Amy Shojai's Blog, page 132
June 11, 2012
Monday Mentions: Thrillerfest, Pet Whisperers & Veterinary Hospice
That’s me with Allison Brennan at last year’s Thrillerfest–time to get new sparkles. *s*
After an exhausting but exhilarating opening weekend of the show Fiddler On The Roof, I’m ready to return focus to the writer-icity schtuff. Oh, the show runs every weekend this month so I’ll have that to look forward to.
But meanwhile I only have a bit more to go on the thriller edits before sending back to my editor. AND I got my panel assignments for Thrillerfest where the awesome Allison Brennan will again be panel master. Our topic focuses on HOW DO YOU CREATE A SPELLBINDING SERIES CHARACTER? Other folks on the panel include:
Allison Brennan (Panel Master) is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 18 romantic thrillers and multiple short stories, and the author of the Lucy Kincaid series.
Jan Burke is a critically acclaimed and national bestselling author of fourteen books—twelve of crime fiction, a supernatural thriller, and a collection of short stories.
William Dietrich is the NY Times bestselling author of 15 books, including the Ethan Gage series of Napoleonic adventures that has sold into 28 languages.
Jack Hoban served as a US Marine Corps officer and is a subject matter expert on close combat who “trained” Nick Heller of the Joseph Finder thriller series.
Avalon Books published Victoria M. Johnson’s fiction debut. As a filmmaker, Victoria writes and directs short thriller films. Her upcoming thriller, The Sea of Cortez, introduces Connie and Jeff York.
Sharon Linnéa is the author of the bestselling Eden Thrillers, featuring Army Chaplain Jaime Richards. These Violent Delights is the first of her new Movie Mystery Series.
Amy Shojai is the award winning author of 24 pet care titles, and channels her “inner bitch” to write in dog-viewpoint in her debut thriller LOST AND FOUND which introduces series character animal behaviorist September Day and Shadow, the service dog she’s trained.
Debra Webb is a multi-published, best-selling author who writes spine-tingling romantic suspense and has just launched her first thriller series, the Faces of Evil, with the debut novel OBSESSION.
Yes, I’m feeling seriously outclassed and hope to learn a LOT from the other panelists. I’d encourage y’all to post any questions you might have for the panel and I’ll pass them on to Allison, and give a recap after the conference in July. Incidentally, the Craftfest classes and Agentfest (speed dating with agents!) will again be awesome this year.
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
WANA INTERNATIONAL LAUNCHES! the brainchild of Kirsten Lamb, this is a community of and for artists with more than 40 online instructors, a great resource for stay-at-home writers who can’t attend conferences. I’ll be teaching “virtual” classes here in the future.
What Does “Content Abundance” Mean and should you care?
BlogPaws Registration, a social media marketing conference especially for pet writers (do you channel your inner fur-kid?). And don’t miss voting for your Petties (pet blogger awards)
Facebook Counts “Viral” Shares
Pinterest-Friendly Blog Posts from the terrific August McLaughlin
Whispering Prairie Press contest info
How Amazon Saved My Life a great essay from a traditionally pub’d author (and daughter/co-author with mom Susan Conant of the dog lovers mysteries)
KOBO Self Pub’ing Program Launched I understand this is similar to the Kindle program
Interesting Survey of Self Pub’d Authors, who does it, what’s the success rate, and more
10 Facebook Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
PET SCHTUFF
The Dog Whisperer Show Cancelled
Dogs In The City trainer a fraud? hoo boy…is it too much to ask for the “experts” to really be experts???
CATS.About.com Franny Syufy Interview, now here’s a REAL expert!
Feral & TNR Facts interesting schtuff here
Pet Requiem offers house call veterinary service and end-of-life care for pets, what a compassionate and innovative practice!
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 with excerpts from the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND, and pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care, Writing Advice & More Tagged: agentfest, Alison Brennan, Amy Shojai, book promotion, cat behavior, craftfest, dog training, pet books, pet care, Thrillerfest, writing advice, www.amyshojai.com
June 8, 2012
Feline Friday: Kitty Falls & High Rise Syndrome
Summertime means screen doors and open windows–and lounging cats. Yes, cats have an uncanny ability to fall safely from sometimes death-defying heights and land on their feet. But that doesn’t mean they’re immune to injury. With warm summer weather enjoy your cool breezes but be sure you keep kitty safe.
How Cats Land On Their Feet
Paw-perfect landings result from the cat’s intricate balance sense. The vestibular organ deep inside the cat’s ears keeps kitty informed about which way is up or down, even if you try to confuse and make him dizzy first. This specialized organ also allows the cat to instantly determine acceleration as she falls.
The vestibular organ contains tiny fluid filled tubes and structures called the semicircular canals, utricle and saccule, each lined with millions of microscopic hairs. Chalk-like particles float in the fluid inside these structures so that whenever the cat’s head moves, the the hairs also move like teeny kitty antennae. That sends information to the brain about body position, and speed of movement.
The balance mechanism can’t do it alone, though. Once partnered with the yoga-like muscle control of a Houdini master contortionist, the cat twists from side to side during a fall, to right herself.
FALLING PROBLEMS
Ear infections can affect the cat’s balance so she misjudges height or positioning. Tiny kittens can be injured in falls that might not hurt an adult cat, so kitten-proofing balconies and keeping baby cats “grounded” can help keep them safe.
Falls from short distances—like from a child’s arms—may not allow enough time for the righting mechanism to work. Landing on her feet does not prevent Kitty from sustaining serious injuries during falls. Be particularly vigilant with kittens. When Seren was little, she decided it was a good idea to ledge-walk along the OUTSIDE of the stairway/balcony…and fell. Thank goodness she “bounced” on the hardwood and didn’t break a leg. Learn more about kitten care in the book.
High Rise Syndrome
High rise syndrome refers to cats who fall great distances out of windows, balconies or open doors. Often the cat lounges on a favorite windowsill, and accidentally pushes window screens out and falls.
Falls from the first through fourth floors are least dangerous because the cat can “right” herself and doesn’t have time to reach top speed of 60 miles per hour—terminal velocity. She won’t fall any faster, no matter the distance. This speed is reached during any fall from higher than the fifth floor.
Falls from the fifth through ninth floor are the most dangerous and result in the worst injuries. The cat falls with legs braced in front of him, and lands rigid. His legs hit first, then his head, and both can suffer terrible bone-shattering injury.
Cats survive falls from higher than nine stories with fewer injuries. Falls from these heights apparently allow the cat time to relax, empty the bladder and “parachute” the legs outward so that the wind catches the loose skin in the thighs and armpits and slows the fall. Landing spread-eagle allows the chest and abdomen to absorb most of the shock, rather than the head and legs.
Keep open windows and balconies off limits to cats. Remember that screens are designed to keep bugs out, not keep cats inside. So protect your cats and windows with secured screens or pet-safe barriers.
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 with excerpts from the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND, and pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, cat behavior, cat falls, cats, high rise syndrome, how cats land on their feet, solving cat behavior problems, www.amyshojai.com
June 6, 2012
Woof Wednesday: Hot Dogs & Summer Safety
Magic loves to stay cool playing “hose tag.”
I live in N. Texas where 108 degree weather has everyone not under the collar. Just imagine how pets feel with a fur coat. Cats and dogs risk sunburn, pad burns and life-threatening heatstroke without proper precautions. These tips can help you prevent problems, or even save your pet’s life with first aid advice–more info in the first aid book, of course.
PAD BURNS
Dogs don’t get pad burns very often because they flinch away from heat. But cats love heat and often lounge on surfaces up to 126 degrees. They won’t feel themselves getting burned. Both dogs and cats can suffer pad burns from walking on hot pavement, especially when not offered the option for cooler pathways.
Do the barefoot test. If pavement feels too hot for you, it’s also a problem for pets. Prevent pad burns by making shaded and/or grassy pathways an option. For pad burns, apply an aloe vera ointment three to five times a day to help shorten healing time. It’s safe for pets to lick off in small amounts, too.
SUNBURN
Fur protects most dogs and cats from sunburn, but thinly furred ear tips, bridge of the nose, and the tummy can get burned. White pets are at highest risk. Dogs who sleep on their back and sun-worshiping cats seem affected most often.
Sunburn isn’t a medical emergency, but it can be painful. The skin turns red, can blister, become crusty, and peel.
Cold water spray from a plant mister every half hour or so works great to soothe sunburned dogs, but cats hate getting sprayed. Witch hazel helps cool inflamed skin by evaporation and doesn’t sting like alcohol. Dab some on affected areas with a cotton ball three or four times a day to soothe the burn.
Sunburn dries out the skin. Aloe vera creams not only moisturize but also help heal burns faster. These products often contain vitamin E that speeds healing and soothes burns. Learn more about dog sunburn prevention and care here.
HEATSTROKE
Pets don’t sweat. To cool off, dogs pant so the moisture evaporates off the tongue. Cats lick fur and evaporation keeps body temperatures at a safe level. But for grooming or panting to work, the outside air must be a lower temperature than the pet’s normal body temperature (101-102.5 degrees). When self-cooling fails, heatstroke kills in less than 15 minutes.
Cars become deathtraps. When the temperature reaches 78 degrees, cars sitting in the shade reach 90 degrees in no time. But if parked in the sun on a 78-degree day, car temp soars to 168 degrees within minutes. That cooks the brain, leaving irreversible damage.
Signs of heatstroke include rapid panting, a bright red tongue and gums, sticky saliva, and body temperatures of 104-106 degrees. Severe cases of heatstroke may prompt body temperatures of 110 degrees or higher.
Unless you live only five minutes away, give first aid before heading to the emergency room. To save your pet’s life, reduce body temperature to 104 degrees and then get follow-up medical care.
Prevent heat stroke by providing shade for outside pets, along with plenty of cool water. Specialized attachments turn outside faucets into 24/7 pet drinking fountains so you won’t have to worry about spilled bowls. Misting fans and aerosols lower the temperature and keep pet fur damp to cool fur through evaporation. Misters can be placed on the porch, deck or near your dog’s pen.
Invest in cooling bandanas and collars, body wraps, and pet mats from pet products outlets. Or just provide a child’s wading pool, fill it daily with cool water and let the water-puppies splash to their heart’s content.
Prevent problems altogether by keeping cats and dogs in air-conditioned spaces when the temperatures become dangerous. The most dangerous times of day for sunburn are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. so schedule cooler times for outdoor excursions.
How to you protect your hot dogs? Have your pets ever suffered from sunburn–or overheated in hot weather? What kinds of kewl cooling devices to you use? 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 with excerpts from the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND, and pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Dog Training & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, dogs, first aid, heatstroke, hot weather safety, pets, summer safety, sunburn, www.amyshojai.com
June 4, 2012
Monday Mentions: Writer-icity, Pets & Fiddling Around
Rehearsal for Sabbath Prayer . . .
Some of y’all know that in another life I’m an actor/singer. I find that any sort of creativity feeds the muse on multiple levels. For the past six weeks I’ve been in rehearsal with a company of incredibly talented performers to mount a production of Fiddler On The Roof.
Tech week rehearsals (first time with the orchestra, makeup, costumes and lights) began last night. This Thursday the house opens for our first audience, and we’ll perform every Thurs-Sun during June. I hope those in the N. Texas area will attend the show–information is here. And yes, the hair likely will get it’s own curtain call!
Maurice, my Dragon-Muse, has been kicking my ass-ets to get the fiction done!
Meanwhile, I’ve also been struggling to finish the thriller edits and my editor has been incredibly patient with me. This week is THE week! We’re already working on the cover and of course we want it to be special. I’ll have some news shortly about how you–yes the readers!–can get in on the thriller-icity and have a bit of a say in what goes in the book. Stay tuned.
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
Free Sites to Promote Your Book
Deep Cuts Horror Anthology especially looking for work from women
Going To BEA? Navigate the Crowd with Free App
The Amazon Effect interesting background and insight into the giant
Publishers Weekly Moves Into Self-Pub’ing from the Writer Beware blog
Writing Persuasive Content–48 Tips Here
PET SCHTUFF
The Secret World of Cat Slang, a hilarious translation of felinese from Angie Holland Baily of Catladyland
Feral Cats Blamed For Typhus cooler heads prevailed, and now education about fleas is in the works, yay!
Can You Love Your Dog Too Much?
Curiosity Nearly Kills the Cat from Dr. Rayya’s Blog (graphic photos, gang…but you’ll be rooting for this kitty!)
Punishment Training–Does It Work? What’s the Fallout?
Cat Safe Sunblock? from Paws & Effect awesome blog!
Dog Follows Cyclist 1000 Miles
New Book on Nutritional Supplements–for Pets from my colleague Shawn Messonnier, DVM (it’s for vets but pet owners probably would like this, too!)
Are generic drugs safe/as effective for pets? Answers in this VIN Video!
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 with excerpts from the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND, and pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care, Theater & Performance, Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, cats, dogs, Fiddler On the Roof, generic medicine for pets, pet books, pets, theater, Thrillers, www.amyshojai.com
June 1, 2012
Furry Friday: Spay & Neuter
It has been quite a week–and I’ve gotten snowed under with a number of challenging issues both professional and personal. So today’s post is a bit late because (confession time!) I took the day off and went for a LONG walk with the Magical-Dawg and then took a nap with Seren-Kitty.
June is Adopt-A-Cat Month and all the kittens “littering” shelters need your love and care. But don’t neglect the adults and older felines–or the dogs, either. Today’s “Ask Amy” offer some basics you already know about spaying and neutering pets and here’s more details for fixing puppies.
Are you in the market for a new furry friend? Will you adopt this month? How did you find your special cat friend? How do you feel about adopting “older” 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 with excerpts from the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND, and pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Ask Amy Videos, Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, cats, dogs, kittens, neuter, pet books, puppies, spay, www.amyshojai.com
May 30, 2012
Woof Wednesday: Awful Abscess!
Lop sided dog!
The first year we had Magic, something stung him–fire ant, wasp, bee–who knows? His whole muzzle swelled up, he developed itchy hives, and cried for three nights. So this past Saturday afternoon when he suddenly had a lop-sided face at first I suspected allergic reaction. But it wasn’t an all-over swelling but only at the jaw line, and he didn’t itch and had no problems breathing.
I feared he’d been bitten by a copperhead or rattle snake, which can cause severe pain and necrosis (death) of the tissue. However, he wasn’t sore and there didn’t seem to be any bite marks or injury. And the swelling was solid, firm, not soft. Of course it happened on a long holiday weekend when our regular veterinary office was closed.
I emailed a veterinarian friend (thanks Amanda!) with pictures and she also guessed 1) allergy or 2) abscess but of course could not give a “crystal ball” diagnosis over the Internet. Yesterday morning I took the Magical-Dawg for the required hands on exam. My lumpy doggy still acted fine, had an appetite, the swelling remained firm and not tender. The doctor also said he was puzzled and suggested a needle aspirate to see just what was going on.
Sure enough, after some “needling” he found a small amount of pus. Magic has an abscess.
WHAT IS AN ABSCESS?
Abscesses are pockets of infection that develop when germs become trapped beneath the skin and fester. Anything that breaks the skin can cause an abscess. Dogs aren’t affected nearly as often as cats–wouldn’t you know that my dog would be the exception!
Cats are perfectly designed to develop abscesses because their skin heals so quickly, and cat teeth and claws can leave tiny punctures. Cat abscesses almost always develop on the head, rump or paw–you can often tell by the location of the sore which cat won the fight. As with Magic, most times you won’t notice the sore until it’s healed and the area swells. The cat might limp, or you’ll notice a hot, red swollen area.
Abscesses usually are very painful. Pets can develop fevers of 104 to 106 degrees from an abscess. Once it ruptures, an abscess drains bloody, yellow or even green smelly pus. Don’t count on seeing all these signs, though. Even though Magic looked goofy with a lopsided head, he didn’t act uncomfortable at all. This is the second time he’s had this happen. When he was about a year old, one side of his muzzle swelled and I could handle the area and it didn’t appear to be tender, and didn’t feel hot, and I assumed a bee nailed him until the spot came to a head and drained.
Shaved Magic…
The lance opening allows drainage.
This time he needed to be shaved and the spot lanced and cleaned out for it to drain. The veterinarian found no wound. It was apparently a “sterile abscess” which means the underlying tissue became inflamed (from a bruise? who knows!) and began to swell with infection. Even after lancing and drainage the swelling remains because there’s not much infection there–yet–and it’s simply the soft tissue that’s swollen.
Abscesses typically are not dangerous but when painful, they can be very difficult to treat at home. If your pet allows it, apply a warm wet compress twice a day for five minutes on, five minutes off, until it cools. Drainage makes the fur wet and smelly, and the hair can hold the bacteria in place and slow healing. That’s another reason to clip the long fur away.
Turns out Magic did have a temperature (104) even though he didn’t seem to feel bad. Magic received an antibiotic injection (Cefazolin) and Cephalin capsules (antibiotic) for twice daily for 10 days to fight infection. While he was sedated he also got his nails trimmed (yay!). Hey, after a hefty bill, the “no charge” on the nail trim is a great perk…but honestly, he’s my buddy and you don’t question when your friend needs help.
It’s frustrating that there was no injury, and we can only guess what prompted the abscess. I hope it doesn’t happen again, or we may need to change his name to Lumpy.
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 with excerpts from the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND, and pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Dog Training & Care Tagged: abscess, allergic reaction, Amy Shojai, dog care, dogs, first aid, infection, sting, www.amyshojai.com
May 28, 2012
Monday Mentions: Turtles, Snakes & Writer-icty
Ah…to be a turtle…
I hope your Memorial Day is restful, positive, and brings you all that you wish. Those lost and the causes for which they fought for our sake is indeed something to remember.
I also have to share that the Magical-Dawg, roughneck that he is, has managed to injure himself in some way. Oh, he’s clueless. Apparently it doesn’t hurt but the lop-sided swelling on his right jaw turns him into a bizarre hamster-esque creature with a pseudo cheek pouch. Y’all may remember he has in the past turned into hippopotamus head due to insect stings–but this isn’t itchy, painful, or soft. It’s a goose-egg hard lump under his right jaw/ear. Maybe the Seren-kitty finally nailed him SCORE! I feared it might be a snake bite (we have copperheads and rattlers) which inspired me to share the video, below. It’ll come in handy if any of y’all ever need to dodge cobras!
But since there’s no pain, more likely it’s a simmering abscess or another allergic reaction. I’ll keep you posted. Of course, it happens the first day of a long holiday weekend. Sheesh.
This week I’m channeling my inner turtle–or trying to do so. A hard shell impervious to slings and arrows, a safe retreat in which to hide my head and eyes, soothing water to cleanse myself–ah that is peace! I’ve someone cleared my calendar to work on final edits of LOST & FOUND thriller. Evenings I’ll be at rehearsal — yes, my friends, I’m in another show and we’re closing in on tech week followed by performances every weekend in June. Maybe I’ll have pictures at some point to share.
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.
WRITING SCHTUFF
Buzz Your Book, an awesome how-to from Doug Clegg and MJ Rose (they really know their stuff!)
Bob Mayer Chat on PubIt! I had to miss this in person but thankfully it’s still available, some GREAT info! (he’s my publisher for the fiction, woot!)
Interesting Survey Results from self-published authors (thanks to Jillian Dodd for pointing out the link).
Writers Digest Self Pub Book Contest Deadline Extended to June 15
Houghton Mifflin Publisher Bankruptcy
DON’T Pay for Online Ad…Until You Read This great post from Jane Friedman
SoonerCon in Oklahoma City June 15-17 looks like a great session!
Augmenting Your Twitter Audience posted over at Piper Bayard’s awesome blog.
PET SCTHUFF
Great Video Why ‘Alpha/Beta’ Wolf Terms Ain’t Accurate
Cat Being Vacuumed Oh–my–gosh, my Seren-Kitty would sooooo be out of there! Is kitty on drugs? Learned helplessness? Too pudgy to escape?
Pain Therapy for Dogs from the awesome Morris Animal Foundation
Cat Pain Therapy also from Morris Animal Foundation–they rock!
CatLandia Spoof Video for TNR this will make you smile!
Cesar Milan Feedback (don’t watch if you’re a fan…just saying, the scientist may hiss you off)
Soldier Trades Cigarettes To Save Dog
Poison Ivy & Pets Great info from The Creative Cat blog (thanks Bernadette!) ew, hate this stuff! and while pets aren’t as susceptible they can spread it to YOU
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 with excerpts from the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND, and pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care, Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, Bob Mayer, cat books, Cesar Milan, cobras, dog books, Morris Animal Foundation, pet books, publishing, snakes, writing advice, www.amyshojai.com
May 25, 2012
Feline Friday: Outdoor Cat Safety
Seren loves exploring the roses–but only when on leash.
This Memorial Day it’s vitally important that you stay safe over the holiday–your fur kids are counting on you! Of course, it’s equally important that you keep the cats safe. In the best of all possible worlds, cats could roam back gardens and chase butterflies, enjoy sniffing the roses and have a wonderful time being cats–as they were meant to be. But the reality of the situation is that dangers lurk even in the back garden.
In my neck of the woods, coyotes venture right onto the back patio ready and willing to make a snack of Seren-kitty. Strays also may expose a pet cat to dangerous viruses, and cars can’t swerve every time to save the pet’s life at the risk of their own safety. You can train your cats–purrsuade them–to stop door dashing behavior to protect them from accidental escape. You’ll find a number of additional cat management solutions in the Competability: Cat-to-Cat book as well.
There are fence products available for cats to help you create less dangerous outdoor sanctuaries. Cat containment systems like Cat Fence-In attaches fine webbing to existing outdoor fences to keep cats safely inside while allowing them to enjoy the outdoors. Purr…fect Fence also offers a complete backyard fence enclosure. Affordable Cat Fence receives positive marks as well. All three offer do-it-yourself kits. Here are some more tips on how to keep outdoor cats safe.
Do your cats have outside playgrounds? How do you keep cats safe when they’re outside? Have you trained your kitty to a leash for safe exploration? Please share!
And in the spirit of fun, here’s the latest Simon’s Cat video on the subject, 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 with excerpts from the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND, and pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, cat behavior, cat books, cat fence, cat leash training, cat safety, cats, cats outdoors, pet books, Simons Cat, training cats, www.amyshojai.com
May 23, 2012
Woof Wednesday: Dealing With Deaf Dogs
My first shepherd at about 13 years old, began to lose his hearing.
Last week’s Woof Wednesday covered hearing sense and ear problems. I’ve slowly worked through various ear conditions in a new series on the puppies.about.com site, and the latest deals with deaf puppies.
Yes, some puppies can be born deaf, or develop hearing impairment from infections or injury. More dogs, though, simply lose their hearing as they age. In either case, a deaf puppy or dog has more challenges as far as communication, but with care, can still become wonderful companions.
Have you ever met a deaf dog, or had a beloved older canine lose his hearing? How did you manage? The article on deaf puppies has a number of tips for managing the issue. But have you ever thought about a hearing aid?
Here’s an excerpt from Complete Care for Your Aging Dog that describes how to create a hearing aid for a dog and train the pet to accept it. Would you consider doing this? How would your dog react to a hearing aid?
GOLDEN MOMENTS: TAZZY’S REAWAKENING
When Carol Kjellsen of Cumming, Georgia, adopted Tazzy, the Shetland Sheepdog/Yorkshire Terrier mix pup was five weeks old and weighed less than 12 ounces. “She looked like a Tasmanian devil!” says Carol. The orphan had no fur, couldn’t stand on her own, and wasn’t able to nurse properly because her Yorkie mom had died shortly after giving birth.
In the beginning, she was so tiny, nobody was sure the pup would survive. For their first month together, Tazzy lived in a little fleece sack Carol carried around in her pocket. Today, Tazzy is fourteen years old, 17 inches tall and weighs 17 pounds. After more than a decade together, the dog and her surrogate “mom” remain closer than ever.
That’s why two years ago, Carol immediately noticed something wasn’t quite right. Tazzy wasn’t barking as much as usual. “Shelties bark a lot, and she always barked at every noise,” says Carol. But Tazzy started sleeping through the doorbell. Then even the sound of the garage door wouldn’t rouse her. Touching the dog to wake her up made Tazzy nearly jump out of her skin. Carol knew the hearing loss was impacting her dog’s quality of life.
“We travel with our three dogs a lot, and that was fine when she could hear me,” says Carol. If the dogs saw and chased something, they were trained to come when called. “When Tazzy’s hearing went, that became a problem.” Cataract surgery had saved the eyesight of her cousin’s dog, and Carol wondered if hearing aids were also possible. “Everybody thought I was crazy,” she says, but she asked her veterinarian anyway.
“Ms. Kjellsen is a very special client,” says Dr. Mike McLaughlin of Animal Medical Center in Cumming. “Somebody who considers putting a hearing aid in a dog is up there at the top of the list!” Dr. McLaughlin remembered that while he was in school at Auburn, Dr. Arvle Marshall conducted a research study putting hearing aids in dogs. He called and asked if a hearing aid might help Tazzy.
The first step was to determine if she was deaf or hard of hearing. A test called the brain stem auditory evoked response (BAER test) conducted at Auburn would cost about $500. Another option worked just as well in this situation, though, and cost nothing. Dr. McLaughlin told Carol to wait until Tazzy was awake, make sure the dog couldn’t see her, and then whistle. “If you whistle and the ears twitch, the dog can hear to some capacity and is a candidate for a hearing aid,” says Dr. McLaughlin. The ear-twitch reflex does not work if the dog is deaf.
Tazzy’s ear twitched. She was hard of hearing, and therefore a candidate for an aid. The next step was training her to accept wearing the foam earplug, says Carol. She was told this training typically took a couple of weeks, and that some dogs never accepted the sensation. But because of their special relationship, Carol never had any doubt that Tazzy would trust her and accept the earplug. “I showed her the earplug, held her really close, and put it in,” says Carol.
Tazzy wore it for two minutes the first time. When shook her head, Carol gave her a break and took it out. The next time, Tazzy wore it for 15 minutes before asking for a break. “The third time she left it in for two hours. And the fourth time, Tazzy left it in for six hours. So I called Mike and said wearing the aid wouldn’t be a problem.”
The final step was putting together the hearing aid system for Tazzy. The original Auburn research project was long finished, and no canine hearing aids were left. Recycling a human hearing aid was the best and least expensive option. Carol’s father-in-law donated one of his old hearing aids to the project.
The hearing aid was attached to Tazzy’s collar with Velcro. Then a small piece of IV tubing connected the hearing aid to the foam earplug, and the foam plug was inserted into Tazzy’s ear. “Then I put the batteries in, and Tazzy immediately reacted!” says Carol. “It was very obvious she was hearing. She’d go outside and her little head would go up. The barking started again and I thought, ‘oh gee, I forgot that!’”
Suddenly, Tazzy could hear crickets and birds–and other dogs again. Patti the Pekingese rattles the walls with her snores, says Carol, and it used to disturb Tazzy so much she’d bark to be rescued. “One of the first things I noticed was Tazzy looking at Patti snoring as if to say, ‘Why am I hearing this again?!’”
There are times when the dog prefers not to hear everything. She’s learned to tell Carol when the batteries go dead, or if the hearing aid whistles with feedback–Tazzy simply paws out the aid. “Her ears get sore if she wears it every single day, so we just put it in when we need to, such as when we travel,” says Carol. The hearing aid has re-awakened the close connection the pair share, and opened the world back up for Tazzy.
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 with excerpts from the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND, and pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Dog Training & Care Tagged: Amy Shojai, Complete Care for Your Aging Dog, deaf dogs, dog behavior, dog books, dog training, dogs, old dogs, puppies, senior dogs, www.amyshojai.com
May 21, 2012
Monday Mentions: Sniper Cats & Writing Tips
Self protection can get ugly…what happened to the sparkles? Image Copr. Karla Spence/Flickr
I am this close to having my edits on the LOST AND FOUND thriller completed to send back to the editor. And I am THIS CLOSE to having all my lines learned in the current theater project we rehearse nearly every night. Also, there have been some challenges in one of my membership organizations that have me (and many others) concerned and so overtime dealing with that has created unexpected deadlines. So I’m putting on my flame-retardant sparkles for the duration.
In between times, the usual writer-icity deadlines continue to flog and dog my calendar, and I’ve been a wee bit remiss keeping up with my Sweet Tweets over at the Twitter-verse. I hope y’all will forgive me…very soon I’ll be back up to speed on everything.
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 TIPS
Editing Clauses In Book Contracts, from the awesome Writer Beware blog. Just so’s ya know, this is an award-winning blog, too! Check out this awesome honor!
How to Get Self Pub’d Books Into Bookstores lots of info and tips in these articles
Twitter Lessons via Helmet Hair Heroine from the awesome blog of Jenny Hansen
UC-Davis Pet Tox Screening, Authors, you could really use this info in your thrillers!
Sharpen Your Blogging, lots of tips in this series from Kristin Nador
89 Book Marketing Ideas That Will Change Your Life, thanks to awesome blogger Jillian Dodd for the suggestion. And here are 4 more marketing tips from the awesome Jane Friedman
Deciphering Book Sales Rank from Theresa Ragan
Tracking Sales How do you know if your book sales are average or need a kick in the ass-ets? Some ballpark ranges for indie authors here.
Facebook Your Way to Audience Engagement plus some warnings about how scammers use Facebook
PET SCHTUFF
ACE Awards, nominate your canine hero
Kitty Trick Training a fun video of a feline that’s earned DOG titles
Blog Paws Conference for anyone who blogs about critters (or who has critters that blog).
Nominations For Petties for the best “pet bloggers” out there!
$60,000 Doggy Custody Battle, what lengths would you go to for your pet?
Missing Dog Returns Home After 3 Years
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 with excerpts from the forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND, and pet book give-aways!
Filed under: Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care, Writing Advice & More Tagged: Amy Shojai, books, cats, dogs, pet books, publishing tips, writing tips, www.amyshojai.com
