Amy Shojai's Blog, page 130

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

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

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

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

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,

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

Furry Friday: Allergic to (Achoo!) Pets? Here’s Help!

Are you allergic to your kitty?

Hot weather may mean more time spent indoors avoiding the sun for both people and pets. It’s also the time of year for pollen, mold and dust, so allergy sufferers double up on the dose of misery. Even if you aren’t directly allergic to your cat or dog, they act like furry dust mops that trap and hold allergens that do set you off.

The last figures I heard guestimated that about 40 million Americans suffer from dog and cat allergies. Nearly 30 percent of cat owners are allergic to their cats.  Symptoms include itchy eyes, coughing, wheezing and/or hives.

Even fur-less cats like this Sphynx could potentially cause you to sneeze!

Sensitive people don’t react to the pet hair at all. Instead a specialized protein found in the saliva and skin causes the reaction. Any pet may provoke an allergic reaction–there’s no such thing as a “hypoallergenic” pet, despite marketing claims you may hear.

Of course, you’ll want to consult with your own physician can guide you about human health concerns. But there are steps you can take to feel better, without having to give up their special pet. Here are 10 Tips to Reduce Allergies to Pets.

Kids are LESS likely to develop pet allergies if exposed to furry wonders when they’re young. I promise–not making this up! Image Copr. Tbone’s Green Acres

And of course, if your PETS have allergies, you can find tips for soothing the itch in these articles about various kinds of dog allergies. Most apply to cats, too.

Pet lovers put up with a lot. I’d do nearly anything to be able to keep Magical-Dawg and Seren-Kitty. How about you? I’m lucky that I’m NOT allergic. There are some dogs and cats that are less allergenic but none are 100 percent for all people

More people are allergic to cats than they are to dogs. I always wonder what would happen if a dog became allergic to the cat, or vice versa. Or horrors, became allergic to humans! I asked Magic and Seren, but they aren’t talking.

Do you suffer from pet allergies? What are some tips you can share to ease allergic reactions to your fur-kids? I just met a lady online who loves cats but is allergic–and instead has pet rabbits. How do you and your family/friends deal with allergy to pets?

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. 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 Tagged: allergies, allergies to pets, Amy Shojai, cats, dogs, first aid, first aid tips for pets allergies, pets, www.amyshojai.com

Woof Wednesday: Pet DISASTER Plan

Storm showers do bring flowers.

Having just returned from Colorado where recently multiple fires grabbed the headlines, natural disasters are on my mind. We’ve had burn bans announced to prevent wildfires from taking off here in North Texas and the drought across the country raises the fire risk widely this summer. I also live in “tornado alley” which means Mother Nature often throws a tantrum.

No matter where you live, it’s important to be disaster savvy. Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best for yourself as well as your furry family members. I’ve written about this before, but make a note or bookmark/share this post for future. Hopefully you’ll never need this info–but in case you do, keep it handy.

CORRAL THE CRITTERS

Watch weather reports. When weather turns ify, bring all pets into the house so that you won’t have to search for them. Designate a “safe room” in the house to confine pets until the all clear.

Many homes in North Texas don’t have basements or storm cellars. In case of floods, that’s not a good option anyway. But an internal room without windows, often a bathroom without windows, can be a good option for tornado safety. At my house, Seren gets stuffed into her cat carrier and placed inside the pantry situated under the stairs. It’s big enough that the humans and Magical Dawg can fit inside, too.

Seren is NOT a fan of the carrier–but it’s the safest spot for her.

If you must evacuate, take your pets along. It may be days before authorities allow you to return home. If you’ve got to evacuate, find a hotel, friend, or other accommodations in advance that will let you bring your dogs and cats.

PROVIDE PROPER IDENTIFICATION

Make sure all dogs and cats are wearing collars and up-to-date pet identification. If you have nothing else handy, use a felt-tip marker and write your phone number and name on the pet’s tummy.

Attach the phone number and address of your temporary shelter, if you know it, to the pet’s collar tags. You can buy temporary tags or put adhesive tape on the back of your pet’s ID tag, adding information with an indelible pen. Write directly on a flat nylon collar or halter to make it easy for a stranger to read the information.

PACK FOR YOUR PETS

In addition to providing for human family members, have a “pet kit” ready to take along that contains a three-day supply of all the pet essentials. If easily packed, take an extra towel or blanket for each pet. Don’t forget sturdy leashes, harnesses, carriers or X-pens for safe confinement.

Carriers for the small pets are a necessity!

Most facilities will require your cats and dogs to be under your control, and may also require proof of current vaccination. Include a favorite comfort toy or treat, the pet’s food and can opener if needed, and don’t forget water—one quart per cat-size pet per day (more for big dogs) is a good rule of paw. One of the pheromone spray products such as Comfort Zone/DAP for dogs or Feliway for cats can help relieve the stress of being in a strange environment.

Have plenty of plastic bags and newspapers as well as containers and cleaning supplies to help deal with pet waste. Puppy training pads or Depends undergarments work well.

PET FIRST AID KITS

Prepare for the unthinkable, too. You can find bunches of pet first aid and home remedy information here.

Include current photos of your pets in case they get lost, and bring a first-aid kit to care for possible injuries. Include disposable latex gloves, sterile dressings, antibiotic towelettes and ointment, eyewash, thermometer, and any prescription medications your pets need. You can find more specifics in “The First-Aid Companion For Dogs & Cats.”

Your evacuation kit should also include a cell phone, flashlight, extra batteries, battery powered radio, map of area, whistle/air horn to signal for help, and matches in a waterproof container. Keep a list of emergency numbers with your phone, including a pet emergency clinic number and shelters that may temporarily house animals. Keep your car tank filled with at least half a tank at all times.

A halter and leash gives you something to grab.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides information and relief for human victims of disaster, and Petfinder.com also offers great disaster preparation information for pet owners.

Have you ever had to ride out a storm with your pets? How did you manage the situation? What about fire? One year we had horrendous floods here and folks had to flee, awakening with water coming under the door.

How have you managed during disasters? Did you evacuate and take the fur-kids with you, or were you forced to leave them behind? That would just about kill me…I’d likely risk my life and stay with them, if it came down to it. Please share how you prepare for the worst.

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. Don’t forget to vote for your NAME THAT DOG/CAT character choice in the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!

Filed under: Dog Training & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, books, cat behavior, cat books, cat expert witness, cats, disaster planning, dog behavior, dog bite expert witness, dog books, dog training, dogs, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, kittens, old dogs, pet books, pet first aid, pets and disasters, publishing, puppies, puppies.About.com, veterinary care, writing

Monday Mentions: Birdy Dancing, Co Dreaming & PUB DATE!

Bobbie, the tap-dancing Flamenco.

Wow–in the past 10 days I’ve been home about 12 hours total. I first traveled to Thrillerfest (see lots of fun pictures here!), and then unpacked/packed and drove to my annual Colorado writer retreat. Last year I found my dragon-friend, Maurice who helps scare away writerly angst and inspire me to dive off cliffs in search of dangerous creativity. This year Bobbie joins the Shojai Street Team to help keep me flamenco word-dancing as fast as I can.

Maurice, the dragon wordsmith of all things writerly.

All this inspiration worked. My thriller LOST AND FOUND was conceived, plotted and finished during previous trips and I just found out the pub date:

September 20, 2012!

I will let you know just as soon as pre-orders are available. It will be published in print and all Ebook formats, woot! I just got my copy edits back in time to input the results of the “name” contest–will it feature your cat or dog favorite name? You’ll want to check out the voting for and polls. So far the dog names Dakota and Bruno are nearly neck-and-neck, while cat names Macy and Karma are top contenders. Votes close July 31.

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

Social Media Vs Big-A$$ Book Reviews which sells more books?

Bloomsbury Ebook Sales Up 70%

James Scott Bell Writer Workshop in Nashville Aug 11-12

Top 10 Brain Myths fun stuff!

Facebook “Page” vs “Profile” some good info and tips

Ebooks Now Dominate Fiction Sales

Penguin Buys Author Solutions   will they continue the program or kill the competition? Hmnnn.

Job Opening: Senior Editor Petside.com

Discoverability & Marketing Conference

CRITTER SCHTUFF

Cat Is The Mayor

Behavior Express Tour “Keep LOVE Alive” coming to city near you? Solving pet behavior problems, expert help.

Hero Dog Awards Announced! wow, what amazing canines

Feline Husbandry the book by Neils Pedersen now available in PDF (free!)

The Ecology of Disease scary and true! Bats to pigs to people? Oh my…

White Nose Syndrome in Bats

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. 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, animal behavior, bats, cat care, disease, dog training, Lost And Found, publishing, Thrillers, writing advice, www.amyshojai.com