Amy Shojai's Blog, page 148

Feline Friday: Heart-to-Heart About Heartworms

Anubis, a gorgeous kitty who shares life with Karyl Cunningham.

I just completed an interview for Pet Peeves radio show with Dr. Wallace Graham, the president of the American Heartworm Society (stay tuned—I'll post the link when it goes live). Do you give your cat heartworm preventative? Yes, CATS can get the disease. Seren eats her monthly treatment like a treat. Thank heaven's for that or I might risk loosing fingers when I pilled her!

WHAT ARE HEARTWORMS

An intermediate host, the mosquito, is necessary to transmit the disease. Although here in Texas we're in the middle of a drought, you can bet mosquito-vampires find a way to continue to spread their lethal cargo.

Dogs are the natural host, but cats also get heartworms yet don't develop the same kind of disease. Feline heartworm disease remains an invisible illness despite having nearly twice the incidence of feline "aids" or leukemia virus. The incidence varies across geographic regions but runs about ten to twenty percent that of dogs. Here in Texas, that means feline heartworm disease is much more common where the dog disease tends to be relatively high. And in the Mississippi Delta region there's a virtual epidemic in dogs—and cats are affected more often, too.

Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a veterinary internist and senior vice president and chief medical officer (CMO) of Banfield Pet Hospital says, "In our own analysis of data from more than two million dogs and almost half a million cats, we determined that heartworm disease is among the top three disease risks for pets in the southern United States. Education and awareness are vital to reducing this risk."

Outdoor cats are at highest risk for parasites--even though they LOVE life on the outside! How do you make the outside safe?

HEARTWORM TRANSMISSION

To become infected, a cat must live in an area that has infected dogs, and with mosquitoes that have a taste for both dog blood and cat blood. Dr. Graham says that wildlife also serves as a reservoir for the disease so coyotes and raccoons could put your pets at risk. Heck, the coyotes come up onto my back patio! Even though Magical-Dawg is negative for the disease and takes preventative, Seren-kitty could get heartworm from a single mosquito biting a coyote and nailing her before I could swat the sucker.

That's right, I said it. A cat doesn't have to go outside to be exposed. Exclusively indoor cats also get heartworm disease. Dr. Graham mentioned he'd recently diagnosed a couple of exclusively indoor cats in his clinic in Corpus Cristi. Yikes!

Mosquitoes ingest baby heartworms (microfilariae) when taking a blood meal from an already infected animal. The immature parasites spend about three weeks developing inside the mosquito and migrate to the mouthparts of the insect. When the mosquito again takes a blood meal, larvae are deposited upon the skin and gain entrance to the new host's body through the bite wound left by the mosquito. Once inside the body, the immature heartworm undergoes many more molts and development stages.

KITTY SYMPTOMS ARE H.A.R.D.

The larvae are carried by the blood through the heart to the cat's pulmonary arteries which almost immediately become enlarged and inflamed. They usually die in cats in about 9 months (they can live 5 years in dogs!) and cause severe inflammatory respiratory problems when they die. This has been described as heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD).

Feline airways become thickened, stiff, and inflamed. Cats with asthma symptoms—open-mouth breathing with blue gums—may in fact be suffering from heartworm disease. Frequent vomiting also can be a sign of feline heartworm disease. "The third unfortunate sign we see is the cat is fine this morning, and dead this afternoon," says Dr. Graham.

HEARTWORM TESTS

Current tests don't detect all feline heartworm cases. Antigen tests identify the presence of adult female worms. That means cats could have immature worms present, or an adult male, and appear to be safe. Antibody tests can detect very early infections by immature worms–fantastic for our dogs!–but half of all cats that have worms don't have antibodies against them. Additional chest radiographs and echocardiograms may be needed when heartworm infection is suspected.

A single heartworm can kill the cat, and there's no cure or treatment for feline heartworms. Instead, veterinarians suppress the inflammation in the lungs and make it easier to breathe using such drugs as prednisone, bronchodilators, and doxycycline. Infected cats usually are put on heartworm preventive so they don't get any new worms that further complicate their care.

Even pampered show cats aren't immune.

While diagnosis is difficult and treatment virtually impossible, there are preventive products for cats. The American Heartworm Society provides guidelines and the latest research on its site. They recommend all cats should be on preventative, year round. Start kittens at 6 to 8 weeks of age–there are products that not only prevent heartworms but also control other parasites like fleas so you're multi-tasking and keeping kitty safe. It costs pennies a day to protect my dog and cat, compared to the expense of treating an infection. And these days, the dog treatment for heartworms is temperarily unavailable.

Losing Magical-Dawg or Seren-Kitty to heartworms is not a price I'm willing to pay.

How about you? What sorts of preventatives to you give your fur-kids? Fleas and tick stuff? Heartworm prevention? Do you prefer the "natural" route or have suggestions how to get the cats to accept "what's good for them?" There are liquid alternatives and spot ons for some of these preventions. What works best for your pets?

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you'd like answered? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Feline Fridays Tagged: American Heartworm Society, Amy Shojai, Banfield Pet Hospital, cat books, cat health, Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, Dr. Wallace Graham, feline heartworms, heartworm prevention, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, kittens, pet books

Thoughty Thursday: Get Into Something Good!

Okay, what are YOU into? Something good, I hope.

What else makes you smile? I'm working on the thriller today, yee-haw! And the cat is helping. Dang, I've got my dog, my cat, my writing, my music–I am REALLY into something good.

If you need a smile just take a look at this fun-tastic video. My thanks to Terry Albert for sending me the link.

 

Filed under: Thoughtful Thursdays, Video, Writing Tips Tagged: Amy Shojai, books, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, inspiration, pets, recharging your soul, writing

Woof Wednesday: When Pets Hate Your Soulmate

Who would you pick? The pet or the date?

When love is in the air, everyone's happy, right? So why did the cat hiss and baptize his shoes? What's up when your dog growls at his voice? Why can't your pet love your soul-mate as much as you?

And if your new soul-mate says, "CHOOSE, it's ME or the PET…" what's your answer?

Any change of routine can threaten your pet's sense of security. When you spend time with your new love, the dog or cat misses you and feels lonely–and you smell weird, like that stranger! Dogs and cats often feel proprietary toward their owners and take offense at new people invading their territory.

After all, our dogs and cats love us unconditionally. They don't care if we have bad breath, or had a bad day at work, or we change our socks. Actually the Magical-Dawg is a sock fanatic and the more aromatic the better! Puppies show their love in any number of ways. And adult cats and dogs show love in surprising and sometimes annoying ways–like chewing up your favorite shoes or peeing on the pillow.

I've heard from readers with some amazing stories about pets 'dissing' their owner's significant others. Even a couple stories about a pet telling on an unfaithful relationship. On the other paw, I also know pets can bring people together and become furry matchmakers. Heck, our dogs and cats want us to be happy and it's not surprising pets think THEY are the key to that happiness. Hey, we include them in our birthdays and holidays, right?

In fact, my colleague, best-selling author Eve Adamson understands this about pets and is writing an article about including your dog in your winter holiday festivities in creative ways. She's looking for dog owners to interview but wants to talk to non-writers.  She says, "Could be anything from making up a dog stocking to marching in a holiday parade or caroling with dog or whatever." You can contact her about your doggy festivities at eadamson@mchsi.com.

Back in April I posted an Ask Amy video on the topic of pets and date hate that drew so much attention, I had to write an article about it. The key to getting pets to switch on the fuzzy love is to turn that STRANGER DANGER moment into adoration by romancing the pets, too.

How would you do that? Bribes? What floats your pet's boat? Have you had successes (or failures) with pets in your romantical experiences?

Check out my latest Paw Nation article, where you'll find tips to convince the cat and dog to welcome him–or her–into the family. And here's a re-run of that Ask Amy video that got all the attention, enjoy!

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you'd like answered? I'm nearly ready to record a bunch of new ones, so be sure to get your requests in the comments. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Ask Amy, Bling Alert!, Video, Woof Wednesdays Tagged: Amy Shojai, Ask Amy, cat behavior, dog training, http://www.shojai.com, my pet hates my date, PawNation.com, pet books, puppies.About.com

Tuesday Tips: Pix, Tricks & Writers Fighting Dirty

"Be my mentor?"

Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo links and blogs and writer-icity crappiocca. But I collected so much great stuff over the past week, yesterday's blog concentrated on furry content and today's Tuesday Tips catches the writer-icity spillover.

What are some of your favorite writer tips? Do you have a blog you love to visit? Or maybe there's a book on craft that you can't live without and made all the difference in your success. Add 'em in the comment section. Heck, if it's your own tip, blog or book that rocks the world, you have MY PERMISSION for today to shout-about-it here in the comments. Spread the word, and we'll make today's Tuesday Tips a lasting resource.

CAN I USE THAT PHOTO?

My colleague Andrea Dorn always shares great writer and grammar tips with Cat Writers Association members (see her blog here). She shared that if you're planning to use photos as news (that is, for the purpose of reporting on what happened at your event in newspapers, magazines or websites), permission isn't necessary. However, if you intend to use photos in promotional or commercial materials, you need written permission from all individuals who can be identified in the photos. Publishing the art of a living artist on a web page, newsletter or brochure requires the artist's permission. These and other questions related to "Can I use that photo?" are answered by Iowa State University experts.

INDIE WRITERS BEWARE

Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware recently posted that she's received questions about a new awards program: the IndieReader Discovery Awards for self-published authors. Is it legit? What questions should you ask about Indie opportunities? The blog has some tips and insights you won't want to miss.

INCREASE BLOG SUBSCRIBERS

. . . or subscriptions to newsletters or whatever else you want to share with your readers. I've done some of this but may add to my list. Derek Halpern offers tips for seven places on your blog where you can place sign-up forms to increase your chances that people will actually sign up and thus build your email list. I wouldn't go with the pop-up box, though–that really hisses me off.

HOW TO FIGHT DIRTY FOR FICTION SUCCESS

I love Jenny Hansen's "More Cowbell" blog and today's Techie Tuesday offers GOLD for fiction writers wanting to escalate tension between characters. Learn how to use dirty fighting to your advantage!

KINDLE-GRAPH! WOOT!

Did you know that you can get autographed E-books on Kindle?  You need to have a Twitter account, but I am SO going to look into this!

WANT YOUR INDIE BOOK REVIEWED?

Full disclosure–I've not submitted my books for review to any of these sources, but they have received favorable comments from other authors on KindleBoards. I know that some are authors themselves, others simply avid readers and book lovers. They also review "traditionally" pub'd books. Check 'em out and read some of their reviews before submitting your own book. Report back about how it worked for you. And hey, you just may discover a new fav Indie author!

Red Adept Reviews:   Because Red has a team of reviewers, her site covers a variety of genres, including nonfiction.

Grace Krispy  reviews mysteries/cozies/thrillers, some fantasy, some urban fantasy and women's fiction.

Books and Pals mostly reviews Indies.

E-Bookworms appears to review mostly Science Fiction and Fantasy.

www.DailyCheapReads.com mostly offers "bargain books" but sometimes also reviews them.

So what are your fav review spots for books? How do you judge if a new book is worth opening your pocketbook? Do you have a terrific writerly tip or resource to share? Add your comments and share the blog today with others and let's get lots of stuff posted–I'll do a recap later on all the goodies (and YES, include a shout-out to the submitters as well).

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you'd like answered? I'm nearly ready to record a bunch of new ones, so be sure to get your requests in the comments. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Kindle, Tuesday Tips, Wags & Purrs, Writing Tips Tagged: Amy Shojai, Andrea Dorn, cat books, cat writers association, Derek Halpern, dog books, Grace Krispy, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, Indie book reviews, Indie publishing, Iowa State University, Jenny Hansen, kindlegraph, photo copyright, Red Adept, Victoria Straus, writer beware, writer contests, writers, writers conference, writing

Monday Mentions: Religious Cats, Little Dog Life Lessons & Pet Resources

I do my best to avoid talking about politics and religion but just had to make an exception in the case of Ketzel, subject of the above book MEWSINGS: My Life as a Jewish Cat by my colleague Greta Beigel. This delightful book just got a stellar review and I had to add my SNOOPY-DANCE-'O-JOY! to the celebration. Note: you can click on the book cover to go to the "buy" page on amazon.

What about your fur-kids? In centuries past, cats were worshiped as gods and sometimes still seem to expect that adoration. Dogs, on the other paw, sometimes treat their humans with such deference that we get too big for our britches. So what's up with YOUR fur-kids? Are they spiritual beings? Do they meditate, celebrate or gravitate to more than the food bowl? Please share!

Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo links and blogs and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Today it's all about pets.

RADIO SHOWS & MORE

Pet Peeves Radio - Women Training Dogs Camilla Gray-Nelson trains women to train their dogs–and yes, it's a bit different than the male viewpoint. If you're a lady with a pet dog and at the end of your leash with Fido's antics, you'll want to learn the tips in this show. Camilla has been training dogs and solving problems for more than 20 years and today runs Dairydell Canine Center in Northern California. She and her staff have helped more than 9000 dogs and owners from all over the United States!

Folks, if you have a suggestion for a guest or topic idea for Pet Peeves please drop me a line or post a comment to that effect. It can be funny to serious about what HISSES you off (or makes you purrrrrr and wag) about all-things-pets.

Four Legged Life with Arden Moore offers a pet community with pet care classes, a newsletter, an award-winning "Oh, Behave!" radio podcast with lots of pet-loving celebs, and more. Arden also happens to be the editor of Catnip, a publication of Tufts University (and I have the honor to write for her once in a while!).

PUPPY-LICIOUS PLUG. Those who visit this blog know I frequently share puppy-licious content from my puppies.About.com site. Maybe it's not kewl to say it's GREAT info…but I do have a GREAT time writing it. It's still quite new so each month about 10-20 new articles and that many blogs (plus a weekly newsletter) get added.

HEARTWORM ALERT! Last week I added an article about canine heartworm disease and the fact that the treatment to cure the disease is in short supply. And I heard back from the American Heartworm Society (a GREAT resource for info!) asking me to share this video with more information–of course, I'm delighted to do so!

You know, of course, that cats get heartworms, too. Seren gets her preventive each month, even though she's an indoor cat. You can find out more at the American Heartworm Society site. Franny Syufy's cats.About.com site also offers top notch cat specific content. I had the good fortune to work with Franny last year as the contributing writer on cat behavior. Franny's site has been around about 15 years so you can image the wealth of info she's got, check it out!

GORILLA OF MY HEART? UC Davis School of Vet Medicine Newsletter has all kinds of great animal-istic information and special thanks to Lynn Narlesky who keeps me plugged in the fascinating latest. Check out one of the features about a HUMAN virus found in gorillas. Can you say "medical thriller plot?"

HORSING AROUND. Fertility vaccine for wild horse birth control, a study from the awesome folks at Morris Animal Foundation.

DOGGY TESTIMONY. My German dog-writing colleague Bernd Guenter pointed out this neat story about a dog helping rape victims testify in court–and how it's being challenged. Incidentally if you ever need fanTAStic dog photos, check out Bernd's books and Berner pictures–just awesome!

DOG FIGHT AP? EWWW! Some of y'all have been following the story about the dog fighting ap–yes, there's an AP for that, apparently. No one has opposed it more strenuously than my colleague Steve Dale who offers details in his blog. And another colleague, Susan Conant, tracked down the link to report and request that offensive aps be taken down–check it out here.

GOOD NEWS FOR PET PASSPORTS. Apparently your pets no longer need to endure 6-month rabies antibody rechecks when imported to the UK–here's the details about the new rules on pet passports.

LIFE LESSONS and Little Dogs, a most touching blog post by Catie Rhodes

TAKE YOUR CAT to the VET WEEK sponsored by PetFinder.com invites you to take the furry pledge! You don't need a pet passport to do the right thing by your cat. Stay tuned for more about this later in the week…

Whew–it's clear that the critters took over today's Monday Mentions. I've got a slew of publishing/writing tips–so many that I'll share them on tomorrow's blog.

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you'd like answered? I'm nearly ready to record a bunch of new ones, so be sure to get your requests in the comments. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Howls & Hisses, Monday Mentions, Video, Wags & Purrs Tagged: American Heartworm Society, Amy Shojai, Arden Moore, Bernd Guenter, books, Camilla Gray-Nelson, Catie Rhodes, catnip, cats as gods, cats.about.com Franny Syufy, dog fight ap, Four Legged Life, Greta Beigel, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, Mewsings My Life As a Jewish Cat, Morris Animal Foundation, pet life radio, pet peeves, pet radio shows, petfinder.com, puppies.About.com, Steve Dale, Susan Conant, take your cat to the vet week, Tufts, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

Furry Friday: Channeling Your Inner Fur-Kid

What are you TELLING me?

How the hell does she swing from the drapes and seek out the highest spot in the house? Why in doGs name did he roll in dead fish—and then share by rubbing clean against my socks? Does shedding itch? Is that cute innocent look for real, or just an act?

Are you passionate about pets, too? Do you ever stop thinking about them? For more than twenty years, I've puzzled over their actions, behaviors, motivations and care, nearly 24/7. Pets rule.

Okay, so according to the pet-less, I have no life. Some folks write to change the world. They do so with passion, dedication, and great skill, and I admire them greatly. But I'm not the only writer obsessed with fluffy subject matter.

Westminster Kennel Club dog show after the DWAA events, where you can meet the most glorious dogs and dedicated pet people!

Pet writers also write to make a difference, and sometimes manage to save lives. After reading several cat-egories to judge a recent CWA contest of outstanding work, this hits home with me in a big way. Cat Writers Association members as well as Dog Writers Association of America folks rarely know what impact the work has, because those who most benefit from pet writing never read it. In fact, some of 'em probably baptize it.

Please don't leave my Petiquette newspaper columns on the floor. It's disheartening. And if you use them to line the bottom of the parrot cage, let that be your little secret. I don't need to know. Really, I don't.

FAN? Really, a FAN?!

Last week I received a letter–yes, a real hand-written-and-printed-in-pencil letter–from a fan. It seems that an eleven-year-old wannabe kitten owner had been told by her Mom she needed to learn about taking care of kittens FIRST before adopting a furry baby. So the little girl decided to write to me after reading my kitten book. WOW-WOW-WOW! and hurray for Mom!

It's worth it. Every bit of the sleepless nights. Pet writers get paid with more than $$. What made your day/week/month worth the angst?

Cat writers channel their inner kitten...

Of course pet writers wish their audience had pocketbooks. In this economy that would help more of the furry-inclined to spend more time doing what makes writerly hearts go pitty-pat. But if pets could read and had wallets, they'd spend hard-earned kibble on Kitty Kaviar, Puppy Crunchies or fuzzy squeaker toys to disembowel (or hump) at the most inappropriate time. At least, that's what Magic and Seren would do. What would your fur-kids buy with their spare change?

My illiterate furry audience "reads" in very different ways–puppies communicate one way and cats talk another. My true readership will never ask for a pawtograph, or care if I have initials after my name. But they will do back-flips for the right treat, and wag and purr with delight should a human finally understand that tail-talk.

What about you? are you different? What's your obsession? Writing? Sparkly objects? Gerbils? Cheetos and M&Ms? (that's writerly brain-food, ya know!).

As for me, until my audience comes out from under the bed, or tires from dog-earing one of my books and actually SPEAKS in language most owners understand–and puts me gloriously, wonderfully out of business–I'll keep typing, blogging, fiction-ing and radio-ing away.

Wait, I'm channeling a message now. It's coming clear, yes, it's…I see it all now! what I absolutely, without a doubt, know to be the meaning behind all the howls, hisses, yowls, and wags. The fur-kids of the world sit up and beg and howl their message loud and clear:

BUY AMY'S BOOKS!

Trust me. I'm a professional. And pets never lie.

What do YOUR pets tell you to do? I'll give you a moment to channel the fur kids. Go ahead, I'll wait . . . . everybody here? So ask 'em. What does the cat say? Is her fondest desire to doze in front of the fan? or eat mouse morsels off a crystal plate?  or have you give up your job to scritch her itchy spots all of the time? If your fur kids could have their most favorite wish come true, what would it be?

One of my wishes would be for all the pets of the world to get along with each other and their people. I think the critters in the video, below, are on their way to making that happen. What do YOU think?

[image error]

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you'd like answered? I'm nearly ready to record a bunch of new ones, so be sure to get your requests in the comments. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Furry Fridays, Video, Wags & Purrs, Writing Tips Tagged: books, cat behavior, cat books, cat communication, cat writers association, chicken and kittens, dog behavior, dog books, dog communication, dog writers association, puppies.About.com, writers, writers conference, writing

Woof Wednesday: Sunburned Dawgs Ain't Sexy!

Dogs who sunbathe on their backs can get sunburned tummies!

Aww…gives new meaning to the "dog days of summer." This gorgeous photo Copr. amasd posted in my Puppies Publishing group (used with permission!) perfectly illustrates one of the hot weather risks that face our dogs. Hope his lil' tummy has some sunscreen protection.

White face pups risk nose sunburn.

Dogs are very well protected against the sun by their fur, and don't routinely suffer from sunburn. Shaving your fuzz-bucket dawg down to keep him cool can increase the risk of sunburn and heatstroke. When dogs do suffer sunburn, the hairless or thinly-furred areas of the body are most at risk, like the ear tips, bridge of the nose, and the tummy. White puppies are at highest risk and for some reason, bulldog breeds really like to sleep on their backs and bare tummies to the sun. I just pub'd a new article on the topic so you can learn more about first aid for sunburn pain.

Everyone knows cats follow puddles of sunshine across the carpet to sunbathe. Cats actually get burned more often than dogs. But are your dogs sun worshipers? Or do they look for ways to keep cool? What's your pooch's favorite hot weather pastimes? How do your pets handle the heat?

Magical-Dawg lost his appetite. It's just too darn hot to eat, apparently. That is, unless it's something off of MY plate! Wait–maybe he's using the hot weather and snubbing the bowl to manipulate us into treating him with yummies, ya think? Hot pavement and more can affect how your dogs (and cats!) manage the heat and my latest Paw Nation article offers some hot weather safety tips.  Here are some safe hot weather games I've come up with for dogs but please add your own to the list.

Do you trim your Poodle like a topiary for hot weather? Shave your Saluki? Slather sunscreen on Slobber-Kissy-Poo-Pooch? How do you keep King cool? I know a young woman in marching band in High School who's service dog now has a "cooling vest" to help maintain cool-dog safety. Are there any neato-torpedo products you recommend?

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you'd like answered? I'm nearly ready to record a bunch of new ones, so be sure to get your requests in the comments. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Woof Wednesdays Tagged: Amy Shojai, cat sunburn, cute puppy pictures, dog behavior, dog books, dog sunburn, first aid for pets, heastroke, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, pet books, pets, puppies.About.com

Tuesday Tips: Musically Thrilling Writer-icity

Amy and bestselling thriller author Michael Palmer at Thrillerfest!

Okay, I gotta share another fan-girl moment–yes, that's THE Michael Palmer at the reception just before the Thrillerfest Banquet. And I got to meet his son, debut author Daniel Palmer earlier in the day at the book signing event. Yep, got both of their books autographed. And because I had the books shipped (my bad back couldn't take schlepping 'em on the plane), I just got the books this week and have just started Daniel's debut thriller, Delirious. And for all you dog-lovers, a main character in Daniel's book adopts an adult rescue Beagle named Monte…you'll love this dog! Oh, and then Michael's  book is just A Heartbeat Away on my list to read next.

Why is this on today's Tuesday Tips? Well–the video might explain. You see, both these talented writers also are musicians and offered some great fun tips during their presentation at the Thrillerfest banquet. The quality of the video sucks, I know, cuz the light wasn't great and frankly, I was laughing too hard to hold the camera steady.

This video is only a small taste of the whole Thrillerfest experience, of course, and you can get the full deal recording (and those of the other panels) of CDs, MP3s and DVDs of Thrillerfest here.

What are YOUR favorite author tips? Do any of these sound familiar?

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you'd like answered? I'm nearly ready to record a bunch of new ones, so be sure to get your requests in the comments. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Bling Alert!, Tuesday Tips, Video, Wags & Purrs, Writing Tips Tagged: Amy Shojai, books, cat books, daniel palmer, Michael Palmer, old dogs, Thrillerfest, video, writers conference, writing

Monday Mentions: Muses, BlogPaws, Monsters & More Crappiocca

This Chinese Crested puppy knows how to keep cool! Must be talking to the Magical-Dawg.

Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo links and blogs and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. So I had to share these lovely pictures taken by photographer  Robbie Goodall when he posted them in my Puppy Publishing group on Flicker and there's a Flickr Kitty Publishing group too. A number of these great pictures will also get posted over at the Puppies site but of course you can post 'em directly there with details about your baby dog's gotcha day and more. Check out the links, below, and please don't be shy about sending me your own links or suggestions for others to highlight.

Just back from the chiropractor and after several weeks of  therapy, I'm feeling–well–stretchy. I can bend, I can pick up stuff (with care), I can walk the Magical-Dawg without flinching, and I just regained an extra hour a week to work. That's because I've graduated from twice weekly sessions to once a week.

I needed the adjustment to my attitude and work schedule as much as rehab, though. Sometimes it takes a wallop upside the head–or a pain in the back while weeding now-crunchy roses–to wake up and realize nothing should be taken for granted. Pay attention to the little things so the big stuff won't fall off the truck and leave you stranded. Anyway, that's the plan.

The accompanist at church fell and broke her shoulder this past weekend when her daughter's 100+ pound Labrador took off during a walk and jerked her off her feet. That means I'll be at the keyboard in her place until she heals–or the dog learns to heel, I suppose. That reminds me of the time I broke my wrist while bathing my dog–hurt sooooo bad, and the back injury rivaled that pain.

Now taking care of my back and my health has become part of the daily schedule, alongside checking email, writing the blog, meeting and beating writerly deadlines. When I spend quiet time with the stretches or ice pack or treadmill, it forces me to slow down and think–really think–about what's important, and focus on the goals of the moment, the day, the week. I just wrote and posted 9 new articles over at the Puppies site–and plan to work on fictioning this week. What are your plans?

Writer-icity Info You Want To Know

Writers, didja know about the wealth of cell phone info available? From Dr. Lyle's wonderfully useful blog, great stuff to include in your fiction!

The Printed Book is Doomed–And Here's Why

Another fantastic chock-full-'o-info blog from Jenny Hansen–do writers need presentation skills? You betcha!

The 10 Most Famous Muses of All Time, fascinating stuff. Anyone missing? Who else would you add to the list?

If you're a writer, you MUST subscribe to the Writer Beware Blog from Victoria Strauss to stay ahead of the scams. These days, there's new ones with "editors" and "agents" approaching self-pub'd Ebook authors and others. Know the score.

Google+ Monster? Clash of the Social Media Titans

Pet-Centric Stuff for Animal Lovers

Do you write about pets? Blog about 'em? Then check out BlogPaws and their upcoming paws-itively great conference that's right around the corner.

My latest puppies.About.com article covers proper puppy identification–how do you keep your cats and dogs safe from going AWOL?

Last week's Monday Mentions dealt with doggy poop pick up. My colleague read that and suggested equal time for the kitties.  Franny Syufy has some fanTAStic poop about cat poop–the radioactive kind–and what to do about it. And after all, isn't all pet waste sort of (ahem) glow-in-the-dark-EWW?

Winn Feline Health Foundation Blog–stay up to the minute on cat-tastic health info.

China and dogs–NOT a happy story here when the government bans folks from owning dogs. What would YOU do? Sounds like a horror novel plot to me.

Paws Down on Latest Animal Planet Cat Show from my colleague Sally Bahner. What do YOU think?

AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day, coming to a city near you!

Marvelous elephant reunion–caught on tape! This pair hadn't seen each other for 20 years. Totally moving and worth watching.

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you'd like answered? I'm nearly ready to record a bunch of new ones, so be sure to get your requests in the comments. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Howls & Hisses, Monday Mentions, Uncategorized, Video, Wags & Purrs, Writing Tips Tagged: AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day, Animal Planet, cat books, cat poop, cats.About.com, dog books, dog training, DP Lyle, elephant reunion, Franny Syufy, Google+, http://www.amyshojai.com, http://www.shojai.com, Jenny Hansen, pet books, puppies.About.com, Sally Bahner, social media, Victoria Strauss, Winn Feline Foundation, writer beware, writer muse, writers conference, writing

Feline Friday: Ask Amy & Teaching Shrinking Violet Shy Cats

Is your kitty shy? How do you bring her out of her Shrinking Violet shell? (Image copr. Missi Hostrup)

Working with fearful cats can be a challenge. Does Sheba hiss at strangers? Dive under the bed when the doorbell rings? Attack other pets (or humans)? And what can you do to stop bad behavior if even a mild correction sends the cat into fearful meltdown? Alexa posted her Ask Amy question to my Facebook page and the answer is in today's video.

We often feel that our fur-kids must have been abused and feel bad to make THEM feel bad. But they still need to know limits. One of my favorite ways to train is using positive rewards. Instead of waiting for kitty to scratch the wrong object and then interrupting the behavior–why not REWARD her when she scratches the RIGHT object? Using kitty clicker training can also build confidence in shy cats by teaching them what happens is in their paws. Over at my puppy-centric site, y'all can find similar tips for how to clicker train puppies. Yep, it builds canine confidence, too.

While a normal dose of caution keeps cats from becoming coyote kibble, extreme fear makes cats miserable and disrupts your happy home. Hiding cat may not bother you, constant anxiety increases stress that can make cats sick. For instance, stress can aggravate bladder inflammation (cystitis), which in turn prompts hit-or-miss bathroom behaviors. Even when the bladder doesn't hurt, anxious cats use potty deposits or will increase scratching behavior as a way to calm themselves—sort of the way nervous humans bite their fingernails. Here are tips for helping your scaredy cat.

Do you have a shy cat? How does s/he react to strangers or new situations? What tips have you used to bolster confidence? Are you concerned (like Alexa, below) about damaging your pet relationship during training?  How do you avoid that?

Of course you can find lots more fur-kid care tips in the pet books. But I hope anyone with a burning furry question (or heck, ANY question! *s*) will share in the comments and perhaps it'll be a future Ask Amy feature!

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you'd like answered? I'm nearly ready to record a bunch of new ones, so be sure to get your requests in the comments. Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, "like" me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter with pet book give-aways!

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Amy Shojai, Ask Amy, cat books, cat training, clicker training cats, clicker training puppies, dog books, dog training, how to train cats, puppies, puppies.About.com, shy cats, video, why are cats fearful, writing