PET HINT - Locating a lost pet

Losing a beloved pet – even for a few hours – is a very distressing experience for pet and owner alike but research shows that reuniting with your pet is much more successful if it can be easily identified. The following steps will help in this process.

First, make sure your pet is wearing an identification tag with your phone number and their name on it and also. Also, ask your vet to microchip your pet, if it hasn’t been done prior to you acquiring the pet. This will identify it for life and details are recorded on a database that will be used to reunite pet and owner in the event that your pet gets lost. Remember to update your details if you change address. Identification tags and micro chipping may be a requirement in your area. Finally, photograph your pet regularly in case you need to use the photo on a “missing” flyer later on.

If your pet does go missing, don’t panic! Look in and around your house first, checking all nooks and crannies including washing machines, clothes dryers and drains. Your dog might have accidently been locked in a room and cats are known for finding excellent hiding holes and ignoring calls.

Dogs and cats rely on their sense of smell to locate their home so place some of your unwashed clothes, your pet’s litter box or favourite toys outside your door to help guide them home.

Door knocking in your local area can also help. While walking the streets, carry your pet’s favourite biscuits in a tin that you can rattle while calling their name. Also carry a flashlight to check dark spaces. A frightened or injured animal will hide and not necessarily come when called.

Phone your local council, animal shelters and vet clinics to leave information on your pet and your contact details, and then distribute flyers with the latest photo and description of your pet in the local area. Remember to withhold several identifying marks of your lost pet in case you need to verify that a person has actually found your pet later on.

Dogs can walk a long way from home so place advertisements in the “Lost and Found” section of your newspaper. There are also sites on the internet that allow you to post a description and photo of your lost pet for free.

Last but not least, visit all the animal welfare shelters and council pounds in surrounding areas every few days. Remember that your description of your pet may not be the same as how the shelter is describing it. State laws vary as to how long an animal has to be kept before it can be rehoused or euthanased.

Escapee pets: now you see them...

This video of an enterprising Beagle escaping its enclosure reminds me of some of the 'Houdini' pets I've known as a vet nurse.

Oscar, a striking black Oriental cat, didn't like being left alone and would go in search of human company. At various times he was returned to our clinic by concerned people who had found him at the local shops, lapping up attention on the counter at a video store, and once on a public bus.

Nikita, a brown kelpie, was storm phobic and always jumped the fence at the first sound of thunder. Typically she would be picked up on the road, desperate to jump into the first open car door so she could enjoy the comfort of human companionship.

My own two dogs went through a phase of shooting out the front door every time they could. Gleefully oblivious to all our calls, whistles and threats, they'd usually go down to the lake for a swim, and then bring themselves home. On one of their escapades Ben the Labrador, never very bright, crossed a main road and ran into the side of a passing car. Luckily, he wasn't injured, but the panel beater's bill we received from the driver made him canine non grata for a while.

Escapee pets are vulnerable to theft, cars and attacks from other animals, and can make themselves very unpopular by investigating rubbish bins, hunting wildlife, pooing on lawns etc. A securely fenced yard, with room to run, is a must for dogs (the kind of enclosure shown in the video is clearly inappropriate), and for cats a purpose-built enclosure is a great way to ensure the safety of both your cat and local wildlife.

The lonely, bored pet is far more likely to escape - a companion, plenty of toys and environmental enrichment and of course, lots of attention can help. In many areas there are now 'doggy day care' facilities, as well as individuals who’ll walk your dog or visit your cat while you’re at work. A little planning should prevent your pet from adopting the nickname ‘Steve McQueen’.

Victorian councils consider compulsory 24-hour cat confinement

Councils in Victoria are considering the introduction of compulsory 24-hour cat confinement, triggering strong responses from members of the public. The setting of cat traps as part of the plan has angered cat owners.

Read details of the story in the Leader Press - click here

At least 10 Victorian councils have made it an offence for cats to be outdoors at night. Read more here.