Cat & Dog Behavior & Care Advice
Amy Shojai, CABC, Pet Expert & Award-Winning Author
DWAA Hall of Fame & AVMA Veterinary Media Award Winner
What to Do About Dog Choking & Cat Choking: First Aid & Pet Heimlich Help
Have your pets ever choked on something they chew? Shadow-Pup loves to chew up inedible objects, no matter how much we supervise. Learn how to administer the pet Heimlich to save a life!
When Karma-Kat came to live with us, that put lots of cat toys within Magical-Dawg’s reach. Seren had never been too keen on such things and she was already nine years old when Magic came as a puppy. He loved to swipe Seren’s “sparkle-balls” and ended up with sparkly poop. Once Karma’s toys added to the kitty quotient, the big ol’ dog had a field day seeing how many cat toys he could stuff into his jaws.
Bravo played with rocks. And the new puppy Shadow loves to chew sticks. He’s already got one caught in the roof of his mouth. That’s the perfect opportunity for choking, and a need for the pet Heimlich. I hope that we’ll never need it, though. In case you do, read on!
How to Stop Howls & What Do Dog Howls Mean
We typically think of howls to be a wolf trait, and it’s true that these wild cousins use howls in a haunting, effective manner. In my neck of the woods, wannabe wolves (aka coyotes) serenade the evening moon, and house dogs sing along with their wild cousins. Despite popular memes to the contrary, dogs are not wolves—or coyotes—so exactly what’s up with all the arrrroooooo-ing? Why do dogs howl?
How to Train My Puppy to Potty On Grass?
DEAR ASK AMY…Why won’t my dog go on grass?
Here’s my answer…including another YouTube video with tips.
How To Keep Dogs Off My Lawn?
Here’s my most popular Ask Amy YouTube video… what have I missed? How do you handle such things?
Dog Ticks & Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
With better weather coming as spring approaches, dogs tend to spend more time outside. With outdoor fun comes exposure to (YUCK!) ticks! Here’s what you need to know about Rocky Mountain spotted fever…
How Deaf Cats & Dogs Deal with Hearing Loss
Pets have exceptional hearing…until they don’t, and hearing loss can develop as they age. Learn some tips to help with cat and dog hearing loss…
Trick Training Tabby: How to Teach Cats Tricks
With many of us now working from home, and our cats demanding more attention, I’ve heard from many folks wondering how to manage pestering kitties. Others have adopted a new kitten (bless you!) and are at a loss what to do. Why not train cats? Training offers one of the best ways to connect with new kitties or enhance the bond with our longtime cat friends…
Expert Witness in Dog Bite Case
I’ve always described myself as a pet owner advocate, one who figuratively speaks for dogs and cats and translates for their owners. But I never realized that I’d serve as a spokesperson in the more literal sense.
In August 2010, a local defense attorney contacted me about a dog bite case that happened many months earlier. At first, he simply wanted my opinion about dog behavior. Ultimately, the court appointed me as an expert witness…
Easter Dangers for Pets: Toxic Lilies, Chocolate, and Bunnies
It occurred to me a roundup blog post made the most sense to put important information about Easter dangers for pets in one, easy-to-find location. I’m sure most dog and cat lovers know the basics. But this way, if y’all need to share information with new pet adopters, you’ll have one link. What do you think?
This includes all the must knows about Easter lilies pet danger, Easter candy dangers like chocolate poisoning, and even concerns about Easter bunnies. Read on!
Cat in Heat Behavior, What to Know About Feline Estrus
Recently, a friend contacted me about her cat in heat. She wanted to know about a cat in heat behavior, how long are cats in heat, if cats in heat feel pain, and what to do to relieve the cat’s discomfort until spay surgery. Cats in heat signs include several distinctive behaviors common to feline estrus (the technical term). In fact, her newly adopted girl, although she looked too young, had already had kittens (they didn’t survive), and now loudly proclaimed Kitty’s determination to repeat the process.
I planned to refer my friend to one of my blogs—and instead realized I hadn’t specifically addressed cats in heat behavior, feline reproduction, and what to know about cat estrus. Yes, I write about this in my Complete Kitten Care and Cat Facts books in more detail, and now you get the kitty Cliff’s notes here.
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
