Pleasing 4 Pets

The UK’s standing as one of the greatest nations of animal lovers in the world received considerable damage recently after a report was released confirmed a massive increase in the number of owners abusing their animals.

The RSPCA revealed that since the launch of the Animal Welfare Act, which was made law in April 2007, the number of persons found guilty of cruelty to animals rose by almost 25% during 2007.

Somewhere in the region of 500,000 pets were found to be in need of help, many of them having been abused, abandoned or neglected in some way.

The Chief Officer of the RSPCA Inspectorate, Tim Wass went on record to say :

“ These animals are helpless victims of our affluent, throwaway society - they’re bought on a whim and discarded when the novelty wears off.”

The disturbing figures also exposed a 34% escalation in the number of those convicted for cruelty towards dogs and a 15% increase in convictions for cruelty towards cats. Cruelty investigations overall totalled just under 500,000, an increase of around 12% on the previous year.

Throughout the course of 2007 a total of 54 people received prison sentences on the grounds of animal cruelty and 861 individuals were prohibited from keeping animals on similar grounds.

In the days before Paris Hilton transported her favourite miniature dogs around in her handbags and prior to dog-walking being considered a serious profession, the most accepted treatment for a discontented dog was to give him a bone.

However modern times have seen a sudden rush in the licensing of new animal pharmaceuticals which in turn has lead to dog owners in the United States attempting to offer their pooches comfort and contentment via ‘Pet Prozac’ rather than the more traditional means of a tasty doggie treat or a much loved marrow bone.

Pharmaceutical companies desperate to cash in on the global love affair between dogs and their owners have launched a barrage of new prescription medicines for canines, including drugs for anxiety and depression, obesity and destructive or bad behaviour. Controversially, the vast majority of this new range of medications contains almost exactly the same ingredients and chemicals as those prescribed their human owners for similar problems.

Campaigners opposed to these drugs are concerned that there effects will promote humanisation amongst domestic pets which in turn will have a damaging effect on their overall wellbeing. They believe that any form of behavioural suppressants will encourage dog owners to overlook conventional dog training methods and will enable them to offer their pets’ inadequate care or supervision and neglect their responsibilities as dog owners.

There is a growing trend in the UK to keep farm animals, particularly hens and chickens but owners should be aware that these animals have fundamental requirements in order to maintain a satisfactory quality of life.

Primarily, chickens must always have access to clean, fresh water, and prefer to drink from familiar receptacles, so once you have established a drinker, you should continue to use it for as long as is possible. Remember that young chicks may hop into an oversized feeder and drown.

Chicks as young as a day old will start to peck at small pellets. Within days of being born most will have the ability to recognise small grains of food and as they grow chickens love nothing more than rummaging and foraging for fodder on the ground, such as seeds and roots. These offer a good supply of carbohydrates and essential proteins and minerals.

Once a female bird advanced to adulthood, she will start to lay eggs. It is a good idea to provide her with calcium supplements to complement her natural diet. She should be encouraged to lay her eggs on specially elected nest box, which is lined with dry wood shavings or straw, where she will be warm and secure. She may also prefer to lay in quiet isolation away from other birds.

The majority of chickens will choose to roost in an elevated position at dusk. This helps to protect them from any predatory attack. Your chicken shelter should be warm and dry and be equipped with elevated perches around 4cm in width with smooth rounded edges, which will allow the birds a good comfortable grip. Make sure that to your chickens’ shelter has lots of space with decent air circulation, plenty of straw and is cleaned out on a regular basis.

Anxious dog owners in Beijing have resorted to walking their dogs after dark comforted by the knowledge that the cities dog wardens have finished work for the day. Currently Beijing law prohibits the ownership of any canine more than 35cm in height. Any dog found to be over this height limit is art risk of being imprisoned and even put down if they are captured by the powers that be inside of Beijing.

Despite this, the trend for owning a pet in China appears to be flourishing and dog enthusiasts in particular have criticized and condemned Beijing’s rigid and uncompromising regulations against the ownership of substantially sized dogs, which they claim is a remnant of China’s communist history when only a very limited number of people were permitted to own pet dogs, and those that did were ridiculed and treated with contempt, and were judged to be as parasitic capitalists by communist leaders.

The regulations are stringently imposed, and even those with disabilities are not afforded any flexibility. For example a partially sighted Paralympic frontrunner cannot obtain registration for her guide dog, even though she is scheduled to run with the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in September of this year.

A number of dog owners and animal cruelty protesters are concerned about the possibility of a crack down, or a more concentrated effort to implement the legislation more vigorously after the Olympics when the city of Beijing will no longer be scrutinized under the media spotlight.

Having strong healthy teeth is as essential to your dogs’ wellbeing as it is to yours. Unfortunately your dogs’ teeth are susceptible to the accumulation of plaque and tartar, which can lead to gum disease or infection if they are not dealt with adequately.

The bacteria and germs that are present in dental plaque can aggravate and inflame your pets’ gums, and they may experience bad breathe, bleeding and soreness around the gum area and in some cases toothache.

Your vet should offer dental care in the form of regular oral check ups, and will even be able to clean your dogs’ teeth for you. Where possible you should ensure that your dog receives routine dental examinations from as early an age as is practicable so that any early abnormalities or irregularities are treated without delay, and you may find that as your dog increases in age they need extra dental care in order to keep their teeth at optimum health.

Aside from visiting your vet periodically for dental consultations, there are a number of things that you can do as a dog owner to ensure that your pets’ teeth remain in prime condition. High quality dried foods offer oral benefits in addition to the obvious dietary benefits. The brittle and crunchy consistency of these foods facilitates the loosening and effective removal of plaque from your dogs’ teeth and gums.

Certain breeds of canine are more vulnerable to dental afflictions than others, but your vet should be able to recommend some preventative measures. Pigs’ ears and chewing bones promote healthy teeth and gums in canines, and there are certain toothpastes on the market specifically designed to clean your dogs’ teeth. Ordinary toothpaste is unsuitable as it container ingredients that will upset your dogs stomach. You should use a regular soft bristled toothbrush to clean your dogs’ teeth at least once weekly, bearing in mind that the younger your dog is when you begin these practices, the more accustomed to it he will be throughout his life.

When you are busy planning for a holiday or preparing to spend a weekend away from home, it’s all too easy to forget about the welfare of your feline friend whilst you are aware. As part of your preparation for any trip you should take into consideration your cat’s requirements, and should try wherever possible to plan your pets care in advance.

One of the most obvious ways to ensure that your cat is cared for appropriately in your absence is to board him at a cattery for the duration of your trip. Your vet should be able to recommend a local cattery with a good reputation and professional pet insurance. You should bear in mind that responsible catteries will require confirmation that your cat is up to date with his vaccinations, so remember to have your cats most recent inoculation certificate to hand when making a reservation.

Friends or family may offer to look after your cat whilst you take a trip, but should always ensure that they are fully aware of what is involved in providing adequate care for a pet. You should take into consideration whether your cat will be accepted and welcomed by all members of their families, including any existing pets that they might have.

Cat may often be more contented and at ease if they stay at your home whilst you are away, but you should ensure that a responsible friend or dependable neighbour visits your home a minimum of twice daily to feed him and give him clean water. You should always remember to leave a telephone number for your vet and a contact number where the carer for your cat can reach you in case of an emergency.

There are many different branches of the parrot family that can be kept as pets, including macaws and parakeets. All these birds vary in size, plumage, disposition and longevity.

The majority of parrots originate from tropical forest type habitats, but your pet parrot will likely have begun its life in a cage and will have become used to human contact at an early age. However without training, some parrots can become aggressive and bite or screech continually. These types of behaviour are common in parrots and are relatively simple to rectify. Parrots are highly intelligent animals and can learn new ways very quickly.

Parrots require a sizeable living space and plenty of attention but their faithful friendship and endearing character traits are well worth the lay out of time and energy required to care for them.

When choosing a parrot for a pet, opt for an infant bird and allocate some time each day to calmly and gently tame him.

Your parrot may display hostile behaviour towards you if there is a lack of trust in your relationship, but this trust can easily be built with a small amount of time and effort.

Offering treats by hand is a good way to increase the human contact that your parrot engages in, be sure to move your hand towards him very slowly and calmly. When your parrot is at ease with you, he may voluntarily step into your hand. Talking to him gently whenever you have contact will encourage him to relax in your presence and may even encourage him to talk back to you!

When Gayle and Mick Curtis of Birmingham left their two much-loved pooches in Tenerife, Canary Isles, they were astutely aware that it would be some time before they would be reunited with them.

When the Curtis family who returned to the UK after 7 years of living under the sunny skies of Tenerife, they spent months anticipating the return of their adored pets whilst they were put through a meticulous quarantine program before being granted entry back into the UK.

But the couples’ anticipation quickly turned to alarm when they were informed by representatives of Manchester International Airport that their beloved animals had some how been lost in transit from Tenerife to the UK.

The Curtis’ pets, an eight year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Ebony and 13 year old West Island Terrier, Libby were in fact never discharged from the plane when it touched down in Manchester. Instead, Mr. & Mrs. Curtis learned that disorganised and inefficient luggage handlers had actually forgotten to remove the dogs, leaving them on the aircraft for the return journey. The unfortunate canines were flown back to Tenerife, travelling a total of 4,000 miles in 9 hours.

The couple then faced another agonising wait as their pets attempted to return to the UK for the 2nd time in 24 hours. They were gravely concerned for the welfare of the older of the two dogs, Libby, and claimed that they were simply unsure that the fragile health of their aged pet could endure another flight.

Fortunately, both Libby and Ebony landed safely and soundly back on British soil in Birmingham on Saturday morning at around 9.30am, almost 24 hours after their initial departure from Tenerife.

A Londonderry based business woman is all set to take the New York fashion world by storm during the annual NYC Pet Fashion Week which takes place at the Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, on 23rd & 24th August.

Jane Grant is the proud designer of the latest en vogue ‘HugX ‘pet feeding bowl, which is almost two feet in width and around a foot high. The bowl was born from dog owner Jane’s’ frustration at the dysfunctional styles of many of the pet bowls available on the market.

As the loving owner of Red Setter - Emmy, Jane set about inventing a bowl that made it more undemanding for Emmy to gain access to her food. The end result was the HugX bowl which is angled for ease of use and is similar to the angle of a hug, affording pets’ easier access their food.

The pioneering and ergonomically designed bowls are available in a wide variety of fashionable colours and are expected to make a huge impact on animal lovers the world over, particularly in Japan.

Jane’s design has also been selected for entry to the NYC Pet Fashion Weeks’ Lifestyle Innovation Award, and she has announced her intention to launch the HugX bowl into the general market. She also indicated that she expected to expand the range and was currently designing a diamond version of the product.

National animal charity Dogs Lost has revealed that criminal gangs are becoming progressively more aggressive and are prepared to employ violent behaviour in order to steal high value pets.

The charity claims that there are a growing number of criminal organisations who are intent on intimidating and menacing pet owners with weapons such as knives and in some cases firearms to make off with rare pedigree or high-priced dogs. Over a one week period the charity confirmed that it had taken in excess of 100 calls from devastated dog owners claiming that their beloved pets had been stolen.

The Missing Pets Bureau also recently voiced its belief that at least one third of missing animals are actually the victims of pet theft rather being simply lost.

Both agencies believe that there are two basic categories of dog bandits - the skilled professionals that tour the UK in search of vocational canines such as Terriers, Lurchers and Labradors.

And secondly and perhaps more regrettably there is are a new breed of urban dog poachers, who more often than not steal pets in order to raise funds to feed drug habits. These are usually opportunist criminals who may for instance see a dog tied up outside a shop and will steal it and sell it at the earliest opportunity, often for a little as £20.

In other cases it is proving more apparent that thieves are becoming increasingly desperate for cash and have violently assaulted dog owners and even threatened them with knives in broad daylight and in public places.

Dog owners can limit the risks by refraining from leaving their pet tied up in a public place for any length of time and in the unfortunate case that their pet is taken, can improve their chances of recovering their treasured pet by ensuring their pet is identifiable by means of a microchip or other comparable device.