Category: Global

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Review: Cats on the Job

Allison

Before I started to blog, if you had asked me to name jobs that pets do, I could have named several … and all of them would have been related to dogs. Should I have even thought of cats, I might have pointed out their ability to catch rodent. Yet cats are much more clever and versatile that most of us give them credit. You just need to read Lisa Rogak’s Cats on the Job to discover not just one or ten but fifty ways that cats purr, mouse, and even sing for their supper. In her colorful and photo-rich … Continue reading Review: Cats on the Job

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Interview with Author H.S. Toshack

Allison

I now interrupt my series of reviews to bring you an interview with H.S. Toshack. If you love animal books, and especially if you enjoyed Watership Down by Richard Adams, seek out the Paka Mdogo stories. You will not be disappointed! ALLISON: What took you to the Caribbean, Africa, Thailand, the Middle East, and now Portugal? H.S. TOSHACK: Here’s a general answer to begin with: a desire to engage with worlds beyond the one I grew up in. Why those particular places, however? They all offered a combination of rich experiences and equally rich professional opportunities – in other words … Continue reading Interview with Author H.S. Toshack

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Review: The Meerkat Wars by H.S. Toshack

Allison

The Meerkat Wars by H.S. Toshack reminds me of the masterpiece Watership Down by Richard Adams, which also happens to be one of my all-time favorite books for children. In that hefty novel, along with appreciating the adventures of the fugitives, I also reveled in how intimately I came to know the world of rabbits. While I sometimes disagreed with the beliefs of the rabbits, I also appreciated the thematic complexity of Watership Down. By the same token, I love how intimately H. S. Toshack portrays the world of meerkats and a certain house cat named Sheena, who together face … Continue reading Review: The Meerkat Wars by H.S. Toshack

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Review: Nobody’s Cats & Out of the Cold by Valerie Ingram and Alistair Schroff

Allison

If you are creative and care about the welfare of animals, what can you do? Valerie Ingram and Alistair Schroff wrote children’s picture books. Both Nobody’s Cats and Out of the Cold are based on true stories from northwest British Columbia and profits from the sale of the book go towards the care of animals in that region.  Nobody’s Cats tells the tale of a boy who saw a tiny black cat shivering in the snow by an old shed. The cat was just one of many that had been born or abandoned  there. A few of the neighborhood boys … Continue reading Review: Nobody’s Cats & Out of the Cold by Valerie Ingram and Alistair Schroff

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Interview with Author Valerie Ingram

Allison

As part of volunteering with Husker Cats, I followed online groups that took care community cats. One day a post appeared about a picture book that had been published on the topic. The book was by Valerie Ingram, co-founder of Lakes Animal Friendship Society. Since that time, Valerie has become an inspiration to me in my animal welfare goals and a dear friend. Valerie and I both share a passion for pet education. This spring, she contracted me to write ten articles for Lakes Animal Friendship Society that could be run in local newspapers. My life this upcoming year will … Continue reading Interview with Author Valerie Ingram

All Pets, Allison, Enrichment, Global, Internet, Intervention, Magazines, VolunteersLeave a comment

Interview with An Animal Journal Editor

Allison

Like pretty much every trainer and behavior consultant I talk to, I’d definitely say my career path has been a little labyrinthine, and there’s no way I could have seen around the corner and known where I’d end up.—Jesse Miller, editor of IAABC Journal Working on an animal welfare publication is one way that creative people such as Jesse Miller can help better the world for animals. In 2016, Jesse saw a post in the Facebook members’ forum of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants asking for a volunteer managing editor of the group’s new journal. As soon as … Continue reading Interview with An Animal Journal Editor

Allison, Cats, Enrichment, Global, Internet, PodcastsLeave a comment

Catexplorer

Allison

Hasara Lay is the owner of two adventure cats, the founder of the  Catexplorer website, and the host of the Catexplorer podcost.  Nearly 25 years ago, Hasara started exploring the world with her childhood cat, Tabby, The two were strongly bonded and so Hasara took her with her on family road trips, which occurred every few months. When Tabby died, Hasara grieved for a long time. At the same time, she felt grateful to Tabby who taught her much about life and cats. For example, Tabby introduced her to the concept of adventure cats, long before this was even a … Continue reading Catexplorer

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Interview with a Cat Graduate Student Researcher

Allison

Jennifer White is a cat graduate student researcher in Canada. Her interest arises from experiences with her own, but also an over all concern for cat welfare. Jennifer believes that, “Cats are often misunderstood, discarded, and viewed as replaceable.” The focus for her current research is to determine the effects of human social enrichment on emotion and affiliative (bonding) behaviors in anxious shelter cats. “Local shelters need support to help manage cats that often come in with health or behavior issues,” Jennifer explained. “The more we learn about how to improve animal welfare in shelters, the healthier and happier shelter … Continue reading Interview with a Cat Graduate Student Researcher

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Interview with Author Valerie Ingram

Allison

After becoming a volunteer with Husker Cats in 2014, I started to follow online groups that also took care community cats. One day a post appeared about a picture book that had been published on the topic. Being a book reviewer, I naturally contacted the author and requested a copy of Nobody’s Cats. Since then, Valerie Ingram and I have exchanged emails about many topics including our former teaching careers and our passion for homeless cats. When she released a new book this past fall, Out in the Cold, she graciously sent me a copy. It’s an honor to know Valerie, who is … Continue reading Interview with Author Valerie Ingram

Advocating, Allison, Books, Cats, Dogs, Global, Humane Education, Spay/NeuterLeave a comment

Review: Nobody’s Cats & Out of the Cold by Valerie Ingram and Alistair Schroff

Allison

If you are creative and care about the welfare of animals, what can you do? If you’re Valerie Ingram and Alistair Schroff, you write children’s picture books. Both Nobody’s Cats and Out of the Cold are based on true stories from northwest British Columbia and profits from the sale of the book go towards the care of animals in that region.  Nobody’s Cats tells the tale of a boy who saw a tiny black cat shivering in the snow by an old shed. The cat was just one of many that had been born or abandoned  there. A few of … Continue reading Review: Nobody’s Cats & Out of the Cold by Valerie Ingram and Alistair Schroff