Amy Shojai's Blog, page 34

Cat Writers’ Association Writer Contest Awards! Mee-Wow!

Cat Writers’ Association Writer Contest Awards! Mee-Wow!

Way back in 1992, I helped found the Cat Writers’ Association. Each year, the CWA hosts a contest for published work, and honors the best cat-centric material with a Certificate of Excellence in dozens of cat-egories. The top Certificate entry received the prestigious Muse Medallion, announced at the annual awards banquet, usually held with the […]

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Furry Fountain of Youth & Dog Senility: Reversing Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

Furry Fountain of Youth & Dog Senility: Reversing Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

I've been blessed to share my life with two senior dogs, but only Magical-Dawg showed signs of dog senility, also known as canine cognitive dysfunction. Yes, both dogs and cats can suffer from a form of dementia, that some might described as a type of canine Alzheimer's disease. Dogs aged 11 to 16 are most likely to develop Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD), sort of the doggy version of Alzheimer’s Disease. CCD is a medical condition in which a starch-like waxy protein called beta amyloid collects in the brain and causes behavior changes. Here's what you need to know and ways to slow down potential dog senility.

Signs of Dog Senility

Dogs cared for throughout their early years live longer than ever before. It’s not unusual for Toy-breed dogs to live into their mid-to-late teens and even big dogs today enjoy a decade or more of happy life with a loving owner. A longer life, though, can leave your dog befuddled when canine brains turn to mush.

Affected dogs become disoriented, wander, cry and pace, and can become lost in the house when out of your sight. Their behavior can change from confident to frightened, and the awake/sleep cycles may turn upside down. Dogs can forget house training, how to find the door or be unable to tell you when they need to “go.” And most heartbreaking of all, senile dogs lose interest in petting, ignore their beloved owners or furry friends, and might not recognize you.

A longer life is not necessarily a better life, especially if your dog no longer recognizes you. But there are ways to help your dog stay connected with the world and ward off signs of CCD...

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Pet Dehydration? Causes, Symptoms & First Aid for Dog Dehydration and Cat Dehydration

Pet Dehydration? Causes, Symptoms & First Aid for Dog Dehydration and Cat Dehydration

Cat and dog dehydration refers to the excessive loss of body water. Pets are prone to dehydration when the weather gets very hot, and they don’t have access to enough water. As a result, they can develop heatstroke. More often, though, dog and cat dehydration happens from vomiting and diarrhea.

Here in Texas, we've had weeks of triple-digit temperatures. I worry about the outside pets, but even indoor cats and dogs can suffer from dehydration. Normal water loss occurs in the pet's bathroom deposits, through moisture exhaled with the breath, and through sweat. These fluids get replaced when the cat and dog eat and drink.

Causes of Cat & Dog Dehydration

Any illness may prompt pets to stop eating and drinking, and prolonged fever increases the loss of body fluid. Specific disease conditions or injuries like diabetes or kidney disease may cause excessive urination that also causes of dehydration.

Cats evolved as desert creatures and have an amazing ability to conserve water, but cat dehydration can still kill. Even though cats seem to prefer to drink water in the weirdest places (the sink? your glass? the TOILET?!) they most often just don't drink enough water. It's important to know the signs of cat dehydration and provide ample drinking ops to keep kitty healthy and happy.

A normal adult pet's total body water is approximately 60 percent of his body weight. That means your 12-pound pet carries over 7 pounds of liquid! Signs of dehydration become apparent when he loses as little as five percent of normal body water. A 12 to 15 percent loss of total body water results in shock and imminent death. Here are the signs of pet dehydration, and how to treat it with first aid.

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Guest Blog: The little tart centerpiece in my kitchen

Guest Blog: The little tart centerpiece in my kitchen

I'm heading back home to visit my 95-year-old dad this weekend, and reconnect with friends at my high school reunion. Shadow-Pup and Karma-Kat will stay at the "pet resort" while I'm gone. My husband has scheduled folks to come in and replace the carpet with hardwood--what a process! Moving furniture around ain't fun...and we waited until the last minute to (temporarily) relocated the dog bed and cat trees. As you know, our pets (especially cats) love the status quo. Urk!

Back in May, my CWA member colleague, Tracy Ahrens shared a guest blog with me about her special dog. Today, she shares musings about a special cat. My Karma also sleeps in a variety of endearing, awkward, and unique poses, so I smiled with recognition reading about her cat Forest. What is it about cat sleep habits that delights us so? I know that Karma has his favorite sleep spots--in the dog bed on the dining room table, top of his cat trees, and my pillow at night. So once the floors get done, we'll make sure to satisfy and catify his kitty spots. Like Forest (below), Karma decides what he likes and wants.

This entertaining piece first appeared on the WagTheDogUK blog. It has won a CWA Certificate of Excellence Award in the 2021 contest.

Deck The Bed With...Colorful Quilts

Visitors to my kitchen are greeted by a small litter box close to the stove, snug against a cupboard and partially seated on an area rug.

I first lined the box with a spare bath towel and Forest purred while resting in it. Soon after, I topped that towel with a mini flannel quilt made by my mom. The quilt extends up the sides of the box and I carefully gather it around the edges so it stays in place when Forest crawls on top.

I have pondered the overall image of Forest in the litter box. He looks like the sweet filling in a little tart-like bed with a flannel quilt crust...

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

The DOs and DONTs of Camping with Your Dog or Cat

The DOs and DONTs of Camping with Your Dog or Cat

Summer arrived even earlier than expected this year, with temperatures hitting triple digits by mid-June. There's still plenty of pet camping season left. Even though camping with pets isn’t for me, I know lots of folks who LOVE it, including my brother and his dog. He takes the dog with them camping, boating, skiing, and pretty much everywhere.

Bringing your furry one along camping (or glamping) is a great bonding experience. But before you pack up and hit the road, look over my DOs and DONTs of camping with your dog or cat.

What to do when camping with a pet

First, decide if your pet will enjoy camping. Not all will enjoy it. My Karma-Kat would HATE camping. He's a homebody, and enjoys watching birds, bunnies, and squirrels through the window, but freezes when his paws hit the grass. Shadow-Pup's more adventurous and probably would do better...

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

What to Do for Fire Hazards & Pet Smoke Inhalation

What to Do for Fire Hazards & Pet Smoke Inhalation

It's National Pet Fire Safety Day on July 15, and here in Texas with heat rolling over the land, flash fires threaten all summer long. I wrote about disaster preparation on the blog recently, and fire hazards and smoke inhalation issues are another issue affecting pets. All across the country, too many folks have already lost homes, property, and even the lives of human and animal loved ones. A few years ago, some of my Facebook friends asked me to post about smoke inhalation information, and I wanted to expand on that. Knowing what to do should your cat or dog suffer fire-related injury could save their lives.

Most cases of smoke inhalation involve situations where the pet cannot escape. Dogs and especially cats tend to hide when frightened, and may not make an effort to get out of a burning building until too late. But the recent wind-fanned flames of grass fires move quickly, produce a lot of smoke, and can catch outdoor pets unprepared...

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Amazon Prime Day! Plus Rounding Up Deals for All The Feels at Chewy

Amazon Prime Day! Plus Rounding Up Deals for All The Feels at Chewy

Y'all know I'm a huge fan of Chewy, and I frequently share my fav products--cuz Shadow-Pup and Karma-Kat LOVE them, too. AND... it's Amazon Prime Days! (can you see my virtual tail wagging?)

Yes, I'll be shopping and stocking up for my fur kids. What about you? I've put together some of my favorite pet deals, plus you can check out my Amazon page with pet product recommendations. Enjoy!

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

National Kitten Day! Must-Knows About Newborn Kitten Development

National Kitten Day! Must-Knows About Newborn Kitten Development

Every year when Spring rolls around we celebrate kitten season! On July 10, we celebrate National Kitten Day, so if a new baby is in your plans, here's some updated kitten care info. If you love kittens, learning about newborn kitten development helps you know what to expect, and help the baby along the way.

Even if it's not yet kitten season, it's helpful to figure out the best age to adopt kittens. Read on to learn about the cat behavior of a three-week-old baby compared to one six weeks old. So whatever time of year, prepare now with all your kitten questions so you're ready when the purr-fect cat or kitten becomes available...

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Dog Enrichment for Bored Dogs: 6 Quick Tips to Enrich Dog Environments

Dog Enrichment for Bored Dogs: 6 Quick Tips to Enrich Dog Environments

Boredom is the worst. When I’m bored, I want to snack, usually on high-carb stuff that packs on the poundage. Hey, Cheetos and M&Ms are brain food, right? It’s not just us humans who fall into bad habits, though. Dogs do too. At least we can control what goes in their bowls.

One of the easiest ways to keep your dog blissfully busy is exercise. Shadow-Pup loves games of fetch, and also adores games of wrestle-and-tag with Karma-Kat. Oh, and cats get bored, too. And when Bravo-Dawg was alive, his Big-Ball (water-filled tug toy) brought him joy even after the loss of his leg.

While physical exercise is important for dogs, they also need to keep their brains busy too! Besides, this hot weather means outdoor fun gets limited to early morning hours before we hit triple digits here in Texas. I'll put together a dog enrichment webinar and booklet in the coming months. Meanwhile, here are my 6 quick tips to enrich your dog’s environment to help them stay mentally and physically active - and out of trouble.

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing

Cat Hairballs & Shedding: 7 Tips to Solve the Big Hairy Deal

Cat Hairballs & Shedding: 7 Tips to Solve the Big Hairy Deal

Karma-Kat recently has "urped" up more cat hairballs, and I know why. I bet you didn't know that in hot weather, cats lick and groom themselves to cool off. Of course, that can lead to more hairballs, so in hot weather or shedding season, you may see an uptick in these problems.

But swallowing lots of fur isn’t healthy, and hairballs are more than a nasty nuisance. Kitties that produce three or more hairballs a month should be checked by the vet to rule out other health issues.

Hairballs cause diarrhea, appetite loss, coughing, retching, constipation—or even deadly intestinal blockage. Cats have had hairballs as big as baseballs that require surgery to be removed! Most cases won’t need surgery, though, and most hairballs can be easily eliminated. Refer to these tips to untangle your cat hairballs problems.

AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Practical Solutions for Pets Problems & Publishing