Pleasing 4 Pets

Britain’s Got Talents’ finalist Kate Nicholas and her fabulous disco dancing dog, Gin are scheduled to perform in Northampton this coming weekend.

The energetic twosome are expected to make an exclusive appearance at the Pets at Home store at the Riverside Retail Park in Northampton city centre for a book signing on Saturday15th November at 2.30pm.

16 year old Kate will sign copies of her newly published book entitled Kate and Gin, which offers advice to other dog handlers as well as some of Kate’s personal dog training secrets. Kate will also take part in a one hour Q&A session at the store, after which she and Gin will perform one of their infamous dance routines.

The manager of the Pets at Home store in Northampton, Lee Woodward said in a statement:-

“I can’t tell you how much excitement and interest there’s been since we first announced they would be paying us a visit.

They’ve developed a real cult status and everyone is desperate to shake paws with Gin”.

Kate was only 10 years old when she got new puppy Gin. Before competing in the final of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent the pair had previously competed in the world renowned CRUFTS contest and managed to win a CG certificate at the event, and Kate recently revealed secret aspirations to become a CRUFTS judge.

A 12 year old pooch named Mandy has recently been presented with an exclusive award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), for saving the lives of both her owner, and those of other canines living in a rescue centre in Cumbria where Mandy and her owner Peter Wilson live.

Many and 72 year old Peter live in Cockermouth in the borough of Allerdale, Cumbria. Mandy received the award in IFAW’s ‘Animal Action Awards 2008’

Known to locals as ‘Wonder-Dog’, Mandy arrived at the North Lakes Greyhound Retreat Rescue Centre a few years ago in a seriously ill condition and had to be resuscitated twice under the care of Peter, but has since repaid her dept to him, by saving his life on two separate occasions.

Mandy managed to raise the alarm when a fire took hold of North Lakes Greyhound Retreat Rescue Centre, saving the lives of 14 other dogs as well as her own and Peter’s lives.

And in 2007, Peter was enjoying a walk with some of the dogs from the rescue centre, when he collapsed after suffering a major heart attack.

Mandy fled back to her home and once again managed to raise the alarm, and went on to lead rescuers more than two miles to the place where Peter lay.

The esteemed awards ceremony was held in the House of Lords and was presented by model and actress Lisa B, a patron for the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Peter Wilson happily accepted the award on Mandy’s behalf.

Cats Protection is the largest cat welfare charity in the UK and currently provides help to more than 140, 000 cats and kittens every year though its nationwide network of 256 branches and adoption centres.

The latest scheme to be backed by the charity is one which will force all local councils to consistently scan all pets that have been injured or even killed on the UK’s roads to search for a micro-chip which will help the council to establish who the owners of the animals are an will allow the council to advise the owners of their pets fate.

The scheme, tabled in Parliament as Early Day Motion no. 279 will enable the owners of the many thousands of cats and kittens injured or killed by vehicles to be tracked down via a unique identification number held in the micro-chip, which can then be entered into a national database containing the owners contact details.

Any member of the public wishing to support the scheme can do so by writing to their local MP and requesting that they sign the motion, which will further improve the likelihood that the issue be considered in Parliament.

The Director of Communications at Cats Protection, Jane Wickens said of the scheme:-

“As a charity that microchips around 32,000 cats and kittens each year and advises distressed owners on searching for lost cats, Cats Protection is fully supporting this Early Day Motion.

If all councils routinely scan dead or injured cats, then it will at least take away the pain for owners of not knowing what has become of their beloved pet. I would like to urge people to write to their MP – even if your local council routinely scans pets killed on roads – because this will increase the chance of the issue being raised in Parliament.”

With Guy Fawkes Night fast approaching many UK pet owners are thinking of ways to keep their beloved pets safe and calm.

But what exactly can you do to keep your pets as stress free as possible on November 5th?

Some pets will opt for the most unusual hiding places in their efforts to seek comport and escape the noise of fireworks. It is not unusual for pet owners to find their animals hiding behind wardrobes, under desks or even in the bath.

There are some practical efforts that will help keep a cat or dog happy during a period which is often as distressing for owners as it is for their animals.

Primarily, an anxious cat or dog should be kept indoors where possible on Guy Fawkes Night, with windows and doors left closed as they may often attempt to escape in panic.

Keep the TV switched on or play some music to mask some of the firework noises and distract your pet and keep the curtains closed to blank out flashes.

If you have a cat, feed him at least an hour before the event and try to make sure that he has been outside before the barrage of fireworks begins. You should still ensure that a litter tray is available for the remainder of the evening.

If you have dog make sure that he is fed as early as is possible on bonfire night and that he gets plenty of exercise before it gets dark and the fireworks start.

Leaving your pet alone when fireworks are being used will probably distress them further - they will likely feel safer in your presence. You should remain calm and act exhibit ordinary behaviour. If your pet becomes anxious or distressed and wants to hide in a corner let them.

A recent study has revealed that a massive 79% of the owners of all cats and dogs in the UK believe that noisy fireworks ought to be banned, with 80% of UK vets supporting similar beliefs.

One vet commented:-

“Injuries to pets due to fireworks are usually caused as a result of them fleeing in fear of the loud bangs and flashes. I once treated a Staffordshire bull terrier that bolted across a road when a firework exploded and was hit by a car. Luckily he survived the collision, although he did suffer a dislocated hip and a shattered leg.
It is not uncommon for cats to go missing at this time of year also as they try to get away from the noise.”

The research also revealed that some pets are so disturbed and upset by fireworks that almost half of their owners claimed that they would support a complete nationwide ban.

One dog owner, Margaret Littlewood gave her backing to a complete ban, after re-counting the experiences of her late and much loved pet dog, Tramp. She said:-

“Unfortunately, Tramp is no longer with us but I used to absolutely dread this time of year. One year there were a lot of fireworks nearby and in a panic, Tramp sought refuge behind the toilet. For a while I thought he might be stuck but when we eventually coaxed him out he was shaking horribly. To make matters worse, another firework went off and he ran and hid in my wardrobe – it was terribly upsetting.”