Review: Cats on the Job
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
Review: Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know
Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know by Hy Conrad and Jeff Johnson is a cute and funny book designed to entertain. For the most part, the comedy works. And while you’re unlikely to turn to Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know for reference, it does make a great addition to a bathroom shelf or any place you might need some relaxed readings. Sometimes, you’ll even learn a few things about man’s best friend. Oh, and it’s mostly safely for the entire family to read. Cute and funny require a delicate balancing act. Lean too far left or … Continue reading Review: Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know
Review: Three Dog Cozy Mysteries
A while ago, I treated myself to three cat cozy mysteries. All three are titles my husband bought for me at a library book sale. The first is by an author (David Rosenfelt) whom I know about through the animal rescue world, while the others are by authors with four or five-star ratings at Cozy Mystery List. My interest in the Andy Carpenter mysteries by David Rosenfelt comes from my having read his funny account of the start of a dog rescue foundation. The series contains sixteen titles to date and features a reluctant attorney who is most likely to … Continue reading Review: Three Dog Cozy Mysteries
Review: Three Cat Cozy Mysteries
A while ago, I treated myself to three cat cozy mysteries. I picked random titles by two authors with whose names I have long heard of (Lillian Jackson Braun and Rite Mae Brown) and the first title in a series by an author (Sofie Kelly) whose books I discovered at a library book sale. My interest in The Cat Who mysteries by Lillian Jackson Braun books comes from my mother-in-law having a dozen of them on her shelves. The series contains thirty titles and features journalist James Qwilleran and his two Siamese cats Yum Yum and Koko. In The Cat … Continue reading Review: Three Cat Cozy Mysteries
Therapy Cat Series: Rainy’s Lonely Days
Meow! I paused my typing to listen. In the growing darkness of the June evening, I switched on an overhead light. Spring had proved increasingly chaotic for my husband and me. We often found ourselves settling to chores right after … Continue reading Therapy Cat Series: Rainy’s Lonely Days
Helping Aging Cats with Behavior Changes
At my Facebook business page Allison Helps Cats, I posted the question: “What do you want to understand about cats?” One person responded that she wanted to know how to care for very old cats. This article will focus on … Continue reading Helping Aging Cats with Behavior Changes
Feral Cat Series: Bootsie and Agility
Bootsie is proof that the incredible can happen. She is a former feral cat who is learning to do agility! The secret to our success? Food and time. The year after she settled into our home, I tried to teach … Continue reading Feral Cat Series: Bootsie and Agility
Helping Aging Dogs with Behavior Changes
As dogs enter their senior years, their physical and cognitive health often decline, which can lead to behavior changes. To learn more about the exact changes and what pet owners can do to ensure continued quality of life for their … Continue reading Helping Aging Dogs with Behavior Changes
Review: Jenny and the Cat Club
A cat acquaintance of mine recommended Jenny and the Cat Club by Esther Averill to me. She and her children find it their favorite book about cats. After realizing that Averill was the author of the I Can Read picture book The Fire Cat, I bought a copy of Jenny and the Cat Club for myself and another cat friend. Since then, I have come to adore this series of stories about a cute black kitty and hope you will too. Jenny Linsky is a shy cat. This is my number one reason for liking Averill’s stories. The literary world … Continue reading Review: Jenny and the Cat Club
Review: Gaby, Lost and Found
Cute! Fun! Sweet! Inspiring! All these adjectives describe Gaby, Lost and Found, by Angela Cervantes, about a girl who wants to rescue animals but soon finds herself in need of a permanent home. Gaby, her friends, and even the adult guardians in her life make for a realistic and endearing cast. Through the suspenseful plot, readers will learn about shelters and immigration, besides being entertained. What struck me foremost is how true-to-life but also sympathetic the characters are. Gaby loves animals. She’ll do anything to rescue them. But she still feels a little upset when a cat in a tree … Continue reading Review: Gaby, Lost and Found
Interview with Author H.S. Toshack
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
Review: The Meerkat Wars by H.S. Toshack
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
