Cat & Dog Behavior & Care Advice
Amy Shojai, CABC, Pet Expert & Award-Winning Author
DWAA Hall of Fame & AVMA Veterinary Media Award Winner
What to Know About Grain Free Cat Food, Does It Matter?
Have you heard about grain-free cat food? A few years ago, the word “natural” got attached to both people and cat food products, even though there was no legal definition of the term or specific benefit—folks just like the idea of a “natural” product. Today the latest buzz-word is “grain-free” and a wide variety of grain-free cat foods are now available. Is that good, bad, or…?
HIT AND RUN–6 WINNERS for Name That Dog & Name That Cat Contest
Holy WOW, so many votes for the nominations for HIT AND RUN contest winner for dog and cat characters. This has been the most popular one of all. You can see the voting page here. Those who have followed the September & Shadow pet-centric thriller series know that...
Bravo Gotcha Day! a Magical Legacy on Adopt A Shelter Pet Day
Happy GOTCHA-DAY to our BRAVO-DAWG (a couple of days late)! I posted this blog two years ago after Bravo came home. Since today also is National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day, it's even more appropriate to celebrate. No, he didn't come from a shelter. His red Bullmastiff...
HIT AND RUN–VOTE NOW for Name That Dog & Name That Cat Contest for New Thriller
NOMINATIONS & VOTING CLOSED: As of April 19, there are 158 cat names and 172 dog names nominated, woot! Those who have followed the September & Shadow pet-centric thriller series know that with each book I've held a contest to NAME THAT DOG and NAME THAT CAT...
Lions & Tigers & Cats, Oh My! Stay Up to Date about Pets and Covid
PETS and COVID UPDATES: Reports announced the week of March 17, 2021, reveal dogs and cats have now been infected with the UK variant of the COVID virus, some presenting with heart signs. This does not appear to change previously published safety recommendations. Read...
Social Distancing: Grief & Mourning the Loss of Normalcy
Social distancing--hate it, love it, the reality means we grieve the loss of normalcy. A kind of "little death" that doesn't rise to the level of true loss (until it does, when someone we know dies). Yet all the emotions seem familiar. I suspect most readers are...
Dear Science, We Owe You An Apology. Love, Humanity
My colleague and friend, veterinarian Dr. Liz Bales, sent me this guest post in response to the coronavirus situation. I've previously written about pet diseases that can make you sick, but the COVID-19 goes way beyond that. While not exactly the plague, it has been...
Himalayan Wolf Uniquely Adapted to High Altitude Life
In my recent book DOG LIFE, I enjoyed writing about the forebears of our dogs, the wolf. The book includes several sections with information about the wolf through evolution and history. You'll find three wolf species (Gray Wolf, Red Wolf, and Ethiopian Wolf) plus...
Auditions for STRAYS the Musical January 12 & 13, 2020
Those who regularly read this blog know that I not only write about pets but also give talks about pet behavior. You may be surprised to learn that sometimes I write music about pet behavior, too and even SING about cats and dogs. Bravo-Dawg howls and Karma-Kat...
New Year Pet Goals–with Commentary from Amy Shojai for 2020
Each year, rather than making New Year’s resolutions, I plan for goals—and hope that the journey along the way proves equally rewarding. Rather than say, “lose weight” I instead want to strive for good health. To that end, the past few months I try to swim several...

















