cat care guide

Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy (2023 Review)

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We all want to give our cats the happiest life possible, and the more we know about cats and their needs, the happier we can make them. In Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy, Zazie Todd, Phd, the creator of the Companion Animal Psychology blog, offers advice for cat parents for every stage of a cat’s life, backed by science.Continue Reading

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Indoor Cat: How to Enrich Their Lives and Expand Their World (2023 Review)

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You know Dr. Lynn Bahr from our “Ask the Cat Doc” column. She is the founder of Dezi & Roo, a company that designs, manufactures, and sells solution-based products that enhance the lives of cats and their owners. And now Dr. Bahr shares her expertise with a wider audience in her upcoming book Indoor Cat: How to Enrich Their Lives and Expand Their World, due out in April and available for pre-order now.Continue Reading

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The Holistic Vet Blend Cookbook (2023 Review)

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When it comes to nutrition, the same is true for cats as for people: whole, unprocessed or minimally processed food is better. The optimal diet for a cat is a properly balanced raw or gently cooked diet. Even though conventional veterinarians caution against making your own food, with the appropriate recipe and ingredients, homemade food can be a viable option for cat parents who prefer this to a commercial diet.Continue Reading

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Zen and the Art of Caring for Pets (2023 Review)

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Zen and the Art of Caring for Pets is both informative and profoundly moving. Part memoir, part pet care book, the book chronicles Dr. Kelleher’s experiences in veterinary medicine, from working in conventional and critical care practices to starting her own holistic practice.Continue Reading

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Cat Care Guides from the 1960’s

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A friend recently gave me two cat care guides from the 1960’s. The Common Sense Book of Kitten and Cat Care is from 1966, Cats is from 1969. Looking through the books was a fascinating exercise in realizing how far we’ve come in understanding cats better over the last 50 years.Continue Reading

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Review: Cats for the Genius

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I’ve never liked the “for dummies” or “idiot’s guide” series of books, available on just about any topic you can think of, including cats. While they certainly seem to be popular, and while they often provide good information, the self-deprecation implied in the titles just doesn’t resonate with me. Wanting to learn more about something doesn’t make you a dummy. The newer “for the Genius” book series takes a somewhat more positive, tongue-in-cheek spin on this approach, but I’m still not crazy about it.

However, setting aside my admittedly very personal opinion about the book’s title, Ramona Marek’s Cats for the Genius is a fantastic, comprehensive guideContinue Reading

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Review: New Choices in Natural Healing for Dogs and Cats

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If you’re reading The Conscious Cat, you probably already have an interest in holistic modalities. I believe in an integrative approach to medicine, both for myself and for cats (and dogs.) The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) at the National Institutes of Health, defines integrative medicine as “combining mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.” In other words, integrative medicine lets you pick the best of both worlds.Continue Reading

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Review: Making’ Biscuits: Weird Cat Habits and the Even Weirder Habits of the Humans Who Love Them

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No matter how much any of us think we know about cats, they will always remain just a little mysterious. And while there are explanations based on behavioral science for many of their habits that we may think of as odd, I would be that for every weird feline habit explained, there’s another quirky one that defies logic. In Making’ Biscuits: Weird Cat Habits and the Even Weirder Habits of the Humans Who Love Them, Deborah Barnes explores the lighter side of feline behavior.Continue Reading

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The Pet Parent’s A-Z Home Care Encyclopedia (2023 Book Review)

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Cat Facts: The Pet Parent’s A-Z Home Care Encyclopedia is the result of 25+ years of researching, loving, and writing about cats. Amy Shojai, the bestselling author of more than 30 pet books, offers a comprehensive reference guide for adopting, keeping, and maintaining a happy, healthy cat.

From answering questions about preventive and holistic care to fascinating facts about cats to details about specific conditions, Cat Facts has it all. Continue Reading

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Book Review: Fit Cat -Tips & Tricks to Give Your Pet a Longer, Healthier and Happier Life

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There are a lot of great cat care books on the market. Some of my favorites approach cat care from a holistic standpoint. Classics like Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM’s Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life, The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care by Celeste Yarnall and Jean Hofve, DVM, and Anitra Frazier’s The Natural Cat: The Comprehensive Guide to Optimum Care are my “go to” books when people ask me for recommendations. But even though these books define for me what a good cat care book should look like, I’m always interested in looking at new additions to this genre, because I believe that cat guardians can never have too much information,  provided it comes from a reputable source.Continue Reading

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