Pet Pages

Before You Adopt a Pet

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:00:00 +1000

There is nothing quite like the company and love of a pet (or several!) but that doesn’t mean that you should immediately rush to the nearest pet store, breeder, or animal shelter! Owning a pet is a huge responsibility and it’s important that you get the right pet for your family and circumstances. Before you get a pet, here’s what you need to know.

Is It the Right Time?

The first thing that you need to decide if it really is the right time to get a pet. To help you determine this, ask yourself the following questions:

Do you have enough time to exercise and care for your pet?

Can you afford the costs of keeping a pet, including any unexpected vet bills? (Remember to take into account food, worming, flea treatments, leads and toys, grooming, microchipping, annual vet checks etc)

Are you prepared to keep your pet for its entire lifetime?

Do you have the time and are you willing to train your pet as necessary?

If you move a lot, can your pet come with you? (You don’t want to have to give your pet up because it’s not allowed in your rental etc)

Which Pet is Right for You?

When it comes to choosing a pet, you can get a cat or a dog, or you could get something a little different such as fish, birds, rabbits, hermit crabs, lizards, guinea pigs, and so on. There is a perfect pet for everyone but each person has different requirements from their pets so use the following list to help you determine which pet is right for you:

What sort of temperament do you want your pet to have – lively, active, couch potato, cuddly, happy to be left alone? There’s no point getting a really active Bengal if you want a quiet, cuddly cat, for example!

How much time do you have to devote to your pet? Some only need their food and water changed daily while others will require an hour or more of exercise a day to remain healthy. With our increasingly busy lives, this is something to consider.

Are their kids in your family? If so, look for a pet that is suitable for the ages your kids are at the moment. Some pets don’t do well with young kids at all while others are perfect for them.

Do you like cleaning? If you don’t, don’t go for a breed or pet that is notorious for shedding fur or making a huge mess of their living areas.

What Do You Need?

There’s nothing worse than bringing your new pet home and then finding that you don’t have everything that you need for them! Once you have decided on your pet, make sure you’ve bought all of your supplies, which could include such things as:

Food and water bowls

Beds

Toys

ID tags

Carrying containers

Grooming tools

Leads and collars

A supply of good quality pet food appropriate for your pet

Flea and worming treatments

Pet of the Week Shortlist 23th May 2012

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:30:00 +1000

Do you have a cute photo of your pet? Post it on our Facebook wall and it may be the next Pet of the Week! Visit petpages on Facebook.

Train Your Rabbit to Use a Litter Tray

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Rabbits make wonderful pets and can be easily trained to use a litter tray. Teaching your rabbit to use a litter tray is simple and makes cleaning up after them much easier.

How to Train Your Rabbit to Use a Litter Tray

Rabbits are intelligent and naturally clean animals and this makes training them to use a litter tray quite easy. Rabbits, like most animals, have a natural inclination to toilet away from the area where they sleep and eat so it’s important to place the litter tray in a suitable location. Litter training is most successful in rabbits that have been de-sexed.

Your rabbit may have already chosen a toilet location, usually in a corner, and if that’s the case you should place the litter tray there. Place some of your rabbit’s droppings in the litter tray as this will encourage your rabbit to use the new litter tray. Don’t worry if you find accidents outside the litter tray, just pick them up and place them in the tray.

Avoid choosing a litter tray with high walls as you want your rabbit to be able to jump into the tray easily. Fill the tray will recycled paper litter as this is very absorbent. Avoid clumping litter types are these can be dangerous if swallowed by your rabbit.

Ensuring Your Rabbit Continues to Use the Litter Tray

To ensure your rabbit continues to use the litter tray it’s important that you clean the litter tray regularly. Most animals will discontinue using a litter tray if it is heavily soiled. Use hot soapy water or vinegar to thoroughly clean the tray every so often.

Teach Your Kids to Care for Their Rabbit

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Kids absolutely love bunnies and chances are they’ll be asking you for a bunny of their very own at some stage during their childhood. Rabbits can be great pets for kids but you do need to be sure that your kids handle and care for them correctly. This isn’t difficult at all with a little bit of time and education and choosing the right breed to start with. Here’s what you need to know.

What Bunnies are Best for Kids?

Kids absolutely adore having their very own pet bunny but it’s important to realise that not all breeds of rabbits are suited to kids, especially younger kids. If your kids have their hearts set on a pet rabbit, you are best to look at the larger breeds that tend to be more placid. For kids between five and twelve, some recommended breeds include the Cashmere Lop, the Dwarf Lop, the Satin and the Dutch.

Kids shouldn’t have any of the smaller breeds such as the Mini Lop, the Mini Rex or the Netherlands Dwarf until they are older, at least in their double digits. It should be noted that smaller rabbits can be more likely to bite and scratch, especially if they’re not being handled properly. Add in the fact that their powerful legs can kick out, and the smaller, flightier breeds should be out of the question until kids are experienced in caring for and handling rabbits.

Emphasise Correct Handling

One of the main reasons why bunnies may not be the ideal match for kids is the fact that kids often handle the rabbits incorrectly, causing them to feel insecure and to lash out, potentially hurting your kid. Incorrect handling can also cause the rabbit themselves to become injured! The number one thing to teach your kids is to never ever pick them up by their ears or by the scruff of the neck. The right way to pick up and hold a bunny is to place one hand underneath the belly and the other underneath the hind legs so that its weight is fully supported. Hold the bunny firmly but not tightly and close to the chest so it feels secure. Kids should always be sitting down to hold their bunnies and they should approach them gently before picking them up. Never chase or grab at the bunny! If your rabbit does do something that your kids don’t like, make sure that your kids understand not to smack or otherwise physically punish the bunny! Punishment doesn’t work and will only frighten the bunny further.

Teach Daily Rabbit Care

You, as the adult, have probably already taken care of buying the hutch and anything else that the rabbit is likely to need. While you have overall responsibility for caring for the rabbit from day to day it’s important to teach your kids how to do some of the daily rabbit tasks such as changing their water, giving them fresh food and cleaning the hutch. By doing this, you’ll be helping your kids to understand that their pets are dependent on them totally and that they need to be responsible for looking after them. After all, having a pet is not just about all the fun times!

Pet of the Week Shortlist 16th May 2012

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:30:00 +1000

Do you have a cute photo of your pet? Post it on our Facebook wall and it may be the next Pet of the Week! Visit petpages on Facebook.

Can I Train My Bird?

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:00:00 +1000

It’s not difficult to train pet birds, but trainability depends on the age, type of bird and training technique you use, according to Dr Stacey Gelis, avian veterinarian at the Animal Referral Hospital in Sydney.

“Young birds often respond better than older birds to training,” says Dr Gelis. “Young birds are more receptive and not distracted by hormones and other influences that affect adult birds. They are also more likely to listen when they’re younger.”

However, birds can continue to learn throughout their adult life. “Birds which are good learners continue to learn. Those that don’t, seldom improve with age,” he says.

Every bird is an individual and learns differently from another. Also, some kinds of birds are more trainable than others, such as parrots – Amazons, African Greys, Cockatoos and Macaws.

“Parrots mimic very well,” says Dr Gelis. “Amongst parrots, the Grey and Blue-fronted Amazon talk a lot better than Asiatic parrots or Lorikeets. Some budgies will also talk a leg off a chair!”

What Can I Train My Bird To Do?

You can train your bird to talk and perform a number of tricks. You just need to use the right technique and find the best motivator or stimulus for your bird, such as a favourite food/treat or reward (ie scratch or cuddle), says Dr Gelis.

“You can train your bird to do tricks, such as summersaults on a perch, fetch a ball, shake hands, flap wings, lay on their back and play dead, twirl things in their beak and ride a bike,” he says.

You can also teach your bird to talk by mimicking what you say, but they often seem to know what they’re talking about.

“It’s amazing how often they say things in context. They apply the right phrase at the right time,” he says.

You can also toilet train birds. For example, birds will often pass a dropping when taken out of their cage or after sitting on their owner for a period of time. If you place the bird where you want it to defecate and issue a command, such as 'go to the toilet”, repeatedly and then reward the bird when it passes a dropping, it will soon learn, says Dr Gelis.

Tips To Train Your Bird

If you want to train your bird, here are some tips from Dr Gelis to consider:

Start training your bird early on from a young age

Be quiet and gentle around your bird; don’t startle it

Minimise distractions around your bird – it won’t respond to training if it’s excited

Choose a reward that works for your bird

Choose a time to train when your bird is most responsive to stimuli, such as when it’s hungry (morning or evening).

Persevere and don’t confuse you bird with commands – repeat and keep it simple until your bird has mastered it.

Reward your bird with a treat or reward every time you get the desired behaviour.

Practice makes perfect! Continue training regularly – when you begin teaching new things, revisit old commands.

For more information, speak to your local avian expert or veterinarian.

What You Need to Know about Keeping Cows

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Have you always liked the idea of keeping a few cows for milk, beef or even just as a lawn mower? It’s a fair bit of effort but it’s not as difficult as you might think! It certainly is rewarding and you’ll create a great bond with your animal. Here is what you need to know to get started with keeping cows as pets.

Housing Your Cows

Your cow or cows can be kept in paddocks for a lot of the time but just like any other animal, they’ll need some shelter and this is where housing comes in. Housing can be a simple shelter built in the same paddock where you keep your cows or it can be a stall in a barn. Just make sure that the shelter or housing is kept clean and dry as mud or wet flooring can cause foot problems. The shelter will need to be mucked out daily and soiled straw replaced with fresh stuff.

One thing that you really need to make sure of is that your cows are kept securely. Cows may wander so it’s important that the paddock is securely fenced with strong fence posts and panels. Ideally, there’ll be electrified or barbed wire as part of the fence as an additional measure to keep your cows in. Cows are surprisingly strong so it’s important to check the perimeter fencing regularly to ensure that they haven’t caused sections to break or loosen. Fix any damage straight away.

Give Plenty of Access to Fresh Water

Cows are big drinkers so it’s absolutely vital that they have constant access to fresh water. Give clean water in a trough and make sure it’s changed and topped up very regularly. In warmer weather, many cows enjoy relaxing in cool water so a small pond or the like is much appreciated. They’ll stand in the cool water and drink from it as well.

Feeding Your Cows

Cows are a ruminant, which means that they chew their own cud. Basically, cows eat their food and then regurgitate it to chew at their leisure. For this reason, they’ll generally do best on a mainly hay and pasture diet. Being able to graze in a paddock is important for cows but you’ll most likely need to add fresh hay to supplement the diet. Ensure the hay is of extremely high quality, free from dust and kept in a dry spot. Always check for mould or mustiness. If any is present, don’t give it to your cow as this can be very harmful to them. You’ll also want to give your cow some grain to eat and this too should be high quality and never musty or sour. As well, provide your cows with a salt/mineral lick.

Control Insects

Cows can be a bit of an insect magnet so it’s vital that you perform some kind of insect control, especially when it comes to flies! Flies can greatly distress cattle and even make them sick so you’ll need to use insecticides to keep them under control. There is a wide range available at farm supply stores and the like. If you’re not sure what to use, ask your vet for their recommendations.

Keep Their Hooves Trimmed

Your cow’s hooves will grow over time so they’ll need to be trimmed back every few months or so. You can get someone in to do it for you but if your cows are placid and tame enough, you can actually teach them to pick and hold their feet up so you can do it yourself with some simple tools.

Have a Vet on Hand

Finally, it’s absolutely vital to have a vet on hand; one that is experienced in caring for cows and other farm animals. After all, just like any other pet, your cow will need checkups and vaccinations and they’ll also need care if they should get sick.

Pet of the Week Shortlist 9th May 2012

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 +1000

Do you have a cute photo of your pet? Post it on our Facebook wall and it may be the next Pet of the Week! Visit petpages on Facebook.

Teach Your Cat to Enjoy Being Groomed

Mon, 07 May 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Grooming your cat helps to keep their fur and skin clean and healthy but what if your cat hates being groomed?

Why Cats Need to be Groomed

Grooming is an important part of your cat’s health care and keeps your cat’s fur in tip top condition. Regular brushing helps to remove dead hair and skin and is particularly important for long hair breeds and breed types. Matted hair can cause skin problems and

How to Teach Your Cat to Enjoy Being Groomed

To teach your cat to enjoy being groomed, try to make it a fun and rewarding experience. Grooming is a social behaviour for cats that like each other and most enjoy being petted. When you want to groom your cat, approach them in a friendly way and begin to pet them. Then gradually introduce the brush and intersperse light brush strokes with petting.

If your cat runs at the sight of the brush you may need to do some behaviour modification in order to get your cat to accept being groomed. To do this, leave the brush near where your cat spends time. Start to create a positive association with the brush by leaving high value treats on it or placing it next to your cats bowl when they’re eating their food. When your cat no longer runs at the sight of the brush you can begin to pair treats and pats with short light brush strokes. Gradually increase the number of brush strokes if your cat is coping well and continue to pair grooming with high value treats. Once your cat no longer tries to escape from you at grooming time, you can phase out the treats. Continue to reward calm and compliant behaviour during grooming with verbal praise and petting.

Caring for an Older Rabbit

Fri, 04 May 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Are you the proud owner of an older rabbit? Even if your rabbit seems to be in perfect health, the aging process will eventually take its toll. You can ensure that your rabbit lives the healthiest, happiest life possible though with our favourite hints and tips to keep your older rabbit comfortable.

Improve Your Rabbit’s Mobility

One thing that you definitely may have noticed as your rabbit is getting older is that they are slowing down and not moving around as easily as they used to. It’s possible that your rabbit is developing arthritis as they get older and if you suspect this, have a chat with a vet that’s experienced in caring for rabbits. They may recommend medication or supplements to help ease the pain and inflammation. Of course, it could just be your rabbit naturally slowing down! In this case, you’ll need to make some changes to their living environment to make things easier on them. Give your rabbit plenty of traction such as a carpet runner to help them get up easier. Use lots of hay in the litter box – your rabbit will be able to use it better and it’s also a nice soft placed to sleep! If your rabbit has trouble even getting into their litter box, cut one side down nice and low for them.

The Older Rabbit’s Diet

As your rabbit ages you may notice that they are getting a little too thin, or possibly even a little too fat! For this reason, it’s important to balance their diet. Older rabbits so not need as much calcium and protein as younger rabbits do so eliminate alfalfa hay from their diet and replace it with plenty of fresh timothy hay. You should also make sure that your rabbit is getting plenty of green foods such as carrot tops and parsley. Don’t give them broccoli or other calcium rich foods and watch how much lettuce and cabbage you give as older rabbits may not be able to tolerate this well. If your older rabbit is eating plenty of hay and greens, you can reduce the amount of pellets that they get. However, if they’re looking a little thin, ensure that they still have access to pellet foods. Of course, make sure they have plenty of water, both in a bottle and in a dish. Older rabbits may change which ones they drink from so you need both.

Get Regular Vet Checks

Once your rabbit reaches the age of around 5 or 6 years old, it’s time to go to the vet and get a full check up to ensure that they are healthy. This check will include blood tests, a visual exam and more. This is important to get a baseline of their general health and you should get these tests repeated annually or even twice annually. Regular vet checks will pick up any health concerns quickly and you’ll be able to get them treated before they get worse. Your vet will also file your rabbit’s teeth at these vet checks if necessary.

Pet of the Week Shortlist 2nd May 2012

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:10:00 +1000

Do you have a cute photo of your pet? Post it on our Facebook wall and it may be the next Pet of the Week! Visit petpages on Facebook.

What is a Puppy Farm?

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Have you ever heard of a puppy farm? Do you know what one is? A puppy farm is an intensive breeding facility where pet dogs are bred on a large scale for profit.

Why Puppy Farms Are Bad

Puppy farms typically house breeding dogs in small cages or kennels. These dogs exist for the purpose of falling pregnant and giving birth to puppies which are sold to the public in Australia and exported overseas. These breeding dogs are provided little, if any, opportunity for mental and physical stimulation, such as socialisation and exercise, outside of their cages. The location of many puppy farms remains secret and many are located in rural areas away from public view.

Several large scale puppy farms have been raided by animal rights groups and the RSPCA in recent years. In some cases, dogs have been seized because the conditions in which they were kept were considered a breach of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. These breeding dogs commonly have severe health and/or behavioural issues as a direct result of neglect and inadequate management.

How to Avoid Supporting Puppy Farms

Some pet shops may source their puppies from puppy farms. If you buy a puppy from a pet shop you may be supporting this cruel practice, so ensure you are buying from a reputable place. Also be aware of advertisements in newspaper classifieds. Some puppy farmers arrange for puppies to be collected from an acquaintance’s house, away from the puppy farm, so that unsuspecting puppy owners are none the wiser.

To avoid supporting a puppy farm when purchasing a puppy, make sure you go to the breeder’s house and see the puppies with their mother and the environment in which they were raised. Better yet, why not save a life and adopt a puppy or adult dog from an animal shelter?

Types of Aviaries

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Keeping birds as pets is becoming a more and more popular pastime and as such, people are tending to move away from keeping them in cages to keeping them in aviaries. There are different types of aviaries that you can choose from so we’ve outlined the main options for you here.

Conventional Freestanding Aviaries

These are the standard aviaries that most people are used to seeing. Conventional freestanding aviaries are those that are built on the ground and that are essentially a super large cage. Freestanding aviaries can be built in a range of shapes and sizes and they are large enough to allow the birds plenty of room to fly around. It is easy to access the birds in a conventional aviary as you can just walk straight in! Generally, they are built of uncoated galvanised steel with concrete or paved flooring for ease of cleaning and to protect the birds from rodents, snakes and other animals that may try to get in.

Suspended Aviaries

Another popular type of aviary is the suspended aviary. Suspended aviaries are built wholly off the ground and they consist completely of uncoated galvanised mesh or another similar open material. Even the floor is made from the mesh which means that bird droppings, uneaten food and other waste just falls straight through the floor to the ground below. This makes it a very sanitary type of aviary and you have to clean it less often. Suspended aviaries are typically smaller than conventional aviaries so they have fewer sheltered spaces and may not be large enough for bigger or more active birds.

Cantilevered Aviaries

The final main option that you have for aviaries is the cantilevered aviary. They are basically a combination of conventional and suspended aviaries as they consist of a conventional aviary section that is connected to a suspended section that is wholly off the ground. Cantilevered aviaries are great as you get the traditional aviary that you can walk into but the birds can benefit from the greater freedom of movement for flight or just resting.

What Is Equestrianism?

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Equestrianism is a skill of horse riding, driving and vaulting with horses. People today enjoy the wonders of equestrianism through competitive sports and non competitive riding. It is a harmonious partnership that brings out the best in people and horses.

Equestrian sports date back 2000 years to when the Greeks prepared their horses for war by introducing dressage training. Today, equestrian is an Olympic sport that involves three different competitions or ‘disciplines’ – dressage, show jumping and eventing.

Australian riders began competing in equestrian competitions at the Olympics in 1956 and since then have experienced great success on the Olympic stage.

Australia has won six gold, three silver and two bronze Olympic eventing medals, most recently winning silver at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Equestrian celebrates 100 years at the Olympic Games at London 2012.

Olympic Equestrian Competitions

Dressage is one of the world’s oldest equine sports and in French translates to ‘training’, often called ‘flat work’. It involves carrying out a set routine of movements designed to demonstrate the suppleness, strength and obedience of the horse. In competitive dressage, riders progress through increasingly difficult tests and are awarded collective marks for horse and rider for the precision and quality of the performance.

Show jumping originated in Italy in the early 20th Century. It is a test of a rider’s skill and horse’s jumping ability as they leap over a series of obstacles that may include parallel rails, simulated stone walls, water jumps, triple bars and other variations. Penalties are given for faults, such as 4 penalties for knocking down an obstacle and 3 penalties for refusing an obstacle, as well as exceeding time limits.

Eventing is a combined competition that involves dressage, show jumping and cross-country, and the competitor rides the same horse throughout. The spotlight of the entire event is on the cross country competition, which tests the ability of the horse to jump and the horse-and-rider team to adapt to different and variable conditions, such as obstacles, weather and terrain. Penalties are given for exceeding the time allowed and refusals.

Para-equestrian is a competition for riders with a measurable physical or visual disability. Only dressage can be performed in para-equestrian competition. Riders who compete in para dressage are classified by their physical disability, not their riding skill. Each rider is categorised into one of five grades of competition based on their levels of ability. They can also use assistive devices to help them navigate around the arena.
Non-Olympic Equestrian Events

Vaulting is gymnastics on horseback and is the safest of the equestrian sports. Dating back to the Minoan period, it combines the skills of gymnastics and horsemanship, ultimately improving a rider’s seat, balance, rhythm and coordination. Competition involves compulsory routines and freestyle all performed to music.

Carriage driving is the oldest competitive equestrian sport and requires the rider to sit on a vehicle drawn by a single horse, a pair or a team of four horses. It consists of three phases – dressage, marathon and obstacle driving – and the winner is whoever has accumulated the least number of penalty points. A marathon is a course over 18 kms with sharp turns, water, steep hills and artificial obstacles, such as labyrinths, aimed to test the stamina and fitness of the horse and the driver’s control of the animal. Obstacle driving (or ‘cones’) tests the fitness and agility of the horse after the marathon by weaving through a narrow track outlines by cones with balls balanced on top.

Endurance riding involves riding the horse over a controlled long distance, in a set time and finish in the best form possible. Two main types of long distance riding are competitive trail riding and endurance riding, which can be any distance up to 160km.

Competitive trail rides are shorter and factors besides speed are considered, such as finishing under a certain time, undergoing veterinary checks and rider behaviour. The winning horse is the first one to cross the finish line.

Reining is a western riding competition where the rider guides the horse through a precise pattern of circles, spins and stops and the horse is judged on its ability to perform these movements with little or no apparent resistance. The reining pattern includes eight to 12 movements all done at a relaxed canter and gallop.

Rodeo involves horses and other livestock designed to test the skill and speed of the ‘cowboy’ or ‘cowgirl’ rider. The sport involves a range of events that test competitors in every way. These include bull riding (most popular and most dangerous rodeo riding event), bareback riding, saddlebronc, steerwrestling, rope & tie, team roping, ladies barrel race, breakaway roping and steer undecorating.

Horse racing comprises of three major types of racing: flat racing, steeplechasing (racing over jumps) and harness racing, which involves horses trotting and pacing while pulling a driver in a sulky.

Polo is a team sport played on horseback with four players on each team. The object of a polo match is to hit a white plastic ball down-field with a long-handled mallet through the goal for a score. The game lasts about two hours and is divided into six periods called ‘chukkers’.

Tips to Reduce Your Pet's Stress

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Does your pet seem to be “off” somehow? The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has an explanation for this saying that your pooch or kitty can get stressed, just like humans do. If you suspect stress in your pets, there are some things that you can do to lower their stress levels and make them happier. Just read on for some great tips.

Why Do Pets Get Stressed?

Your pets are more sensitive than you might think, being affected by simple things such as kids going back to school or owners going back to work after spending time at home on holidays. Of course, they’re also affected by bigger things such as moving house (but then again, who isn’t?!). Stressful events in your pet’s life can lead to them become anxious or even cause a change in their behaviour. This is upsetting for owners as no one wants an anxious or fearful pet!

So, how do you help your pets cope with stressful events? The incoming President of the Australian Veterinary Behaviour Interest Group, Dr Andrew O’Shea says that it’s vital to try and understand how your dog or cat is feeling. In the case of going back to school or work, your pet is upset because they don’t have their friends around as much as usual. Moving is another particularly stressful situation as pets don’t understand why everything is changing and they don’t like changes to their normal routine. As Dr O’Shea states, “The key is to plan ahead to minimise the stress your dog or cat might feel when faced with change”.

How to Help Your Pet to Adapt and Cope

If you’re worried about your pet, there are plenty of things that you can do to help them adapt to the new situation and to cope with the changes happening. These include:

Ensuring that you have a new vet before you move house so that you can get your pet help quickly if needed

Stick to your pet’s normal routine as much as you can – even if something must change try and stick to things such as normal feeding and walking times

Always keep yourself calm (pets pick up on your moods!)

Give them lots of extra attention

If moving house, keep your pet away from the hustle and bustle that occurs during packing and moving furniture

If you’ve relocated your pet to a new environment, calm them by giving them their bed and surround it with familiar toys and smells – you may even want to give them old t shirts with your smell on it

Pet of the Week Shortlist 24th April 2012

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:10:00 +1000

Do you have a cute photo of your pet? Post it on our Facebook wall and it may be the next Pet of the Week! Visit petpages on Facebook.

Guide to Keeping Chickens

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Do you love the thought of having fresh eggs every day and as much free manure for your garden as you want? You can’t go past keeping chickens, a hobby that more and more Australians are taking up. It takes a little work but soon you’ll be wondering how you ever lived without them! Here’s what you need to know.

Know Your Council Rules!

There are a few rules that you have to meet when keeping chickens but this isn’t a difficult thing at all. While you should check with your local council about what their exact rule are, generally you can’t keep roosters at all (because of the noise they make), you must keep chickens in a clean and healthy environment and you need to keep them in a coop that’s big enough for the number you are keeping. You also need to make sure that they can’t escape from your yard at all.

Housing Your Chickens

To house your chickens, you’ll need a lockable, fox proof chicken coop. To make the coop fox proof, make sure the base is made from wire mesh or that chicken wire has been dug into the ground around the coop. Foxes will try but they can’t get past the wire, leaving your chickens safe! Your chicken coop can be as simple or as elaborate as you like but it needs to have nesting space and nesting materials, and a sheltered, weatherproof zone to give the chickens protection from the weather.

Chicken Care

The beauty of keeping chickens is that once you’ve bought the birds and set up their home, they’re incredibly easy to care for! Feed your chickens on a seed/meal mix or on a pelletised food. Make sure your chicken food has protein in it – laying chickens need about 15 percent protein in their diet to be able to keep laying eggs. Let your chickens wander about your lawn and garden during the day. They’ll happily dig for worms and bugs, and eat weeds and other greens. You can also give them your kitchen scraps if you want to! Like with any other pet, give them lots of access to fresh clean water.

As far as cleaning the coop, all you really need to do is to remove dirty litter and excrement as you see it. The coop is usually lined with straw and you should replace this entirely every week. Don’t worry about disposing of it all in the bin either. The beauty is that it can go straight into your compost bin, where it will break down and give you beautiful, nutrient rich organic matter. Cleaning the coop out completely every week will stop any nasty odours and keep vermin away.

You’re also responsible for ensuring the health of your chickens and you can do this by worming them every three months. Ensure that your chickens are vaccinated either before or shortly after purchase. If mites and lice become a problem, dust your birds and the coop with a special powder that will kill them. If you suspect that your bird is at all unwell, get them to the vet straight away!

Guide to Owning Lovebirds

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Lovebirds are one of the smallest of the parrot family but what they make up for in size, they sure do make up for in beauty and personality. Lovebirds are great if you live in a smaller area and want to keep birds that aren’t too noisy! If you’re intrigued by these lovely animals, here’s what you need to know about owning them.

Small Birds that are Big on Personality

Lovebirds may be small but they do have a lot of personality. Just like other parrots, they love to chatter but they don’t make nearly as much noise as some of their larger counterparts do! Lovebirds will chatter happily and can learn to mimic a surprising range of sounds but you shouldn’t expect them to learn to talk per se. Rather, just be happy to have a chat with them and listen to them chat back in their own special language. Lovebirds bond closely with their owners and can actually become quite possessive of them! Hand raised birds are generally considered to be the best options for pets.

Lovebirds Need Company

Lovebirds need companionship so you should consider keeping them in pairs. Also make sure that you spend plenty of time with them – they don’t like being left alone for long periods of time. If your birds don’t get the attention they need, you may find that they start developing behavioural issues such as biting or pulling on their own feathers.

Choosing a Cage

Of course, you’ll need to keep your lovebirds in a cage but don’t automatically assume that the bigger the cage the better. Yes, lovebirds do need enough room to move around freely and stretch their wings but if the cage is too large, they can actually feel insecure within it, especially when they are by themselves and the members of their family are out. Make sure the cage is secure and the bars should be close enough together so that the lovebirds cannot squeeze through. Of course it should be made from completely non toxic materials.

Provide Toys and a Bath

Because lovebirds enjoy chewing immensely, it is important that you provide them with a range of things that they can chew on, whether that’s chew safe toys, natural branches or even a cuttlefish. Lovebirds also take great pleasure in having a bath, so you’ll want a decent sized, shallow bowl that they can have a good splash around in. Just remember to keep it full and clean!

Feeding Your Lovebirds

As far as food goes, you should give them a varied diet. Feed them on a specially prepared small parrot pellet or seed mix as these are designed to meet their nutritional requirements. As well, you should give your lovebirds plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. As well, make sure that they have a constant supply of fresh, clean drinking water.

How To Stop Your Cat Licking

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +1000

It’s no surprise for many cat owners to be grabbed on the face by feline paws and licked roughly across the face. Why do cats do that? Surely it’s not your face cleaning habits that are in question here.

For both male and female cats, licking is a way to not only do what they do best – grooming – but also a way to ‘claim you’ as part of their social behaviour. Licking is also a way to seek attention, which occurs more often in bed and when they want to be fed, says renowned animal behaviourist Dr Joanne Righetti.

Most owners are happy to be ‘showered’ with their cat’s love in this manner, but some cats can get a bit carried away and leave their humans gasping for breath. Sometimes, cats turn their tongue onto themselves and lick their body raw.

“A cat’s lick is different from a dog’s lick – a dog’s lick is gentle but a cat’s lick is rough. The cat tongue is extremely raspy, like nothing else on this earth, and able to pick up hair,” she says.

Cats were meant to use their tongues, but not excessively and it’s important to understand the cause of such licking, whether the focus is on the owner’s face or the cat’s body.

Why Do Cats Lick?

When cats are licking their owners, this would be seen as attention seeking, like wanting to be petted or fed at that moment, explains Dr Righetti.

“A lot of cats do this; some bite the nose because the nose sticks out prominently and others will bite fingers. Some cats will lick quite firmly,” she says.

When cats are self licking or grooming themselves too often, there’s often a medical reason. Excessive licking can be a mouth issue due to sore gums or teeth, especially as they get older. Also, parasites, fleas or ticks can set it (licking) off or an allergy or sensitivity in the skin, which can get quite severe and needs immediate veterinary care, says Dr Righetti.

When fleas are a problem, you’ll often find your cat grooming around the base of the tail. Ticks will move up the body towards under the collar, under the chin or the back of the neck.

“Cats will quite likely find a tick in its early stages because they nibble and groom, but not always, so it’s important to check regularly for ticks,” she says.

It’s important to get your cat checked out by a vet early on so it does not turn from a possible medical case into a behavioural problem. “Cats can groom to the point where their bodies are raw and in pain, which can mean that this has turned into compulsive behaviour,” she says.

Is Your Cat Overgrooming?

It’s difficult to tell with cats if they are overgrooming and licking excessively. How do you know when it’s too much?

There may be a problem, says Dr Righetti, if:

You see a lot of hair balls that have been thrown up

You see bald patches on your cat

Every time you look around you find your cat is grooming

Your cat is irritable from being sore from excessive licking

How To Stop Licking You?

If you want your cat to stop licking you, firstly, make sure you address the reason for the behaviour by giving your cat the attention she is asking for.

“Avoid giving any attention to the behaviour,” says Dr Righetti. “For instance, if your cat licks you awake early in the morning to be fed, wait a few minutes and then feed your cat so she doesn’t associate licking with feeding.”

If you don’t like being woken up early by your cat, consider shutting her out of your room. If you prefer not to do that, then “get up from bed and respond to your cat’s needs to be fed and let out, but do it with a minimum fuss; don’t play with your cat, go back to bed quickly,” she adds.

If your cat jumps on your lap for attention every time you sit down to talk to your friend, Dr Righetti suggests arming yourself with a cat toy to direct the attention.

And until your cat gets the idea, you might want to wear long rubber gloves to protect your arms from being licked. After all, that tongue has been to a lot undesirable places!

Caring for Your Pet in Wet Weather

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +1000

Are you in one of those areas of Australia that has been getting heaps of rain lately? The weather has been a little more extreme lately and it’s not just us humans that get affected, our pets do too. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on your pet during times of wet weather and make sure that they’re doing ok. Here are some hints and tips to ensure that both you and your pet are happy and healthy.

Manage Your Pet’s Stress

Wet weather can be extremely stressful, not just to us but to our pets and our pets experience stress in much the same way as we do. Causes of stress in a pet’s life can include extreme situations such as being evacuated due to floods, as well as other situations such as changes to the pet’s routine by owners keeping them inside and unfamiliar smells. Pets can also sense when their owners are stressed. You need to be careful about stress in pets as stress can make them more susceptible to things like illness or skin irritations. On the flip side, physical health problems can cause them stress. It is important that you do whatever you can to reassure your pets and lower their stress levels.

Keep on Top of Fleas and Ticks

When the weather is wetter than usual, the humidity causes an increase in flea and tick levels and these can be dangerous to your pets. Not only are fleas annoying and uncomfortable, they can use flea allergy dermatitis, a condition where your pet’s immune system overreacts to a flea bite, causing them to scratch excessively. This scratching in turn leads to further problems such as sores, loss of fur and skin infections. To stay on top of fleas and stop them from attacking your pet you need to use a multi pronged approach – use preventative flea treatments on your pet to stop them getting fleas in the first place, use flea products to treat any fleas they already have, vacuum your home regularly, and use sprays or bombs to kill any fleas that may already be in your home.

As for ticks, you’ll need to be diligent in checking your pets, checking them every day or even twice a day if necessary. This is especially important if you live in a tick prone area. Paralysis ticks are of extra concern and if you notice that your pet is showing symptoms of being bitten by a tick (lethargy, vomiting, weakness in the hindquarters etc), get your pet to a vet as soon as possible. As well as checking your pets for ticks, also use preventative products. Many flea products also treat ticks so you don’t have to use too many chemicals on your pet.

Use Preventative Medication for Heartworm and Parvovirus

Another risk with the wet weather is an increase in heartworm and parvovirus. The rate of heartworm increases in wet weather as more mosquitoes are around in the more humid conditions. Heartworm is dangerous to pets as they don’t show symptoms until the problem is very advanced and a lot of damage has already been done. The best way to attack this problem is to use preventative heartworm medications each and every month or to get an annual injection.

Parvovirus is particularly dangerous to dogs, damaging their gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system. It’s incredibly infectious and can survive in the environment for as long as a year. What can you do about it? The best and most effective way to prevent your dog from getting parvovirus is to vaccinate them each and every year.