Cat & Dog Behavior & Care Advice
Amy Shojai, CABC, Pet Expert & Award-Winning Author
DWAA Hall of Fame & AVMA Veterinary Media Award Winner
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…
Tapeworm Trouble? Video for How to Deal with Parasite Problems
Dogs can contract tapeworm from ingesting fleas during self grooming, or eating a dead animal. Here’s what you need to know to protect your cats and dogs from tapeworms.
Liver Disease In Cats: Know The Signs
Liver disease is any condition which impairs that organ’s normal function. The liver is the body’s metabolic headquarters. It serves a dual role both as a kind of factory, and as a filter. That makes the liver the first line of defense–and at risk from damage–when filtering out toxins and more. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Homeopathy? Can Homeopathic Nosodes Replace Vaccines?
In the past I’ve received messages from pet lovers anxious to protect their cats and dogs from disease using homeopathic nosodes. In one case, the dogs had bad experiences in the past with pharmaceutical vaccinations and had dog vaccine side effects. With plans for a new puppy or two in the works, she asked for advice about alternatives to vaccinations for the new pups, to protect them from the most common canine illnesses: distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, and rabies.
More specifically, she asked for recommendations for where to obtain homeopathic nosodes for each of these pathogens.
Stressed Cats Overgrooming? Your Guide to Cat Hair Loss
Tabby doesn’t deal with office politics and gets to sleep 16 hours a day, but cats still suffer from feline stress. In fact, upset feelings can leave them biting their nails and pulling their hair. Literally…
Fake Service Dogs: Scammers Hurt Legit Animal Partnerships
Recently, I received another request from an online company to post an article here about their service. I declined–as I have no way to vet such things to sift through legitimate services versus bogus ones. I wrote this post several years ago and am re-posting as the information remains valid.
Online companies are getting very good at meeting the letter of the law, if not the intent. They promote themselves as a way to relieve pet owners of unfair expenses (pet deposits, airline fees, no-pets-allowed housing or other services) — oh, and sometimes as an afterthought, they add in the emotional aspect, too (insert #sarcasm).
How To Keep Outside Cats Safe
Do your cats get to go outside? How do you keep them safe from harm, especially if they door dash and escape? How would you go about transitioning an exclusively INDOOR ONLY cat to life on the outside? What can you do to make certain your kitties are always safe? If you’re concerned about indoor vs outdoor cats, read on to learn options for how to keep outside cats safe!
How to Keep Cats from Dashing Outside
There is a saying, that a cat is “always on the wrong side of a door.” My cat Seren(dipity) faithfully adhered to this principle, although with age, her dash-for-the-door became more like a stroll. Karma-Kat these days waits for the dog’s potty time, and makes a bee-line for the door. When you live with a cat, chances are you’ll have a door dashing cat escape now and then. Here’s what to do…
Dog Bite Prevention: 9 Tips to Keep Everyone Safe
In March 2011, I served as an expert witness in a dog bite case in which a child was mauled, and the child’s grandmother who owned the home where the Pit Bull mix lived was prosecuted as responsible. I learned a lot during this trial, one of the biggest lessons having to do with the many misconceptions regarding dogs, dog language, and dog bites…
The Soft Chew Shadow-Pup Kept Pestering For (Our PetLab Co. Review)
Being loving pawrents, we do all we can to keep Shadow’s coat shiny, his gut well-balanced, and his immune system functioning well. So, as Shadow grows into his middle years (where did that adorable itty bitty puppy go?!), we’ve been exploring the benefits of adding daily probiotics to his routine. Cue PetLab Co. Probiotic Chews…
Awards
CWA Muse Medallion Award
Dog Writers Association of America Maxwell Award
Fear Free Certified
CWA Muse Medallion Award
Cat Writers Muse Medallion Awards
Memberships
