Amy Shojai's Blog, page 99
May 16, 2014
10 Guilt-Free Ways to Love Pets with #HillsPet
10 Guilt-Free Ways to Love Pets with #HillsPet
Image courtesy of Hill’s Pet Nutrition
We don’t often think of cat weight loss or doggy dieting in the same breath as loving our pets. More often we think of pet love in terms of dog toys, kitty cuddles and with proper vet care just to name a few. Oh, and food. Lots and lots of yummy-icity.
After all, love doesn’t “deprive” your pet with something he or she adores, and at my house, the Magical-Dawg adores treats! Seren-Kitty, the 17-year-old, isn’t quite so treat motivated, but the new Karma-Kitten never met a taste he didn’t like.
Magic is seven year’s old and still quite the canine athlete. Image Copr. Amy Shojai, CABC
Magic at age seven is in good shape with a healthy body condition, thank heavens. That’s not wishful thinking, even the veterinarian says so. Seren, though, is a little tiny skinny thing at barely six pounds, and so we struggle to get enough nutrition into her.
Karma plays a lot–but still manages to add to his “tummy” power. Image Copr. Amy Shojai, CABC
Karma is almost a year old. He’s a tank, and has already developed some (ahem) table muscle. Get a load of that tummy! But he still loves treats and wants to graze from everyone’s bowl or plate. Heck, he even countertop cruises and absconds with anything reachable. One day last week Karma executed a dash-and-grab in order to swipe kabob off my husband’s plate!
Here’s the thing. Feeding a weight reduction or maintenance food like Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution actually IS a way to love your pet where it counts most–by keeping him or her a healthy weight. It’s not withholding love–it’s redefining love with the help of great nutrition.
Food can be a huge issue for pet parents. Choosing the right one, and feeding the correct amount, can be a challenge and because food and attention are so closely linked, it can feel like we’re depriving them of love when we restrict those yummies.
My 17-year-old Siamese wannabe still rules the roost, despite weighing barely 6 pounds. Image Copr. Amy Shojai, CABC
At my house, Magic and Karma look betrayed with Seren gets extras (she needs it!) and they don’t. Managing feeding time when you have pets with different needs gets complicated, and feeling guilty about depriving them doesn’t help. So finding other ways to love them keeps pets happy and pet parents doing the right thing. We don’t have to feel guilty when we feed Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution treats, because they’re formulated to work the same as the diet. How cool is that?
10 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR PET
Image courtesy of Hill’s Pet Nutrition
New routines are one of the best ways to get into healthy habits and redefine the way you love your cats and dogs. Besides offering a Hill’s Metabolic Treat, here are 9 more tips for how to love your pets–what have I missed? How do YOU redefine pet love?
Love With Grooming: Seren adores being combed and groomed. Magical-Dawg sheds like crazy so grooming him also prevents mats and satisfies that itch.
Love With Training: Both dogs and cats relish exercising their brains–and it prevents boredom.
Love With Toys: Find what floats your pet’s boat and provide fun toys. Cheap thrills, like empty paper bags for cats or old socks for dogs, can offer inexpensive hours of fun.
Love With Games: I just discovered Karma likes to sled! That is, if I drag a towel on the floor, he hops aboard and wants to be towed all over the room, what fun for us both! Magic will play Frisbee fetch until he collapses.
Love With Pets: Scritches and cuddles and massages not only feel good to your pets, it also has health benefits for you.
Love With Walks: Teach your cats to walk on a leash, and take them for rambles around the house or over to Grandma’s house. Dogs adore exploring new places, so give yours a new leash on life with a new vista on your walks.
Love With Vets: Proper routine care keeps your cats and dogs healthy, reduces health costs, and ensures they’re around as long as possible to share the love.
Love With Laps: Seren never enjoyed lap sitting until she turned 14 years old or so. I’m loving the lap-sitting time we now share.
Love With Sniffs: Dogs don’t have to gulp to enjoy a treat. Scent an old sock with something stinky–like old cheese or pungent fish–for a sniff-treat that delights nosy dogs. And for cats, offer some catnip.
This post is sponsored by Hill’s and the BlogPaws Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s Prescription Diet Metabolic Food, but I only share information I feel is relevant to my readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.
BONUS: TELL A FRIEND PROGRAM
Want to do something healthy and loving for your pets? I’m telling all my friends–and you can, too, so share away! Here’s a $25 Wellness Visit Rebate (fill out this form) to help you and your pet with a wellness veterinary visit. Instructions are on the rebate. You’ll also get a valuable $25 rebate for Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution food. Wow! That’s a $50 dollar value. Click here and spread gift of health!
BlogPaws will collect the interested individuals’ information and Hill’s will mail out rebates to all who fill out the form. One rebate mailing per household. As a blogger, all you need to do is spread the word!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. 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, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Pet-centric Writer-icity & Thrillers With BITE!
May 15, 2014
BRAVO Dog and Cat Food Recalled
BRAVO Dog and Cat Food Recalled
This is one of those times that I need to send a quick and important shout-out to my Sweet Peeps. If you feed your pets BRAVO Pet Food, please be aware that certain products have been voluntarily recalled due to the possibility of Listeria contamination.
All the details can be found in this hot-off-the-virtual-press article.
Be safe! be well!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. 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, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Pet-centric Writer-icity & Thrillers With BITE!
May 13, 2014
Taking A Breather
“Come play with us…please? when’s quitting time?” Image Copr. Amy Shojai, CABC
I need your understanding, Sweet Peeps. After several years of blogging three times a week, along with the weekly newspaper columns and the 8+ monthly articles for puppies.about.com, my frazzle-icity has reached new heights. Or is that depths? More likely a brick wall. 
This is my 675th blog post. Yay!
But it’s been a struggle to maintain this pace, while also writing the next book in my September Day thriller series. I’m also about 1/3rd of the way through the rough draft of COMPLETE PUPPY CARE companion volume to my kitten book. But at this rate, neither book will get done any time soon and even the short writerly schtuff feels like I’m giving it short shrift. I hate that!
Oh, and the cats and dog want attention, and–hubster too. They’re funny that way! :) This past month, it hit me pretty hard that I probably won’t have Seren-Kitty for very much longer so I want to enjoy her good days while she has them.
I get to “see” and interact with many of y’all on Facebook anyway. Actually, I was so torn about this decision and then I posted a vague mention of it yesterday and the outpouring of love and encouragement made me feel so encouraged! Thank you, thank you, a million times–I can’t tell you how wonderfully helpful that was. I don’t want to disappoint but really need to figure out how best to spend my time and focus my efforts. If you’re not already following me on Twitter or my Facebook Fan, or a Friend (or Follower) now’s your chance–message me to say you came over from my blog.
I’ve got the BEST Sweet Peeps evah!
Starting next week, I’ll be dialing back my blog posts to one a week, probably Thursday or Friday. I still accept select “sponsored posts” — stay tuned for a fun one this Friday–but for the most part any product reviews will appear over at my puppies.about.com site. I’ll be sure and share all the new puppy schtuff here, of course and any breaking news will get a post, too. That way I can keep y’all up to date on the fictioning progress and any SQUEEE! puppy-licious and cat-astic info. Instead of three weekly lame blog posts, you’ll get one (hopefully) PAW-some post! I’ll try to send out more regular Pet Peeves newsletter updates, too.
Thanks for being such great supporters and followers of the blog! I’m not stopping, really I’m not, I love this BLING, BITCHES AND BLOOD BLOG–just taking a breather to hopefully give y’all more and better content in the books. I hope you’ll understand and still check back in here every week for more writer-icity and pet-astic edu-tainment.
woofs & purrs and ever-so-grateful virtual hugs,
amy
AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Pet-centric Writer-icity & Thrillers With BITE!
May 12, 2014
Weather Watch, Tornadoes and Pets
Weather Watch, Tornadoes and Pets
The double-headed killer tornado that hit Midway Trailer Park and killed 36 people. Image courtesy of NOAA
It’s that time of year here in N. Texas for storms, rain, hail and (eeek!) tornadoes. Today we’re under a weather alert with forecast of up to 2 inches of rain and possible hail and wind. That could turn into a might big wind that could cause Dorothy to shake in her ruby slippers.
When I grew up in North Indiana, we also had tornadoes and those events were exciting times for us kids. It meant camping out in the basement…with our parents! How fun is that?
My folks must have done something to keep us kids calm, because I can only remember the excitement and not the fear. The awe and shivers came afterwards one spring weekend, though. That part of the country still talks about the Palm Sunday tornadoes of 1965. It was the deadliest tornado outbreak in Indiana history, with 47 documented twisters, $5.5 billion in damages and more than 250 killed. That picture of the double-headed tornado still gives me goosebumps. Another 800-foot-wide tornado killed 25. The trees that survived still grow in a twisted witchy-posture.
It only takes one tornado to land on your life for you to be 100 percent affected. It doesn’t have to be a ravaging pack of twisters. Are you prepared?
People were killed in part because warnings didn’t get to them on time. Those who did get the warnings couldn’t tell the difference between a forecast and an alert. As a result of these killer storms, the weather service launched an education program as well as the designation of “Weather Watch” and “Weather Alert” so the public could be better prepared and take cover. For more on this important storm, read this article.
Seren is not a fan of carriers so I need to plan ahead. Image Copr. Amy Shojai, CABC
So today as a grown up, the adventure and excitement have given way to concern. I know what wind can do. Today we get advance warning, and know to prepare during a “Watch” and take cover from imminent danger during a “Warning.” But because of the way the ground shifts, few houses have basements to take shelter. Instead, the pantry under the stairs (no windows, center of the house) is our go-to tornado spot.
Karma would go into the pantry without prompting–that’s where he tries to eat through the dog food bag to get to the kibble. But with enough warning, Magical-Dawg, the cats in separate carriers and I all fit inside. Today I’m clearing out space just to be prepared.
And hopefully the space won’t be needed for shelter. Here are more tips on preparing for a natural disaster and keeping pets safe.
How do you prepare for Mother Nature’s tantrums? Have you ever experienced a natural disaster–what did you do right/wrong and how will you keep your kids (furry and otherwise) safe? Do tell!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. 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, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Pet-centric Writer-icity & Thrillers With BITE!
May 9, 2014
Cheap Thrills: Karma’s New Toy
Cheap Thrills: Karma’s New Toy
I think Magic is truly put out by what the Karma-Kitten gets away with, all in the name of cute-icity. What do you think? Do you have a “double standard” and some of the fur-kids are allowed to do certain things while others are not? Am I a bad pet mom? (Hey, it is nearly Mother’s Day).
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? I’m a new Brand Ambassador for The Honest Kitchen and you can get FREE samples here, check it out! (Karma loves this!). Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Pet-centric Writer-icity & Thrillers With BITE!
May 7, 2014
National Pet Week!
Well, here at Shojai Central, it’s all about the pets 24/7/365. But in case you needed an excuse, this week has been named in honor of pets. My friends at PET360 have even got a special deal going:
Celebrate National Pet Week!! Get 10% off + FREE SHIPPING on orders over $59. Plus – we’re donating a meal for every order placed to animals in need!
How do you celebrate National Pet Week? I’m curious how many of y’all have what kinds of pets. Could you list ‘em in the comments and let’s get a count. Of course, y’all know that
I’ve got Magical-Dawg, Seren-Kitty and Karma-Kitten.
When I was a kid, I also had Shelties, hamsters, and my brother kept pet mice. We kids also brought in a variety of snakes and toads and frogs and lizards and turned them into pets, and from time to time we also had goldfish.
For a short time, I also had a Spectacle Amazon parrot named Venus, aka “the lil’ green chicken.” She was a rescue and came to me when I worked as a vet tech. Venus had been fed nothing but sunflower seeds and was addicted to the caffeine, mostly bald, and the vets said she wouldn’t live.
She did. And after her feathers returned she was gloriously beautiful–but cared nothing about people. I think she’d been caught as an adult with bird lime (she was missing two toes). So when we moved from Tennessee to Texas, I left her with a parrot expert and breeder who had a wonderful aviary and doted on the smaller parrots. The story THE RISE OF VENUS was my first published pet article.
We never kept rats (for some reason my mom tolerated hamsters and mice, but not rats). I understand they’re extremely intelligent.
Oh, and we lived on the river so there were always diamond back, leather back, and painted turtles (that’s a kid of turtle, not how we decorated them!). One year, my brother found where the baby turtles hatched, and brought home about 40 of the nickle-size hatchlings.
My parents put up with it all, bless their hearts. And as a result I had a childhood filled with wonderful pet memories. How about you?
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? I’m a new Brand Ambassador for The Honest Kitchen and you can get FREE samples here, check it out! (Karma loves this!). Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Pet-centric Writer-icity & Thrillers With BITE!
May 5, 2014
Monday Mentions: Authors & Characters, Writer Cons and Blogpaws
Monday Mentions: Authors & Characters, Writer Cons and Blogpaws
Book signing at OWFI Conference with my new doggy candy basket.
I just returned from a fun time at the OWFI Conference in Oklahoma City. This conference is very close to my heart. I’ve been going for more than 20 years, and served as president one year and am an Honorary Lifetime Member. That picture, above, was taken during a book signing event and I’m so pleased that several of my dog-viewpoint thrillers Lost and Found and Hide and Seek were “adopted” by readers. Yay!
I found my agent at this conference, booked writing jobs, and made lifelong friends. Those who aspire to write, I can’t encourage you enough to find a conference to attend. I promise you won’t be sorry.
This week, BlogPaws takes place just outside Las Vegas. Unfortunately I’m not able to be there this year 
but wanted to share this recent Infographic that explains all the ways pet bloggers work for the benefit of our animal companions. Paw-some, right? As “influencers” I and my colleagues take the responsibility very seriously. Good info means help for more pets, keeping cats and dogs in homes where they’re loved and cared for, and in turn, happy people.
My blog covers a number of different categories, providing care and health information, behavior advice, and what I like to call “edu-tainment” that’s just fun. Oh, and cute-icity. 
You’ve also realize that I occasionally work with a select group of brands that I respect and/or use with my own furry crew, and share my opinion with you about their products and causes and events.
Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo writer links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. For new followers to the blog, welcome! and you can expect more cat and dog specific schtuff later in the week on Wednesday and Friday.
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
ITW Discussion on Characters: I love ITW! And this week thriller writers William P. Wood, Amy Shojai, William Dietrich, Ralph Pezzullo, Gary Kriss, John Lescroart, Thomas M. Malafarina, Rex Burns, Michael Niemann, Ted Scofield, Lisa Von Biela, Bob Walton and Brandon Hebert answer the question on everyone’s mind: “How do you separate the author from your characters?” Join the conversation!
Author Solutions Expands to Africa & Singapore and an update on the Class Action Lawsuit
Artificial Blood Soon a Reality? well…they’ve had it for cats for a while now, so…neat ideas for your thriller (and other) stories.
Inner vs Outer Desire in Character Building
PET-ASTIC SCHTUFF
Do Dogs Show Love? Well….yes, of course they do! In time for Mother’s day…
8 Steps to Easy Puppy Potty Training
RugDoctor Partners with ASPCA to Help Animals
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? I’m a new Brand Ambassador for The Honest Kitchen and you can get FREE samples here, check it out! (Karma loves this!). Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Pet-centric Writer-icity & Thrillers With BITE!
April 30, 2014
Karma Reviews Kong Glide ‘n Seek Cat Toy
Karma Reviews Kong Glide ‘n Seek Cat Toy
I’ll be at the OWFI Writers Conference this weekend so there won’t be a blog on Friday–unless I get really ambitious and work while I’m there. Please say “howdy” and introduce yourself if you’re attending!
The fine folks at KONG sent me one of their new “Glide ‘n Seek” cat toys for Karma to try. It comes with two feather “toys” that have soft plastic round “feet” and a tuft of feather stuck on top. The hard plastic case — red over blue — is sturdy, attractive, and entices even when no toy is present. Karma had great fun just sniffing it and paw-poking into the various size holes.
Two AA batteries run the toy and fit in the bottom. A simple push button on-off switch on the side sets the toy in motion. I suspect there’s a magnet on a movable piece hidden in the base, and that draws the magnet-base of the feather toy around inside the case. It moves and rattles in an unpredictable pattern that really catches kitty attention!
I have two “nits” with the toy. It can be a bit noisy, but the sound of the rattling is enough to signal the cat to come running. Second and more serious is–at least with Karma–it’s too easy for the cat to capture and pull the toy out. One of the two toys has already been chewed and the feather is gone. I suspect that Karma got the toy out and Magical-Dawg stole it–I found it soaking wet and luckily only the feather portion was eaten. Right now, I don’t believe replacement toys are available, so be sure to safeguard these from furry miscreants.
Use the toy under supervision especially if your cats are munchers or you have a dog-thief in the house. I remove the toy and stash it in a kitty-proof area when not in use. Oh, and the plastic case also works well to drop hard kitty treats or other cat toys inside for feline fishing games, so the toy has dual purpose.
I was provided the The Kong Glide ‘n Seek in exchange for a fair and honest review. The toy costs about $32.00 ($23.00 at amazon.com).
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? I’m a new Brand Ambassador for The Honest Kitchen and you can get FREE samples here, check it out! (Karma loves this!). Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Pet-centric Writer-icity & Thrillers With BITE!
April 28, 2014
Monday Mentions: Sleepy Cats & Quick Links
Monday Mentions: Sleepy Cats & Quick Links
It’s a sleepy day…and today’s blog is short as a result. I just signed my new contract for Puppies.About.com and have lots of puppy-licious schtuff to do today. So forgive the brevity…and enjoy the “cute” on the cat side.
Monday Mentions is the mash-up-day of all the neato-torpedo writer links and videos, pet schtuff and bling and writer-icity crappiocca collected over the past week. Check out the *yawn* cute video below, too! For new followers to the blog, welcome! and you can expect more cat and dog specific schtuff later in the week on Wednesday and Friday.
WRITER-ICITY SCHTUFF
Cyber-Security matters to everyone!
Quantity Plus Quality = Success
Do You Google+ (here’s mine, join my “circles”)
Of Fish Heads & Bad Writing a great post from Kristen Lamb
PET-ASTIC SCHTUFF
Soothing Herbs for Cats (but do they inhale? )
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? I’m a new Brand Ambassador for The Honest Kitchen and you can get FREE samples here, check it out! (Karma loves this!). Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Pet-centric Writer-icity & Thrillers With BITE!
April 25, 2014
10 Tips to Shoo Cats Away
“Can I bring all my friends, too?” Image Copr. Maria Magnus/Flickr
How do you shoo unwanted cats out of your back yard? With spring weather, lots of folks now find that community cats, strays or even feral felines have decided to make themselves at home in unwanted places.
KEEP CATS AWAY? Why would anyone want to do that? Well, some folks just aren’t quite as enlightened as the cat-loving feline savvy folks who read this blog. Others perhaps like cats—just not pooping in their garden, spraying the front steps, clawing the trees or lounging on the tops of cars. And frankly, it can be a real problem when strays or the neighbor’s kitty comes to your house to visit and the indoor cats take offense with (ahem) baptizing walls to make their point. Indoor cats get their tails in a twist over just seeing or smelling these trespassing feline, and our first responsibility must be to our own felines.
Anyway, I’ve read a number of “how-to” articles over the years about ways to shoo cats away. We need kitty kryptonite! Many suggestions resort to what I’d consider inhumane methods. Those who read this blog LOVE cats! We don’t want to shock them with electric fences, or poison them with toxic materials (as sometimes suggested).Yikes!
My top 10 list for keeping cats at bay include:
Talk to the owner
Manage ferals
Rehome strays
Wash away Pee-mail invitations
Booby trap likely targets (sprinklers on timers or motion detectors)
Eliminate the smorgasbord (clear up brush that attracts critters)
Deny digging ops
Use stickers in mulch
Invest in commercial repellants
Landscape with cats in mind
Lots more details are in this humane “shoo-kitty” tips article. How do you deal with the problem? Any suggestions to add? Of course, one alternative is to adopt the lil’ interloper and solve the outdoor trespass problem altogether. (That’s what happened with Karma-Kitten.)
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Do you have a new kitten and need answers? I’m a new Brand Ambassador for The Honest Kitchen and you can get FREE samples here, check it out! (Karma loves this!). Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Pet-centric Writer-icity & Thrillers With BITE!
