity) faithfully adheres to this principle, although with age, her dash-for-the-door has become more like a stroll.
Dealing with door-dashing felines is particularly frustrating for owners. Even when Kitty understands that a particular location (the doorway) is forbidden, she may avoid the place when you’re looking but making a zooming escape as soon as visitors arrive and the door cracks a whisker-width open. With fireworks in the air (literally!) both last night and probably over the weekend, there’s ample opportunity for kitties to get scared, and disappear out the door.
What can you do? Recognize you will NOT stop a cat’s urge to see on the other side of the door. You cannot change instinct, but you can modify some of these irksome behaviors.
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Encourage her to stay away from danger zones with training techniques. Any time you see the cat lounging near the doorway, use an interruption such as a loud “SSST!” or clapped hands to shoo her away. The idea is to make the doorway area unappealing, so that kitty keeps away—and offer her a more rewarding pastime. Some cats are dissuaded with the help of a long-distance squirt gun aimed at their backside. However, some cats like Seren enjoy being sprayed. You have to always be there for this to work and frankly, the spray isn’t all that effective and can do damage to your relationship. There are better ways.
Make the entry way unfriendly. Many cats dislike the feeling of walking on aluminum foil, so place a couple of sheets over the walkway. Another option is to apply Sticky Paws (double-sided tape) to make the surface uncomfortable. Put the Sticky Paws on place mats positioned on the forbidden area, so it’s easily removed. You can also use clear plastic floor mats placed spike-side up so the cat will avoid the area.
The SSSCAT is a cat-repellent device that sprays a hiss of air to startle the pet that triggers the built-in motion detector—you don’t have to be present for it to work. You may also use smell deterrents to keep the cat away from forbidden doorway zones. Cats dislike citrus smells, so orange or lemon scents sprayed at the bottom of the door may help.
It’s not fair to simply forbid the cat access to a much loved activity. Offer her legal outlets that are more attractive than the forbidden zones, and she’ll naturally choose to lounge there and abandon the doorway dash.
Position a cat tree or kitty bed on a table top right in front of a window some distance away from the forbidden door. Make this the most wonderful cat lounge spot ever—hide catnip or food treats in the bed, for example. Before you go out the door, make a point of giving your cat the best-treat-in-the-world, but only if she’s on this cat tree/bed (a safe distance from the door). While she munches, you can make a safe exist. Enlist help from friends to knock at the door or ring the doorbell to practice, so arrivals also make kitty think, “Hey, it’s TREAT time!”
Choose your battles and perhaps allow her to lounge on the television as long as she leaves the doorway alone. Seren enjoys her multilevel cat tree situated next to the front door, where she can watch all comings and goings from the window—and gets paid with a treat for planting her furry tail and staying put.
Do your cats beg to go outside? Perhaps you have a terrific safe outside kitty playground–how did you create it? What are safety tips or training advice that has worked with your cat? The Ask Amy video below has some suggestions, too.
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!
July 2, 2013
Fixing Fireworks Fears in Pets
Happy Independence Day! But for our dogs and cats, they may feel anything but independent on the 4th of July when those BOOMS from fireworks fill the sky. Fireworks fears turn many pets into furry basket cases. When the bright lights and loud noises scare the weeeee outta them, the typical reaction is to hide or run away. More pets become lost on July 4th than any other day of the year. You can check out the video, below–although it’s a couple of years old, the tips are still effective.
There are several helpful products to help ease the angst, though. None are a magic bullet, but used wisely in combination with behavior modification techniques, they can help.
PHEROMONE HELP
Comfort Zone with D.A.P. (dog appeasing pheromone) is an analogue of the pheromone mom-dogs produce to calm nursing puppies. It calms the fears of dogs of any age, from puppy to aging oldster. Cats benefit from Comfort Zone with Feliway, an analogue of the cheek pheromone that tells cats their environment and territory is “safe.”
Both products come as plug-ins from pet products stores, but it won’t “drug” your dog or cat into a magic cure. It instead helps put a damper on fear long enough to “think” so that your behavior modification/training techniques can work. You’ll need to have these plugged in for several days in advance for it to offer your dog or cat the best benefits.
THUNDERSHIRT
They make these now for cats, too, and the snug vest helps pets calm down during stressful events. The company sent me one to test on Seren and it worked incredibly well to help her handle the angst of a vet check. Magical-Dawg isn’t bothered by noises but many dogs seem better able ot handle thunderstorms and fireworks flashes when wearing one of these vests. Here’s Seren wearing hers…and she talks like this all the time, that’s nothing new.
GIVE DOGS A JOB
If you engage the doggy brain, your pet won’t be able to think and perform obedience commands and panic at the same time. If he has a special toy, ask him to find the ball, or play fetch. Maybe offer a treat-stuffed puzzle toy to reward your dog for staying calm.
The best option is to prepare weeks or months in advance and counter-condition fearful pets to potentially scary noises so they learn to associate something good–a happy game or car ride–with it instead of fearful feelings. Here are 12 more tips on relieving noise anxieties.
Are your pets fearful of loud noises? What do they do? Have they ever damaged your house–or injured themselves or others during a panic attack? Is there a special way you handle the kitty or doggy panic attacks? Here are a bunch more great pet blogs for July 4th. Please share!
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I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? 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!
July 1, 2013
Monday Mentions: Grammarly, Socks Fun & Flying Cats
Last year at Thrillerfest with Paula Lanier and Jason Pinter.
Happy July! This is a busy month for me. On July 11th, I travel to New York City for Thrillerfest where I’ll be a Debut Author and talk about Lost And Found (and forthcoming sequels). This is “summer camp for thriller writers” as we rub elbows with the legends of the biz, meet readers and fans, and lug home massive bags filled with autographed summer reading fare. I–CAN’T–WAIT!
Meanwhile, though, the blog-must-go-on, as well as the writing and editing of the next books. When I wrote Lost And Found, after a dozen or more revisions and self-edits, I hired a professional editor before submitting to Cool Gus Publishing. I’ve no doubt that helped the manuscript be accepted–and of course, then we re-wrote and edited several more times. Hey, that’s how it works! But what if your own self-editing was so good that you could skip the for-pay-pro-editor step?
Is there such a thing? After being in the writing biz for more than 20 years, I’m a bit skeptical of such claims. Sure, you can run a spell-check, and software programs often highlight egregious grammatical errors, but that’s rarely good enough. Enter Grammarly, an automated online proofreader.
GRAMMARLY–PROOF READING & PLAGIARISM CHECKER
They requested that I write a “sponsored” post about Grammarly (basically an advertorial) in exchange for a $30 amazon gift card. Now, I have no objection to the occasional sponsored post–but I can’t pay my electric bill with gift cards, LOL! I was intrigued enough to do some digging and replied that I’d look into it. The company wrote back and gifted me with a free two-week premium subscription to try out the service. I’ve played with it off and on. It works great! but I have mixed feelings.
The dashboard interface is easy to use and apparently can be integrated with MS Office plugin. You can either cut-and-paste text into the window to be checked (you’ll lose formatting) or upload to the text box and then run the software.
I chose a working piece still in first edits for my puppies.about.com site (eventually to be sliced-and-diced into several shorter pieces). It wouldn’t load because the material “exceeded 20 pages of text” according to the software. Actually it’s about 14 single spaced pages. That tells me one would need to run a single chapter at a time for book-length material. Hmnn. After that, I used several of my previously published newspaper columns that typically run about 700 words, about the same length as many blog posts.
There are settings for “academic” to “casual” writing style, and I ran the same columns several different ways. My work didn’t fare particularly well–according to Grammarly, most of my columns are unpublishable, LOL! That’s okay, though, because they have no setting for ‘making up writer-icity words’ or some of the common pet-astic phraseology that I tend to use. Academic, my writing ain’t.
The same 49 issues came up when I ran the “general/default” setting or the “academic” setting–pretty harsh criticisms. Only 24 issues came up when I ran the same text through the other four categories: business, technical, creative and casual. Of those 24 issues, many were spelling flags (Shojai, www.shojai.com, PETiQuette) for items not in the Grammarly dictionary. I suspect there’s a way to add words to the dictionary, too, and/or ignore the issues that don’t need fixin’ in the piece. The software caught several comma-placement snafus (oh dear…) among other grammatical no-nos. The default explanations teach the writer, too, so over time you’ll be trained to avoid common problems.
Grammarly also includes a “plagiarism” checker. I constantly plagiarize myself, posting work on this blog that has appeared in my newspaper columns, and vice versa. The software did point out the duplications, and even prompted me to appropriately cite and quote the other appearances in the preferred format for a term paper or other academic presentation. I’ve been using Copyscape.com for this quite successfully, though (there’s a free version), so I’m not sure how helpful or unique the Grammarly version stacks up.
MY OPINION
Grammarly has potential and can be very helpful for those who cannot fund hiring real eyeballs-on-the-page editor. It will flag a host of potential problems and teach you along the way to become a more grammatically correct writer. It is especially helpful for students, for academic writers, for new writers perhaps just getting their blog-feet wet. My caution would be for established and experienced writers with a distinctive “voice” that may be changed by taking every editorial suggestion to heart. A flesh-and-blood copy editor still has the human element (even if they do eat writers for lunch!) and can better tell what works in individual circumstances.
You’ll have to tell me what you think. They have a free 7-day trial, and after that the subscription is $29.95/month, $59.95/quarter or $139.95/year. I will tell you hiring my editor cost over five times that amount–worth it, absolutely, but if you don’t have the funds this could be an option. I like the potential of the program enough to sign up for their affiliate program and share with you today. So nope, didn’t take the amazon gift card, but if anyone decides to click-through-and-subscribe I’ll get a referral fee. Please keep me posted if you like the software.
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 SQUEEE! cute pet-astic video at the bottom, too, about AIR WAFFLES. And I sort of resemble that other sock-it-to-me video (don’t look in MY sock drawer!). 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
Google Reader Alternatives a whole list if you haven’t yet switched
What’s In A Name? a debut author’s name AND title, both unpronounceable…good, bad or genius?
Stop, Thief! $2.8 Million in Textbooks Stolen by an enterprising Oklahoma salesman, wow. Now that’s ONE way to make money in books. Ahem
Here’s Ata-Boys for Indies for a change…
Author Solutions Pushing Back asking for dismissal of charges
Really Bad Advice About Reviews…so bad it’s almost funny
B&N to Stop Making Nook Readers
Linky-Luv, NOT! Indie bookstores hissed off authors link to amazon and not them…how about you? Do you link your website to a local independent?
Does “Deep Reading” Make Us More Human?
The New Journalism–Can we even call it that? Freelance writing online
Managing Your Content Rights no solutions yet. Could it be the next big $$$ for some enterprising innovator?
Name That Blog–RIGHT! good discussion about branding (check out the comments, too) from the terrific blogger Deb Barnes at her award-winning site
A Cautionary Tale About Hiring Web Designers from the always awesome Lela Davidson
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
FIP Breakthrough? this is VERY good news! And I’m told the Winn Feline Foundation Bria Fund helped fund this research.
Tidy Cats Littervention Contest combines Tidy Cats, Glade and Pawnation in a contest for a chance to win $2000 worth of goods to enhance your home and/or litter box area.
Wiley Pet Books (and others) Sold to Turner Books
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? 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!
June 28, 2013
Litter Products Review: Pure Nature, Litter One, Litter Genie & Litter Locker
Those who regularly read this blog know that formal “reviews” don’t happen very often. But lately I’ve received some invitations and free products to try, and they somehow all seem of a common aromatic theme (ahem!) and so today the blog offers a litter-ary assortment for kitty potty products. I was sent free samples from the manufacturers, and all opinions expressed are my own…and Seren’s.
Last November at the Cat Writers Association conference, those in attendance received thumb drives from Tidy Cats (a longtime conference sponsor) that included some quite clever videos promoting the new “natural” product Tidy Cats Pure Nature. They’re actually somewhat annoying but that makes them even more memorable. My favorite is below.
The video alone was enough to pique my interest, but the Tidy Cats folks did one better. They also provided each attendee a coupon for a free bag of the litter product for us to try.
Full disclosure, my cat Seren is a longtime fan of the Tidy Cats clay/clumping product so I wasn’t sure how she’d appreciate a change. At 16, she’s a bit of a fuss-budget old lady cat, too. I stuck the coupon in my purse, and each time litter box re-fill rolled around I shopped for the new litter.
I’m sure the nice folks at Tidy Cats expected a mention much earlier but it was nearly six months before Pure Nature appeared in our local stores. I only recently had the chance to give Seren the opportunity to weigh in.
As a result of attending the recent BlogPaws conference, I met with lots of paw-some products companies and got an invitation to review the Litter One kit, a self-contained fully disposable and biodegradable litter box system using pine pellets. The kit lasts 4 to 6 weeks and costs $24.95. I was sent a free kit to test with Seren, her Cranky-ness.
About the same time I received an invitation to review the Litter Genie (above). How convenient! It’s designed along the same lines as the diaper pail product for babies only works as an odor/crappiocca container for litter box creativity. I’ve been using the Litter Locker for many years, ever since I won one as part of a Cat Writers Association awards (do you see a trend here? ) With the new cat box substrates to test, it was a no brainer to accept a free Litter Genie to see how well it compared to my previous containment system.
I recently blogged about how litter evolved, and what cats tend to prefer. I always tell my consulting clients, “don’t mess with success!” and if you have a cat loyal to the box and substrate, don’t change it. Seren has never had an out-of-body(box) experience, though, and is a very confident roll-with-the-punches sort of feline. Heck, she’s got the Magical-Dawg totally buffaloed. Even so, I very carefully introduced her to both of these new litters. I added about half an inch of her favorite clumping-clay litter over the top of the new varieties. And I set the boxes side by side.
SEREN’S REVIEW: LITTER ONE
Seren totally ignored the Litter One. I suspect she didn’t recognize the pine pellets as appropriate substrate for digging. Cats tend to like very soft textures as their paw pads are quite sensitive, and since Seren is quite arthritic, this may also have been an issue. Granted, if that had been ALL that I offered (she had no other choice) she may have transitioned more willingly to give this a try.
Personally, I very much like the “environmentally friendly” design, and the pellets smell fresh and do offer odor containment. Litter One was awarded the Becker’s Best Award at the 2013 Global Pet Expo as the best new product–(that’s my buddy and one-time co-author Dr. Marty Becker!) and the innovation is clever and appeals to pet parents. For cats already accustomed to pelleted substrate, this would be a terrific option. I would caution that the size of the Litter One box may be an issue with large cats. Although it is a standard commercial box size, those tend to run small which is why I often recommend purchasing a much larger plastic storage bin-type box instead. For a multi-cat household, remember the 1+1 rule (one box per cat, plus one) may impact the cost factor as well.
Litter One offers a variety of Partner Programs for veterinarians, humane societies, rescue centers and other cat service agencies–kudos to the company. I’m all for owner convenience and preference. But cat vote trumps humans paws down.
SEREN’S REVIEW: PURE NATURE
A 12-pound bag costs about $16
Seren immediately accepted the Pure Nature without hesitation.
It’s lighter weight than clumping clay, has a fresh scent, and feels (to me) very similar in texture but smoother. It clumps in a similar fashion to clay products, too. The clumps are not quite as solid, though, and may break apart if you scoop too soon after the…uh…deposit…but I didn’t find issues with them breaking apart. With multiple cats that tromp over top of waste before you have a chance to scoop, that could be a problem. This product has much less dust than the clay clumping Tidy Cats I used before, too.
The scent is a bit too strong for my tastes but didn’t seem to bother Seren–that could be an issue with some cats. Kitty doesn’t mind her own smell but harsh perfumes can really make her avoid the facilities. But where I really noticed a difference was tracking–there was almost no tracking compared to the clay. What did spill from the box vaccumed up completely while the clay clumping is so heavy it always leaves some behind. Seren’s primary box is in my office on carpet, in my walk-in-closet-aka-audio-recording-studio, so keeping it clean and fresh is important.
Will I purchase another bag when it’s time to refurbish the kitty potty? Absolutely–if I can find it locally again. That could be a deal breaker, although online suppliers do offer the product (click the picture for a link).
AMY’S REVIEW: LITTER GENIE & LITTER LOCKER
Now we come to the Litter Genie. It costs about $14.99 ($7.99 for refill) at Target, and requires disposable plastic baggy liners that come in cartridge inserts, about $24 for a 3-pack, each said to last up to two months per cat. I’ve not used it yet for two months so can’t speak to this. Once loaded into the plastic container, the lid opens for you to dump scooped waste into the top opening, which is contained inside the plastic sleeve liner. A spring-loaded internal plastic divider ‘pinches’ closed the neck of the bag to block the reservoir of waste below and contain odor. The system comes with a litter box scoop.
For a single cat, the Litter Genie may work effectively. I found that the light weight of the Pure Nature litter meant I had to shake the container to ensure the waste dropped completely through. I also had to juggle to pull out the divider so that it would pass through to the bottom of the bin, a somewhat awkward design. Therefore, I had to fill up the top bin to capacity, stop, pull out the divider and agitate the pail to make it drop through, and then release the spring loaded pinch-divider. Also, the scoop (which fits in the side) is tiny and pretty much worthless as a scooper unless you have a kitten. Once the bin becomes full, there’s a “child safe cutter” to cut off the bag but I couldn’t get that to work and used scissors. With Seren (a tiny single cat) the bin filled up pretty quickly and I can’t imagine how often a multi-cat household would need to do this. The Litter Genie worked well and effectively and is an economic option for single cat households. 9.5 x 8.5 x 17 inches ; 3.3 pounds
The Litter Locker is pricier–but also works better–at about $46 and inserts cost about $29 for a 5-pack.
Once I’ve run out of the insert cartridges for the Litter Genie I’ll go back to using the Litter Locker (above). It costs more than double but has a much larger capacity to hold waste, and is much simpler to use without having to juggle pulling out/holding the canister itself. It also came with a (pretty worthless tiny) litter scooper, and I suspect this design “feature” is more for looks than functionality. It also uses plastic sleeves in cartridges inserted in the top. Waste also is dropped through the top opening–so far, very similar to the Litter Genie, but there the comparisons change.
There’s no spring-loaded pull-out smell-container to manage. Instead, simply close the lid, and then turn the side carousel a half turn. That wraps the waste-filled sleeve around the internal spindle. To empty, open the hinged middle, scissor off one end and knot, and toss the bagged waste away. Because of the larger capacity, it’s better able to manage multiple cats’ waste, and with my one tiny kitty, it doesn’t need to be emptied very often at all. The Litter Locker is 14″ long, 8.8″ wide and 15.4″ high.
How do you handle getting rid of your cats’ creativity? Do you prefer “natural” litter? How do you choose what kind of litter products to use with your cats–ever try something new and how did your cats vote?
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!
June 26, 2013
Pet Water Safety Warnings
Uschi (the “cover dog” on my LOST AND FOUND thriller) swims safely.
Summer time fun can mean time spent at the lake, swimming and paddling about to stay cool. Maybe you’re a lifeguard–and maybe you’re pro-active and keep your two-legged kids (and yourself) safe.
What about the dog?
Dogs can drowned. While most instinctively “dog paddle” and can manage to stay afloat, some breed conformation types (Bulldogs, for instance) more readily sink. And any dog unable to gain purchase to climb out of the drink–a slippery or steep lake bank, or hard to reach swimming pool ladder–can become exhausted and can die.
Pet life preservers come in all sizes–click the picture (above) to see what’s right for your dog (or cat!).
Here in North Texas, Lake Texoma can be a fun place to spend time with your furry friend. Boating safety means taking care of yourself with life preservers, AND providing for your pet’s safety. A number of pet products companies offer doggy (and kitty) life preservers (like the one above–”click” the picture for more info), or even doggie deck booties for non-skid paws.
North American Safe Boating Campaign offers 5 tips for boating safety with your dog.
KNOW YOUR PET. Make sure s/he can swim, isn’t afraid of loud noises, and has basic obedience manners so isn’t a distraction and danger to the boat captain. Motors and other unfamiliar sounds (or people) could put your pet’s tail in a twist. Go for some trial runs, bringing your dog on the boat while moored, starting the engine, and checking for reaction during short exposures. Use some of the same tips for getting him used to car rides. That helps him get used to the boat’s movement, too–so you can find out if he gets seasick or not.
FIT FIDO FOR FUN. Everyone, even your dog, should have a properly fitting life jacket. Life jackets for humans are NOT meant for pets–and kids need appropriate kid-size US Coast Guard-approved life jackets. Also, be sure you know your dog’s weight to check the weight limits of the life jacket.
WEIGH THE RISKS. Be sure your boat’s weight capacity isn’t exceeded by adding your pet to the crew. While the little guys may not make much of a difference, the water-loving Labs and other big dogs could tip the scales in a bad way.
PROVIDE FOR DOGGY DRINKS. Pets can get sick if they drink from lakes or rivers that often contain parasites or chemical run offs, and salt water isn’t drinkable, either. Be sure to pack water bowls and share your own fresh water.
PROTECT PAW PADS. The boat’s surface under the hot sun can get uncomfortably warm. If it’s too hot for your bare feet, your pet could get burned, too, so make sure your pets have safe surfaces to stand. Here are some more tips for keeping pets cool.
How to you maintain water safety for your fur kids? Do they enjoy the water or fear it? Have you taught your pets how to get out of the water if they happen to fall in the pool? Magical-Dawg loves wading but has frightened himself a time or two when he dove after a floating toy in water over his head.
Here are some more swimming safety tips to prevent pool pet problems (say THAT fast five times!), along with first aid for drowning that I hope you’ll never need. What are some other important issues to address?
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? 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!
