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Ask Amy Videos Archives - AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood

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Is Your Puppy Chewing? Here’s 8 Tips How To Stop Dog Chewing

Is Your Puppy Chewing? Here’s 8 Tips How To Stop Dog Chewing

Chewing is normal behavior for dogs—and for some cats. You can’t stop dog chewing, and shouldn’t try. Puppies and kittens test their world the same way human infants do. Everything goes into the mouth. Teething youngsters chew objects to relieve the discomfort, but adult dogs rarely outgrow the habit the way (we hope!) people do.

I last wrote about canine chewing when Bravo came to live with us as a new pup. He chewed everything within reach (Oh, my poor coffee table!), including chew toys. We still have Magic-markers on the baseboard and plaster from our last beloved dog. Now we have to re-do flooring in the laundry room, courtesy of Bravo-Dawg.

These days, we THINK we have a handle on Shadow-Pup. We have to really watch him, though, because Shadow likes to chew sticks–yikes!–and has already got one piece caught across the roof of his mouth. When you have a baby-dawg, or even adult canines, it can be a constant struggle to monitor them for safe chewing.

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World Spay Day and & Feline Fix By Five Months

World Spay Day and & Feline Fix By Five Months

Spay neuter pets? February 28, 2023 is World Spay Day! Kittens and puppies and litters, oh my! If you conduct a feline fix by five months, you’ll save a LOT of headaches. It’s all about spay and neuter, and the benefits gained for everyone. Including your dogs.

But a recent survey sponsored by the Feline Fix by Five Months awareness campaign shows that not all veterinarians or pet parents are aware of or have implemented this approach. They compiled responses from over 200 licensed veterinarians in the United States as part of a blind survey to determine attitudes toward spaying and neutering cats.

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Kitten Play Aggression: Stop the Madness!

Kitten Play Aggression: Stop the Madness!

Did you adopt a new kitten over the holidays? It never fails when a new kitten arrives. We oooooh and ahhh and the lil' snuggle baby seduces us with purrs and sweet whisker kisses, and looks so darned innocent when she falls asleep on our lap. But all of that pet play...

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Pets Home Alone? Relieve Back to School Angst

Are your pets home alone, now that the kids have gone back to school? How can you ease the transition? What do you do when the kiddos return to school? Breathe a sigh of relief? Miss them desperately? All of the above? My in-box is FILLED with all kinds of...

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Kitten Litter Box Training: How to Potty Train Cats

Kitten Litter Box Training: How to Potty Train Cats

Kitten litter box training tops the list for frequently asked questions from new kitten owners. Planning ahead can save cat lovers lots of heartache by preventing litter box problems before they happen with kitten potty training..

Cats are very smart. They usually teach US rather than the other way around. Here’s how to trick train your tabby.

Whenever new kittens come to your home, it’s important to figure out what they know, plus help them learn the new rules of the house. When you have other cats (after proper cat introductions, of course!) the older felines can help teach the youngsters the rules. How to train cats to the litter box usually comes naturally, but these tips can help with potty training your cat.

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Merry Christmas Wishes!

Merry Christmas Wishes!

MERRY CHRISTMAS This Merry Christmas video was made in 2014 and is bittersweet since we no longer have Magical-Dawg and Seren-Kitty with us. But the sentiment remains -- May your dreams come true, your troubles be few, and all your Christmases be bright!...

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Amy’s Music: Mary’s Song, a Christmas Lullaby

Amy’s Music: Mary’s Song, a Christmas Lullaby

These days, I'm missing my family. My parents live in Northern Indiana, one brother lives in Michigan and the other in Ohio, so the trip from Texas takes quite a bit of finagling to make reunions happen. Of course, during this horrible-no-good-crapticious-pandemic I...

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Recent Posts

Cats and Mirrors: Stranger Danger or Twin Fun?

Years ago, when I was the spokesperson for the Purina Cat Chow Way of Life Tour, we’d arrive in town the evening before and visit the shelter to choose a kitty for the next morning’s TV appearance. The “stars” almost always received lots of attention from viewers and got adopted. Understandably, shelter staff had their favorites and often urged us to choose a special feline that had less chance for a forever home. I had the delight of spending the night in the hotel room with the lucky kitty. Believe me, it was tough not to bring a whole clowder home!

One memorable kitty hated mirrors. Oy!

The shelter volunteers urged us to take a “lifer” onto the TV show. This kitty had been there for several years, and probably couldn’t remember ever being on the “outside.” She’d had reconstructive eye surgery for a birth defect (problems with the eyelids) and had poor vision. But she was sweet and adored by the whole staff–so we chose her to make a television appearance.

That evening, when I opened the carrier door in the hotel room to allow her to stretch her legs, she got as far as the closet door, and FREAKED! The mirror reflection terrified her—that strange cat in the glass hissed at her, screamed at her, threatened to attack—and this poor cat hadn’t a clue what to do. Why do cats get freaked out by mirrors? It’s likely the eyesight issue made it worse, but many cats react to mirrors poorly. Learn here why cats hate mirrors and what you can do to ease the angst!

Dare Or Die Pre-Order: Amy Shojai Thriller Book #7 Releases April 30

Plan to get your copy of DARE OR DIE from Amy Shojai thrillers by pre-ordering NOW. The book releases in all Ebook versions, in print, and hardcover on April 30th. The audiobook version releases in May.

What’s DARE OR DIE #7 About?

September Day won’t let anything prevent her from walking down the aisle. Hiring more security instead of canceling the ceremony, she’s horrified when the stalker makes good on their threat. And whisked away by a mysterious bodyguard, the distraught bride fears the only way to keep everyone safe is to fake her death.

Longing to return home, the frantic dog trainer relies on her German Shepherd Shadow to sniff out her strange savior’s true motives. But September’s PTSD escalates into full-blown panic after learning she holds the key to take down a sinister crime syndicate.

Can September and Shadow bury the past for good?

DARE OR DIE is the electrifying 7th book in the September & Shadow series. If you like spirited survivors, twisty secrets, and the healing power of hero dogs and hero cats, then you’ll love Amy Shojai’s hair-raising read.

How Pets Play, Why Cats Play, and What Dog Play Means

It can be hard to tell sometimes what’s “real” and what kind of play is “just fooling around.” In fact, both dog play and cat play can tip over into dangerous aggression if the pets get too wound up.

Dog and cat play use the same behaviors as hunting, attack, and aggressive behavior, but the pets use “meta signals” to let the other party know it’s all in good fun. For instance, dogs use the “play bow” with butt-end up and forepaws down to signal that everything that comes after this signal is not serious. Cats also can use a play bow, or roll on their back to solicit attention or a game.

Here’s a BIG clue. Doggy play includes growls, whines and barks. Cat play typically is silent. If your cats become vocal during play, it’s time to stop the games. And if both of the pets keep coming back for more, they’re likely just having a good time.

Learn more about dog and cat play here.

Vet Visits Don’t Have to Be Stressful with DIGGS Passenger Travel Carrier

Dog crates and cat carriers—love ’em, or hate ’em, they’re a necessity to keep pets safe. With vacation time just around the corner (do you take pets with you to visit family on holidays?), consider updating your pet-safety accomodations. I recently received a Passenger Travel Carrier from DIGGS, known for their innovative and high-quality dog products—and now the Passenger option for smaller dogs and CATS.

Vet Visits Don’t Have to Be Stressful with DIGGS Passenger Carrier

Mee-wow! So much to love about this carrier, especially the fact it received a five-star crash test rating (highest score possible) from the Center for Pet Safety. In fact, the Passenger Travel Carrier passed on the first try. For cats and small dogs, the best and safest option for car travel means riding inside a carrier that you seat-belt into the back seat–or, if small enough, fits on the floor behind the front seats. The Passenger Travel Carrier fits both requirements.

Adopting An Easter Bunny? Make Mine Chocolate!

Easter bunny, anyone? Awwww…nothing sweeter than baby bunnies. Well, baby anything, right? Our “Cottontail Mountain” home already has rabbits everywhere, especially in our garden. Shadow-Pup, sadly, wants to hunt them so we must monitor him as the babies appear Easter bunnies appear.

Karma-Kat loves watching “bunny TV” out the back patio windows. I think he’d love to have one come inside to *ahem* cuddle and play. NOT! Just like other animal companions, it takes more than admiration to make bunny love positive for everyone.

Easter is not the time for a spur of the moment furry gift. People purchased chicks and ducklings and baby bunnies by the score each year, some dyed in ridiculous colors, almost as gag gifts although they are living creatures with very specific care needs. A rabbit is more than an Easter bunny joke. Here’s what you need to know when considering a bunny as a pet.

Easter Candy Caution for Pets

Easter candy fills the aisles at grocery stores these days. There are plenty of toys, too, including stuffed bunnies–a far better gift than real live rabbits that need special care. Here’s my yearly caution about Easter candy and other goodies around pets.

Cats & Easter Lilies Danger, A Deadly Combo!

I know that I’m preaching to the kitty choir when I write about Easter lilies’ danger each year. Lilies cause toxic reactions in pets when eaten, especially cats. The gorgeous lily makes its appearance each Easter, decorating the church, home, and garden. I love lilies and have daylilies and Asiatic lilies outside in the redesigned garden, but I can’t have them in my house. I won’t risk having an Easter lily anywhere near my Karma-Kat or Shadow-Pup. For cats especially, the fragrant blooms can mean death. Learn what lilies pose dangers, which are safe, and how to offer first aid if needed.

Asian Longhorned Tick Poses Pet Concerns

Spring has sprung, and with warming weather, the bugs come out ready to make a meal of our pets. If you plan to spend any time outside, it’s not too early to think about ticks, those creepy crawly spider cousins that bug pets and spread disease. I’ve written about tick-borne diseases before. Here in Texas, we have pets (and people!) diagnosed with Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and/or ehrlichiosis. Yes, some folks end up with a combination of illnesses. There are other diseases ticks carry, and I recently learned about a new invasive tick species. The Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) poses additional risks.

How did the Asian longhorned tick get to America? Officially reported first in 2017, it appeared outside a quarantine facility on a sheep farm in New Jersey. It hasn’t yet reached Texas, but may soon. It looks similar to other tick species and has the ability to transmit many bacterial, viral, and protozoal pathogens that can make humans and animals sick. Kathryn Duncan, DVM, PhD, DACVM, parasitology field specialist with Merck Animal Health, graciously agreed to answer my questions about this new risk to our pets. She says this tick most likely entered our country through imported or shipped animals.

Here’s what you need to know about this potentially deadly pest.

Hero Dog Winners for DARE OR DIE Thriller

The contest is over, and YOU chose the HERO DOGS to appear as a featured character in my next thriller, DARE OR DIE. The voting and interest in these wonderful nominees made me decide to feature both the winner and the runner-up cats and dogs in the story. Besides them being featured in the story, the pets’ humans are also named in the acknowledgements, and they receive a paw-tographed print copy of the book.

DARE OR DIE answers a lot of vexing questions about the main character, September Day, and launches her into new adventures.

RELEASES APRIL 30, AND AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER NOW!

Find out about the hero pet winners here!

Hero Cat WINNERS for DARE OR DIE Thriller!

The contest is over, and YOU chose the HERO CATS to appear as a featured character in my next thriller, DARE OR DIE. The voting and interest in these wonderful nominees made me decide to feature both the winner and the runner-up cats and dogs in the story. Besides them being featured in the story, the pets’ humans are also named in the acknowledgements, and they receive a paw-tographed print copy of the book.

DARE OR DIE answers a lot of vexing questions about the main character, September Day, and launches her into new adventures.

RELEASES APRIL 30, AND AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER NOW!

Find out about the hero pet winners here!

Visit Amy’s Website

Amy Shojai CACB is an award winning author.  You can find all her publications and book her to speak via her website. 

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