Thursday May 17, 2012
Nope, About.com Cats isn't up for grabs yet. But my readers are a gifted group, and from some of the emails I've received, I suspect many of you would love to write professionally about.cats. There are many paths to take to attain that goal. Some cat writers start with websites or blogs, then move on to books. Others, such as Amy Shojai, Puppies Guide for About.com, and former Contributing Writer on Cat Behavior for this site, started by writing articles and books, and then added websites and blogs to that mix.
Cover Photo of The Complete Cat's Meow by Darlene Arden, Photo Credit: Courtesy of PriceGrabber
I've put together a short tutorial, for those with ambition to write, but no professional experience. It is linear in structure, and covers writing, publishing, and marketing books about cats, starting with the basics: grammar, vocabulary, and even crossword puzzles. Did you know that crossword puzzles are an excellent way of increasing your vocabulary? The article moves on to writing excercises, then there are several lists of books to read, not only books about cats, but books about writing and marketing books. You'll also need to create a blog and/or a website somewhere along the way.
Believe me, writing about cats is a wonderful, ongoing journey, and I've learned as much about cats from listening to my own cats and my readers as I've imparted along the way. I hope you will, too!
Wednesday May 16, 2012
Photo Credit: © Guest, Kathie
Kali Kat is a 2 1/2 year old tuxedo girl, adopted from the North Shore Animal League when it was love at first sight. Her only medical problem was when she swallowed a balloon string, but fortunately, the veterinarian was able to remove the string from her stomach under anesthesia, but without surgery. It is fortunate that Kathie got Kali to the vet right away, because Linear Foreign Body can be fatal if not treated immediately.The experience hasn't taken away Kali's appetite for real food in the slightest, from the looks of this photo.
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Wednesday May 16, 2012
Due to the failure to spay and neuter, the constant influx of kittens into our society increases the severity of our ongoing cat overpopulation problems. Hundreds of thousands of kittens end up in shelters, which are already overcrowded. Many of the kittens find homes, at the expense of older cats who have been waiting in vain. However, in "kill shelters," more of these kittens are either euthanized, or older cats are sacrificed to make room for the "more adoptable" kittens. Even in no-kill shelters, the vicious cycle continues as this year's kittens become next year's older cats.
Read the reasons why you should consider adopting an older cat in this pictorial article, and also learn why you should spay and neuter your cats. Please keep in mind while reading these pages that although the pictured cats have all been rescued from the streets and have found happy forever homes, that there are still hundreds and thousands of their counterparts languishing in shelters. Miss Kitty, pictured here, was one of the lucky few.
Photo Credit: © Anil Tambwekar
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Tuesday May 15, 2012
Domestic cats have always been my favorite breed, and all but one of the scores of cats who have been family members over the past five decades have been domestic cats (whether you call them alley cats, house cats, mixed breed, or moggies). Billy, pictured here, is the youngest of my boys at nine, but in his mind, he is the king of the castle. "Humble" is not a word in Billy's catabulary. Is he spoiled? You bet. Does he appreciate it? I suspect he considers it his just due, and I wholeheartedly agree. I believe that all cats deserve to be spoiled, whether they be the finest champion Persians to the scrawniest alley cat.
The vast majority of my readers seem to share my love for domestic cats, judging by my emails and to various opportunities for photo Show and Tell on my site. We're in good company, folks.
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