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.

PET HINT - Choosing a bird

Birds make wonderful pets. They are cheerful and friendly and the wide variety of shapes, colours and sizes means that you are sure to find one that will comfortably perch in your life.

If you have only a small area for your bird or live in a townhouse or a apartment, keep in mind the smaller breeds such as Budgies, Finches, Canaries and Lovebirds which do not require large aviaries. Smaller birds can also be easier to handle and are normally quieter.

Birds such as Cockatoos and Parrots, while excellent talkers, are also well known for their noisy squawking and are only suitable for people who do not have close neighbours. Many councils, in fact, prohibit the keeping of larger Parrots due to their noise.

If you are looking for a bird that can talk, male Budgies and Cockatiels are a good choice. While male Canaries cost almost double that of female Canaries, they will reward you with their pretty song.

When considering what bird to choose you also need to think about their lifespan. Budgies may only live for five to 15 years but other birds such as Parrots may live to 50 years and Cockatoos up to 100!

All birds love space so buy the largest cage you can afford, making sure that they can fully extend their wings.

Birds are also social so it’s important that they have company, either human or bird. A lonely bird will often develop behavioural problems like feather picking or never-ending screeching which will distress both you and your neighbours.

Some birds such as the native Lorikeet require specialised diets which can be expensive and time consuming to prepare. Other birds are happy with commercial seed mixes and fruit/vegetable treats which are easy to prepare.

When purchasing a bird from a breeder or store, make sure that the cages are clean and the birds have tight, clean and glossy feathers. Some pet stores hand-rear birds that grow into tame, easy to handle pets that are happy to come out of their cages. Make sure that that any bird is fully weaned before taking it home.
Newly purchased birds should be kept away from other birds for several weeks until you are sure they aren’t carrying a disease.

Dogs have morals too

A new breed of animal behaviour scientists are breaking down old belief systems; that humans alone have morals, ethics and emotions, with the discovery that canines and other animals have rich emotional lives.

Marc Bekoff, a professor and animal behaviourist at the University of Colorado says a dog’s code of ethics is displayed daily in parks, backyards and family rooms. Bekoff has discovered that these things can be measured and has spent thousands of hours in the field observing coyotes, wolves and dogs. After analysing videotapes of the footage, Bekoff is convinced that many animals can tell right from wrong and possess empathy and compassion.

Whilst some behaviour experts still believe emotions and morality are strictly human traits, Bekoff says he is witnessing a turning of the tide with the amount of scepticism dramatically dropping.

In humans, the specific brain structures in which emotions are centred are also present in the brains of other mammals. The similarities don’t end there; the chemicals (called neurotransmitters) which affect these structures are the same in both human and mammalian brains.

Bekoff says dog’s display a range of emotions including; fairness in play, love of company and friends, jealousy, resentment, anxiety, fear, embarrassment, remorse, affection, compassion, grief and loss. Dogs are also thought to have a sense of humour because the same brain structures are active in laughing humans and dogs who are enjoying themselves.

Despite critics citing evidence as often anecdotal, Bekoff argues that thousands of anecdotes equal data.

A Common Cat-Astrophy!

I had a behaviour consultation the other day for a couple who had two beautiful Birman cats; a three year old male called Pierre and a two year old female called Mischa. The problem was with Pierre who had recently started urinating inside the house, anywhere except his litter tray and usually on the leather furniture. Pierre’s owners were at their wits end with having to clean up after their once house-proud cat.

After we sat down and had a chat it came to light that several things had occurred in the recent past which may have contributed to Pierre’s abnormal (and inconvenient) behaviour; Pierre’s owners moved house several months ago; Pierre had recently reacted anxiously (and very vocally) to the presence of a cat in the front yard, and; Pierre’s owners had bought some new items of furniture and placed them close to where Pierre’s litter tray was located. Another thing worth mentioning was that both cats shared the one litter tray.

So why would these events cause a cat to stop using his litter tray I hear you ask? It all has to do with territoriality. Cats are territorial creatures, some breeds more than others, and they tend to get stressed and anxious when they perceive their territory is under threat. Moving house, for example, can be very traumatic for some cats because they lose their territory and must gain a new one moving from one house to the next.

A neighbour’s cat encroaching on their territory can also be percieved as a threat, as can the addition of new items of furniture to the house. Cats are creatures of habit and even small changes within their environment (such as the addition of new items of furniture) can stress them out. In Pierre’s case, new leather chairs with a strong “new furniture” scent placed next to his litter tray was too much to bear.

Pierre’s owners were advised to provide each cat in the household with their own litter tray (located in a quiet and private area), food bowl and toys to minimise competition for resources within the territory and; that they should be aware that any changes within the cats’ environment can cause stress and anxiety and should be done gradually.

Nursing home cat predicts deaths of patients

Animals have some truly remarkable abilities. Recent discoveries that dogs are able to accurately detect many forms of cancer and illness in people are amazing scientists and doctors alike. So what happens when we take this a step further? … A cat that can predict death in people may sound like science fiction, but it isn’t.

Oscar was adopted as a kitten from an animal shelter by staff from the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre in the US. Growing up in the third floor dementia unit where patients are treated for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses; Oscar has accurately predicted the deaths of 25 patients. At around six months of age, Oscar began making his own rounds of the hospital, just like the doctors and nurses do. He'd sniff and observe patients, and those he curled up next to and stayed with would wind up dying a few hours later. Oscar is so accurate that staff members notify the family of patients if Oscar indicates they might not have long.

Nobody knows exactly how he does it, however there are several theories. One is that Oscar can smell subtle chemical changes in the bodies of dying patients. Another theory is that Oscar reads the body language of the nurses attending to terminal patients and has learned when patients are close to death. However, at the end of the day nursing home staff are not concerned with explaining Oscar’s ability, so long as he gives families a better chance at saying goodbye to their loved ones.

University survey - please take part!

My name is Amy Richardson, and I am currently in my third year of the Bachelor of Animal Science at the University of Western Sydney. As part of my degree I am required to carry out a project, in conjunction with a client in the Animal industry, for this project I am working with the Petcare Information and Advisory Service. 

The purpose of my project is to determine some trends within pet ownership, from aspects such as the acquisition as well as the owners themselves. I ask you to read through the following questions and select the most appropriate answers.

 
Participation in the survey is optional, however participants must be over the age of 18

Click Here to take survey

Pets at work

The following considerations are suggested for offices that may wish to allow pets into the work environment. It is guiding information only and any company intending to allow pets should do their own research and seek further advice.

1. Gauge staff interest in allowing pets to visit the work environment. There may be people in your office who are not suited to working in an environment with pets.

2. Check workplace hygiene regulations, especially in regard to areas where food may be eaten, and any Local Government regulations.

3. Establish a pet booking system and ask anyone who wishes to bring a pet to work to register their pet prior to the day. This will allow you to control the number and type of pets that are in the office on any given day.

4. Ensure that any pet that comes to the office is up to date on vaccinations and flea/worm control programs. This can easily be achieved by asking anyone who brings a pet in to sign a registration and indemnity form.

5. Consider asking pet owners to display a pet ID tag with their owners’ name so people and pets can be easily matched up if the pet becomes temporarily separated from its owner.

6. Pet owners should be asked to bring leashes, toys and appropriate bedding to the office so their pet is comfortable and secure. Owners should also be asked to take their pets outside for a toilet break every one to two hours.

7. Pet owners should be asked to supervise their pet throughout the day. If they do have to leave the office for a short time they should have a ‘pet sitter’ colleague who can take responsibility for the pet.

8. Not all pets are suited to visiting the office and a nervous animal can sometimes display aggressive behaviour. Any aggressive behaviour from a pet that is directed towards other animals or people can not be tolerated and there should be a clear policy that owners will be asked to remove their pet from the office if this occurs.

9. Finally, some dogs are not cat lovers and the feeling is often mutual. Offices may want to consider cat only days.

Download these guidelines as a pdf - HERE