Dog–friendly gardening!

People might tell you that it's impossible to have a nice garden if you have a dog. Well, it's time to think again!

Karen Bush, author of our upcoming book Dog–friendly gardening dispels some of the myths surrounding gardens and dogs in this great article from June's Your Dog magazine! Click below to take a sneak preview! You can find out more about Your Dog over at their website.

Find out more about gardening with dogs in our new book Dog–friendly gardening, which is also out in June!

Even if you’re on a budget, with good planning and a little effort you can create an attractive outdoor environment that will actively enhance your relationship with your dog; a place where you can enjoy playing and relaxing together.
Covering safety, planting, garden projects, and much more, this book is packed with practical advice and innovative ideas to help you and your dog enjoy your space together.


Dog–friendly gardening is priced at £12.99 (plus p+p) and will be available to order over at the Hubble and Hattie website!

People are starstruck over Miaow!

Sir Patrick Moore's new book, Miaow! Cats really are people! is flying off the shelves!

Everyone's talking about it, and about Patrick Moore! He's recently been interviewed in Weekend Magazine, The Daily Mail, and Your Cat Magazine, to name a few!
Take a look at some of the great interviews below and get a glimpse into the life of a true British Legend, not to mention that of his beloved cats!

Sir Patrick's interview from April's Your Cat Magazine

The Daily Express, 17/04/2012

Miaow! Cats really are nice that people! Is available now over at the Hubble & Hattie website.

Sir Patrick Moore does a great impression of a cat!

And we've got the video to prove it!


Check out this great promo vid for our new book, Miaow! Cats really are nicer than people! by none other than expert star-gazer and self proclaimed cat lover, Sir Patrick Moore! It's a really interesting 





"Given a choice between the average person and the average cat, I would go for the cat any time, and my book will explain why ..." 

Sir Patrick Moore CBE FRS

This little book is about cats; cats of all shapes, sizes and colours, and specifically those who have shared their lives with the great and well-respected astronomer Sir Patrick Moore CBE FRS, over a lifetime of nearly 90 years.
This is Patrick's very personal account of the cats who have been part of his family, beginning with Smudgie, who died at the grand old age of twenty, through to Jeannie and Ptolemy, his two most recent beloved felines.
Taken from the mantelpieces and walls of his home for use in the book, personal photographs of Sir Patrick -- in his younger days and more recently -- his late adored mother, Gertrude (also a cat-lover), and the many cats that have filled Patrick's life with love and companionship complement the intimate and enchanting text, written in the author's inimitable style.
Believing that cats are highly intelligent (and certainly more so than dogs!), Sir Patrick has devised his very own 'cat quiz.' Jeannie and Ptolemy passed this with flying colours, and it is included in his book so that others may test their own cat's intelligence!
The pages of this unique book reveal the delightful and charming side of a man who has attained international status as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter, and who is credited with having done more than any other to raise the profile of astronomy.

The book is due for release next week, and you can order your copy now over at the Hubble & Hattie website!

H&H top sales from January

Hubble & Hattie started the year with a bang, with these three books reaching the top three for January!


1. Swim to recovery: canine hydrotherapy healing - Emily Wong


2.  You and your Cockapoo: The Essential Guide - David Alderton


3. Walking the Dog: Motorway walks for drivers and dogs (RAC) - Lezli Rees


Well done Swim to Recovery! And well done to our new eBook edition of Clever Dog: life lessons from the world’s most successful animal by Ryan O'Meara, which has made it into the top five eBook sales for all of Veloce! 

You can find more info about our great books, apps and eBooks over at the H&H website.

Pet Mag NZ speak cat!

Cat owners everywhere can relate to this: your cat saunters up to you, looks you right in the eye and lets out a long, loud miaow. Then another one. And another. 

Wouldn't it be lovely to know what they're trying to tell us?

Well, with the aid of our new book, Cat Speak: recognising and understanding behaviour, we can get closer than ever to understanding what our cats want to say.

This unique book offers precise, detailed observations of the behaviour of cats at play, and explains in everyday language how to interpret their meaning. With clear descriptions and colour photographs throughout, this is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand more about their cat.

Cat Speak is due out next month, but you can have a sneak peek, thanks to our friends over at Pet Mag NZ!

They've got an excerpt from Cat Speak featured in their latest edition, so pick up your copy today! For those of you that can't get over to New Zealand, however, you can read the preview by clicking here.

The Hoglet Diaries part 3

'It's time for the next installment of the Hoglet Watch Diaries! Last month, the hoglets were going from strength to strength, which means a change of scene for the Weymouth Three...

One of the three has a weigh-in...

...While the other two wait patiently! 

  'I really needed to move my three indoor guests outside; otherwise they wouldn't acclimatise and gain the necessary weight in time to be released before winter set in. A hedgehog needs to weigh at least 600gms before he or she will stand a chance of surviving hibernation: any less than this and the chances are they will go to sleep... and never wake up.

'My problem was, hoglet number four was already occupying one of the houses and using the only run I had, and this wasn't big enough for four of them. In any case, I'd decided that he would be kept separate from the Weymouth Three as. Being a fair bit bigger, I hoped that within two or three weeks, he'd be ready for release, so there seemed little point getting them used to each other. 

'Hmmm. What to do ...?

Hoglet Four's outside home

'Thankfully, a good friend came to the rescue by making a large run, complete with top, that would comfortably accommodate the three, and I had another house that was also big enough for them. Without further ado, the three were moved en masse to their outdoor living quarters, alongside hoglet four. (I'd already weighed the three and was happy with their gain.)

'It was much easier now to care for the hoglets, and, in order to encourage them to dig for their food, their evening meal would be serviced scattered willy-nilly around the run, mixed a little with the earth, so that they also became used to the taste of this! Immie and I would go out into the garden last thing at night and check they were managing to find the food okay, and they were. At night, it's quite important not to use a white-coloured torch, especially when you are feeding your charges, as they will associate this light with good things, and will have no fear of car headlights. As road accidents are the biggest cause of hedgehog fatalities, this is a very important point. 

'As I'd hoped, a couple of weeks later I was able to take the solo hog to a friend with a very large, safe garden so that he could be returned to the wild. He weighed just under the 600gms, but, as this was late summer, I was confident that he would gain the rest before hibernation called.'

Next month: A race to gain weight!

Burns Night and Book celebrations!

Norm Mort, author of Veloce titles American Woodies, Micro Trucks and Anglo-American cars to name a few, sent us this great photo of his Burns Night celebrations with Austin, the cover star of his brand new book, Dogs on wheels - Travelling with your canine companion.

Dogs on Wheels takes a look at you, your family, your vehicle, and most importantly your dog, and tells you how to get the most out of travelling with your four-legged friend – whether for five minutes or five hours.
Helpful advice, insights into your dog’s world, and guidance on choosing the right vehicle are only a part of this comprehensive look at travelling with your dog.
Packed with original colour photographs, and containing invaluable information and opinion from veterinarians and an animal behaviourist.

Dogs on Wheels is due in August, and you can learn more about it over at the Hubble & Hattie website!