Animal Books I've Read

My experiences taking the Veterinary Assistant and Veterinary Technology programs at Penn Foster.

Friday, November 04, 2005 , late evening

Avian Ark

I picked up a copy of this book on a whim, because I love birds and figured I’d enjoy reading wildlife rehab stories.  When I actually started to read the book, I was immediately thrilled to realize the author was located in Canada and lived in the same region as my parents, so a lot of the geography was familiar to me.  I was also surprised by the excellent illustrations, all drawn by the author and based on her most memorable rehab subjects.  Frankly, I think the author is a saint… like so many rehabbers, she and her family turned their home and lives upside-down to fix problems which were invariably caused by humans.  Some accidents were unintentional, such as vehicle vs. bird, or baby birds injured/orphaned during logging.  Other injuries weren’t accidents at all, with many birds brought into the rehab clinic after being caught in steel traps or being shot.  One particularly disturbing chapter talks about a man who takes delight in bragging about how many owls he kills yearly, because they dare to commit the crime of hunting his exotic ducks.  While the man eventually attempts to build a covered shelter for his ducks, he also maintains steel leg trags where he leaves owls to starve to death.  I’ve become somewhat immune to stories of cruelty (because if I didn’t have some immunity I’d lose my mind), but I don’t think I ever cease to be surprised that people can be intentionally cruel, and actually choose to be cruel.

I don’t want to give the impression that the book is all doom and gloom, because it isn’t.  There are some incidents which are extremely sad, but there are also tales which highlight the incredible recuperative powers of animals and their will to live.  The author does a wonderful job of building relationships with her charges, while maintaining the separation needed to allow the birds to be released into the wild and to fend for themselves.  More than anything, she respects all the animals in her care.  She never gives up on any bird with a desire to live, and the experiences she’s had must be invaluable to other wildlife rehabbers. 

If you’re in the US, you can buy the book Avian Ark by Kit Chubb from Amazon, but you’ll need to buy a used copy.  They’re only about $2.  You may also want to check out the author’s website, www.kitchubb.ca, as it’s full of much more technical and up-to-date information.  You’ll find many helpful articles about wild birds, for both the rehabber and the birding enthusiast.

One last note… when I went to the author’s website, I was saddened to read that her husband had passed away just a few months ago.  He was an integral part of her book and an equal partner in her rehab work.  My condolences to the author and her family, should she ever see this entry.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/04 at 10:25 PM
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Thursday, October 20, 2005 , late evening

Lost and Found

I didn’t think I’d love this book, and in fact, I had a bit of dread about reading it.  I figured it would be a painful read about horrible animal shelter conditions and euthanasia, but it ended up being both realistic and enjoyable.  Lost & Found by Elizabeth Hess chronicles the author’s experiences during her time volunteering at a rural animal shelter outside New York City.  The author took on the volunteer work as a research project, but then became emotionally invested in the success of the shelter and the security of its residents.  One of the most intriguing aspects of the story is how the author goes through mental “stages” the longer she works at the shelter, first allying herself with the potential adopters, then becoming more protective of the shelter and its policies, and finally becoming such an advocate for the animals that she has a difficult time wanting to adopt out to anyone.  The final stage is the most difficult, as Hess learns that she has to balance the needs of the animals in the shelter with the needs of all the animals who will need the shelter eventually—there’s no room for permanent residents.  The book chronicles all the ridiculous reasons people abandon their pets, and accompanies local law enforcement on animal cruelty complaint investigations, and on the raid of a puppy mill.  Euthanasia isn’t described in detail but it is present, with the shelter director making daily decisions about who can stay, and who won’t be moving on to a permanent home.  The pressure on the employees and volunteers in these situations must border on unbearable, and I’ve got a lot of respect for people who are able to make the tough decisions that the rest of us are sheltered from.  So, if you’ve ever volunteered in a shelter you’ll find empathy here, and if you’re thinking about volunteering, this book will help give you some mental preparation about what to expect.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 10/20 at 10:10 PM
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Monday, October 10, 2005 , late evening

The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats

I absolutely love my cats beyond all reason.  While that may not be a surprise to anyone reading this, it’s a surprise to me, because honestly, I’m just not “a cat person”.  I had no contact with cats while growing up because I wasn’t from a “cat family” (we had a parakeet and some fish, and we got a dog when I was in my late teens).  When I was married, I adopted two cats because I wanted pets, but lived in an apartment.  The cats, Lou and Hobbes, were both wonderful (especially Lou, who would let us play with his tongue and rub his stomach and he was always happy), but still, I wasn’t a “cat person”.  When I moved to New Mexico and was living alone in a small studio apartment, I again turned to an adopted cat for companionship, which is how Sweet Pea came into my life.  Sweet Pea was a tough sell—as we spent more time together, and I read more about cats and behaviour, I realized that she had a number of behavioural issues which probably stemmed from lack of socialization.  I brought her home when she was eight weeks old (now I know that’s far too young for a cat to be separated from its mother), and from that day she had “litterbox issues” and aggression problems.  She was a biter from the day I brought her home, and while she actively solicited company from people, she didn’t enjoy being touched.  I’m sure I exacerbated her mental health problems when I had her spayed and declawed, because both were done at the same time and she received absolutely no post-surgery pain medication.  That was about 13 years ago, and while I know better now, back then I really had no idea that declawing was so painful, or that I should question the lack of pain meds.  I assumed the vet knew best.  She had a very rough recovery from the declawing, and I’m sure that experience solidified in her mind that life was going to be pretty miserable.  In her first 10 months of life she been separated from her mother at a young age, been moved around to about three different residences in two countries, and then spayed and declawed.  The fact she continued to love me at all shows incredible forgiveness and tolerance, although she did make life a bit painful with her frequent nips.  A couple of months before she died, I was talking to my sister on the phone while sorting through some photographs we were going to use to put together an anniversary gift for our parents.  Sweet Pea sat beside me the entire time, watching me talk and shuffle photos, and then without any warning she struck out and sunk her teeth into my right forearm.  I had absolutely no warning, and I have no idea what set her off.  Perhaps she had just realized how unfair some parts of her life had been and decided to get even with me… I don’t blame her.  When she died so suddenly, I was pretty adamant that there would be no more cats.  I just didn’t have that “magic touch” with cats, and dogs and parrots were so much easier to understand.

Of course you know that resolution lasted about two weeks.  It actually only took a couple of days before Flippy and I realized how much we missed the pitter-patter of little paws coming down the hallway and into the livingroom, often carrying a pair of my socks.  We missed having a pet who’d stop by to say hello “just because”.  I specifically missed the love Sweet Pea doled out that was unsolicited.  Dogs are such pushovers, but when a cat seeks our your company, it really makes you feel special.  When we were asked to take Chelsea and Jackson I was initially reluctant, but part of me felt that I should take them because of Sweet Pea.  I didn’t want to be the person who just took home cute, adorable kittens—I wanted to give a second-chance to the tough cases, and I also wanted to honour Sweet Pea by “doing better” and learning from the mistakes I’d made with her.  When we were offered the chance to take in Derek, he was also a “tough case” because he was a senior, but he won me over by being so affectionate.  I finally had a house full of all different kinds of cats—Derek the pushover, Jackson the manipulator, and Chelsea the aloof, and they all started to teach me even more things about cats and their personalities.  Chelsea was very much like Sweet Pea in the disposition department, except that she didn’t bite.  Working with her, especially through the feeding-tube episode, really helped to increase my confidence regarding handling cats and trusting them to not chomp on me!  I was also completely charmed watching Jackson, Chelsea, and Derek get to know each other, and start to feel at home in our house.  Every step we made with the cats was something we felt we’d “earned”.  The last step on the educational ladder was Frank, who seemed like one step forward, two steps back.  He was affectionate *and* he was a biter, and gave me bites much worse than Sweet Pea ever did.  He was submissive with us most of the time but would then lash out unexpectedly.  Gradually, as we fixed his painful health problems, his temperament improved.  He started to trust me and to seek me out for comfort, and it totally bowled me over.  Here was this tough, scarred “street cat” who sought me out for company and companionship of his own volition.  Even at this moment he’s sitting at my feet, waiting for me to pick him up and take him in to bed.  Every extra bit of intimacy these guys show me is so hard won, for all of us.  It hasn’t been easy for any of them, and it hasn’t been particularly easy for me.

This is supposed to be a book review of Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson’s book, The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats.  Simply put, the book is about a man who loves his cats unabashedly because of the way they allow him to share their lives.  Some reviewers at Amazon.com complain that the book is “boring” and “it’s just a book about a guy who goes for lots of walks with his cats”, but it’s not that at all—it’s a book about how a person can love their companion animals.  It’s not a scientific study of cat behaviour and emotions, so if you’re looking for that you might be disappointed.  Rather, it’s a very easy-going look at how the author’s cats display nine different “key” emotions, especially in regards to how the emotions are used while interacting with each other, and with people.  If you’re a cat, you’d be very lucky to live with the author of this book, as he’s completely undemanding and wants only what the cats are willing to give.  Perhaps because the cats trust Masson so much, they practically invite him to become one of them, and interact as if they’re all part of a larger pride with Masson as the leader.  I loved the book, although I don’t agree completely with Masson’s assertions that cats must have access to the outdoors (after all, Frank still shows evidence of what life in the big city did to his head, his legs, etc.).  Still, I appreciated the unmitigated joy in Masson’s words, and I could feel the love he had for his feline family.  It put into words the love I feel for mine—a new-found, unexpected, almost overwhelming affection for all the cats who’ve wandered into our lives this year.  I can’t believe it took me so long to realize how wonderful they are, and I thank Sweet Pea for planting the seed that’s finally starting to take root.  If the rest of my life can be shared with feline travelers who are looking for a place to rest, I’ll be very lucky, and content.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 10/10 at 10:16 PM
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Sunday, September 25, 2005 , evening

The Veterinarian’s Touch: Profiles of Life Among Animals

I got to the last few pages of The Veterinarian’s Touch: Profiles of Life Among Animals by Lee Gutkind, and I realized that I may have read the book before.  It was odd though, because none of the book seemed familiar until I hit the epilogue, where author Lee Gutkind recounted the story of his German shepherd.  The dog was well-trained as a puppy, but as an adult because inexplicably and increasingly vicious and uncontrollable.  Gutkind writes about his experience viewing the dog’s euthanasia, and it’s been forever etched in my brain.  Perhaps Gutkind had published just that story before, or maybe it appeared in an anthology of other works, but it was nevertheless as devastating to read today as it was when I first read it years and years ago.  The rest of the book is pretty easy to take, and is more matter-of-fact than emotional.  Gutkind provides an interesting overview of the work of veterinarians in different fields --- he covers everything from the upscale, urban vet, to the farm vet, to the vet who works at the racetrack.  Parts of the book were a bit slow for me, and I’ll admit I’m biased towards stories about small animal practice.  While I love books by James Herriot, my eyes tend to glaze over a bit if I read too many tales of vets who spend hours with their arm stuck up a cow’s butt.  Still, it was interesting to read about the specialized work done on race horses, for example—I had no idea how specialized their care facilities can be.

While Gutkind’s main subject is veterinary medicine, his message is that physicans for humans should learn to employ some of the basic care techniques used by vets.  Medical doctors tend to treat the “body” but ignore the “person”, while Gutkind observes that vets are much more connected to the animal as a whole, and take the time to touch and comfort as part of their basic treatment plan.  I have to admit that when I go to one of my many medical specialists, I get good care, but I don’t really get the impression that the doctor is very interested in me.  I really do feel like I’m nothing more than the condition for which I’m being treated.  In contrast, when we take an animal to the vet not only does the animal get a scratch behind the ears, but as an owner I get to interact as well.  I can think of many times when I’ve felt that a physician wasn’t hearing my complaint, yet I’ve never felt that a vet wasn’t taking my observations seriously.  So, maybe Gutkind is on to something.  Maybe doctors for people need to at least learn to take a little more time to scratch their patients behind the ears.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 09/25 at 09:20 PM
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Friday, September 09, 2005 , evening

The Character of Cats

After reading a recommendation for it on the Best Friends’ message board, I picked up a copy of Stephen Budiansky’s book, The Character of Cats.  It was a bargain, too—I ordered a used copy for one cent, so that was hard to beat.  While it wasn’t the most gripping book I’ve ever read, I did learn some really cool bits of information about cats, especially in the areas of genetics.  Did you know that cats can inherit genes for “good dispositions” from their fathers?  The author writes the book strictly from the perspective of a journalist and not from the perspective of a cat lover, so I thought the book was lacking in anecdotes which might have lightened it up a bit.  Nevertheless, I feel like I’m a more informed pet owner after reading it, so it was a penny well-spent.  If you’re intrigued by cat behaviour it’s worth the investment, and I think people who work with feral cats and stray cat populations will definitely find it full of useful information.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 09/09 at 09:52 AM
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Tuesday, August 16, 2005 , evening

Dog in My Footsteps

This book arrived in my hands through one of life’s serendipitious moments—I was browsing BookCloseouts.com during one of their sales, and I saw a book called, Dog in My Footsteps: More stories of a vet’s wife (by Chrystal Sharp).  My brain immediately perked up—dogs?!  vets?!  stories?! —and of course I ordered a copy.  When it arrived I took a quick peek at the back cover and there were mysterious words on it like “East Cape”.  I felt a bit disoriented because the book seemed to assuming that the “East Cape” would be very familiar to me, and then a lightbulb went on.  South Africa!  So, I was getting a book of stories by a vet’s wife which featured dogs and took place in South Africa, and I felt all those things were good, and I began to read.

It’s such a trite description, but the book turned out to be “delightful”.  I think that’s the best word for it—it was charming and funny and unexpected and very real.  It’s the second book in a series of three, and while I didn’t have benefit of reading the first book, I didn’t think I was at any disadvantage.  The chapters are sort of stand-alone, but the book reads as a whole and the events are chronological.  I learned a lot about life in the more isolated areas of South Africa (it made me want to take a vacation there), and grew very fond of the vet’s wife, the vet, and their ever-changing menagerie.  Though not particularly wealthy, they’re very kind and take many unwanted cast-offs in the form of dogs, cats, and even penguins, and they have a genuine love for the individual personalities of each, even the troublemakers.  The most entertaining aspect of this book is that the pets occasionally talk to the author, just making little sarcastic comments or observations, and it’s pretty familiar to readers like me who know that all pets, especially the cats, love to be mouthy. 

There were three difficult things about reading this book.  The first was that I had to learn a new, albeit small, vocabulary, because of words like “bakkie”.  I know now what a bakkie is, ha!  The second was that the pets pass away at an alarming rate, although it’s really not unexpected if you think that the author and her husband are adopting many older animals who otherwise couldn’t find homes.  It’s tough to read when the deaths come in groups, though—I was reading in bed at night, and when a cat died, I thought, “Oh, that’s sad, I’d better read another chapter so I can go to sleep without those sad thoughts in my head”.  But in the next chapter, a dog died.  And then a cat died again.  I was up until three in the morning one night just looking for a reprieve from the rainbow bridge.  The third difficult thing about the book is that the author has written two other books and I can’t get them!  It’s as if someone is holding the perfect piece of chocolate cake just out of my reach and taunting me with it!  Amazon.com does list Chrystal Sharp’s first book, “If the Cat Fits”, but has no copies in stock.  They don’t list her third book, “In Fool Flight” at all, but I found it listed on Amazon.ca (where it’s also out of stock).  Neither title is listed on Bookfinder.com.  My only option right now is to order from Kalahari.net, where the price of shipping would make each book cost about $37.

I really know very little about the author except what I read in the book, but I know she suffers from lupus.  I also read that her husband, “Dave the vet”, recently passed away, which saddens me.  There’s a small photo of her on the Penguin Books South Africa website: Chrystal Sharp.

I may end up giving Dog in My Footsteps: More stories of a vet’s wife away in my book contest next month.  That’s just how much I loved it and want everyone to read it.  If you know of anyone in South Africa who could help me get copies of the author’s other two books at a cost less than a month’s mortgage payment, please have them give me a shout!

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 08/16 at 09:26 PM
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Sunday, July 31, 2005 , early evening

Bad Cats!

Congratulations to “Mary Beth”, who was the winner of the first ever Blog Pound book giveaway!  Assuming Mary Beth responds to my email telling her that she won, I’ll be sending her a copy of Bad Cats by Jim Edgar.  It’s a small, silly book, full of candid photos of cats (photos are submitted by proud cat owners).  The author, Jim Edgar, then takes the photos and captions them, giving voice to the cat in the image.  He also assigns the cat a hobby or distinguishing personality feature, for example, “Enjoys collecting Charlie Parker on vinyl”, or “Insulted when gently prodded with wooden spoon”.  Edgar doesn’t even own a cat (he’s allergic), but he manages to capture the true personality of each cat featured and his captions are hilarious.  If you want a preview, check out his website, My Cat Hates You.  I especially love this entry, which never fails to make me giggle:  Mack.  I also know I’ll be purchasing the Bad Cats Calendar in hopes of finding out more about the beer and Ambien party in the litterbox.

I’ve added a new book giveaway for the month of August, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.  I’ll review it before the contest closes, but in the interim, go ahead and enter!  Really!

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 07/31 at 07:45 PM
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Wednesday, June 29, 2005 , early afternoon

Keep Chickens!

I could hear Nancy mentally panic the moment this book entered the house.  My purchase of book called Keep Chickens! could only mean disaster and/or more veterinary bills, right?  Actually, I bought the book mostly out of innocent curiousity, and because I love the “chickens with slippers” who wander the grounds of the local bird sanctuary.  It ended up being very entertaining, because author Barbara Kilarski stresses the idea of keeping chickens as pets, and not just as little free food dispensers.  She’s obviously very fond of her own three chickens, and she manages to write a book that encourages the reader to dabble in the art of raising chickens, while at the same time encouraging us to enjoy not just the fresh eggs, but the personalities of the hens.  It’s a great resource for the curious person (me), or for someone who really does want to have two or three little cluckers running around the yard.  If I knew they’d fix our cockroach problem, I’d go buy three of them tomorrow.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 06/29 at 02:40 PM
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Tuesday, June 28, 2005 , late at night

Hiss and Tell & Twisted Whiskers

I’m going to lump these two books together because they’re by the same author (Pam Johnson-Bennett), and on a similar topic.  Twisted Whiskers is a great book for any cat owner to have, because while it promises to “solve” a cat’s behavioural problems, it also does a good job of teaching you how to prevent them.  It covers all sorts of topics, from playtime to litterbox issues to multi-pet households, so it’s a wonderful reference book to have on hand.  The author will also teach you some interesting things about cat communication and body language.  This would be a great book for a new cat owner.

The second book by Johnson-Bennett is called Hiss and Tell, with the subtitle, “True stories from the files of a cat shrink”.  It’s a collection of Johnson-Bennett’s most unusual cases, so while you can learn from the situations and their resolutions, it’s mostly something you’d read for entertainment.  The shocking part of this book is how poorly Pam Johnson-Bennett is treated by clients seeking her advice.  You know, it’s fine to be skeptical, folks, but there’s no need to be rude.  The cats, as always, have the last laugh, and I guess Johnson-Bennett often gets the last laugh too.  After a client has told you that your suggestions are “crazy” and that you’re “a nut”, it must be awfully satisfying to end up being right and then to send the client the bill.

I think this will end my series of reviews on cat behaviour books.  I think I’ve read almost all of them, and I’m such an expert now I can solve these problems myself when I read the case studies.  Now if only I could solve my own cat problems and not just everyone else’s…

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 06/28 at 11:05 PM
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The Man Who Talks to Dogs

Long story short, I loved reading The Man Who Talks to Dogs by Melinda Roth.  I thought it would be sappy, or sad, or sort of treacle-y (the word Nancy and I use when something seems emotionally manipulative), but it ended up just being a wonderful and informative read about an every-day guy who does the best he can to make a difference.  There’s a lot of information about feral dogs here, including information on pack relationships and relationships with people, but I think I was most fascinated by the the relationship between feral dog populations and the local economy.  Basically, the worse the economy, the more prevalent stray dogs, yet it happens for so many complicated reasons.  I’m using the words “feral” and “stray” interchangeably here but that’s really inaccurate, and the book explains why.  I loved reading about the individual stray dogs, most of whom were saved but some of whom didn’t make it, and I loved getting to know Randy Grim, the very human, very fallible “hero”.  Grim is an unlikely hero, suffering from social anxiety disorder, and really, any anxiety disorder you can name, as well as having issues with self-confidence and a variety of phobias.  He takes pills and chain smokes, and while the dogs help him to become “stronger”, he doesn’t have some artificial epiphany where he’s cured of all his woes.  At the end of the book he’s still a nervous man who’s uncomfortable with the media, who worries he looks fat, and who prefers animals to people.  I love him, though… I love him for putting to words to what I’ve always felt, that someone needs to do something to help the animals, so it might as well be him.  I love his sense of responsibility, because I’ve always felt it too.  Grim sticks to his values and gives of himself because he thinks it’s the right thing to do, and he makes a difference.  At first, just a small difference, but now a big difference with his charity, Stray Rescue of St. Louis.  I’m looking forward to reading his new book, Miracle Dog, even though I could have lived without the knowledge that dogs in many areas of the country are euthanized in gas chambers.  Holy crap, people—what the hell’s the problem?  Let’s spend a little less money lining the pockets of Halliburton, and at least give unwanted animals a calm, peaceful death (as goodness knows it would be such a burden on the country to keep them alive, or worse, for people to spay & neuter so there weren’t so many animals in shelters in the first place).  Anyway, thanks for being such a cool guy, Randy Grim—I raise a Xanax in your honour smile

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 06/28 at 10:38 PM
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