Amy Shojai's Blog, page 129
August 17, 2012
Feline Friday: 10 People Foods for Cats
Kitty snackage–and yes, she did taste the strawberries and decided they weren’t acceptable.
My cat Seren(dipity) never met a meal she didn’t like—including my own. Once she even decided to taste the hot mustard dip from my plate. Have you ever seen a cat LEVITATE?! Kitty foaming at the mouth is no laughing matter except the little squirt came back for seconds!
We love to indulge our kitties but people food can carry risks. Fortunately our cats appear less likely than dogs to taste-test toxic treats like chocolate, macadamia nuts, avocados, or raisons/grapes. Artificial sweeteners keep owners lean but any goodies sweetened with Xylitol could cause kitty liver failure. Thank goodness cats don’t easily detect or care about sweet flavors.
Seren manages to keep her svelt 6-pound figure even when the aroma of baking and roasting turns her purrs to begging. Responsible pet parents can offer healthy choices from the table. In fact, many holistic veterinarians recommend these foods as a natural way to treat your feline friend.
Treats typically shouldn’t make up more than about 10 percent of the pet’s total diet. So if you plan to offer table food, reduce the cat’s regular ration. Tiny amounts offered very gradually work best to avoid upset tummies.
Lean Meats. Lean chicken is a feline favorite. A hunk of firm beef means your cat must chew rather than gulp, which can scrub teeth for dental health. Turkey contains tryptophan, a natural sleep aid that works to calm excited pets during holiday visits.
Fish. Many cats adore fish. Salmon, shrimp and oysters may be a holiday favorite for both humans and pets. Be careful of tuna (offer only the water-packed variety) because the strong flavor can almost be addictive.
Organ meats. Don’t toss out the giblets when you roast your holiday bird. Heart, liver and gizzards are power-packed with vitamins and minerals that cats relish.
Green garnish. Cats are carnivores but often enjoy grazing on such things as fresh wheat grass and catnip. A few enjoy green beans—but hold the too-rich mushroom sauce. Serving olives? Your cat may not eat them, but many felines react to olives like catnip. Offer some parsley for greens munching felines—it will also freshen kitty breath.
Stew. Leftover turkey soup cooked with spinach, green beans, mushrooms and slivers of beets (for liver health) makes a great treat and top dressing for regular food. A bit of garlic for flavor is fine, too, as it contains vitamin B—just don’t overdo as too much of onion or garlic can cause anemia.
Sweet potatoes. High fiber sweet potato soothes upset tummies, and can be a tasty treat for cats. Cats don’t have much of a sweet tooth, though, so hold the sugary marshmallow—that’s not healthy for them.
Canned pumpkin. Cats seem to love pumpkin. The high fiber also works as a great natural remedy for hairballs, diarrhea or constipation. Use the canned (plain nonflavored) version, divide servings into ice cube trays and freeze—and thaw only the amount needed.
Yogurt. You’d think milk would be on the treat list, but many cats develop diarrhea from more than a tiny taste. A better milk-based treat is plain unflavored yogurt. Yogurt also helps maintain the beneficial bacteria in the stomach that keeps digestion healthy.
Fruit. Not all cats like fruit but those that do can benefit from the vitamins. Kitties often enjoy cantaloupe and strawberries or bananas. Most cats HATE the smell of citrus and you’ll risk hissing the cat off by offering such things.
Ginger. Ginger is a natural remedy that counters nausea, in case Kitty has car sick problems from the trip to Grandma’s house. But most cats won’t be interested in gingerbread or ginger cookies. Try offering a tiny taste of no-sugar whipped cream mixed with ginger as a special treat that soothes the tummy troubles.
Every cat has different tastes—and nutritional needs. Be sure to ask your veterinarian before “treating” your fur-kids. Remember you wouldn’t allow your human kid to munch exclusively on rich desserts or gravy, so balance your table-love with healthy moderation.
What table foods do your cats love? Do they counter-surf and serve themselves from the human smorgasbord? How do you foil the refrigerator raiders? 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 tuned for more news about my forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, cat behavior, cat food, cat training, cat treats, cats, people food for cats, poison foods for pets, www.amyshojai.com
August 15, 2012
Woof Wednesday: Furry Fountain of Youth
My first shepherd lived over 13 years and remained sharp and responsive right up to the last day. And yes, I still miss him…
Dogs cared for throughout their early years live longer than ever before. It’s not unusual for Toy-breed dogs to live into their mid-to-late teens and even big dogs today enjoy a decade or more of happy life with a loving owner. A longer life, though, can leave your dog befuddled when canine brains turn to mush.
Dogs aged 11 to 16 are most likely to develop Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD), sort of the doggy version of Alzheimer’s Disease. CCD is a medical condition in which a starch-like waxy protein called beta amyloid collects in the brain and causes behavior changes.
Affected dogs become disoriented, wander, cry and pace, and can become lost in the house when out of your sight. Their behavior can change from confident to frightened, and the awake/sleep cycles may turn upside down. Dogs can forget house training, how to find the door or be unable to tell you when they need to “go.” And most heartbreaking of all, senile dogs lose interest in petting, ignore their beloved owners or furry friends, and might not recognize you.
Treating Doggy Senility
While there’s no cure for CCD, the drug Anipryl (selegiline hydrochloride) is FDA-approved to treat cognitive dysfunction in dogs. According to veterinary researchers, about 1/3rd of treated dogs return to normal, another 1/3rd are somewhat helped and the final 1/3rd aren’t helped at all. There also are special diets designed to help turn back the clock on canine senility. Sadly, even improved dogs eventually revert and again develop senility signs.
7 Tips To Keep Canine Brains Youthful
A longer life is not necessarily a better life, especially if your dog no longer recognizes you. But there are ways to help your dog stay connected with the world and ward off signs of CCD, simply by exercising his brain.
Brain function studies in dogs proved that problem-solving activities kept them sharp, connected to the world around them, and even extended their lifespan. Just as with people, canine mental and physical stimulation drastically improves your dog’s cognitive function. “Use it or lose it” applies to dogs just as it does to humans. Here are 10 tips to keep King mentally spry into his old age.
Don’t delay. Keep dogs both mentally and physically spry from puppyhood on. That helps prevent or at least slow brain aging changes. Magical-Dawg is six-years-YOUNG and I’m determined to keep his brain active. Otherwise, he finds trouble. 
Make Play A Daily Treat. Interactive games keep your dog engaged with you and reward him for responding. Toys don’t need to be expensive, either. Old socks become tug toys and used tennis balls work great for fetch. They’re even more attractive if old and they smell like the owner.
Slim Pudgy Pooches. Overweight dogs have trouble exercising and avoid moving which can allow joints—and brains—to rust. Ask your vet for a slimming program that’s safe for your overweight canine. Fortunately, Magic hasn’t had a weight problem and continues to have a waist. I just wish that I had the same metabolism!
Adopt Another Pet. Proper introductions of a playful younger cat or dog can serve as a furry fountain of youth to an old-fogey dog. Even if he’s irked at the young whippersnapper, keeping Junior-Pet in line can keep your dog sharp. (Actually, I think Magical-Dawg has “youthened” the Seren-kitty’s c’attitude, and yes–cats can also suffer from senility.)
Practice Commands. Just because he’s old doesn’t mean he can’t perform. Practice the pleasures that make King’s heart leap for joy—for obedience champions, put him through his paces. If he has trouble, adjust the Frisbee toss or vault heights. Make necessary accommodations so he can still succeed and feel like the champion he is.
Treats for Tricks. Teach the old dog new tricks using healthy treat rewards. Make treats smelly so he won’t have to strain old eyes to see.
Give A Challenge. Puzzle toys that dispense treats turn meals into fun games. For food fanatics, puzzle toys encourage activity and brain-teasing challenges that exercise problem solving abilities.
We can’t predict any dog’s lifespan. When a special dog reaches senior citizenship, we treasure our time together even more. Keeping your dog mentally active helps keep dogs connected with life—and us. And that ensures their golden years sparkle.
How do you keep your older dog’s brain nimble? Are there special games or activities that you enjoy doing together? In my forthcoming thriller, a tracking dog still has the “nose” despite his age–and I based that on an interview with a tracking dog expert (profiled in the Aging Dog book) who continued to track even though he’d gone blind! Of course, you can find all the must-knows about old dog care in the book. But many tips are common sense–please 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 tuned for more news about my forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!
Filed under: Dog Training & Care Tagged: alzheimers, Amy Shojai, canine cognitive problems, Complete Care for Your Aging Dog, dog books, dog care, dog training, old dogs, www.amyshojai.com
August 13, 2012
Monday Mentions: Lee Child, Reacher & Speeding To Publish
The long promised short clips from the 2012 Thrillerfest finally will be posted–and here’s the first, with the awesome Kathleen Antrim interviewing Lee Child about his Jack Reacher novels–and the movie. Honestly, I can’t imagine having written so many novels. It’s waaaaay different than writing nonfiction, and my first thriller has just about done me in.
I’m gasping, filled with Sisyphus-icity as the launch date draws near for my thriller. After screwing up my courage and sending out oh-so-polite requests for well known folks to read and maybe offer a kind word about the book, I’ve been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. But I can’t slow down. This hamster wheel is on a roll and speeding up.
So this past week, Dr. Marty Becker, D.P. Lyle and James Rollins kind words were included with polite invitations to savvy book reviewers to take an advance look. For a book to be successful it must be found, so authors can’t afford to be shy.
In the days and weeks ahead, I’ll post some of my efforts in the hopes it might also help others traveling similar publishing journeys. Fair warning–I may ask for your help because it takes a tribe to get folks to notice a new book. And I know y’all have the power to get schtuff noticed, especially thrillers with bite.
On to our regularly scheduled Monday Mentions, the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Some of this “schtuff” can be hard to categorize and may fit more than one topic so I urge you to at least scan them all. The second short video of SQUEE! cute cats is sure to relieve stress (it did mine, anyway!).
WRITER-ICTY SCHTUFF
Agent as Publisher–Sorta-Kinda
New Kindleboards Blog this is something to watch, Indies!
Bonfire of the Straw Man an awesome post from David Gaughran that debunks some of the strangest arguments AGAINST indies
5 Keys to Writing Success from social media maven Kristin Lamb
Panic Attacks and help for writers and other creative folks from Kristin Nador
8 Easy Social Media Tips from Jenny Hansen
The Science of Disgust who knew it was a protective mechanism?
How To Self Pub and Ebook some good general info
NetGalley for reviewers finding great books
FAKE Reviews? Say it ain’t so!
50 Shades of Grateful a peek into new (old) realms for writers from Tameri Etherton
PET-ICITY SCHTUFF
Recalled Metal Pet Bowls …can you say RADIOACTIVE?! Sheesh
Call for Winn Feline Foundation Research Grants
Readers Raise Funds to Save Bookstore Cat Awwwwwwwww…
Dog Training Controversy–Or Not? Great blog for those with questions!
Video of Mugsy-Cat Fighting Gators wow
Kitty Cams what the cats do–but is the evidence skewed? Check out this one that proves not all cats are killers and then decide.
Wonderful fun video below the Lee Child interview, sort of a cat’s eye review of a new cat tree, from Janea Kelly. 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, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay tuned for more news about my forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care, Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, cat behavior, cats, dog training, dogs, Jack Reacher, Kathleen Antrim, Lee Child, Lost And Found, pet books, pets, thriller, Thrillerfest, writing advice, www.amyshojai.com
August 10, 2012
Feline Friday: Greenies Treats for Smart Peeps
Seren “helped” me unpack from my trip to the Greenies Summit. And yes–she’s an unbiased reviewer. DISCLOSURE: The folks at the event provided me with samples that my furry crew were eager to taste test. It’s a rough life but someone has to do it…
Last weekend I traveled to Franklin, Tennessee courtesy of the fine folks at Nutro Pet Food , for a GREENIES Feline Influencer Summit. Sunday evening about 16 of us had dinner together, and Dr. Margie Scherk gave a brilliant talk on the Historical and Evolutionary Attributes of cats, covering kitty smarts, communication and learning ability, and dealing with multi-cat environments. She also spoke about feline nutrition and health at the close of the two-day session. I know that I’ll be drawing on her insights in future blogs and articles. Note: Y’all have Dr. Margie to thank for the ability to use Transdermal Fentanyl Patch for pain treatment in cats, wowzer!
I’ve already blogged about some of the dog-centric positives of the product on Woof Wednesday here. Suffice it to say, Magical-Dawg is a fan.
I was one of 9 “influencers” who attended, and you’ll recognize some of these names I’m sure as movers-and-shakers in the kitty blogosphere. They included Caroline Golon from RomeoTheCat, Carrie Brenner, an associated editor at Pet Product News International (BowTie Inc), Dusty Rainbolt the vp of CWA who blogs at DustyCatWriter, Karen Binette is the editor of Life With Cats, Karen Asp who is a contributing editor and writer for many magazines including Woman’s Day, Dog Fancy and others, Karen Nichols is the managing editor of Mousebreath, Paris Permenter is creator and editor of DogTipper and CatTipper, and Susan Logan, the editor of Cat Fancy magazine and blogs at CatChannel.
NEW TREATS FOR CATS
GREENIES is know for the dental benefits. But as Dr. Margie says, cats don’t “chew” so it can be tough to get any great boost to dental health compared to dogs. The meeting introduced us to new Feline Greenies Smartbites Treats, though, designed not just to be fun tasties (crunchy outside, chewing inside) for the cat but also to benefit kitty in other ways:
Digestive Care, with ingredients that feed “good bacteria” that support healthy digestion
Hairball Control, includes a combo of plant-based fibers that move and minimize hairballs.
Healthy Skin & Fur, with fish oil and other healthy nutrients.
For me, the whole concept of “purposeful treating” rings true. Sure, we love the idea of doing something for our cats that they enjoy. But how many of us have had to medicate a reluctant cat? And that potentially can damage the bond we share when you must force a cat “for his/her own good.” That’s why I included home nursing care tips and safe cat handling advice in my aging cat book.
Cats just don’t do “force” well. (Dr. Margie has a lot to say on the subject of how best to handle/manage reluctant cats for exams and treatment….but that’s for another blog).
Back to the point–if you can instead ENTICE the cat to swallow something that’s also good for the cat, and the cat ENJOYS the process, can you say NO BRAINER?!
To give you just a taste of the two-day meetings, I’ve put together a short video of the speakers. They include Kent Cunningham, VP of Marketing for The Nutro Company; Dr. Amit Sharma, Senior Associate Brand Manager for Nutro; Tim Blankenship, Senior Brand Manager for The Greenies Brand; Nicholas Sammer, Sr. Associate Brand Manager for Nutro; Dr. Bradley Quest, the Senior Product Development Veterinarian for Nutro.
Do your cats relish treats? How do you “pill” kitty? Do you do anything special for dental care? And if you do treat that special feline friend, do you adjust the regular diet to account for the extra calories?
Also thanks to Monica Barrett, Corporate Affairs Manager for Nutro; Christelle Van Steenkiste, Greenies Brand Manager; and Ian Greene, Seth Anderson and Amanda LeGaux from Trone Brand Energy for making the trip possible.
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 tuned for more news about my forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, cat behavior, cat care, cat treats, cats, complete care for your aging cat, Greenies, Nutro, www.amyshojai.com
August 8, 2012
Woof Wednesday: Greenies Smart Treats for Sweet Tweets
Did you miss me, Sweet Tweets? I’m back from a whirlwind overnight trip to Franklin, Tennessee courtesy of the fine folks at Nutro Pet Food , for a GREENIES Feline Influencer Summit. My heavens-to-murgatroid, these pet lovers know how to treat journalists, and while the focus was on the feline–more details on that on the Feline Friday blog–the Magical-Dawg had to comment on some of the goodies I brought back.
In a word….YUM!
TREATING DOGS
Oh, how we LOVE to treat our pets! Filling up the bowl isn’t enough. Pet lovers want that one-on-one experience of interaction, and “gratitude” behavior from the dog. These days cookie-power training is in vogue, too, so tasty rewards work incredibly well.
But we’re “loving” our pets into couch potato pets with so much table muscle they can barely move. Extra calories from hot dog treats may help bomb-proof the dog’s recall, but it can add pounds he won’t need. Obese pets end up predisposed for diabetes, skin problems, arthritis and–wait for it–can live up two two years LESS than lean pets!
The answer, of course, is to TREAT SMART and treat with a purpose. Dang, I wish I’d come up with it! After all, treats are the ideal delivery system for therapeutic options–helping the medicine go down, just like Mary Poppins might sing. I don’t know about you but pilling pets doesn’t do a lot for the “bond” if you need to put King in a head lock, and adding a boatload of cream cheese or peanut butter can be messy and add calories.
GREENIES Smart Treating Program
There are lots of “treats” out there and many are tasty and some actually have healthy benefits besides promoting the pet-owner bond. What treats do you use with your fur-kids? Here’s a confession–I use dry CAT FOOD for treating Magical-Dawg. Of course, I also reduce his regular ration amount to compensate for the higher protein/calories in kitty kibble.
Note: no matter WHAT treat you use, be sure to adjust the regular food to account for the extra and prevent pudgy-icity to overtake the pooch.
Pill Pockets are one answer–my veterinarian gave me some when Magical-Dawg had his abscess and needed antibiotics for a month. I’ve recommended this product for years especially in my aging dog book since older canines may need more meds and also be more angsty about being treated. This soft tasty “pocket” seals/hides the pill. Kewl beans! Healthy pets may also enjoy them as training treats, if you want to cut them up into teeny pieces.
The original GREENIES were designed for dental care. How many of y’all brush your dog’s teeth? . . . waiting . . . waiting for hands . . . Uh huh, that’s what I figured. Learn how to brush your dog’s teeth here.
Do you offer the dog “dental chews?” Which ones? How effective are they? At the Greenies summit I found out that their dental chews not only are complete and balanced (yep, they could be fed as a regular meal…no, don’t say that aloud too the dog!), they are the only treat to pass stringent VOHC approval (that’s the Veterinary Oral Health Council). There’s also have a relatively new Greenies product that includes ingredients that help arthritic dogs–look for the Joint Care note on the packaging.
DISCLOSURE
The Nutro folks gave me a boatload of samples, but in the past I’ve purchased Greenies dental chews for Magical-Dawg. Honestly–I don’t waste my money on stuff that he won’t eat. Heck, that’s part of the fun of TREATING a pet, to have their enthusiastic response.
When I got home Monday night, Magic not only welcomed me home, he “helped” me unpack. He would have opened the packages himself if I’d let him. Currently they’re out of doggy paw-reach but I suspect he may enlist the help of Seren-Kitty for some cat-burglar second story work to reach them.
So to recap–how do you “treat” your dogs? Anything special for dental care? Do you adjust the regular diet to account for the extra calories? What sorts of treats do your dogs relish? Do tell! And on Friday, stay tuned for more pictures and video of my fun trip.
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 tuned for more news about my forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!
Filed under: Dog Training & Care Tagged: aging dog, Amy Shojai, Complete Care for Your Aging Dog, dog dental care, dog training, dog treats, Greenies, Nutro, puppy treats, www.amyshojai.com
August 6, 2012
Monday Mentions: Kittens, Earwax, Pole Dancing & Jar Cat Trauma
Writers are nothing if not prolific–that is, if they’re successful. There are always exceptions, of course, such as the author who writes ONE block buster and remains famous forever-and-ever-amen (can you say, Gone With The Wind?).
In most cases, though, writers and authors struggle to gain any sort of success, and then strive to meet or beat that last benchmark. Sometimes we need outside help to meet our obligations, too. Just like the Mom-Cat of the above litter–Deanna Gibson spays/neuters and vaccinates all her Ragdoll kittens before they go to their forever homes. But imagine her surprise when the latest birthing resulted in 12 babies! Poor mom!
Four were born naturally, and the rest by C-section (that ain’t cheap!) because one was stuck in the birth canal and died. All the rest of the kittens and the mom could have died without this emergency surgery. That’s another good reason to NOT breed unless you know what you’re doing. Deanna was fortunate to find a surrogate mom to help raise 5 of these babies because, frankly, there’s not enough faucets at the milk bar for all 11 kittens at once. Check out Deanna’s website to see what they’ll look like when they grow up.
A bit of kitty trivia: According to the Guiness Book of World Records, on 7th August, 1970, a four year old Burmese called Tarawood Antigone, who was owned by Valerie Gane of Oxfordshire, UK, gave birth to nineteen kittens. The surviving fifteen kittens consisted of 1 female & 14 males.
Onward to the roundup of great links. Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Some of this “schtuff” can be hard to categorize and may fit more than one topic so I urge you to at least scan them all.
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
Stress Kills Creativity, a terrific discussion of the impact of pressure (self imposed or otherwise) on your writing life, from August McLaughlin
Partners In Crime Book Sellers Closes, it’s a sad day…
Photo Do’s & Don’ts for Bloggers, some great reminders about copyrighted images with additional links, from Kristin Nador. She also has a great post about Pinterest Scams
Literary Scams On the Wan…but still be careful, good tips from the great folks at Writer Beware
Self Pub’d Authors Make NY Times Bestsellers List!
Simple Secrets to Sell More Books, especially for indie authors
James Rollins Hot Summer Deal ALMOST ALL of his Ebooks are on sale for $3.99
Hilarious (Published) Typos! from Colin Falconer, from “thou SHALT commit adultery” to…well, you need to read the rest yourself.
Blog Treasures Writing Links from the terrific Gene Lempp
Get More Traffic Without Hissing Off Google, from awesome blogger Lorie Huston
Writerly Links Roundup Plus Pole Dancing For Olympics from Piper Bayard (love this!)
PET SCHTUFF
16 Things to STOP Doing…to be happy with your dog from Roger Abrantes. This applies to other pets, too, as well as human relationships.
Jar-Kitty Rescue! Please be careful how you throw out trash, this cat nearly died…and wildlife also is at risk. Thanks to Vicki Stringfellow Cook for bringing this to our attention.
Domestic Violence Shelter To Welcome Pets, Too thank heavens, it’s about time! Too many victims stay too long because they don’t want to leave pets behind. This can be win-win for people. What do YOU think?
Catnip Chronicles from my friend and colleague Kent Butler, worth a look–and subscription for cat lovers!
Petting Tips for Dogs, a nice recap (with SQUEEE! pictures)
Do You Speak Cat? a fun blog (with cute pix) from blogger Elisa Black-Taylor
Horse Sense, check out this E-learning class on the importance of cross-species understanding and enhancing the lives of stable horses.
Cat Olympics, a very kewl blog written by the savvy Cat Stanley includes some great links (you’ll want to subscribe to this blog–cat’s honor!)
Why Cats Love Earwax, ewwwwwww! Yes, there’s a scientific reason, as Jo Singer explains
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 tuned for more news about my forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care, Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, cat care, cat litters, cute kitten pictures, dog care, funny typos, pole dancing, publishing advice, Ragdoll kittens, writing advice, www.amyshojai.com
August 3, 2012
Feline Friday: Foiling Furry Insomnia
Last night, I couldn’t sleep. So I got up, climbed the stairs to my office, and worked on the piano score of KURVES, in preparation to share with other theaters (yee-haw!). While I typed, Seren kept me company and decided it was the purr-fect time to play. She woke up Magic, who had been snoozing at the foot of the stairs. So even once I was ready to sleep, the “fur-kids” had lost the urge.
Cats normally sleep up to 16 hours a day and almost never have problems sleeping. Dogs rarely have trouble sleeping, either. They get plenty of naps while you’re at work. They have plenty of energy to stay awake at night to guard the house, play, and pester snoozing owners.
In a house with both cats and dogs the pets may keep each other awake playing throughout the night. Cats are most active at dawn and dusk when mice would be foraging. Nocturnal antics are most common in kittens and usually decrease when the cat reaches 12 to 18 months of age.
When you must arise for work early each morning, midnight games stealing sleep won’t thrill you. There are a number of methods you can use to prompt pets to sleep on your timetable. Here are some tips that work for Magical-Dawg and Seren-kitty.
BEDTIME TIPS
Schedule playtime a half hour before bedtime, and wear out your pets so they’ll crash when you do. Chasing the ball for dogs, or a flashlight beam for cats works well. Magic loves to play hose-tag during these hot steamy days, and Seren adores chasing Da Bird fishing pole toy.
You can also provide a late night meal to keep pets from pestering you at 3 a.m. to fill the bowl. That helps with cats especially. Seren will be quick to complain if her bowl falls empty.
Slow, calm, instrumental music can be soothing and help lullaby pets to sleep. It works for people, too. Actually, slow calm music works well for me, too. I reserve The Chieftans rollicking music for when I need energy, and play my cello CD’s to help me concentrate or snooze.
The time-keeper hormone melatonin tell us when to sleep and when to wake up and has been used in people to treat jet lag and sleep disorders. Some veterinarians recommend using it to help pets sleep, too. Melatonin is available at health food stores (not quite as tasty), but you’ll need to ask your vet for the proper dosage.
Milk contains the chemical tryptophan that helps promote sleep. A quarter cup of warm milk as a bedtime snack may help pets snooze more readily. However, some dogs and cats don’t digest milk easily so nix the snack if diarrhea develops. The fur-kids are quick to point out that tryptophan is also found in turkey.
Do your pets never hit the snooze button when you need your beauty rest? How do you deal with the late night high jinx? Please share suggestions. I may need to invest in ear plugs.
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 tuned for more news about my forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!
Filed under: Uncategorized
August 1, 2012
Woof Wednesday: Popular Puppy Posts
Copr James C Watkins/via Flickr
Many of y’all know that I also write for puppies.About.com. Yep, at least 8 new articles go up every month–often more–along with blog alerts to the latest puppy-licious content, and weekly newsletters.
I get a boatload of visitors looking for all kinds of puppy information. Thanks to terrific analytics, I also can figure out the most popular topics for readers. As a writer that, in a word, is SWELL! (that’s a writerly techie term. ahem)
But I’m often surprised by what floats the reader’s boat. You might be, too. Anyway, today I thought it might be fun to list some of my most popular puppy posts and have y’all comment on WHY they’re so popular.
Copr Bobbie1964/via Flickr
#1: Puppy Development: Birth to 12 Weeks
Well, there are a lot of new owners out there who want to know what to expect. Did you know that different breeds mature at slightly different rates? Or that newborns can’t regulate body temperature–in most cases that means they can die from hypothermia (the cold) but in this heat wave I suspect newborn pups might also be at risk for heatstroke.
#2: Puppy Vomiting
Ewww! All I can say is there must be a lot of URKING going on. This article explains the various reasons behind the behavior, and some home treatments for it. When your dog was a pup, did s/he vomit a lot? Do you know when it’s sorta-kinda-normal and when it’s an emergency?
#3: Puppy Development: 10 Weeks to Adult
It follows, I suppose, that folks want to know what to expect AFTER the adoption. How old was your pup when he came to live with you? Magic was 8 weeks old, but our first shepherd came to live with us at five months. And when does junior-dog become an adult? When can you expect juvenile delinquent behavior to kick in? Actually I’m a bit surprised this article isn’t the most popular, or at least #2 in the lineup. But I guess it’s hard to beat vomit.
Copr Yulia Schoeman/via Flickr
#4 Introducing A New Puppy to Dogs
Yep, lots of folks acquire youngsters while they have resident pets. Proper intros can make the transition go smoother. At our house, we had to introduce Magic to the Queen Cat and teach him that kitty is the boss and can whip your furry ass-ets into shape (she still does that, even though he now outweighs her more than 10-to-one. We may, in fact, need to put these tips into practice down the road since we do have plans to bring another canine furry wonder into the house (stay tuned!
#5 Bloat In Puppies
Oh my, I pray that folks who made this the #5 pick on the list just wanted FYI information! A round tummy can be caused by many things but “bloat” is a serious life-threatening condition that needs emergency vet care. Have any of y’all had a dog suffer from bloat? Did you have the preventive surgery done for your at-risk breed pup?
Okay, it’s your turn. Why do you think these subjects top the popularity list? Have you had issues or interest with any of them? What are other subjects that deserve more attention? I’m scheduling my puppy-licious writing calendar for the month and am a bit weary of writing about (ew!) parasites so please send me suggestions!
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 tuned for more news about my forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!
Filed under: Dog Training & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, puppies.About.com, puppy bloat, puppy development, puppy introductions, puppy vomiting, www.amyshojai.com
Cover Reveal (again!) and NAME THAT PET Results!
Nope, you’re not high on puppy Prozac. The cover of the book has changed! In fact, this is version number seven, and it’s by far the most striking and mysterious, while offering a taste of what to expect. Like it? I love it! While many folks (me included) thought the first cover worked extremely well, the powers-that-be decided to go another direction.
Isn’t that a great cover quote from D.P. Lyle? I just received another terrific advance quote from the awesome Dr. Marty Becker. Read about ‘em on the LOST AND FOUND page.
NAME THAT PET CONTEST RESULTS
Thank you to everyone for your participation in the “Name That Dog” and “Name That Cat” contests to help me find the perfect choices for some of the furry characters in the book LOST AND FOUND.
More than 85 terrific cat and dog names were suggested. I narrowed the choices to about a dozen each, set up polls for you to vote, and we had over 800 votes result.
I’d say pet people are passionate about pet names! Without further delay, here are the results.
DOG HEROES NAMED
Caren Gittleman suggested the winning dog name Dakota because it means “trusted friend” and is also the name of her lovely Sheltie (who helps her co-write Dakota’s Den Blog).
In the book LOST AND FOUND, the main character September mourns the loss of her heart-dog (we’ve all been there right?) who died trying to save her husband. Therefore, her long lost canine partner DAKOTA is mentioned throughout the book.
Raelyn Barclay offered several dog name suggestions including Bruno, which won the second hero dog spot. Congratulations!
When September’s nephew becomes lost in the blizzard, she enlists the aid of a still active senior citizen tracking dog to find the boy. BRUNO is the star in that chapter, and demonstrates that old dogs still have the stuff of heroes.
CAT HEROES NAMED
Patricia suggested the winning cat name Macy. This name garnered more than a hundred individual votes from readers, wow! Macy is the name of Patricia’s seven-year-old yellow tabby, and named after a character in the Bold and the Beautiful television show.
September’s sable and white Maine coon cat is mentioned throughout the book, including cat-training scenes that demonstrate just how smart cats truly are! Macy literally “nails” the villain at just the right moment to help save the day.
Karyl Cunningham has been one of my most faithful blog followers (~waving at Karyl) so I’m delighted readers chose one of her name selections as the second cat hero character–Simba is the second cat name winner. Simba is the name of Karyl’s slightly chubby, arthritic senior citizen kitty.
As in all good thrillers, tragic victims often kick off the story. The first is a lovely woman in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she leaves behind a beloved rescue kitty–Simba, slightly chubby aging kitty with a bit of arthritis who finds a forever home with the victim’s daughter.
In addition to having their pets’ names spotlighted in the book, and their own contribution noted in the acknowledgements, these four winners will receive an advance copy of the book.
SPECIAL THANKS
Thank you again to everyone who suggested names and voted. The response demonstrates to me why I love pets–and writing about them so much–because never mind the age or breed or attitude. In our heart of hearts, true pet lovers know that EVERY dog and cat has a hero inside them.
LOST AND FOUND is scheduled for release September 20 in Amazon Kindle (and other Ebook formats), with print versions available about a week later. I will of course post to my blog (here) as well as Facebook, but will also send out an email newsletter notification–if I have your email.
In fact, what the hey. Send me an email to amy @ shojai.com with LOST AND FOUND in the subject line between now and the release date, and I’ll add you to the drawing for a free copy of the book. Don’t be shy, you can share this with other thriller/pet lovers.
Now go pet your hero dogs and cats for me. Oh, and stay tuned–the regular WOOF WEDNESDAY blog will go out later today with more puppy-licious info.
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 tuned for more news about my forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care, Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, dog books, dog care, dog thrillers, dogs, fiction, lost and found thriller,
July 30, 2012
Monday Mentions: Cover Angst, Poison Mushrooms & Salty Language
Sparkly shoes help!
I’m in a flurry-hurry of last edits for LOST AND FOUND, flamingo-dancing fast as I can to send off to my editor tomorrow. I’m delighted to have received another advance quote on the book from the awesome dog and cat expert Dr. Marty Becker, woot! In other news, my publisher is working on a revised cover so consider the current one a place-holder for now.
September 20 release date will arrive very soon, so I’m working hard to line up blog tours, advance reviews and other important “schtuff” that will help get the word out. If you would be interested in hosting me/the book (or any of the nonfiction books?) on your blog for a tour–or would like an advance PDF review copy–please drop me a line or post a note in the comments.
Meanwhile the voting for and has the dog names Dakota and Bruno nearly neck-and-neck, while cat names Macy and Simba are top contenders. Today is your last chance to vote–as I said, I’m sending final version to my editor tomorrow!
Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Some of this “schtuff” can be hard to categorize and may fit more than one topic so I urge you to at least scan them all.
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
The Grammar Police don’t apply for a job here if you’re grammar sucks
Three Days on a Criminal Jury fascinating look from mystery author and blogger Beth Groundwater
Jodie Renner on Voice she always has such good advice
Pricing Discussion, do you agree?
RWA 2012 Keynote “Weathering The Transition” from Stephanie Laurens, well worth reading
Salty Language, how genre and timeframe dictate what’s permitted, great post!
Run to Ground book launch, virtual and real, from DP Lyle, I just got this book in my shipment from Thrillerfest and can’t wait to read it. FYI, Doug gave me a killer advance quote for my own thriller–he’s got great taste. Ahem. And is a terrific thriller author!
Screenplay Festival Deadline July 31st!
Cracked.com Comedy Workshop looking for writers
Marketing Pros & Cons, one indie author’s experience
The Writer Magazine Goes On Hiatus after 125 years, wow…
7 Places for Free Photos safe for blogger use? Check it out.
Pre-Publishing Checklist could be helpful for indie authors
Chuck Sambuchino Q & A on success in writing and editing
PET SCHTUFF
Amazing Poison Mushroom Cure for dogs, wow!
Nominate Shelter Volunteer and they could win $10 for their shelter
Novel Approaches in Canine Nutrition webinar hosted Sunday Aug. 12 by Dr. Jean Dodds
“Killed” & “Modified Live” Vaccines, issues to considered if given together
Genome Barks Podcast Series some great info
Stem Cell Veterinary Research, fascinating stuff from Morris Animal Foundation to help cats with chronic renal disease, canine back paralysis and more!
Dolphin Encounter! fabulous pictures from Dr Rayya
Raw Food Under Fire–Again (a conspiracy?!) a great discussion by Sally Bahner with terrific links to more info
Job Posting: Chief Operating Officer for the AKC
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? Or is your old-fogy cat or aging dog in need of home nursing care? 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. Don’t forget to vote for your NAME THAT DOG/CAT character choice in the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care, Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, cat behavior, cat care, dog care, dog training, dolphins, Lost And Found, poison mushrooms and dogs, publishing, Thrillers, writing advice, www.amyshojai.com
