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Posts Tagged ‘Ask Amy’

  1. Seren’s 16th Birthday Catnip Bash!

    February 1, 2013 by Amy Shojai

    Today’s Seren-kitty’s birthday! Well, it’s the day we’ve chosen to celebrate, anyway. It’s been a week long celebration, though, and she’s never at a loss for toys when terrific companies like Nekochan Enterprises sends kitty fun for a review.

    I’ve been bad, they sent the Neko Critter toys back before Christmas and I’ve been so covered up the review was late. Actually I’ve reviewed some of the Neko Flies before here, where they got a 5-star rating. This time around I’ll give a 5-star rating to the Foxifur Kittenator (Seren’s fav!) and a 4-star to the Kiticatterfly, but the third one (Kattipede) is segmented and easily chomped in two. I can see how it might be the cat’s fav but it could prove deadly if swallowed. In fact, a couple of my colleagues tested the toys with their cats and the kitties DID chomp this one in half. Check out what Seren thought of the toys in her video (forgive the bad light, it was a stormy cloudy day).

    Oh, and just for fun, I also caught Seren on camera drunk out of her fuzzy head on high-quality ‘nip. That’s the second video…and the music is from our KURVES, THE MUSICAL show. I figured Seren needed some fun audio to go along with her antics.

    What are some other fun ways to celebrate pet birthdays? We talked a bit about it on the Monday Mentions blog but let your virtual cat out of the bag to tell everyone what YOUR cat craves?

    Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer in exchange for a fair and honest review. I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my  THRILLERS WITH BITE!

    Category Ask Amy Videos, Cat Behavior & Care | Tags: ,,,,,, | 12 Comments

  2. Stop Cat Spraying!

    January 25, 2013 by Amy Shojai

    This week I’ve got a theme going with poopy puppies last Wednesday and cat litter-ary problems today. And this week two of my cat behavior consults centered on problem toileting behaviors.

    When you live with and love pets, you have to accept that a certain amount of crappiocca comes with the territory. That doesn’t mean you must LIVE with a spraying cat.

    Here’s a few basics and refreshers for savvy cat owners, and maybe new information for first time fanciers. For those of y’all with Christmas kittens, take notes for the future and maybe prevent these problems in your furry wonders!

    • Spraying with urine is a marking behavior and typically is aimed at vertical objects. House soiling is urinating downward over horizontal surfaces. Each can have different causes, so to solve, you must figure out which it is.
    • House soiling very often has to do with 1) health problem, 2) the cat hating the box (for any number of reasons), 3) being prevented from “going” because other cats own the facilities. Cats faithful to the box that suddenly lapse need a vet check asap!
    • Boy kittens reach sexual maturity right around six to nine months, and then start advertising their hunk-icity by spraying urine like it’s kitty cologne. That drives the girl cats wild. Owners, too, but for different reasons.
    • Girl cats may also spray urine to advertise how cute they are to the feline Romeos once they go into heat (estrus) which can happen as early as four to five months!
    • Spay/neuter surgery removes the hormones that prompt as much as 85-90 percent of the spraying.
    • Even “fixed” cats may still spray or soil, especially in multicat households as part of jockeying for social position.
    • Cats use “self scent” (urine, cheek rubs and scratching) to calm themselves down during times of stress. So a cat may “tell off” that stray cat outside stomping on his lawn, or baptize your bed–because it smells like his beloved owner–when you’re gone on vacation.

    This Ask Amy offers a few tips and advice for a spraying feline, but more details are available in the latest books ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems in Your MultiCAT Household.

    I know a lot of cat-savvy folks read this blog. What are some other reasons cats get creative outside of the box? Please share! (It may turn into another Ask Amy…)

    I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my  THRILLERS WITH BITE!

    Category Ask Amy Videos, Cat Behavior & Care | Tags: ,,,,,, | 9 Comments

  3. Solve Poopy Puppy Problems

    January 23, 2013 by Amy Shojai

    pups & snow 020

    It’s still early in the year but all those holiday puppies may have the “cute factor” wearing a weeeeee bit thin by now. What was SQUEEEE! fun in that fluff-biscuit may not be as smile-worthy when he swipes your underwear and chews up the TV remote control.

    My first GSD did this. Not at the same time.

    Perhaps the pup gnaws the walls. Or plays poop-sicle keep away. THAT was Magical-Dawg. Thank doG he outgrew the poop-sicles.

    What are your top puppy problems? Magic was a dream to house train (his poop escapades were outdoor sports), but that’s one of the most popular topics over at my Puppies.About.com site–well, that and puppy vomiting. Pet parents are rightly concerned about what comes out of the baby dog, from either end!

    If it’s house soiling, you can refer to the down-and-dirty details with this potty training article and refer to the ASK AMY video below.

    Equal time now–what are your most-favorite-thing-ever about puppies? Is it puppy breath? or the Frito-smell of puppy toes? Or how they snuggle and sleep with such trust in your lap? Hey, there’s a reason puppies are made so full of cute-icity, and it’s to save their furry ass-ets when they drive us bonkers! (Just wait until that furry wonder hits the juvenile delinquent stage…)

    I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my  THRILLERS WITH BITE!

    Category Ask Amy Videos, Dog Training & Care | Tags: ,,,,,,, | 15 Comments

  4. Monday Mentions: Catherine Coulter, Vicious Toads & Thriller Trailer!

    August 27, 2012 by Amy Shojai

    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.

    My Internet finally came back up late last week. While it was down, here’s what I did:

    You also won’t want to miss the awesome short video at the bottom of the post from Gayle Lynds interview with Catherine Coulter at this year’s Thrillerfest! Check out the shoes!

    Before we get to the more serious stuff, enjoy this just-for-the-heck-of-it video. Serves ya right, if’n ya tease the toad…

    WRITER-ICTY SCHTUFF

    Warning Flags of Writing Contests from Writers Beware Blog

    Serial Killers and Supernatural Powers lots of food for thought for authors–and others

    A Celebration of BAD Writing fun stuff!

    Author Activism & Critical Thinking more from Writers Beware

    Develop the WRITE Biz Plan for You

    What’s the Deal with KLOUT?  are you better than a squirrel? Hmnnnn.

    Links & Link Building Ops penalties, cautions and more here.

    Plagiarism Check do a free search to protect your work!

    PET SCHTUFF

    Top 10 Animals that Attack Pets  Heck, I need to do a roundup like this, I’ve written about skunks and scorpions and other nasties like snakes

    The Smell of Fear and yes, even PLANTS have this, awesome article!

    Chew Toy–ZOMBIE FOOT for Dogs, for the dog that has (almost) everything

    Does Your Dog’s Back Need Help? 7 signs of disk disease

    Sneaky-Pie for President why not a cat?

    I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, listen to the weekly radio show, check out weekly FREE PUPPY CARE newsletter, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay tuned for more news about my forthcoming THRILLER, LOST & FOUND!

    Category Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care, Writing Advice & More | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,, | 13 Comments

  5. Feline Friday: Second Story Cats & Countertop Cruising

    May 4, 2012 by Amy Shojai

    Seren With Lamp
    Cats become pests with their determination to stay above it all. They cruise kitchen countertops, lounge atop doors and leap to refrigerator tops to ambush treats.

    The urge to be the top cat seems a universal kitty vice. By understanding why cats scale the heights, cat owners can provide legal outlets that keep both the kitty happy, and out of the owner’s butter dish.

    Why Cats Love Heights

    Cats come pre-programmed to seek elevated lounging spots. Think about it–a kitty walking on the wild side wants to see enemies (and potential munch-able critters) but remain invisible. A cat quite literally believes she “owns” the space she can see.

    Cats also control each other’s interactions—or even the dog’s movements—with pointed stares. This cats-eye-power packs even more punch from an elevated perch, giving the cat ownership and control over even more territory. The cat that commands the highest perch is the high-cat-on-the-totem pole in that particular room.

    What’s The Attraction?

    Individual cats may have specific preferences for lounge spots. But in general, there are five reasons cats seek a particular place.

    • Height. The taller the perch, the more important the cat.
    • View. Perches near important pathways like windows or stairways offer high kitty value.
    • Warmth. Cats are furry heat-seeking missiles, so the tops of warm TVs or computer monitors, or snuggled under lamps prove irresistible. My cat loves to sleep in the paper well of my printer.
    • Comfort. Lounging requires a soft, comfy surface like the back of chairs.
    • Food. Kitchen counters and stovetops smell yummy or even have snacks within paw reach that keep the cat burglar returning to the scene of the cat crime.

    You won’t keep your cat on the ground. Cats tend to avoid low spots with no view, or that are cold and uncomfortable. So give your cat what she wants with irresistible legal perch options and make forbidden spots unattractive.
    1-B-Seren&books 1-21-08

    Grounding High Rise Cats

    Evaluate your cat’s favorite perches, and make your choice better. My cat Seren loves to lounge on top of the piano (height) beneath a lamp (warmth) next to the window (view). To purr-suade her otherwise, we placed a three-tiered cat tree that’s TALLER than the piano and has a softer surface (comfort), still under the lamp beside the piano, and still in front of the window.

    • For your cat household, have at least one cat tree (or acceptable high-value lounge spot) for each cat. Otherwise, they may argue over who gets first dibs.
    • Make the legal lounge taller than the forbidden object, but nearby so the location remains attractive. An empty bookshelf can work, or even an inexpensive ladder. Put a cat bed stocked with kitty treats on the paint rack.
    • Make off-limits spots unattractive. Booby-trap counters so they’re no longer comfy. Double-sided tape products like Sticky Paws applied to placemats can be scattered on forbidden surfaces, for example.
    • Cats hate weird textures, too. Aluminum foil that covers stovetops can keep some cats at bay.
    • For hard case cats, invest in clear plastic carpet runner to line the countertop, dining table or other illegal location. Just place it nub-side up, and kitty will seek a more comfy spot to lounge.
    • You can also set up the SSScat! Product, an aerosol can with a motion detector that hisses air to shoo critters away even when you’re not there.

    Choose which battles to fight, because it’s hard to win them all—and you want your cat to like you. Seren-kitty isn’t allowed on the mantel because she plays gravity experiments with fine breakables. But she won the battle of the dining room table where she lounges in a plush cat bed beneath a stained glass lamp. I’ve also trained her to exit the printer when I need it. In families, sometimes you must compromise.

    What is your cat’s favorite second-story territory? Do you butt furry heads over the location? Has Kitty won the battle or do you compromise? Here’s an Ask Amy on the subject with tips as well but I’d love to hear from you. 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!

    Category Ask Amy Videos, Cat Behavior & Care | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 8 Comments

  6. Woof Wednesday: Dog Food Info & How To Stop Gassy Dogs

    April 18, 2012 by Amy Shojai

    2 pups eating

    I’ve spent the past couple of weeks writing about pet food to help pet parents best choose what to put in the bowl. It’s up to owners to do research into what fits your furry wonder’s age and lifestyle. Do you know how many calories dogs need, for instance? The newest article answers questions about calories in dog food.

    So I’ve provided a primer on how to read pet food labels. Bet you’ll learn some surprising things about what the label can tell you–and what it doesn’t say.

    Do you know how they test the food? Animal testing, you betcha–and Magical-Dawg wants to come back as a food taste tester in their food trials. Read all about the testing here.

    Pet food manufacturers can be creative when it comes to following the letter of the law and describing what’s in the food, too. Do you know what constitutes a GOOD food additive? Are there bad ones? Why would they even be in the food? Well, many of them are there not for the dog, but to get those of us with pocket books and thumbs to open the wallet and buy the food. Learn about pet food additives here.

    Dogs aren’t the best decision makers, even if they had their own wallets. Heck, there’s a reason that at my house all the toilet lids stay CLOSED, and the waste baskets are set on countertops. Magical-Dawg eats just about anything. That, of course, can lead to (ahem) potent results. In fact, today’s Ask Amy video addresses that very issue.

    How do you choose food for your dogs? Have they ever had aromatic emissions of the stinky kind? How did you handle that? Do tell!

    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!

    Category Ask Amy Videos, Dog Training & Care | Tags: ,,,,,,,,, | 11 Comments

  7. Feline Friday: Ask Amy~Why Cats Drool During Petting

    April 13, 2012 by Amy Shojai

    Cats (especially show cats) can learn to tolerate and even appreciate hugs. What does this kitty's body language say? Look at the ears, the whiskers, the eyes...

    This week’s Woof Wednesday post on hugging dogs garnered a LOT of attention and started some great discussions both here, at my puppies.about.com site, on Facebook and even in my IAABC email list among the behavior consultants. And it’s true that the “hugging rule” applies to cats, as well. Hugging is not generally considered a cat behavior that expresses affection, even though cats can learn to enjoy this. As others have said, it all depends upon the cat, the owner, and the circumstances (and also, how you define a “hug”).

    But that begs the question, what do cats enjoy? And how do you know they like it? What do you do if a cat’s expression of affection or enjoyment doesn’t appeal to you–or even disgusts you?

    WHY DOES MY CAT DROOL, EWWW!

    How many folks have experienced a drooling, bubble-blowing saliva-spewing kitty? Since they’re much smaller than dogs, the drool factor may not be quite the same level as, say, a St. Bernard. Lovers of drooly dogs invest in drool-resistant attire and regularly hose down walls, furniture, or anything else within drool-flinging range.

    I exaggerate, but not by much.

    Cats also can turn on the water works. Sometimes that’s a sign of dental issues or sore mouths. While the sight of something tasty can get my Magical-Dog soaking wet with slobber-icity, the same thing rarely seems to happen with cats.  When a cat feels stressed, excessive grooming may be a way he helps calm himself. That could require increased salivation, but I’m not aware of a direct link between drooling and stress.

    But some cats salivate when petted. The more they get petted, the greater the drippy flow. I really don’t know why some cats drool and blow bubbles while others don’t. They must simply be wired differently. The mechanism to turn on the water works has to do with the same pleasure triggers that prompt petted cats to knead/tread in satisfaction. Cats’ impulse to knead hearkens back to the sensation they felt when nursing, and eating would trigger salivation. So it’s not a huge jump to attribute salivating and drooling to these same pleasurable sensations. Drooling when petted is one more way cats show us love.

    Do your cats drool? What are the circumstances? I’m curious if cats in the same household might “copy cat” behavior and more than one do this or is it primarily an individual issue? What are some other ways your cats show you they LIKE something? What else have I missed in the Ask Amy video below? 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!

    Category Ask Amy Videos, Cat Behavior & Care | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 18 Comments

  8. Feline Friday: Poop-alicious Remedies

    April 6, 2012 by Amy Shojai

    kitten climbing into litter

    When you have pets, shitake happens. (Hey, I figured the word “crappiocca” might have been over-used lately, so…)

    One of the most common cat behavior complaints I get has to do with hit-or-miss litter box behavior. And it’s one of the most misunderstood. There are so dang many reasons for Cutey-Cat to snub the litter box and even the felines who are faithful to potty training can get their tails in a twist over “sctuff” and–(ahem)–let their opinion be known.

    You can find some of the basics for solving litter box problems in my cats.About.com article on the subject.  And the updated and expanded book ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems In Your Cat-Dog Household has explanations and step-by-step how-to-solve advice, as well (kewl new cover, too, eh? :) )  This week’s Woof Wednesday advice about dogs snacking from litter boxes is covered in the book, with more details of course.

    Thanks to one of my fav SweetTweet & bloggicity friends for sending me the Ask Amy question, below. It can be a challenge to offer advice in 3 minutes or less, so I hope the info helps.

    So what other advice would y’all offer? Do you have kitties that baptize walls? Dig-dig-dig forever and then “get productive” behind the piano? How do you manage? I’ll be adding two NEW books to the ComPETability series (for cat-to-cat and dog-to-dog behavior problems) so who knows? Your specific comments might make it into the book. Please share!

    Gotta run, I have someone calling to interview me about–(wait for it) litter box problems! Like I said, it’s been a week filled with crappiocca.

    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!

    Category Ask Amy Videos, Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 8 Comments

  9. Woof Wednesday: Big Hairy Deal & Stop Litter Box Snacking

    April 4, 2012 by Amy Shojai

    On Monday Mentions you saw my Hairball Celebrity Creature, and a number of folks had terrific guesses. Today you can find out just WHO that was supposed to be–featured on PeoplePets.com, a gallery of 9 of the hairy hopefuls are profiled.

    To see the whole gallery plus the five finalists, and vote for your choice of winner, click on the logo, above.

    In the spirit of Woof Wednesday, but with a nod to the cats, today’s Ask Amy has a cross-species problem to address. Does your dog (urk!) snack from the litter box? Learn why dogs eat dung in this article. How do you keep Poochie away from the poo?

    I’m in the process of completely revising my ComPETability book to be even more prescriptive, and some of the tips from the book are presented in the video, below. What are some other ways you handle the problem? Do tell!

    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!

    Category Ask Amy Videos, Cat Behavior & Care, Dog Training & Care | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, | 16 Comments

  10. Woof Wednesday: How To Talk To Dogs

    March 21, 2012 by Amy Shojai

    "Say, what? I don't get it..." Image copr. Lewis Gardner

    Once you understand the language of dogs and what your puppy “says” with his barks, wagging tail talk and other body language, you’ll know how to talk to a dog with effective puppy communication. Remember that your puppy is not a mind reader and what’s “normal” behavior for people may be a totally foreign language and offensive to dogs. Instead, you can use “dog talk” to get your message across. Here’s an article with some detailed “do’s and don’ts” about how to talk to your dog.

    Are there certain words, phrases or silent signals (hand gesture commands?) that you’ve taught your dog? Did you teach them, or did the dog simply pick them up? Magic understands “car ride” and “Frisbee” and learned on his own, but I taught him hand signals for sit, down and wait. Here’s the first in what I hope will be a series of Ask Amy videos on how to talk to your dog. What else would you like to see?

    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 pet book give-aways!

    Category Ask Amy Videos, Dog Training & Care | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 8 Comments

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