Amy Shojai's Blog, page 123
December 14, 2012
Holiday Sparkles, A Cat-Mas Story
16 year’s ago a furry waif came to live with us . . .
Crash-galumph-galumph-skiiiiiiid-thump!
“Amy! Will you please get your cat before she tears up the house?”
I sighed, and pushed away from the computer. My husband grew up cat-less. Mahmoud neither understood nor appreciated kitten antics, especially while he watched television sports.
Crash-galumph-galumph-skiiiiiiid-thump!
“Ameeeeeeee!”
By the sound of it, the eight-month-old delinquent had donned virtual racing stripes. She ran laps that traversed the carpeted living room and family room, slid across the oak floor entry, bumped down steps to the dining room, then finished with a claw-scrabbling turn around the slate-tiled kitchen.
Thumpa-thumpata-thumpa-THUMP!
Aha, a new path discovered . . . The sound grew louder as she raced toward me up the stairs and flew down the hallway to land tippy-toed on the guest bed across the hall from my office. I peeked inside.
Seren(dipity) stared back with blue-jean-colored eyes. Then she self-inflated in mock terror and began trampoline calisthenics (boing-boing-boing) on the mattress.
I quickly shut the door, confining the demon seed–my husband’s name for her–to my upstairs domain.
Back in June, a friend discovered the dumped kitten napping in an empty flowerpot on the back porch and called me, her pet-writer buddy, for help. I had been pet-less for longer than I cared to admit. E-mail, phone and fax lines kept me connected to my clients and colleagues, but I figured the kitten would brighten the long, sometimes lonely workdays. Besides, as a pet writer I needed a pet. So it was Amy-to-the-rescue, and love at first sight.
My husband wasn’t so easily smitten. He still missed our elderly and sedate German shepherd but cherished the freedom of being pet-less. I convinced him a lap-snuggling kitten would be no trouble. Besides, the cream-color carpet he’d chosen matched the color of Seren’s fur. It had to be an omen.
The cat gods have a wicked sense of humor. They made me pay for that fib.
The Siamese wannabe had no off-switch. She talked nonstop and demanded the last word. She opened drawers and explored kitchen cabinets. She answered my office phone but never took messages. And she left legions of sparkle ball toys everywhere.
The colorful toys polka-dotted the stairs. You’d think a peacock threw up. The toys floated in the kitten’s water bowl, swirled in the toilet, and bobbed in my coffee cup. And Seren hid sparkle balls everywhere to later stalk and paw-capture them from beneath household appliances.
Mahmoud quickly learned to check his shoes each morning before putting them on. He was not amused. I knew better than to suggest he should be grateful Seren only stuffed his shoes with sparkle balls and not–ahem–other items.
I’d managed to buffer the cat-shock-effect over the past months by keeping her in my office during the day and wearing Seren out with lots of games before Mahmoud came home from work. Weekends proved a challenge. By Monday morning, my husband reached his kitty threshold and welcomed a return to the cat-free-zone at work.
But now the holidays loomed. Mahmoud looked forward to two weeks at home, two weeks of relaxation, two weeks of napping on the couch in front of the TV.
Two weeks sharing the house with “the devil.”
It would indeed be a Christmas miracle if we survived with sense of humor intact.
In the past we’d often visited my folks over the holidays where we enjoyed a traditional snowy Indiana Christmas morning, stocking stuffers, decorated tree, lots of relatives, and a sumptuous turkey dinner. This year we planned a quiet celebration at home in Texas, so snow wasn’t an option. But I wanted to decorate with lots of holiday sparkles to make the season as festive as possible.
“A Christmas tree? Don’t cats climb trees?” Mahmoud’s you-must-be-insane expression spoke volumes. He’d already blamed Seren for dumping his coffee on the cream-colored carpet. Maybe matching fur color wasn’t such a great omen after all.
But ‘tis the season of peace on earth, and I wanted to keep the peace–and the cat. So I agreed. No tree.
Mahmoud didn’t particularly care if we decorated at all since Christmas isn’t a part of his cultural or religious tradition. But he knew I treasured everything about the holidays. So we compromised.
Gold garland with red velvet poinsettias festooned the curving staircase, wrapping around and around the banisters and handrail. Gold beads draped the fireplace mantel, with greeting cards propped above. A red cloth adorned the dining room table, while in the living room, the candelabra with twelve scented candles flickered brightly from inside the fireplace. Other candles in festive holders decorated the several end tables, countertops and the piano.
The centerpiece of Christmas décor was the large glass-top coffee table placed midway between the fireplace, TV and the leather sofa. The wooden table base carried puppy teeth marks, silent reminders of the dog Mahmoud and I still mourned. Since we had no tree, the table served to display brightly wrapped packages that fit underneath out of the way. And on top of the table I placed Grandma’s lovely three-piece china nativity of Mary, Joseph and the Baby in the manger.
Grandma died several years before, right after the holidays. Each family member was encouraged to request something of hers to keep as a special remembrance, and I treasured Grandma’s nativity. The simple figurines represented not only the Holy Family but evoked the very essence of Grandma and every happy family holiday memory.
Of course, Seren created her own memories and put her paw into everything. It became her purpose in life to un-festoon the house. She “disappeared” three of the faux poinsettias, risked singed whiskers by sniffing candles, and stole bows off packages.
She decided the red tablecloth set off her feline beauty. She lounged in the middle of the table beneath the Tiffany-style shade that doubled as a heat lamp, shedding tiny hairs onto the fabric. As every cat lover eventually learns, fur is a condiment. But Mahmoud had not yet joined the cat-lover ranks and was not amused.
“Off! Get off the table. Amy, she’ll break your glass lampshade.”
Crash-galumph-galumph-skiiiiiiid-thump!
Mahmoud had no sooner resettled onto the sofa to watch the TV when the whirling dervish hit again. The twinkling gold beads dangling from the mantel caught her predatory attention. Seren stalked them from below, quickly realized she couldn’t leap that high, and settled for pouncing onto the top of the TV. From there, only a short hop separated her from the ferocious mantel quarry she’d targetted.
“Off! Get off the TV. Amy, will you come get your cat?”
Crash-galumph-galumph-skiiiiiiid-thump!
I arrived in time to see her complete a second Mario Andretti lap. I swear she grinned at us as she skidded past. With the next drive-by Seren stopped long enough to grab my ankle, execute a ten-second feline headstand while bunny-kicking my calves, then resumed her mad dash around the house.
Mahmoud glared. “I thought you said cats sleep sixteen hours a day.”
I shrugged and hid a smile. Seren had already learned what buttons to push. Rattling the wooden window blinds worked extremely well, but now she need only eye the decorations to garner all the attention she craved.
Cute kitty. Smart kitty. Mahmoud wasn’t amused, but I was.
She raced into the living room, leaped onto the glass top table, and belly-flopped alongside my treasured Holy Family . . .
“Off! Get off.” Mahmoud shooed the kitten out of the danger zone before I could react in shock. This time, I was not amused.
Mahmoud knew what Grandma’s nativity meant to me. “Decorating was your idea. Don’t blame me if the devil breaks something,” he warned.
Before he could suggest it, I caught the miscreant and gave her a time out in the laundry room to cool her jets. We’d relegated Seren’s potty, food bowls and bed to this room and routinely confined her at night or when away. Otherwise, she set off motion detectors and the house alarm–or dismantled the house while we slept. Besides, Mahmoud complained Seren’s purring kept him awake at night.
I used a wooden yardstick to fish toys from beneath the washer/dryer to provide necessary feline entertainment during the incarceration. Several dozen sparkle balls–red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink, purple–and the three missing faux poinsettias emerged, along with an assortment of dust bunnies and dryer lint.
I sighed. The kitten’s age meant several more months of madcap activity and I wasn’t sure how much more Mahmoud could take. He only saw Seren at full throttle. He also suffered from “Saint Spot Syndrome” which meant he recalled only the happy memories of our beloved dog, and overlooked potty accidents, chewed shoes and other normal canine misbehaviors of the past.
Seren suffered mightily in the comparison.
I felt exhausted after the first week of running vacation interference between my husband and the kitten. Whenever possible I kept Seren confined with me in my upstairs office but that backfired. She slept in my office, but once downstairs she turned into a dynamo intent on pick-pick-picking at Mahmoud especially when he ignored her.
The second week began, and as Christmas drew near I found more and more errands that required my attention outside of the house. Mahmoud came with me for some, but other times he preferred TV.
“Just lock up the devil before you leave so she doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I don’t want to watch her.”
It made me nervous to leave them alone together in the house. I worried that Seren might commit some last straw infraction and I’d be unable to salvage any potential relationship. I loved her, heaven help me; she’d hooked her claws deep into my heart. And I loved Mahmoud. I wanted my two loves to at least put up with each other.
But as I prepared to leave I couldn’t find her. At less than five pounds, Seren could hide in the tiniest spaces. One time I found her inside the box springs of the guest bed, but that day–December 23rd–she disappeared and refused to come out of hiding.
I think she planned it. Maybe the spirit of the holidays inspired her. Or perhaps some other loving canine (or grandmotherly) influence worked its Christmas magic. Whatever the motivation, when I returned home that rainy December evening, my unspoken holiday wish had been granted.
I found my husband napping on the sofa. On the glass top table beside him the Holy Family nested in a radiance of sparkle balls–an inspired feline gift of toys for a very special Child.
And atop Mahmoud’s chest, quiet at last, rested a very happy kitten.
Mahmoud roused enough to open one eye. “Fafnir–I mean Seren still purrs too loud,” he grumbled.
Fafnir had been the name of our dog.
With a nod toward the overcast day Mahmoud added, “At least our cat won’t need to be walked in the rain.”
Seren blinked blue-jean-colored eyes and purred louder.
Note: This first appeared in a short story collection titled Christmas Cats: A Literary Companion (Chamberlain Bros. Publishing), and again here last year on the blog. May your Christmas be joyous, bright, and filled with loving woofs and purrs.
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, listen to the weekly radio show, 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!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, cat behavior, cat play, cats, Christmas, Holiday Sparkles story, kittens, www.amyshojai.com
December 13, 2012
Guest Post at Sheila Bonham’s Blog
Yesterday I was bad. *hanging head* I almost forgot to send my guest post to the amazing talented dog mystery author Sheila Bonham’s WRITING ON WEDNESDAY blog. It’s been crazy, and I’ve had soooo many guest posts and special blogs scheduled that if she hadn’t sent me a gentle reminder, I’d have missed out altogether. So even though it’s a day late, I like to return the favor by a shout-out of warm wags and suchlike and send you to visit her terrific site.
Sheila writes the new Animals In Focus mystery series, with the first book Drop Dead On Recall just recently released. I’ve known Sheila and admired her dog writing work for many years–we both started out with nonfiction and are members of the Dog Writers Association of America–and now International Thriller Writer debut authors. Anyway, my guest post is all about 7 TIPS FOR ACCIDENTAL WRITER SUCCESS.
Oh, and to top off this thrilling Thursday theme and in time for the holidays, sign up for a book give away (below). Happy to paw-tograph to the winners. And looky, there’s only a few signed up so far so your chances are pretty good.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Lost And Found
by Amy Shojai
Giveaway ends December 25, 2012.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
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, listen to the weekly radio show, 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!
Filed under: Dog Training & Care, Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, dogs, Lost And Found, mysteries, Sheila Bonham, Thrillers, www.amyshojai.com
December 12, 2012
Cake & Authors & Books, Oh My!
Seren thought the cake was for her! And she was considerate enough to try and taste-test before it was served to others.
Last Saturday evening I had my first ever book discussion group for LOST AND FOUND. We had a wonderful time and I wanted to share a couple of pictures of the fun cake made for the event.
Attendees got a “cutting” look at the cake and immediately understood the “point” I wanted to make because they are all “sharp” readers. *groan…*
Last Wednesday I shared with you my LOST AND FOUND/NEXT BIG THING blog hop. And today, the five authors I “tagged” last week have posted their own blogs you’ll want to check out, featuring new books. Just in time for the holidays, discover these great authors and books! Happy Writing and Reading!
Clea Simon writes awesome cat-centric mysteries and I know her through membership in the Cat Writers Association. Check out her great blog at Cats, Crime & Rock & Roll
Arden Moore, America’s Pet Edu-Tainer, writes terrific cat and dog care books, one of which was ranked #3 of ALL BOOKS on amazon! In a former life Arden was my editor, and we share a birthday (one month apart). She has some new books in the pipeline and blogs at Four Legged Life
Carol Shenold has been in my writers group for more than 20 years and is one of my dearest friends and a talented tech writer and novelist. She writes paranormal mysteries. Learn about her work and check out her Monster Under The Bed blog.
Check out Michael W. Sherer blog here. He writes terrific mysteries AND thrillers. I met him through Thriller Writers, and he invited me to participate in an AWESOME Kindle Fire give-away (plus some autographed books from famous thriller authors).
Victor DiGenti (writing as Parker Francis) publishes mysteries and has also written award-winning YA cat fantasy. Like Clea, we also met through Cat Writers Association.
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, listen to the weekly radio show, 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!
Filed under: Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, Arden Moore, Carol Shenold, Clea Simon, Lost And Found, Michael W Sherer, Parker Francis, The Next Big Thing Blog, thriller, Victor DiGenti, writing, www.amyshojai.com
Cold Protection for Hot Dogs & Cats
Bruno enjoys a snowy day! Image Copr Dave M Hunt Photography
Do your fur-kids enjoy the cold weather? Or do they use shivery days to campaign for more lap time?
Magic loves seeing his breath and would spend lots more time outside–if his humans could stand it! Seren-kitty, though, is a heat seeking kitty and has staked out several warm nap spots throughout the house. What about your cats and dogs? Paws up, or down, to winter?
Sure, they have fur mufflers to keep icy winter blasts at bay. But pets risk cold weather dangers just as much as people do, and maybe even more. Because most folks have a warm place to retreat, and not all cats and dogs have this luxury. Others, like Magical-Dawg, may not have the sense to come in from the cold when they’d rather play in the frigid temps.
I grew up in Northern Indiana and hated the cold–I still do, although I do appreciate seeing a white Christmas (but from the view inside the house, LOL!). My thriller LOST AND FOUND takes place during a freak blizzard that puts a little boy and his service dog at risk for freezing to death. The main character September offers cold weather pet tips in a radio interview as the book opens. But I thought y’all might like some more of the furry de-tails (sorry, couldn’t resist!).
How Pets Stay Warm
Dogs and cats don’t benefit from gi-normous dog houses, and even the garage (unless it’s heated!) may not be protective. Instead, they curl up in small shelters that can be warmed by their own body heat.
Shelter from the wind and precipitation is vital. Fluffed fur traps warm air next to the skin in an insulating layer, but wind strips that away.Getting wet makes the cold worse, when fur can’t fluff to hold warm air. A twenty-mile-per-hour wind makes forty-degree weather feel like 18 degrees, more than enough to cause frostbite in an unprotected cat or dog.
Adult dog and cat body temperature ranges from about 100 to 102.5 degrees F. Puppies and kittens, though, have trouble maintaining body temperature. Newborn pups and kittens must pile together in furry bundles, or snuggle next to Mom–and if left alone, they can develop hypothermia and die even in mild weather. Huddling together shares warmth and reduces wind loss of heat, and shivering generates heat.
Shorthaired pets have less protection but even fuzzy critters are at risk. Thinly furred areas or body parts exposed to the wind or that come in contact with the icy ground have little protection from the cold.
Pets conserves heat by diverting blood circulation from the ear tips, toes and tail to protect the vital organs in the central part of the body. But reduced circulation to these extremities increases the chance for frostbite.
What Is Frostbite?
Tissue is 90 percent water. When frozen, cells rupture when the water expands just like ice cubes overflowing the tray. The resulting damage—termed frostbite—can be painful and severe.
Frostbite turns the skin pale white, gray or blue. Fur may hide the damage but you’ll notice pets limp from frozen toes, frozen ear tips or tails droop, and the skin will be very cold, hard, and nonpliable.
Redness, blisters, and serious infection develop days later. If it’s really severe, the affected tissue turns leathery and insensitive to sensation. If not removed surgically, those areas fall off. When I worked as a vet tech in Eastern Kentucky, we often had pet patients that lost parts of ears, toes and in one memorable case, an Elkhound lost his curled tail. All cases of frostbite need veterinary attention after first aid. You can learn more about pet frostbite and first aid tips here.
What Is Hypothermia?
While frostbite causes discomfort and damage to the extremities, hypothermia happens when overall body temperature falls below normal. In people hypothermia is defined as body temperature lower than 95 degrees, and treatment is vital to survival. When body temperature falls too low in pets, they can die.
Mild hypothermia happens if body temperature drops to between 95 to 99 degrees F. Pets act a bit sluggish and lethargic, and you’ll see muscle tremors and shivering. Moderate hypothermia is more serious when the temperature falls to 91 to 95 degrees. Severe hypothermia is body temperature 90 degrees or less, and is an emergency—take your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible! Pets lose the ability to shiver if their body temperature falls to 90 degrees or below, so that’s a warning sign. They may fall unconscious, and rescue breathing may be necessary. Learn more about hypothermia and home first aid here.
The best protection is to provide shelter from the wet and cold. Bring outdoor cats and dogs inside during severe cold. Why not snuggle together, share body heat and protect each other safe from Old Man Winter’s dangers?
So how do you protect your pets from cold weather? Do tell!
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, listen to the weekly radio show, 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!
Filed under: Dog Training & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, dogs, first aid, frostbite, hypothermia, pets, www.amyshojai.com
December 10, 2012
Monday Mentions: Audio Kittens, Plush Pups & Writing Awesomeness
$500 drawing for posting! Click Banner to find out more!
Today I want to draw everyone’s attention to that big-a$$ banner at the top of the post–to get your name in the drawing, bloggers need to register to post about this very cool holiday book promo. I registered already. *s* Hey, who couldn’t use an extra $500 around the holidays?
I’ve got news! My book COMPLETE KITTEN CARE is now available as an audio book at Audible.com and I’m told will soon be available on iTunes and link to the Amazon Kindle version. Oh, and I narrated the book. Just in time for help with those holiday kittens…of course I hope y’all do everything right if you choose to adopt at this time of year. 
Also, I just read a delightful new book by a new author–I call it “Harry Potter with cat characters.” I love discovering great new reads, and although I don’t usually go for “talking cats” when they’re like humans with fur coats, this one really sucked me in. I’ve already invited Virginia to join CWA. You can check out my review of Apprentice Cat here.
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 awesome links, below, and I’d love it if you’d post your own shout-outs about great books for the holidays in the comments section. Yes, this is permission to PIMP YOUR OWN/OTHERS WORK! Go for it!
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
Password Scams some great info for everyone–but especially for evil-minded plot-driven writers. Hey, I’m going to use this!
Fundamentals Of A KickStarter Program we all need funding for our projects–but how to get crowd funding to work? Some tips here.
Is Amazon Killing Indie Publishing? insightful post, thanks to Diane Capri for sharing.
Amazon’s 2013 Breakout Novel Contest
Great Articles from ASJA for writers, of course. Lots to read here–thanks to Sally Bahner for the head’s up.
Writing Email Updates Fans Actually Read! another from Diane Capri (yes, you should be FB friending her!)
4 Ways Authors Sabotage Themselves on Facebook
Build Your Platform a review of a book on the subject that may prove helpful
Get Twitter Hashtags to Work For You and here’s another helpful article, thanks to Stacy Green Whisenand for the links
Best Biz Advice for Writers a roundup of AWESOME articles from Jane Friedman
PET-CENTRIC SCHTUFF
Dog Spotters a fun new app for iPad and iPhone that let’s you “collect” and learn about 200 dog breeds–if you enjoy bird watching, dog spotting will be the next new furry BIG THING! My colleague Caroline Coile had a paw in this creative fun hobby, check it out.
Pet Food Drive for the holidays . . . great endeavor. My church does this on the local level, providing our “soup kitchen” guests also with pet food for their furry companions–it frees up funds for other important items.
FreeKibble.com and FreeKibbleCat.com are more terrific venues for getting food to needy pets. Ellen DeGeneres is involved, of course, and the initiative will deliver 500,000 meals of all natural Halo Spot’s Stew to pets in need across the country.
Stephanie Piro’s Awesome Cat Cartoon Calendar is now available, you won’t want to miss this!
My colleague Cat Man Drew paints amazing cat works of art–Click the picture to check out his site for holiday gifts!
This video comes courtesy of Dakota’s Den blog and I just had to share!
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, listen to the weekly radio show, 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!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care, Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, audio books, cat behavior, Christmas pet gifts, Complete Kitten Care, dog training, pets, writing advice, www.amyshojai.com
December 7, 2012
Help! My Pet Hates My Date!
Even if the pets get along–what if your furry wonder objects to your new human love?
The holidays are the perfect time to meet new people at festive parties, spend time with that new person in your life and share the joy of a happy new relationship with your fur-kids. When love is in the air, everyone’s happy, right?
So why did Sheba hiss and baptize his shoes? What’s up when King steals the bridal bouquet and growls at her voice. Why can’t your pet love your human soul mate as much as you? I wrote this article over a year ago for PawNation but they’ve taken it down–so I’m re-posting it here because I get so many folks looking for this information. Check out the ASK AMY video at the end, too.
Any change of routine can threaten a pets’ sense of security. When you spend time with your new love, your pet misses you and feels lonely—and you SMELL weird, like that stranger! Dogs and cats often feel proprietary toward their special human and take offense at new people invading their territory.
If you want to turn suspicion to adoration, don’t forget to romance the pets too. Here’s how to convince the cat and dog to welcome him—or her—into the family.
Find Dog-Neutral Territory. It helps immensely to introduce your dog to the new person on neutral territory such as the park, prior to allowing the boyfriend or girlfriend to “invade” your apartment. This gives the person a chance to play ball with King, make friends, and establish a positive association before asking the dog to make room in his home and heart.
Boost Pet Confidence. Many felines and some dogs feel shy or even fearful around strangers. Give Sheba an elevated perch such as a cat tree or chair back to help boost her confidence and make her feel safe. Ask your human guest to avoid making eye contact, which can threaten shy cats and dogs, and instead ignore the pet. That can generate curiosity and build confidence so pets want to investigate further.
Let Pets Make the First Move. Don’t force introductions. When the dog or cat does approach, demonstrate how to greet your pet. Offer a closed hand below the pet’s chin level for a proper dog sniff. That also invites cats to sniff or head-butt, a very positive sign that “marks” with kitty scent. Pets feel intimidated by strange hands coming down toward their heads, so avoid petting unless the cat or dog asks for it.
Diffuse The Angst. Fearful dogs may benefit from using a canine pheromone product called Comfort Zone with DAP that helps diffuse fear. Cats benefit from a similar pheromone product called Feliway that tells them their environment is safe. DAP and Feliway are available from pet products stores as a spray or plug-in diffuser.
Love Pets With Goodies. Help your pets associate the new person in your life with only good things. For instance, ask your soul mate to fill the food bowl, offer tasty treats, and engage in fun interactive games. Flashlight tag with the cat offers a long-distance game so Sheba can keep a safe distance but still appreciate the fun. Once your new love wins over the affection of one of the furry crew, that pet can be the role model for shyer cats and dogs.
Don’t Ignore The Fur-Kids. Make special time for your pets when you pay attention to the newcomer in the house. Ignoring the pack in favor of the new person tells your dogs they must compete for your attention. While you snuggle with your beau, make room on your lap for a cat or two, or toss tasty treats for dogs to fetch, so they associate the new person with good things. If they only get these “special” bonuses when your soul mate is present, the cat and dog will be more likely to open their heart to his or her presence.
Use Kitty Perfume. Cats identify “friends” by rubbing against them and cheek marking with scent. Speed up this scent-marking process by making the new person smell like you, someone your cat already identifies as safe and loved. Use a bit of your favorite perfume, cologne, or vanilla extract and dab just a bit on the visitor’s pant cuffs or ankles. Also dab a bit of the perfume or cologne on the back of the cats’ necks and at the base of their tails so they smell like the “scary stranger” and won’t be so fearful. If the kitty cheek-rubs your new love, consider that a positive paw-step in the right direction.
In the perfect romantic fantasy, Charming-Fella and Slender-Ella meet, fall in love, and their pets Prince and Cinders welcome the relationship with purrs and howls of delight. But when love potions, animal magnetism and charm fail to win over reluctant pets—or your new human “soul mate” refuses to make the effort—consider this:
Maybe you should listen to what the pets are trying to tell you!
Do your pets “know” when something is off with that new person in your life? What would you do if your sweetheart made you choose: them or your pets? Do you put your dates through the “pet test” to be sure they’re approved? Do tell!
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, listen to the weekly radio show, 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!
Filed under: Ask Amy Videos, Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, Ask Amy video, how to introduce pets to new people, my boyfriend hates my cat, my cat hates my sweetheart, my pet hates my date, www.amyshojai.com
December 6, 2012
Pet-Centric Book Talk–You’re Invited!
“Can I come too? I like cake!”
This Saturday, December 8 from 6-7:30 pm, please join me for coffee, cake and Q&A at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1515 N Travis, Sherman, TX.
BOOK DISCUSSION
Come one, come all, come ye merry PET LOVERS and Thrill-Seekers!
FREE pet care talk and discussion featuring my dog-viewpoint thriller LOST AND FOUND. I’ll “paw-tograph” the books you’ve got and/or sign book plates for future gifts.
I will have only a half dozen copies of LOST AND FOUND on hand, because 1) I ain’t a book store and that’s all I got and 2. this isn’t about selling books–it’s for fun edu-tainment about pets, pet behavior, and writing about the furry wonders. If you’ve already read the book, or plan to read the book–or are simply curious about the writer-ly process, OR HAVE PET QUESTIONS YOU WANT ANSWERED! please come.
Find out more about how LOST AND FOUND came to be written. Find out what happens next to September and Shadow. And find out the reasons behind any dog/cat issues you’ve wanted answered. For instance, how to keep Kitty of the Christmas tree, or stop your bark-maniacs from piercing your eardrums. *s*
BOOK GIVE-AWAY!
Yes, I’ll also have a drawing for a copy of LOST AND FOUND (and maybe some other pet-centric goodies!). To be entered in the drawing you must be present, AND you must bring pet food to (one can would do, but more would be welcome). The guests at the Sherman Soup Kitchen have pets and this time of year especially would appreciate some help feeding their furry wonders.
Please share this post. Invite friends. I’ve already ordered the CAKE! (bribes are legal, right….?) And no matter how the Magical-Dawg and Seren-Kitty beg for the cake leftovers, it’s just not good for them…so help me keep them (and me!) slim by attending and making sure there are no cake leftovers. See y’all Saturday!
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, listen to the weekly radio show, 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!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care, Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, Lost And Found, pet advice, pet talk, thriller, writing advice, www.shojai.com
December 5, 2012
Weird Stuff Dogs Eat
“But…it tasted soooooooooooooooo gooooooooooooooood!”
Owners fill bowls with nutritious food to keep dogs healthy. So why do dogs eat weird, disgusting and even dangerous stuff?
Dogs use their mouths the way we use our hands. They pick up objects and explore their world by mouthing, tasting, and chewing. That sometimes gets them into trouble if they swallow something they shouldn’t.
Eating Grass
As omnivores dogs benefit from eating vegetables or fruits. Even coyotes and wolves eat vegetable matter found in the stomach of prey, as well as roots, grasses and fruit. Dogs often beg for and enjoy snacks of raw vegetables like lettuce, green beans and carrots. Magical-Dawg loves broccoli and asparagus, for instance, but for some reason turns up his nose at green beans. And he likes to eat grass, especially the fresh growth, usually during his early morning walk before he’s had breakfast. And then he URPS it back up.
Most pet dogs occasionally eat grass, which may provide vitamins the dog craves, or he may simply like the taste. Dogs also eat grass to stimulate vomiting when they feel bad. That happens with Magic, when his empty tummy makes him feel yucky. Occasional grazing isn’t a cause for concern unless he turns it into an obsession or he gnaws poisonous houseplants.
Poop Eating Pups
Poop eating—called coprophagia—disgusts owners but this common habit comes naturally especially to puppies. Mom-dogs keep the nest clean by picking up after the babies, and youngsters typically copy-cat the behavior. Most pups outgrow the habit. But many dogs continue to snack on cat box “treats” or the leavings of cows and horses because—well—it must taste good to them. Also, the cat, horse or other critter may not have completely digested all the nutrients so the dog relishes giving the poop another chance. Magical-Dawg did this when he was a baby. Thank heaven he outgrew the nasty habit! I have some more info and tips how to curb the habit in this poopy-licious article.
Eating Dirt
We’re not sure why dogs eat dirt but many seem to relish certain types of soil. Some wild animals target clay-like soils that naturally absorb toxins, and others are known to eat mineral-rich dirt to supplement their diet.
For dogs, scent probably plays a role. Perhaps another animal has “marked” that spot of dirt, so the dog tastes to get a better “read” on the message. Dogs seem to preferentially target specific types or locations of dirt, too. Eating too much dirt can plug up doggy plumbing but an occasional taste probably isn’t worry-worthy.
Eating “Stuff”
Dogs swallow an amazing range of nonedible items and it goes beyond eating the kid’s homework. The behavior is called pica, and can be an accident when the dog gulps down a piece of a toy. Pica may be purposeful if the object proves too tempting—baby bottle nipples that smell of milk, used tampons, and grease-smeared foil or turkey-basted string prove irresistible to dogs.
The most common item is socks, followed by underwear, panty hose, rocks, balls, chew toys, bones, hair ties/ribbons, and sticks. Most items tend to be owner-scented objects and dirty diapers are another favorite—it combines the attraction of poop-eating.
But some dogs seem drawn to such weird items as pagers, hearing aids, drywall, batteries, rubber bands, or anything (including sand!) with bacon grease poured on it. Dogs develop bad habits out of boredom, stress or even obsessive-compulsive behaviors and turn into garbage disposals. These dogs chew and suck down rocks and sticks.
Poke The Poop
In most cases small objects pass harmlessly through the body and end up on the lawn within 24-72 hours. Get a stick and wear gloves to poke through the doggy droppings to be sure he’s gotten rid of the object. Feeding your dog a meal can turn on digestive juices, cushion the item, and help move it along.
But sharp objects can cut, heavy stones can plug the system, and string-type material (thread, ribbon, Easter grass, Christmas garland, tape from a cassette) can cut and strangle the intestines. Swallowed coins, batteries or other metal objects can poison pets once they react with digestive juices. String hanging out of either end of the dog shouldn’t be touched, or you risk hurting him worse. You can find detailed first aid tips for specific swallowed objects in the book The First-Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats.
If you’ve seen the pet swallow something he shouldn’t but it doesn’t pass, or the dog begins vomiting, retching without result, won’t eat, looks or behaves distressed, or coughs repeatedly, seek help. It may require X-rays to figure out what’s wrong on the inside of your pet, and surgery to get it out.
Most puppies outgrow indiscriminate munching. But if your dog vacuums up anything that hits the floor, pet proof doggy toys as well as your home. It could save you veterinary bills—and your pet’s life.
Has your dog ever eaten something he shouldn’t? What happened? Did everything come out all right? (literally!) How do you prevent such things in the future? Please share!
With the recent spate of pet foods and treats being recalled due to salmonella contamination, even the foods we choose could at times put pets at risk. Do you know how pet food is made? Check out this enlightening video from Hill’s. I got to visit their facility (but not the plant itself…had to leave early) and was quite impressed with the folks I met. What do you think?
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, listen to the weekly radio show, 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!
Filed under: Ask Amy Videos, Dog Training & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, dog care, dog first aid, dogs, weird stuff dogs eat, why dogs eat grass, why dogs eat poop, www.amyshojai.com
Lost and Found: THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP
Welcome to the NEXT BIG THING blog hop.
What is a blog hop? Basically, it’s a way that readers can discover new authors, because with bookstores closing and publishers not promoting new authors as much, we need to find a way to introduce readers to authors they may not see in their local bookstore. So I get to give a shout-out to the wonderful author who invited me to this “dance” and then invite (and highlight) five more terrific authors at the end of the blog.
Debut thriller author Donna Galanti invited me to join the “hop” and I’d met her first by email and later in person at Thrillerfest last summer. Her paranormal suspense novel, A Human Element, is a spooky, thrilling read–don’t take my word for it. NY Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry calls her story, “an elegant and haunting first novel. Unrelenting, devious but full of heart.” See the links at the end for to five other authors you really MUST check out. Check out Donna Galanti’s website here, and you can buy A HUMAN ELEMENT at amazon or B&N or even iTunes.
Magical-Dawg is a discerning reader.
10 QUESTIONS ANSWERED!
In this particular hop, I and my fellow authors, in their respective blogs, have answered 10 questions where you get to learn about our current work in progress as well as some insights into our process, from characters and inspirations to plotting and cover decisions. I hope you enjoy it!
Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions. Here is my Next Big Thing!
1: What is the working title of your book?
LOST AND FOUND is my most recent book, what I call a “thriller with bite!” because it includes a dog viewpoint character. But I’m in the process of plotting the sequel, HIDE AND SEEK.
2: Where did the idea come from for the book?
Oh, the idea came from so many different places! Probably the most obvious inspiration for LOST AND FOUND is the setting. The story evolves during a freak North Texas blizzard. I live in North Texas, and a few years ago we had a freak blizzard. In fact, the trailer for the book includes video of my own dog Magic racing through the snowy landscape.
HIDE AND SEEK continues the story and the idea came, frankly, from readers asking me what happened next. September will face the ghosts of her past, with the help of canine companion Shadow–Macy the cat will figure more prominently and of course thrilling complications will ensue.
3: What genre does your book come under?
Thriller and suspense.
4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Wow, that’s a tough question. See, in another life I’m an actor and I know there are fantastic Texas actors who could give stellar performances so if I was fortunate enough to have LOST AND FOUND optioned, I’d hope the movie would offer break-out opportunities for up and coming talent. So I’m going to cheat and not name names…and instead ask my readers to suggest in the comments what actors they might see in the following roles:
September, April, Combs, Lizzie, Ghost, Doty, Gonzales, Humphrey Fish, Steven . . . Shadow and Macy.
5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
An autism cure will kill millions unless a service dog and his trainer find a missing child . . . in 24 hours.
6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
LOST AND FOUND is published by a hybrid publisher, Cool Gus Publishing
7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took me YEARS to write the first draft of LOST AND FOUND, because I work full time as a nonfiction writer and repeatedly had to set the story aside. Paying the bills often sidetracked me. But more recently the nonfiction books now take a back seat to the fiction, and I anticipate the sequel HIDE AND SEEK to be ready for publication much sooner.
8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Reviewers have compared LOST AND FOUND to the medical thrillers by Michael Palmer and to the marvelous story THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN because of the dog viewpoint character. Dean Koontz also writes marvelous stories that includes dog characters, but about the only thriller that I know of that comes close to a similar dog viewpoint is James Rollins and his great book BLOODLINE that features the war dog Kane. I was very fortunate to have Jim agree to read an advance copy of my book and offer a marvelous cover quote, too!
What’s going on inside that furry head? …my answer is in LOST AND FOUND.
9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My dog Magic inspired me to write this book. For years I’ve looked for a book that I wanted to read, one that included thrills and made the hear trace, a story that incorporated medical issues, and above all, one that respected animal characters as ANIMALS and wrote them from that perspective–not as little humans wearing fur. Finally I wrote the book that I wanted to read.
10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The story is science based. Yes, there really are drugs given to children without having been tested on the children. And yes, dogs CAN learn vocabulary just as quickly as Shadow does in the “name game” scene. And finally yes, cats can be trained–and Macy’s “hero cat” scene where she “nails” the bad guys at the end is also based on something that really happened.
Below you will find authors (in no particular order) who will be joining me by blog, next Wednesday. Do be sure to bookmark and add them to your calendars for updates on WIPs and New Releases! Happy Writing and Reading!
Clea Simon writes awesome cat-centric mysteries and I know her through membership in the Cat Writers Association. Check out her great blog at Cats, Crime & Rock & Roll
Arden Moore, America’s Pet Edu-Tainer, writes terrific cat and dog care books, one of which was ranked #3 of ALL BOOKS on amazon! In a former life Arden was my editor, and we share a birthday (one month apart). She has some new books in the pipeline and blogs at Four Legged Life
Carol Shenold has been in my writers group for more than 20 years and is one of my dearest friends and a talented tech writer and novelist. She writes paranormal mysteries. Learn about her work and check out her Monster Under The Bed blog.
Check out Michael W. Sherer blog here. He writes terrific mysteries AND thrillers. I met him through Thriller Writers, and he invited me to participate in an AWESOME Kindle Fire give-away (plus some autographed books from famous thriller authors).
Victor DiGenti (writing as Parker Francis) publishes mysteries and has also written award-winning YA cat fantasy. Like Clea, we also met through Cat Writers Association.
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, listen to the weekly radio show, 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!
Filed under: Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, dog behavior, dog training, dogs, Lost And Found, thriller, www.amyshojai.com
December 2, 2012
Monday Mentions: Cat Basket Winner, Paralysis Cure & Virtual Choir
The results are in! THANKS to all who participated and made the tour such a success. There were a total of 16,376 entries…and the winner of the pet-centric gift basket is HANNAH from Pullyup, Washington! She requested the cat-themed basket, which is on the way to her.
Again, thanks to all who supported this event! If you’re in the N Texas area I’ll be at Trinity Lutheran Church in Sherman Texas next Saturday Dec. 8 at 6 pm for a book discussion of LOST AND FOUND. I ordered a cake today (yes, bribes are legal to entice you there!), and the event is FREE! Please come by, have some cake and coffee, say howdy and share what you thought of the book–and I’ll sign it if you wish. Oh, I’ll have a few copies available for paw-tographs as well as extra book plates if needed, but also will give away at least one to a winner (that could be YOU!).
If you’d like to have your name included in a drawing for a paw-tographed copy of the book, just bring some cat or dog food to the meeting for some needy pets, to be donated to the local soup kitchen–many of the guests have pets who get hungry, too! And this way, the two-legged folks can spend their funds on feeding themselves if they have less to worry about for their cats and dogs.
This past week’s schedule was a bit different due to the Pet ‘Net Event on Monday, which bumped Monday Mentions as well as the regular Woof Wednesday and Feline Friday blogs (instead, I posted on Thursday). I’ve also been head-down busy recording the audio book version of LOST AND FOUND so it can be uploaded to Audible by this coming Friday. Tis the season for busy-ness and so I’ll be re-running a few ASK AMY videos this week until I get the chance to record some new ones.
Anyway, that makes today’s Monday Mentions chock-full of even MORE pet-tastic and awesome writerly links. 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 (this time) over the past TWO weeks. Enjoy!
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
8 Free Online Resources for Writers pretty cool list that could help improve your writing
Writers League of Texas Agent & Editors 2013 Conference with Chuck Sambuchino keynoting, mark your calendars for next June
S&S Opens Self Pub’ing Service, yikes! and both Writer Beware and David Gaughran’s insightful take on the whole “rip off” venture
Introverts vs Extroverts from the awesome Jenny Hansen. Also check out her blog’s guest post on Twitter Hashtags that rock
Colin Falconer’s 7 1/2 Things That Make You Cry, Cringe & Laugh not necessarily in that order
Write Like A Cat hey, my cat writes, doesn’t yours?
New DNA Analyzer in a suitcase, for those on-the-go CSIs. And authors in a hurry to kill off (and catch) victims/bad guys.
How to Submit to Random House’s New Digital Imprints
News Corp May Buy S&S? whoa, talk about holiday shopping!
Hope for Damaged Voices this literally strikes a chord with me as a singer and a VO person
Killer Nashville Catalog Show for the Paris Expo in March–deadline Dec. 5 to get books listed!
Passwords–A Thing of the Past? a scary article yet useful for evil-minded authors . . .
Nestle Purina is Hiring seeking a Senior Communication Specialist at their St. Louis offices.
PET-ASTIC SCHTUFF
Win A Gift Basket of Goodies from Iams from Dr. Lorie Huston’s awesome Pet Health Care Gazette blog
Prosthetic Legs Help Dog Walk! awesome story
Dog Toy Chemical Leak Risk? I get a lot of news releases and this is a first for me . . . I’ve heard of “puppy proofing” dog toys but sheesh!
Support FIP Research–Learn More Here!
Help Dogs Move–Stress Free from Fidose of Reality
My Cat Has A Postive FeLV Test…Now What? Great info as always from Cat Stanley
This is an absolutely AMAZING video of spinal regeneration in a little dog. Read the whole article here. Thanks to Karyl for sending me the link.
Y’all know I’m also a musician, so I had to share this. Absolutely BRILLIANT!
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, listen to the weekly radio show, 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!
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Amy Shojai, cat behavior, cats, dog training, dogs, pet care, publishing advice, writing advice, www.amyshojai.com
