Pleasing 4 Pets

Hamsters, given their small, chubby, scuttling selves, are actually quite resilient little critters. I had a hamster, called Louise, who had cancer.

Poor thing had a tumour on its face, on one of its pouches. It went into hamster hospital for an operation and had the tumour taken off.

The vets said that it would have a hole in one of its pouches but would quickly learn to eat in the other pouch. They didn’t know how long it was likely to survive.

To our surprise, Louise got better, and became her own lively self.

The only real difference was that she ate in circles, and span round until she got dizzy and feel over. Whoops.

She’d eat, and store food in both pouches. One pouch, however, was a big hole, so the food fell out. Once she’d eaten the food in her pouches, she’d notice the little pile of food to her left. So she’d eat that, and exactly the same would happen; a little less falling out each time.

It ended up that she just kept turning around – i think she got paranoid and though there was someone placing food just out of her eye line to taunt her. Poor thing.

The hamster belongs to the rodent family. They are mammals and have large teeth that are continually growing, making it a necessity for the to gnaw on tough objects in order to stop their incisors from overgrowing. Aptly, the word rodent is derived from ‘rodere’ which is latin for gnaw. Hamsters form the Cricetidae family which is broken down into different Genera. This Genera can include those of Cricetulus, Phodopus and Calomyscus. There are various species of hamster within each Genera.

Throughout the nation there are many different species of hamster, some of which you will know, some which you won’t. Most hamsters in the wilderness live in semi desert areas in burrows. The burrows are made up of lots of different tunnels and chambers much like the hamster cages you may have seen and here the hamster would store food and sleep. Hamsters are nocturnal animals, they will sleep throughout the day and awake at night when it is much cooler. They have excellent hearing and smell, but very poor eyesight. The majority have expandable cheek pouches and they use these to carry bedding and food back to their burrow. The hamster is the most popular rodent as a pet in many countries.

You have you hamster and you’ve just forked out on the world’s best cage fully loaded with all the tubes chambers and spinning gadgets any small rodent should need. Now to prepare the cage. Here are the important thing you should take into account.

Firstly a good layer of food shavings should be placed across the floor areas of the cage. The water bottle should be filled with clean water and being careful to make sure it’s at a reachable height the bottle should be fixed to the cage. Run your finger over the spout of the water bottle to check that it is correctly dispensing the water, give it a little squeeze and dry the end of the spout before trying again. There are also liquid vitamins that you can purchase from a pet shop, these can be particularly beneficial for your hamster should it take ill. Should you have a food dish fill it with the hamster food you have bought and place in the cage otherwise sprinkle across the cage floor. Make sure to place any cage accessories in appropriate places throughout the cage. Bedding should be placed inside the hamsters chamber or ‘house’. An exercise wheel should be fixed to the side of the cage or place in a suitable position if it is a free standing one.

Your hamster will want to build a nest so some bedding material would be greatly appreciated by the little critter. You can buy this bedding material from your local pet shop. Some bedding is avoided as it can be eaten by your hamster and the fine fibes can get caught inside you hamster and cause an injury, such as the fluffy cotton wool type stuff. Some things that are often used shouldn’t also, like material or wool, these don’t dissolve in the stomach and can cause a blockage if eaten. Any material provided should be easily broken down so that the hamster can get free if it gets caught in it and it should also be able to dissolve in water so that if the hamster were to eat it, it would be able to dissolve in the stomach and not cause any damage to your hamsters health.

The best thing to use is shredded, soft paper bedding, this will cause your little hamster no harm if eaten and is easily broken. This can be bought from a pet shop however you could use a undyed and unscented toilet paper and tear it into strips for the same effect.

Most hamster owners will buy their first hamster from a pet shop, though if possible the best place to purchase your hamster would be a specialist private breeder. This is because you are more likely to get a hamster with a good temperament and great robust health as they are carefully bred to produce these qualities. You may also find, some compassionate breeders may offer a guarantee for the hamster back if found to be unsuitable, this cannot be said for pet shops as most of their hamster will have been bred, in mass on commercial farms for the market alone.

You are also likely to find hamster breeders that breed particularly to produce a high quality, healthy hamster than can be shown and therefore it will be of high importance that those hamsters have a great temperament, they will often keep one or two for themselves and sell the others further guaranteeing quality as you know a lot of care and planning has gone into the breeding of your hamster.

A private breeder will also know exactly what he’s talking about and should you decided to ask for any advice they would be able to give you the most reliable.

UK Veterinary Charity, The Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) issued a stark reminder to pet owners recently, warning them of the dangers of hypothermia and frostbite in pets during the winter months.

Despite often having thick coats of fur, the PDSA confirmed that any animal has the potential to develop frostbite after ongoing contact with any cold surface, although Hypothermia is more likely to be seen in small, aged or sick animals, particularly in breeds with thinner coats or naturally low body fat.

The PDSA advises owners of small furries, such as Guinea pigs and Rabbits to house them indoors during sever winter weather. Puppies and kittens experience particular difficulties controlling the temperature of their bodies and the PDSA recommends that they are kept indoors during spells of cold weather.

The charity also advises pet owners to dress smaller dogs particularly those with thinner fur, appropriately, and to remember to clean and dry body and paws thoroughly when they have been outside in cold or wet weather.

One senior veterinary surgeon, Sean Wensley revealed that shivering in an animal is the primary sign that an animal is cold, but that shivering stops when an animals body temperature becomes critically lowered after which animals appear subdued with cold paws and ears. He said:-

“Frostbite, which develops through prolonged contact with cold surfaces, can affect a pet’s ears, paws, tail, scrotum and mammary glands. Affected skin will at first appear white and will be itchy and painful.

In severe cases, the skin will turn black. Owners should check their pet over regularly as a pet’s fur can hide frostbite damage. The first thing you should do if you suspect your pet is suffering from hypothermia or frostbite is to make sure they are dry.

Then, gradually raise their body temperature by placing them next to a well-covered hot water bottle or use a hair dryer, on a low heat. It is very important to call or visit your vet for advice.

Don’t ignore the signs of possible hypothermia and don’t take any chances.

It’s easy for us to wrap up warm and add on layers to keep us snug, but it’s not that simple for our pets, That’s why, at PDSA, we are keen to give owners some important seasonal advice to help keep their pets safe and healthy as the cold winter weather sets in.”

At least 10% of individuals will experience an intense phobia during their lifetime, and one of the most common known phobias is a fear of animals - or Zoophobias.

By definition, a phobia is an illogical and irrepressible fear of a certain entity or circumstance. Some people suffer from such extreme phobias that will go to incredible lengths in their daily lives to avoid the subject of their phobia.

An illustration of this is an individual suffering from a phobia of birds - or ornithophobia may be too afraid to go outdoors in case they encounter one.

When confronted with the subject of their phobia, some suffers may even experience panic attacks.

Others become so stressed when they encounter the source of their phobia that they suffer from panic attacks.

Rather than a general fear of animals some phobics are affected by a fear of certain animals, for example common animal phobias include dogs, cats, mice and spiders.

Regrettably, most phobics never attempt to seek help, although the vast majority of sufferers who do undergo therapy for a phobia are cured.

Some common Zoophobias are:-

Alektorophobia Fear of Chickens
Cynophobia Fear of Dogs
Gatophobia Fear of Cats
Ichthyophobia Fear of Fish
Hippophobia Fear of Horses
Entomophobia Fear of Insects
Musophobia Fear of Mice
Batrachophobia Fear of Reptiles
Ophidiophobia Fear of Snakes

This Sunday 5th October at 6.00pm, the Holy Trinity Church in Southport will hold its 3rd annual pet service
Local Reverend, Rod Warner will thanks for the animals which enhance our lives and offer us unconditional companionship and love. Each pet will be individually blessed by the reverend at the altar.
The pet service remembers the patron saint of animals - St Francis of Assisi. In 2007, the Holy Trinity Church made acquaintance with many of its parishioner’s domestic pets from cats and dogs to ferrets and hamsters and even the odd turtle!
One church goer transported her dog which was suffering from severe arthritis, to the altar to be blessed in a shopping trolley.

The Rev Garner commented recently:-

“We have an open door so you never know what will be coming down the central aisle. Thankfully, in the previous two years the animals have been on the smaller side. I always take care when blessing the ferrets, though, and the parrots always seem to be well behaved. A warm welcome will be given to everyone, whether they have been before or not. It is not just for pet owners but pet lovers too, animals mean the world to many people and this is a great opportunity to give thanks to God”

After the sermon and blessing have taken place a community vet will provide a short address on his efforts inside the local area.

A recent report has revealed that there are almost twice as many domestic pet insurance policies held in the UK as there are private health insurance policies, with 23% of our pet population insured in comparison to only 12% of us being covered by private medical policies.

The report confirms UK pet owners as being amongst the most considerate and caring across the globe, surpassed only by Swedish pet owners, who lay claim to the largest populace of insured pets in the entire world.

Ewan McNeil, a former leader of the British Society of Practicing Veterinary Surgeons, went on record as saying:-

“We are a nation of animal lovers, and many of us regard our pet as part of the family; I’m not surprised that pet insurance is becoming so popular - people will do everything they can to ensure the best for their pets. Veterinary healthcare has made great strides in the last few years offering highly sophisticated treatment for a huge range of animal ailments. Pet insurance helps owners choose the best treatment for their pets without worrying about costs.”

In addition to this the report revealed a 41% increase in the demand for the insurance of smaller pedigree dogs – or ‘handbag’ dogs which are often more costly to insure than other types of dogs

Household cleaning materials are the most common known causes of pet poisoning. Cats appear to be more susceptible to poisoning in this manner, perhaps because of their agility and ability to reach items that might usually be considered out of harms way.

Cats are celebrated for their spirited and curious dispositions, but unfortunately this can on occasion lead them to eat or drink hazardous substances. Regrettably a typical family home can encompass a substantial amount of potentially harmful or poisonous matter that your pet can all too easily gain access to.

Every year massive numbers of pets require medical intervention by their veterinary surgery after being exposed to toxins. The prevention of these incidents can be greatly reduced by increasing pet owners’ awareness off possible toxins.

As a pet owner it is your responsibility to ensure that as far as possible your animal companion remains out of harms way, but many owners are simply unaware of the dangers to pets that lurk within their households.

There are a wide range of substances that have the potential to poison your pet. Onions, caffeine, chocolate, and even bread can cause toxic reactions in animals.

There are also a number of household and garden plants that can be enormously toxic to pets and a vast array of household substances can be deadly to your pet from dishwasher powder and washing up liquid to scented oils and ordinary detergents.

If you suspect that your pet has been poisoned retain any substance that you consider might be responsible its original packaging if possible and seek advice from your local veterinary surgery immediately.

You could reduce the risk of pet poisoning in your home by getting rid of any pot plants, and instead using artificial plants. Cats and dogs are not likely to pay plastic plants any attention, and they still look as good as real plants.