Randolph, (Mary) Elizabeth 1930-

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RANDOLPH, (Mary) Elizabeth 1930-

PERSONAL: Born January 3, 1930, in New York, NY; daughter of John Anderson (an advertising executive) and Grace E. (Farrar) Fitz Randolph; married Arthur M. Hettich (in publishing), 1952; children: Michael, John, Elizabeth Hettich-Geeslin. Education: Smith College, B.A., 1951; Manhattanville College, M.A.T., 1972. Politics: Independent. Religion: Protestant. Hobbies and other interests: Gardening, pets, and travel.

ADDRESSES: Home and office—606 Shore Acres Dr., Mamaroneck, NY 10543. Agent—Barbara Lowenstein, Barbara Lowenstein Associates, Inc., 121 West 27th St., New York, NY 10001. E-mail—ehettich@aol.com

CAREER: Writer.

MEMBER: American Society of Journalists and Authors; Authors Guild; Authors League of America; Dog Writers Association of America.

AWARDS, HONORS: Maxwell Medallion award, presented by the Dog Writers Association of America, 2000.

WRITINGS:

Your Pet's Complete Record Book, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 1977.

How to Be Your Cat's Best Friend, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1981.

(With William J. Kay) The Complete Book of Dog Health, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1985.

(With Kay) The Complete Book of Cat Health, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1985.

How to Help Your Puppy Grow Up to Be a Wonderful Dog, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1987.

The Basic Bird Book, Fawcett (New York, NY), 1989.

The Basic Book of Fish Keeping, Fawcett (New York, NY), 1990.

(With Bashkim Dibra) Dog Training by Bash, Dutton (New York, NY), 1991.

Rabbits and Other Fury Pets, 1992.

(With Bashkim Dibra) Teach Your Dog to Behave, 1993.

The Veterinarians' Guide to Your Cat's Symptoms, 1999.

(With Bashkim Dibra) CatSpeak: How to Learn It, Speak It, and Use It to Have a Happy, Healthy, Well-Mannered Cat, Putnam (New York, NY), 2001.

Pets and wildlife columnist and editor, Family Circle, 1970-1992; author of "Your Pet's Health," a column in Rx: Being Well, 1983-84. Contributor to magazines, including Reader's Digest.

SIDELIGHTS: American writer Elizabeth Randolph has authored more than a dozen books about pets and their care. Randolph published her first book, Your Pet's Complete Record Book, in 1977. In her books, Randolph dispenses advice on how to care for such pets as fish, birds, rabbits, and especially cats and dogs. In a 2001 interview with Julie Lux, the editor of Good News for Pets, Randolph, a pet lover herself, explained how she began writing about her favorite subject. "I became a pet writer the backyard way," the Mamaroneck, New York resident told Lux. "I have always loved pets, especially cats and dogs. When my family moved to the suburbs, my neighbors started asking me questions about how to care for their own animals. And I became something of a local Ann Landers for pets."

In 1970, Randolph became the pets and wildlife columnist and editor for Family Circle, and her articles have appeared in many other magazines including Reader's Digest. "When I started writing about pets, I learned a lot from veterinarians and trainers and shared that knowledge with my readers," Randolph told Lux. A good example of Randolph's work is her 2001 effort, CatSpeak: How to Learn It, Speak It, and Use It To Have a Happy, Healthy, Well-Mannered Cat. Co-written by the well-known animal behaviorist and trainer Bashkim Dibra, with whom Randolph has collaborated on several of her works, the book is a guide for cat owners on how to communicate better with their pets. According to the authors, cat owners can better understand their cats by interpreting certain behaviors, such as body language, facial expressions, and vocal signals. Once an owner understands these behaviors, the authors say a whole array of behaviors can be taught to the animal. The authors also address particular behavioral problems and offer solutions on how to combat them.

CatSpeak received favorable reviews from several literary critics, including a contributor for Publishers Weekly, who called it a "simple manual on how to get the most out of animal-feline relationships." Similarly, Ilene Cooper of Booklist felt it was "a great basic primer" for cat owners.