Animal Care

Aquarium fish are one of the most popular pets in America, with close to 150 million fish owned in nearly 13 million households. They seem like easy pets to care for, but there's more than meets the eye when it comes to keeping your freshwater friends healthy and happy! In Freshwater Aquariums for Dummies, you'll find basic information to start your own freshwater aquarium, purchase and maintain healthy fish and plants, and find tips and tricks on how to introduce new fish and systems into your aquatic family.

Dogs are the most social animals on the planet, second only to humans in their ability to read and understand emotion. Even chimps and bonobos, our closest genetic relatives, are no match for dogs when it comes to social cognition. Jennifer Arnold understands this better than anyone, having spent the past 25 years training service dogs for people with disabilities at Canine Assistants. She is a pioneer in the emerging field of "bond-based" dog training.

Dewey's story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director, Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next 19 years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer....

After a devastating series of personal losses, Larry Randolph finally had things under control. Then one morning while praying, he felt God speak two simple words to his heart: "Therapy dogs." There was only one problem. Larry didn't have a dog, and hadn't since the loss of his beloved basset hound, Gus. Why would God say that? Could Larry even open himself up to loving a dog again? He had far more questions than answers. But then came Grace. Together, Larry and his beloved yellow lab Gracie brought hope and healing to hundreds of sick and lonely people.

This is the definitive guide for anyone who wants to learn best practices for cat guardianship. In addition, the audiobook is designed to help guide novice feline enthusiasts, preparing them for the rewarding experience of sharing their lives with a cat. Experienced aficionados of feline-kind will benefit from listening to the audiobook as well since the information contained inside combines long-established knowledge with the most cutting-edge techniques for providing a long and gratifying relationship with a cat - or with several cats.

Discover the heartwarming true story of a life-changing friendship between a man and his rescue cat, Nala, as they adventure together on a bike journey around the world - from the Instagram phenomenon @1bike1world. When 30-year-old Dean Nicholson set off from Scotland to cycle around the world, his aim was to learn as much as he could about our troubled planet. But he hadn't bargained on the lessons he'd learn from his unlikely companion.

Beagles are classic hound dogs with a long history of popularity as animal companions. Though they’ve grown in size since our ancestors hunted with these dogs, they’ve continued to be loyal, expressive, curious, and intelligent companions to their human pack mates. This guide outlines the long, rich history of this majestic breed and provides information to ensure a continued long and happy future for the breed.

Psychiatric service dog are specifically trained to help handlers with psychiatric disabilities. It can be of great use to people suffering from schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress disorder. Service dog training for psychiatric disabilities is a relative new comer to the world of the handicapped. It involves much more than just providing the comfort and companionship that a regular pet does. These dogs provide tangible lifesaving services for people with mental conditions.

When a pet is sick, people—even the rich and famous—are at their most authentic and vulnerable. They could have a Monet on the wall and an Oscar on the shelf, but if their cat gets a cold, all they want to talk about are snotty noses and sneezing fits. That’s when they call premier in-home veterinarian Dr. Amy Attas. In Pets and the City, Dr. Amy shares all the funny, heartbreaking, and life-affirming experiences she’s faced throughout her thirty-year career treating the cats and dogs of New Yorkers from Park Avenue to the projects.

In addition to many expert breeders, practitioners in the fields of canine behavioral psychology, veterinary health, and breed-specific ownership have contributed with invaluable advice and tips. So whether you are looking for basic instruction or more advanced advice, you will find it all here.

In The Complete Guide to English Bulldogs, you will learn everything you need to know from start to end; how to choose a puppy, training, traveling, grooming, health care, and senior care. You will also learn all about the background of the breed, its history, breed pre-disposed diseases, and special traits. All the information is specific to Bulldogs and in easy-listening comprehensive detail.

From the author who brought you The First-Aid Companion for Dogs And Cats, pet journalist Amy Shojai presents this new edition of her popular New Choices in Natural Healing for Dogs & Cats. In this audiobook, you'll find over 1,000 at-home remedies for your pet's problems....

Life is tough and cheerless for Billy Casper, a troubled teenager growing up in the small Yorkshire mining town of Barnsley. Treated as a failure at school, and unhappy at home, Billy discovers a new passion in life when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk. Billy identifies with her silent strength, and she inspires in him the trust and love that nothing else can, discovering through her the passion missing from his life.

Abandoned in a library book-drop slot in the dead of winter, the small kitten who came to be known as Dewey Readmore Books miraculously endured the coldest night of the year. When librarian Vicki Myron found him in the morning, she wrapped him in her arms, gave him his first bath, and then introduced him to his new home: the library. Dewey charmed Spencer, Iowa’s library-goers, young and old, with his ability to know just which visitors needed a friend.

Judy, a beautiful liver and white English pointer, and the only animal POW of WWII, truly was a dog in a million. Whether she was dragging men to safety from the wreckage of a torpedoed ship, scavenging food to help feed the starving inmates of a hellish Japanese POW camp, or by her presence alone bringing inspiration and hope to men living through the 20th century's darkest days, she was cherished and adored by the British, Australian, American and other Allied servicemen who fought to survive alongside her.

The domestic cat—your cat—has, from its evolutionary origins in Africa, been transformed in comparatively little time into one of the most successful and diverse species on the planet. Jonathan Losos, writing as both a scientist and a cat lover, explores how researchers today are unraveling the secrets of the cat, past and present, using all the tools of modern technology, from GPS tracking (you’d be amazed where those backyard cats roam) and genomics (what is your so-called Siamese cat . . . really?) to forensic archaeology.

Luis' first book sparked a national conversation about service dogs and PTSD. In this spectacular new memoir, he and Tuesday bring their healing mission to the next level, showing how these beautifully trained animals can assist soldiers, veterans, and many others with disabilities. Rescuing a forgotten Tuskegee airman. Battling obstinate VA bureaucrats. Delivering solace to troubled war heroes and their families. Everywhere these two go, they highlight the miraculous talents of service dogs.

The life of a veterinarian is challenging: keeping up with advances in medical care, making difficult decisions about people's beloved companions, and, in Dr. Doug Mader's case, navigating the social unrest in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. The Vet at Noah's Ark follows Dr. Mader and his staff over the course of a year at Noah's Ark Veterinary Hospital, an inner-city LA area veterinary hospital where Dr. Mader treats not only dogs and cats, but also emus, skunks, snakes, foxes, monkeys, and a host of other exotic animals

Our favorite four-legged grief counselor, Jack McAfghan, guides you gently and honestly through all aspects of pet loss and grief. Jack will prepare you, teach you to make peace with the decisions you may ultimately have to make and help you to understand that the end of this life is not the end of life at all. Learn the secret language that will help you communicate with your pets no matter where they are.

Hope . . . From the Heart of Horses explores and celebrates the relationship and bond possible between horses and humans. Each chapter offers a life lesson about trusting one's instincts, honestly addressing emotions, achieving clarity in communications, and releasing negative thoughts. Because survival depends on being highly tuned to the thoughts and feelings of others, horses sense human intentions rather than what a person offers in facial expressions, which creates a remarkable effect on the relationship between these two distinctly different species.