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Recommended ReadingThere are many good books about pet care and ownership. This is just a short list of books that I recommend. You can buy these books now at Amazon.com (or at your favorite bookstore). Birds:
Cats:
Dogs:
The Companion Parrot Handbook is a remarkably complete, up-to-date guide for the parrot owner, including information on everything from the fundamentals of successful parrot keeping to valuable advice on preventing and solving behavioral problems. A sampling of topics covered include choosing a parrot, skills to teach a parrot, converting parrots to a healthier diet, what to do if a parrot flies away, and how to travel with a parrot. Ms. Blanchard provides excellent guidance, gained from over 20 years as an avian behavior consultant, regarding basic behavioral concepts and the methods that can be used to live long and happily with a companion parrot. Specifically, her information and techniques serve to build trust between parrots and their owners. Illustrations, done by both Sally Blanchard and Jeff Riebe, serve to help create an exceptionally humorous and insightful publication. This book is written so that it can be read in one of two ways. It can be read from start to finish or used as a reference to look up specific topics, such as "First Aid for Broken Blood Feathers", "Towel Training", or "Excessive Screaming". It is a "must have" for anyone who has a parrot in the home or who may be thinking of adopting a first parrot.
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Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook by
Delbert G. Carlson, James M. Giffin (Contributor), Lisa Carlson
From pediatrics to geriatrics, every owner will find clearly written and valuable guidance for everything from day-to-day care to handling emergencies. Every cat owner will find valuable guidance for all aspects of feline care, from day-to-day care to handling emergencies, in this clearly written reference. Organized by signs and symptoms, it also includes information on feeding and nutrition, medications, pregnancy, and a special section on training.
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The Veterinarians' Guide to Your Cat's Symptoms
The experts reveal how to interpret and understand your cat's symptoms and what steps to take to ensure its health.
This comprehensive and practical book is designed to assist cat owners in understanding their pets' bodies and health based on signs and symptoms of disease, and in determining the most common medical problems that might cause particular symptoms.
Adopting the "decision chart" format from popular symptom guides for human ailments, five leading veterinarians have designed a user-friendly chart system that will guide a pet owner from noting the symptom and observing the cat's behavior to understanding the associated signs of an illness, the possible conditions, and the best steps to take. Filled with more than 150 charts in an easy-to-follow two-color format and medical drawings, The Veterinarians' Guide to Your Cat's Symptoms is the indispensable reference for cat owners. It not only considers the problems of sick and injured pets, but also addresses the needs of healthy animals. It has all the information a cat owner needs:
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What a healthy cat should look like |
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Flow charts to the 200 most common symptoms |
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Behavioral issues, such as spraying and clawing |
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Emergency first aid, including transporting an injured cat |
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A glossary of veterinary diagnostic tests and medical terms |
With this unique combination of medical information and advice, plus an innovative chart system, The Veterinarians' Guide to Your Cat's Symptoms will ensure that your cat really does have nine lives.
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The Cornell Book of Cats:
A Comprehensive and Authoritative Medical Reference for Every Cat and Kitten
by
Mordecai Siegal (Editor), James R. Richards (Editor), Cornell Feline health
Thoroughly updated and revised, a complete feline medical reference furnishes timely information on cat nutrition, reproduction, genetics, first aid, breeds, anatomy, medical advances, preventive care, and more. The Cornell Book of Cats is an inexhaustible source of current medical information that covers the whole range of feline health, including how to understand, identify, and correct a cat's behavior problems: guidelines, for selecting a breed: nutrition, with instructions on how to properly feed a kitten or an adult cat, an obese cat, a sick cat, or an aging cat. There are also descriptions and photographs of forty-one breeds accepted by the leading national cat associations. In addition, The Cornell Book of Cats outlines first-aid measures that should be taken before an emergency trip to the veterinarian. Also, you'll find step-by-step instructions on in-home follow-up medical care.
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Think Like a Cat: How to Raise a Well-Adjusted Cat--Not a Sour Puss by Pam Johnson-Bennett
Think it's impossible to train a cat? Think again! Yes, you can learn to understand your cat. No, cats are not always aloof. No, they don't ruin furniture out of spite. Most often feline "misbehavior" is the result of owners not understanding their cat's needs. In this comprehensive book that takes readers through every step of cat ownership, Pam Johnson-Bennett helps you understand the instincts that determine feline behavior, positive and negative. An authoritative resource for cat owners of all stripes, Think Like a Cat covers everything from where to get a kitten to choosing a vet; from basic health care to treating more serious medical problems; from selecting an irresistible scratching post to avoiding litter box problems. A seasoned therapist and former veterinary technician, Johnson-Bennett offers welcome advice in a straightforward manner that will help cats--and their owners--share a happy, healthy life together.
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The Total Cat: Understanding Your Cat's Physical
and Emotional Behavior from Kitten to Old Age by Carole C. Wilbourn, Edward Frascino (Illustrator)
Carole Wilbourn has been a feline behaviorist and therapist for more than 20 years, practicing in partnership with various veterinarians in New York. Here she provides good general information about the care, feeding, and medical needs of cats, but the real strength of the book lies in her discussions of cat behavior. From the selection of a cat by its age and personality type, along with suggestions for finding a good match for the character and lifestyle of the potential owner, to fitting a cat into a household that may include other pets to causes and cures of less desirable feline behavioral traits, the author covers all aspects of cat behavior. How to discriminate between a cat displaying an unusual but normal reaction to stimuli, like drooling when very happy, and a behavioral disorder, such as over-aggression, are clearly defined in easy-to-understand language. Books that base the care of companion animals on an understanding of the basics of their behavior are extremely welcome additions to the cadre of how to books on pets, and Wilbourn's offering will be an excellent addition to any collection.
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Dr.
Pitcairn's Complete Guide To Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
by Richard H. Pitcairn, DVM, Ph.D. and Susan Hubble Pitcairn
Soft Cover Book, Dr. Pitcairn's Web site
In the third, revised edition of this groundbreaking text on holistic dog and cat care, Dr. Richard Pitcairn once again outlines his program for helping pets obtain complete wellness, from their puppyhood and kittenhood throughout old age. In this updated edition, he:
| Presents fully revised recipes to reflect products currently on the market |
| Reveals information on what consumers don’t know about the pet food industry |
| Includes detailed information on homeopathic medicine and first aid procedures |
| Uncovers ways to safeguard the home against toxins –- both inside and out |
| Has expanded the Quick reference section to include today’s more common ailments |
For more than 20 years, this classic guide has been equally invaluable to both veterinarians and pet guardians alike. Make this your first choice in raising your pet in the most natural and healthy way possible.
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How to Be Your Dog's Best
Friend:
A Training Manual for Dog Owners by New Skete Monks
The Monks of New Skete share their invaluable training techniques and philosophy in their bestselling book, How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend. First and foremost, the Monks--who themselves breed and raise German shepherds in Upstate New York--emphasize that "understanding is the key to communication, compassion, and communion" with your dog. Outlined in seven highly readable and informative chapters, the training principles offer a better knowledge of your pet's psyche and personality--ultimately deepening the bond between human and animal. Striving to educate and sensitize new and potential owners to dog kind, the book explores different breeds and temperaments, and assesses the best places from which to obtain a dog. Thanks to a succession of neatly ordered chapters and subsections on everything from crates and leash training to dog treats and massage, training is made accessible and even fun. The Monks lay particular emphasis on the importance of training with "spirit, humor, and most of all, physical and verbal praise!" Whether you're a new owner or an old-timer, How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend is one of the best training guides available, written with compassion, empathy, and humor.
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Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming
Home: And Other Unexplained Powers of Animals
by Rupert Sheldrake
It's rare for a book's title to say so clearly what the book is about. In the case of Rupert Sheldrake's latest work, the controversial content is right on the front cover. Pet owners will see it and smile in recognition; skeptical scientists will shake their heads and mutter about "maverick scholars." We all know of cases of dogs (and cats) who know when their owners are coming home, who go to wait at the door or window 10 minutes or more before their human arrives. Conditioned by the tight rigor of contemporary scientific thinking, we either look for rational explanations or we file the phenomenon away in our minds as "unexplained" and are careful not to talk about it with our scientist friends.
Sheldrake has shown in the past that he is not afraid to be labeled a rebel, thanks to his theory of morphic resonance, which suggests the following:
Natural systems, or morphic units, at all levels of complexity are animated, organized, and coordinated by morphic fields, which contain an inherent memory. Natural systems inherit this collective memory from all previous things of their kind by a process called morphic resonance, with the result that patterns of development and behavior become increasingly habitual through repetition.
Sheldrake believes that the "telepathy" between pets and humans, or between flocks of birds or schools of fish that move as a single organism, can be explained with this theory. Sheldrake is less persuaded by anecdotes that suggest animal clairvoyance--warning of something in the near future--but refuses to disallow the possibility.
He accepts that the case histories he details so thoroughly in this book are anecdotal, but that makes them no less real; and as a scientist himself he sets up experimental conditions for studying this previously ignored phenomenon that show beyond any doubt that the phenomenon exists. He castigates traditional scientists for their refusal to countenance anything that doesn't fit in with their existing paradigms (or prejudices) and challenges them to come up with some more "acceptable" explanation--but none is forthcoming.
This fascinating book is a first attempt at a scientific investigation into a puzzling but quite common occurrence. One hopes that other scientists will follow Sheldrake's brave lead.
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I Am Puppy Hear Me
Yap: The Ages of Dog by Valerie Shaff, Roy Blount Jr.
From the pugnacious pup on the cover to the sad-eyed sweetie hiding on the back side, I Am Puppy, Hear Me Yap is a book guaranteed to melt the heart of even the grimmest Cruella de Vil impersonator. Valerie Shaff's photography showcases our four-legged friends in many of their finest moments--chewing on slippers, rolling in the clover, and shaking the water off their fuzzy puppy fur are just a few of the classics captured here. With the combination of close-up shots and gentle sepia-toned images, the unique details of each pup's face are shown to advantage. From sleepy newborn retrievers to sophisticated poodles, personality shines through in these portraits. You're sure to at least entertain the thought of inviting a new canine companion into your life. The poetry of Roy Blount Jr. is the perfect companion to such delightful photos; the pintsized beast from the cover makes another appearance inside the pages, with a poem that begins with the title of the book:
I am puppy, hear me yap
No, I won't sit in your lap
I've got other things to do
For instance, bark at you.
Whether you prefer pooches sweet and cuddly or fiercely attacking your ankle, this lovely little book is sure to show you the doggie of your dreams.
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Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution by Raymond Coppinger, Lorna Coppinger
Marking the first time that dogs have been explained in such detail by eminent researchers, Dogs is a work of wide appeal, as absorbing as it is enlightening.
Drawing on insight gleaned from forty-five years of raising, training, and studying the behaviors of dogs worldwide, Lorna and Raymond Coppinger explore the fascinating processes by which dog breeds have evolved into their unique shapes and behaviors. Concentrating on five types of dogs -- modern household dogs, village dogs, livestock-guarding dogs, sled dogs, and herding dogs -- the Coppingers, internationally recognized canine ethologists and consummate dog lovers, examine our canine companions from a unique biological viewpoint. Dogs clearly points the way for dog lovers, dog therapists, veterinarians, and all others who deal with dogs to understand their animals from a fresh perspective.
How did the domestic dog become a distinct species from the wolf? Why do different breeds behave differently? Most important, how can we improve the relationship between humans and dogs?
The authors show how dogs' different abilities depend upon the confluence of their nature and nurture -- that both genetics and the environment play equally key roles. They also reveal that many people inadvertently harm their canine companions because they fail to understand dogs' biological needs and dispositions.
Dogs is a highly readable biological approach by noted researchers that provides a wealth of new information about the interaction of nature and nurture, and demonstrates how unique dog behavior is in the animal world.
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How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks by Ian Dunbar
Fun training with toys, treats, lures and rewards. Easy and effective, dog-friendly techniques for teaching a new puppy old tricks (such as basic manners), or for teaching an older dog that is new to training.
Heralded by many dog trainers as 'the best dog training book ever written'. A comprehensive workbook for the motivated dog owner, comprising sections on basic off-leash obedience, temperament modification, behavior troubleshooting, training theory and health care. The definitive text for lure/reward training philosophy.
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"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog it's too dark to read."
-Groucho Marx
