3 comments about Is Your Cat Too Fat.

1. As another reviewer has pointed out, this book really looks like a humor book at first glance, and I picked it up thinking that was the case. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's actually informative as well as entertaining.

   The whimsically illustrated book discusses a brief history of cats and goes a bit into why commercially prepared cat foods are not a healthy staple for your cat. There is some information, for the most part based on observation, about how to tell if your cat is too fat. The correct ratios of protein to fat to carbohydrates are discussed, as well as some actual recipes to cook for your cat.

   This book really convinced me that feeding dry kibble just doesn't cut it and may explain why my cat has always been overly plump and yet still (always!) clamoring for MORE FOOD. The only drawback is that it just didn't give me all the information I needed to make the switch. Aside from some recipes for vitamin and mineral supplements, there were no specific mixes for basic foods. While the recipes are cute and, I'm sure, tasty for cats, they seem too labor-intensive to prepare day after day. I would have liked to see a few basic recipes that would make a larger quantity which could be frozen in meal-size portions and used for daily meals.

   Overall, I think the book was a good purchase, but it left me starving for more.




2. I am a cat lover (currently between cats) and, while I intend to try the interesting recipes and naturopathic advice with my next cat, I have to admit to buying the book purely because I'm a fan of the illustrator. Readers of Graham Oakley's "Church Mice" series will recognise Sampson the ginger tomcat on the cover and endpapers - which show a before and after picture of him having a very good dinner. Almost every spread in the book features an apt (and usually funny) colour illustration of cat behaviour, and he captures cat expressions/body language beautifully.



3. Is your cat too fat? is a straightforward diet and fitness book for cats, dispite its cover illustration, which might lead would-be readers to conclude that it is a humor book.

   It begins by telling us some interesting cat history. For example, did you know that cats were persecuted during the Middle Ages? Next, the author explains what it is that cats really like to eat -- NOT BIRDS! Bird are way down on the cat's list of favorite things because the feathers must be plucked before eating. Yuck. Cats like mice of course, but according to a study the author cited, cats prefer canned or prepared food, if it's available. Also, cats can tell when food is beginning "to turn." They prefer it fresh.

   The book contains ways to figure out if your cat is too fat, including a weight chart for different breeds. (Mine weighs 12 lbs which is okay for an American short-hair, but she feels fat to me.)

   Then comes the part we all know will follow -- the inevitable diet suggestions which we've all heard before. Ta Da: diet and exercise. The author has included lots of clever ways to engage our cats in playful games designed to trim them down a little. And the exciting thing is that we ourselves must become the primary entertainer.

   But the most interesting part of the book is the recipe section. Yes, indeed. How about whipping up a batch of chicken liver mousse for your kitten? Or scrambled eggs with haddock for a Sunday morning brunch (for the cat, of course). The recipe section is divided into categories: Sauces, Savories, Sandwiches, Eggs, Game, Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Pasta. (What, no dessert?)

   The illustrations are charming, it's easy to read, and full of interesting facts, with a small dose of guilt designed to help us keep our cats healthy and happy. This book belongs on the bookshelf of every cat-lover.

4 comments about Macaws: Everything About Purchase, Management, Housing, Feeding, Health Care, and Breeding/a Complete Pet Owner's Manual (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. The pictures in this book are very nice, but that's it! This book is not worth reading and you would be doing your bird a great injustice if you followed any advice from this person. If you want a good book on parrots try "Parrot Training" by Bonnie Munro Doane.



2. Of all the books I have read on parrot care, this is perhaps the worst. Particularly terrible is the suggested wing-feather trim, which would lead to a sedentary, unhealthy bird. Much of the advice in the book is contrary to accepted, modern practices. Do not buy it, and if you already own a copy, do the world a favor and destroy it.



3. As a veterinary technician in an avian hospital, I can tell you that this book gives poor and even dangerous advice concerning the care of macaws and other exotic birds. The avian veterinarians with whom I work have read the book and feel the same way. I would strongly discourage anyone from purchasing this book. Your local avian veterinarian would be much better suited to recommend books which give accurate information about birds and their care. Great photographs are the ONLY benefit of owning this book but hardly worth the false information printed within.



4. I think this book is excellent for beginners with Macaws and even people who know about them and want to know a little more. It has everything you need to know, in fact the entire series of pet books from Barrons does. I just wish they had a web site...

4 comments about General Care and Maintenance of Tokay Geckos and Related Species (The Herpetocultural Library).

1. The Herpetocultural Library is a series of small, inexpensive books dedicated to educating the public on the proper care and reproduction of selected reptiles and amphibians in captivity. The series founder is Phillippe de Vosjoli, and he has authored many in the series, and has recruited the services of other distinguished authors who have particular experience with particular animals. This book is an example of his utilization of two knowledgeable gecko enthuisiasts. The book is small, with 60 pages in total, but richly illustrated and full of useful and fascinating information, on selected members of the Gekkonidae, specifically the members of the genus Gekko, Ptychozoon, and Cyrtodactylus that are commonly imported via the pet trade in the USA. Specifically, the tokay gecko, Gekko gecko, is covered in great detail. The authors do a fantastic job in circumlocuting the information on care, feeding, housing, medecine, reproduction, natural history, and even folklore on these fascinating lizards. It is a must for any gecko pet keeper and enthuisiast. These wonderful animals deserve the best care in captivity, and this book gives a step by step guide to achieving this goal.



2. Good book for beginners. Loaded with information pics and much more. Good illustrations.

   BUY IT :-)




3. I return over and over again to use this manual when I have husbandry questions about tokays. The most useful section is Breeding.

   Husbandry information on other related gekko subspecies are covered in this manual including the Golden Gecko (G. ulikovskii), White-lined gecko(Gekko vittatus),the Flying gecko (Ptychozoon kuhlii)and others.

   The Introduction, General Information, and Ethnoherpetology sections contain some of the most interesting reptile reading ever.




4. It is a verry good book in "The Herpetocultural Library" series, it has lots of information, full color pictures and specific information on many species, it basically tells you everything you need to know to raise healthy and happy day geckos.

1 comments about The Proper Care of Budgies.

1. The PROPER CARE OF BUDGIES is a thick (250+pp), hardcover book that covers all the basics of pet care and a good deal about breeding parakeets or Budgerigars. In a section on cages and aviaries, Author Dennis Kelsey Wood has included many designs for outdoor aviaries and nest boxes, as well as commercial cages. He covers breeding considerations and genetics in another section. This is not the best book to give your child for reading about his new pet Budgie, although it does include numerous photographs of featherless baby chicks that may be of interest to the curious child.
   
   Most of the photographs are interesting and most of the text reflects good common sense. For example, how many folks need to be told to "make sure your cage is large enough to accommodate your Budgies favorite toys"? On the other hand, most of us will never "show" our Budgies at an exhibition either. Two short chapters in the back of the book "The Pet Budgerigar" and "Maintaining Health" cover what most of us want to know. If your keeping Budgies as pets, you will do better to buy The Owner's Guide to THE BUDGIE, by Julie Rach.

4 comments about My Fat Dog: Ten Simple Steps to Help Your Pet Lose Weight for a Long and Happy Life.

1. Although weight-loss in dogs involves common sense more than anything else, such as reducing caloric intake and increasing activity, this small book offers most of the tips that will ensure safe weight-loss in any dog. The book is easy to read, and is medically accurate. But perhaps the best lesson to be learned is not to let your dog get fat in the first place. It's easy to succumb to giving your dog that extra treat or table scrap when you see see those pleading eyes, but this temptation should be resisted for the long-term health and longevity of your dog.



2. The first time I met a dog on a diet, twenty or so years ago, I felt nothing but pity for the poor thing and scorn for its owner. How dare she enforce human standards on her sweet, good-natured lab? Sure, he was a little barrel-waisted, but so what? Let the dog be free!
   
   That was twenty years ago when I was a young pup myself and hated society's pressure on me to be thin. I have a bit more perspective now. I also have a dachshund. I've read that dachshunds are prone to back problems as they get older, and that excess fat aggravates this unhappy condition.
   
   But it's so easy to slip him a little extra dog food or drop a bit of my dinner into his dish after I eat. He loves people food. He also loves training snacks, and the mini-treats in the car, and the food stuffed into his kong to keep him busy when left alone.
   
   He began to expand. I knew I had to take steps. To paraphrase that notorious radio psychologist, Dr. Laura, "I am my dog's owner." I bought this book to help me be a better guardian of my pooch's girth.
   
   It's a very nutritious book! My favorite tidbit is how to know if your dog is really fat of just, ahem, "big-boned." And I also know how much food to feel my dog, and how to read dog food labels. No more dumping food in his dish according to how hungry he looks or how especially fond I am of him at that moment. I guess one of the things I need pounding into my head is that overfeeding is not the same as love. If I want my dog to live long and prosper, I'd better control his diet and give him enough exercise. The author gives lots of ideas on exercise for all kinds of different types of households. Just do it! It matters.
   
   Halfway through the book, there's a startling picture of a fat daschshund with my dog's face and coloring but a lot more pudge. I look at my dog and see his still boundless energy and healthy spine, and I know that picture is what I want to avoid.
   
   I'd like more discussion of different theories of nutrition, because a perusal of the Internet discloses fierce argument over this point, and it seems hard to figure out. But so is human nutrition.



3. This book is exactly what it advertises itself as - simple. But that does not stop it from being a very valuable source of information on ways to improve your dog's life. There are no high-tech, high-expense suggestions for how to treat your dog just like Paris Hilton treats Tinkerbelle. Instead, Ms. Garvey uses a straightforward approach, giving detailed and specific information on how to improve your dog's general living habits, from diet to exercise and much, much more.
   
   If you are looking for the new Atkins diet for your dog, steer clear. But if you want to help your dog improve his or her overall health for, as the title says, "a long and happy life," you should absolutely buy this book.



4. I am the author, and I hope you like this book. I was inspired to write both My Fat Dog and My Fat Cat because I had a fat dog, and I know, first hand, how easy it is to overfeed and underexercise your pet...and how it can affect your pet's health and life span. (Our dog is now 12 pounds lighter and lots healthier.) I tried to make the book fun to read, and offer a lot of ways to get your pet started on the road to good health. It can be done, and I want to help. Please visit me on the web at http://www.myfatdogbook.com, and share your stories.
   
   But I also want to tell you that I will be donating a portion of books' proceeds to organizations involved in rescuing and sheltering pets in the devastated Gulf Coast area. Every little bit helps.

1 comments about The Guide to Owning a Chameleon.

1. If you want to buy your first chameleon,must buy this book.This book includes a lot of informations about thier natural environment and some tips to care your chameleon. Try this book,you wo'nt be disappoint.

No comments about I Just Got a Kitten. What Do I Do?: How to Buy, Train, Understand, and Enjoy Your Kitten.

No comments about What About Labrador Retrievers: The Joy and Realities of Living with a Lab (What About?).

No comments about Backyard Horsekeeping, New and Revised: The Only Guide You'll Ever Need.

1 comments about Wild Sex: Way Beyond the Birds and the Bees.

1. "Wild Sex" manages to be both an extremely entertaining and a most informative pop-zoology text. Often the wild behavior of the other creatures inhabiting this planet has been completely misconstrued, and erroneously anthropomorhisied. Sexual behavior is viewed in context, starting with the question "why sex evolved". The text is enlivened is with many surprising examples of extreme behavior and bizarre adaptations, and clarified with some 40 black and white illustrations.
   Rape, murder and other acts which in a human society would be classified as "crimes of passion" are not quite the rare aberrations in nature we have been lead to believe. After reading Ms Windybanks excellent book I can no longer view the duckpond in our local park in the with the equanimity I once did.