Archive for the ‘Books’ Category

Review: The Doctor’s Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats

July 21st, 2010 — by Jane Wangersky
This  is one of the handiest pet owners' references I've seen yet. Why?

  • It lives up to its title and then some. The "remedies" are not only for medical problems, but for issues like boredom, fears, and the habit of jumping up on you when you come home.

  • At 400 pages, it covers the essentials without being thick enough to discourage you.

  • The introduction includes a vaccination chart, a list of safe and unsafe medications, and tips on everything from choosing your pet to pet-proofing the house.

  • Topics are listed alphabetically, from acne to wounds, making them quick and easy to find.

  • Plenty

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Carbon-Based Life

December 31st, 2009 — by Jane Wangersky
A recent article by Terry O’Neill said that, if people really wanted to reduce carbon emissions, they’d take the idea to its natural conclusion and get rid of their pets. Not that O’Neill endorses this – he’s just read about it in a book that claims:
simply feeding an average-sized dog has the eco-footprint of building and fueling a Toyota Land Cruiser. A cat’s eco-paw-print is somewhat less: about the same as a Volkswagen Golf.

(The book is Time to Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, by Robert and Brenda Vale, who, as O’Neill says, “may well be

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Animal Quotes

May 28th, 2009 — by Jane Wangersky
picHow do you sum up life with animals in a few words? Some writers have done a pretty good job. Here are their words, and my thoughts on them:
“I’d like to take them [her puppies] down to the shore, but I’m afraid they might damage the sea.”
Dodie Smith, author of The Hundred and One Dalmatians

I don’t know what kind of damage Ms. Smith was envisioning, but after seeing what two cats can do to a house in two weeks, I tend to think anything’s possible.
I like mice, and chipmunks and laboratory rats. I'd probably like sewer rats, too, but I've

Posted in Books, Cats, Chickens, Dogs | 2 Comments »

The Woman Behind the 101 Dalmatians

May 12th, 2009 — by Jane Wangersky
picA few years ago, I decided to read the novel that was the basis for 101 Dalmatians. The children’s librarian said it was “far superior to the Walt Disney version”, and after reading it I tended to agree with her. I also was curious about the author, Dorothy Gladys “Dodie” Smith, and what led her to write so sympathetically about dogs.

Dodie Smith was born in Manchester, England, in 1896. She passed through several careers – struggling actress, department manager at an upscale furniture store, and finally successful playwright and novelist. (I may as well warn you here that, though she

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