Monday, December 16, 2013

Guest Post by Liz Mugavero Author of Kneading to Die: A Pawsitively Organic Mystery!



Since I write the Natural Remedies Mystery series I'm always on the look-out for like minded authors. Today, author Liz Mugavero, author of Kneading to Die shares with us the inspiration for her Pawsitively Organic Mysteries. Hint: He purrs! We're glad to have you with us Liz! 

The Power of Nutrition

As the author of the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, people often ask how I began writing about homemade, all natural food for dogs and cats. My answer? My rescue pets taught me.


I’ve been doing animal rescue for more than a decade now. Cats were my main focus initially, although I have since branched out to dogs. Back in 2003, I adopted my very first shelter cat, Tweetie. Tweetie was nine months old at the time, and very ill. He had come into the shelter as part of a rescue mission. About twenty cats had been removed from a home in the area, and they were all related. The people involved had started out with two kittens, who they had not spayed and neutered. Shortly, those two kittens turned into more than twenty. Many of them had deformities, including double or triple paws (a feature most people think is charming, but in reality means the cat has been inbred).

Most of them had health problems. Tweetie, especially, was one of the sickest. He had been diagnosed with chronic upper respiratory disease. His eyes were red slits, he sneezed and coughed constantly and he was very thin. But he was the sweetest, happiest cat you could ever meet. I knew immediately I had to take him home.

So he came to join my four other cats. At first I worried about him interacting with the others because of his health issues, but the chronic nature of his illness meant that he basically had symptoms all the time though he wasn’t necessarily contagious. And, he improved quite a bit just being in a home, eating better quality food and being loved.

But I wasn’t satisfied. As an allergy sufferer myself, I felt sorry for this little guy, whose stuffy nose made it hard for him to breathe and whose eyes dripped constantly. I had always been intrigued by homeopathy, and from what I knew about it, Tweetie seemed a perfect candidate. I did some online research and found a doctor in my area, and off we went.

I knew immediately I had made the right choice. Dr. Martha Lindsay’s natural remedies helped Tweetie right away, but it was her other message that had the most impact - Food. In the end, that’s the most important piece of the health puzzle, she said. If the nutrition isn’t good, then nothing else will really do the trick. She suggested Tweetie start eating either cooked chicken or hamburger, and eventually a raw diet.

Over the years, Dr. Lindsay’s practice became a godsend to my feline family. Under her care, Tweetie has flourished. He is 13 years old now and one of the healthiest cats around here - and still the happiest. And I can honestly say, food has made all the difference. Here is Tweetie today!


Experiences with diet helping your pets? Leave a comment and one reader will win a copy of Kneading to Die.



About Kneading to Die, the first in the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries

Maybe the best thing that ever happened to Kristan "Stan" Connor was losing her high-stress public relations job. Now there's plenty of time to spend in her sleepy new Connecticut town working on her dream: baking healthy, organic pet treats!
Before long the neighborhood dogs are escaping their yards to show up at Stan's doorstep, begging for the kinds of special homemade treats her Maine coon cat Nutty loves so much. And Stan's pet-loving neighbors are thrilled with the new organic options available to their furry family members. But not everyone loves Stan and her newfangled organic ways...

It seems Carole Morganwick, the town vet, is from the old school of pet care. But when Stan swallows her pride and brings a very unwilling Nutty in for a checkup, she not only finds Carole dead under a pile of kibble. . .but also that she's in the dog house as the prime suspect! Finding the real killer and clearing her name will require some seriously surreptitious sniffing around. . .and hopefully, curiosity won't kill this innocent cat!

Liz Mugavero is the author of the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries. Kneading to Die, the first installment, is in stores now. A Biscuit, A Casket, will be available in April 2104. As you can imagine, her canine and feline rescues demand the best organic food and treats around. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Salem State College and a Master of Arts in writing and publishing from Emerson College. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime New England, Mystery Writers of America, and the Cat Writers’ Association. Find her at www.lizmugavero.com, on Facebook  or @lizmugavero on Twitter. She also blogs at Wicked Cozy Authors with other New England writers.


9 comments:

Chrystle Fiedler said...

Thanks for stopping by Liz! I love the theme of your book - since we are like-minded about the value of natural remedies - and look forward to reading it soon! Chrystle

A Cozy Girl Reads And Writes said...

I also have a love for cat, I have three myself, would love to win, thanks for the giveaway

sweething99@hotmail.com

Kelly said...

Wonderful column Liz, thank you for sharing what you do for the furrbabies. I adopted what the shelter called a special needs kitty, they thought she had some neurological issues due to an accident she had when she was 3. All she needed was a quiet place to call her own and is doing quite well. She has had some troubles with her food, but I try to watch what she eats and if she has troubles (mainly vomiting), I don't give her that food anymore. I have not noticed any neurological problems like the shelter had admitted to. She just doesn't like dogs and they were stressing her out in the shelter. She was there 5 long years. She has now been with me for a year. She is 9 years old and such a sweetie. I am so happy that she has joined our family.

Betty Hechtman said...

Thanks for the intesting post, Liz. I was glad there was a happy outcome. Tweebie looks like a cat we took in, though thankfully Apricat never had all those health issues.

Pamelabee said...

I learned the hard way that poor food can really impact your pet's health.

Linda O. Johnston said...

What an inspirational post, Liz. So delighted to hear how well Tweetie has done!

Katreader said...

Yea Tweetie!I have a house of rescues myself, many of whom have health issues. I try to give the best food possible, and love the fact that there are more healthy food and treats available today!

Liz Mugavero said...

Thank you everyone! I'm so happy to visit Killer Hobbies, and my apologies for not being here yesterday. I'm glad I could share Tweetie's story with you and I appreciate all your interest in animal nutrition. Here's to the pets!

Chrystle Fiedler said...

Thanks everyone for stopping by! I love that we are all such animal lovers! The winner of the giveaway is Kelly! Please send me your name and address and I'll send it on to Liz! Happy Holidays to all! Chrystle