Pleasing 4 Pets

It would appear that our pets are becoming more important to us than ever before. It seems that we want them involved in almost everything that we do.

One pair of newly weds who married on a Highland beach recently would certainly agree - the pairs German Shepherd was not only present at the ceremony, but was awarded the enviable title of bridesmaid for the day!

When 41 year old bride Anne Marie Fulton and her groom, 46 year old Anthony Gallacher got said ‘I do’ in a civil ceremony performed on the sands of Camusdarch Beach in Morar, their pet dog. Caidir attended the ceremony as a bridesmaid.

The blushing bride revealed why the pair gave their beloved pet such a prominent role in their nuptials:-

“We have had Caidir, which means “cherish” in Gaelic, since she was a puppy. She goes everywhere with us. We don’t have children and Caidir is like my baby, so we just had to make her a bridesmaid. While the ceremony was going on, Caidir was digging holes on the beach. It certainly made the wedding a bit different. Everyone, including Caidir, had a fantastic day.”

The groom’s sister who is also the owner of a local pet store was responsible for making Caidir’s outfit for the happy occasion

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 recent report published by a leading international ferry company confirmed that an increasing number of UK residents are allowing their pets to accompany them on holiday, with current figures revealing that holiday bookings including family pets have risen 21% so far this year. With kennel fees and the likes rising rapidly this figure looks set to increase steadily for the remainder of 2008.

Previously going on holiday and taking an animal companion with you has proved problematic and difficult to coordinate, but the growth in pet friendly lodgings, increasing choices in travel alternatives and modification in the regulations for visiting foreign countries with animals all point to the fact that holidaying with a pet is actually more realistic and feasible an option than it has ever been before. The let-up in the UK’s stringent quarantine regulations, and in particular the launch of the ‘Pet Travel Scheme’ which was introduced in 2000, will no doubt encourage this rise.

European Ferry and car travel is particularly well suited to pets and offers them a less traumatic and distressing journey than if they were travelling by plane. For a small charge many ferries will provide special pet facilities including kennels.

Going on pet-friendly holidays is a great idea. It’s a good way of making yourself do something different, try going camping for example. You can still go abroad as it is easy to go camping in France or Spain using ferry or car travel.

Booking private accommodation also offers the perfect remedy for taking a break with your pets. In addition to cutting kennel costs, many owners find having a beloved pet accompany them on a trip very rewarding.

Like humans, pets often suffer from ailments connected in some way to their diets and it’s a fact of life that on occasion, your cat can become as sick as a dog!

A well known international pet insurance company recently evaluated the claims it received during the course of 2007 in order to establish the most common causes of pet insurance claims for that period.

Of canine complaints the most common cause was an ear infection, followed closely by skin conditions, gastroenteritis (vomiting) and enteritis (diarrhoea)

Of the feline complaints explored the most common was a urinary tract infection, followed by gastroenteritis (vomiting) and chronic renal failure, which is traditionally age related in cats.

Surprisingly the top ten for either animal did not include injury from road traffic accidents or broken bones.

It was reported that almost one third of the conditions that motivated pet owners to seek veterinary advice were caused or aggravated by poor diet or sudden dietary changes.

Allergic reactions were present in both top tens. Pet allergies generally become apparent in symptoms such as continual itching, licking or gnawing of the skin, particularly around the paws, eyes and eyes.

In most cases, pet owners were aware of their pets’ daily routines and behaviour patterns and were able to identify the irregularities that indicated ill health in a pet and were able to seek veterinary advice without too much delay.

Guinea Pigs are small creatures descending from the rodent family. The domestic guinea pig is a native of South America where traditionally the inhabitants used the guinea pig as a source of fodder and where it is still regarded as a delicacy today!

In their natural habitat guinea pigs subsist in groups so keeping more than one at a time or housing two or more together could improve the contentment of your guinea pig. However the male of the species are prone to aggressive behaviour towards one another, and will sometimes attack each other if kept collectively. In the wild they settle in groups commonly made up of just one sexually mature male and an assortment of females.

Guinea pigs thrive on a well balanced and stable diet, which ideally should consist of vegetables and cereals. Ready mixed guinea pig food is available at most good pet shops, although an array of fresh vegetables should be added whenever possible. Guinea pigs also enjoy to grazing, and an intake of grass or hay will supply basic roughage in their diet. As an owner, you should ensure that your guinea pig always has access to fresh water, and plenty of foods rich in vitamin C which they are unable to produce naturally. Your guinea pig will also need something to gnaw on to ensure that his teeth do not grow excessively long.

Fully matured Guinea Pigs generally reach lengths of between 25cm and 35 cm. The male or boar is usually larger than the females or sows, and ordinarily they live for between 4 and 7 years. They make sociable pets and welcome companionship. They are typically very active throughout the course of the day and are genial and good natured as a rule and seldom bite, making them a popular pet for children.