In preparation to blog about pets, I decided to pick up a few books and magazines to help me stay current with all the news about companion animals. At my favorite bookstore, I found shelves full of books about dogs covering every topic from picking the right breed to teaching proper puppy manners. I also found at least five magazines dedicated to our canine companions.

But there was only one magazine and precious few books devoted to all things feline.

When it comes to self help books and periodicals, it’s a dog’s world. Cats and the people who love them are under-represented.

I think the obvious answer to this disparity is there are far more common breeds of dogs than cats, and usually dogs present more household challenges than cats.
I suspect the publishing world knows you have a prayer of changing dog behavior and will spend money to find out how. Cats are a different story.
Fortunately for my family, our cats are pretty well-behaved and really don’t need much coaching to be good citizens in our home. I know I am fortunate for that because I know I have as much chance of convincing my cats of that I am in control as Hilary Clinton has convincing Dick Cheney to campaign for her.

My favorite pet magazine is Fido Friendly, a travel magazine that “leaves no dog behind.” Even if I never take Dexter to lunch at Fetch, a canine-friendly café in Manhattan, or wander the coast of Ireland with him, the photography is beautiful and I can imagine us on our dream vacation with dog in tow.

All time best dog book has to be John Grogan’s “Marley and Me.” An ode to a loveable dog with quirky behavior challenges, anyone who loves canines will find this book laugh-out-loud funny. And I confess I bawled like a child at the end.

If you know of any good pet-related books or magazines, particularly any cat-related literature or feline-inspired Web sites, let me know.

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• Posted by Nona Nelson in Random tails
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