Cat & Dog Behavior & Care Advice
Amy Shojai, CABC, Pet Expert & Award-Winning Author
DWAA Hall of Fame & AVMA Veterinary Media Award Winner
How to Get the Most from Vet Visits: What to Ask & How to Ask
When I worked as a veterinary technician many years ago, pet parents ask questions all the time, but rarely to the vet. Folks often acted embarrassed, or waited to telephone from home hours or days after the appointment. Perhaps they felt intimidated by the doctor when they take pets to the back, or feared their questions were foolish. Maybe the busy schedule of the clinic offered little opportunity to ask…
Pets Are Family: What Are the Most Important Relationships in Your Pet’s Life?
Your relationship with your pet may be one of the most important bonds in your life. They have an incredible influence on our health and wellbeing. Pets are family, and we can’t say that enough. Mine inspire my work daily, and keep me grounded.
But what about the relationships our pets have with people or other pets outside of our home? Here are 5 stars in your pets’ relationship constellation.
Nibble & Graze: How Cats Eat Their Food
The cat that must hunt for his food typically catches small game like mice, rats, or rabbits, crouches over the kill, and swallows small prey headfirst, fur, feathers and all. If the cat is able to rarely nab a bird, it may be plucked first to remove obnoxious tail feathers. Rabbit-size prey are eaten more slowly…
Gulp & Gorge: How Dogs Eat Their Food
Dogs are passionate about food and that’s reflected in how dogs eat and how they drink. In fact, many dogs will eat anything that doesn’t move faster than they do, and it’s up to owners to ensure the canine diet is appropriate…
Why and How Cats Hunt: Feline Hunting Behavior Explained
Is your kitty a “mighty hunter?” How does your cat hunt and what kind of big game does s/he capture? I’ve written about gift-bearing cats before to explain the whole idea behind why Sheba leaves mousy offerings just for you, URK!
Dog Hunting Behavior & How to Control Canine Prey Drive
That pooch on your lap or sleeping by your feet doesn’t need to hunt to eat. Well-fed dogs hunt better than hungry dogs, too, because hunger doesn’t trigger canine prey drive. The sound, scent, or sight of moving critters triggers canine prey drive. Yes, hunting breeds may have this instinct fine-tuned, but even a pampered pet dog reacts to a leaping squirrel, the rustle of leaves, or the scent of the bunny frozen in the shrubs.
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Best Pet Door, Puppy Gate, and Pet Gate Options: How to Train Pets to Use Baby Gate
According to many who know, a cat is always on the wrong side of the door. They drive us crazy with meow-demands to open the door, let them in, let them out, with rarely any rhyme or reason to their requests. So pet doors, baby gates for pets, puppy gates, and other pet barriers can offer the best options for your cats and dogs.
Why Use Pet Gates?
People use pet doors and puppy gates for convenience, but also for safety reasons. While dog doors typically give access to the backyard doggy potty area, there are multiple ways a pet door benefits Kitty. Think outside the cat box and a pet door helps you manage your multi-pet household, as well as potential behavior issues.
There are too many risks involved to allow cats or dogs to roam outside unsupervised. Coyotes come right up on my back patio and would love to munch my Karma-Kat. But if partnered with a safe area, a pet door offers lots of convenience for a cat, especially when you aren’t home to do door duty.
Install pet doors in the interior or exterior walls, doors, windows, or even sliding panels to give access to an inside room, or safe outdoor area. Cats love window watching, so this can be a great option when the pet door unit simply fits into the existing opening.
How to Provide Scent Enrichment for Cats
Our cats are sensory creatures, but we often overlook their acute sense of smell. Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado reports that studies indicate cats can even sniff out their human’s stress–detecting fear, happy smells, and more. Scent enrichment for cats in their environment offers inexpensive, effective, and fun ways to keep your cats happy, stress-free, and healthy. It often reduces, eliminates, or prevents cat behavior problems.
Make Car Rides Pet Safe With Harnesses
Pets car ride safe travel provides vital protection for dogs and cats. With Magical-Dawg, we used a pet gate to keep him safely in the back seat, and later a halter that buckled into the seatbelt. Bravo suffered from car sickness, so we added seat covers to protect the car seat. These days, Shadow-Pup thinks he owns the car and demands a ride every morning. That means we make car rides pet safe with harnesses.
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
