I read a really sad article the other day that there have been some surprise victims to the current credit crunch. Apparently as people struggle to cope with the rising cost of living, pets are being abandoned.
Many animal rescue centres are reporting a huge increase in the number of pets being brought to them. Vanessa Eden, a worker at the RSPCA said “We have people bringing in their pets because they can no longer afford to pay their energy bills, let alone vet bills or pet food.” The RSPCA are reporting a 23% increase in the number of pets abandoned in 2007 compared to the previous year. The Independent reports that last year the RSPCA was forced to rescue 7,346 animals that had been abandoned by their owners. 2,621 have already been picked up in the first four months of 2008 alone.
Apparently the average cost of looking after a dog for its lifetime is nearly £10,000 which is a big expense so you have to be sure that you can commit to that when first deciding to have a pet.
People may also be deciding to abandon their pets due to the expensive vets bills but this needn’t be the case. There are some great deals on pet insurance with some policies starting from as little as £5.00 a month, the equivalent of a bottle of wine or a portion of fish and chips. So don’t give up on your pets if you are worried about pet insurance costs, shop around and you will find some great deals.
The BBC Online reported that two-thirds of cat owners said that curling up with their pets was the best way to beat stress and I remember reading reports that many people preferred spending time with their pets rather than their partners.
So as the credit crunch worsens maybe we will start to see abandoned partners too!
As a member of the public, I was really pleased to read that The RSPCA has announced that at their Society summer conference they will be examining the challenge of managing dogs within our communities.
There have been many reports over the past couple of years where children have been unexpectedly and uncharacteristically attacked by family pets in their own homes, some leading to them sadly dying. It is certainly something that I am more aware of nowadays and more nervous about when I see a stray dog in the street.
Miranda Luck, RSPCA Strategic Campaigner said : “There is a concern amongst the public at the moment about dogs, whether it be high-profile attacks on children, organised dog fighting, or young people with tough-looking dogs on street corners. The RSPCA wants to bring people together to discuss these issues, and hopefully we’ll come up with effective solutions.”
Speakers at the one day conference will include Richard Brunstrom, North Wales Chief Constable and Neil Davies, the head of the Dog Unit for Merseyside Police. Following the death of Ellie Lawrenson in 2007, Neil Davies introduced the ‘pitbull amnesty’.
The RSPCA have also launched a new scheme in Brixton to try and address the problem of anti-social behaviour and the intimidation of dogs on London’s streets. The scheme brings together Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, The Blue Cross and the RSPCA and has the backing of the Mayor of London.
An educational pack was put together with a video exploring issues of dog ownership. It addresses topics like irresponsible dog breeding, inappropriate exercise areas and organized dog fighting.
With so many high profile attacks it brings to the fore the need to have some level of pet insurance. Make sure that you are covered if your pet injures or kills someone or damages someone’s property. It can happen so easily and can cost you thousands of pounds. Also, with pet’s rating so highly in our affections it is good to know that your pet will also be looked after if they are ever hurt or attacked by another animal.
It’s not rocket science that pets don’t like fireworks - so here are some sparkling tips for keeping your pets as secure and happy on Bonfire Night with thanks to the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC)
Ensure that pets are kept indoors and all windows, doors and cat/dog flaps are shut.
Play the TV and radio loudly to help muffle the sound of the fireworks.
When fireworks go off, don’t look worried. If you look cheerful and happy this will help your pet.
If your dog becomes distressed, do not try to comfort it as this may make the behaviour worse.
Interact and play with your pet if it is calm while fireworks are going off as this will help it to associate something nice with the sound of fireworks.
Provide a safe ‘den’ for dogs such as a large ‘igloo’ or dog crate/box which is covered on three sides. Introduce your dog to this a few days before the event. Cats will often hide in a dark cupboard or under the bed, make sure these areas are accessible.
Be prepared. If your pet has previously been worried by fireworks speak to your vet a few weeks before the fireworks begin. Medication can be useful and D.A.P., a plug in diffuser, can help to calm dogs.
If your pet has a serious firework or noise phobia, ask your vet for a referral to a behaviour specialist.
I have reproduced these excellent tips here direct from a press release received from the APBC - and should you wish to, you can find out more about their work at www.apbc.org.uk.
Great headline - wish I could claim the credit for myself. It is however the headline of an article on Time magazine’s website in honour of a new book called ‘The Cat Bible: Everything Your Cat Expects You To Know”.With 90m pet cats in the States, a book like this is going to have a big audience - and it’s available over here too.
If you own a cat - or are thinking about getting one - and want to find out more then click to to read Time’s interview with the book’s author Tracie Hotchner and see what cat’s want you to know! Go on, have a read - curiosity may have killed the cat - but you should be okay to take a peek!
If your curiosity does get the better of you and you want the book - you can get your paws on it here at a heavily discounted price.
With the weather so good over the Bank Holiday weekend, I spent most of it with the family outdoors in various parks. Aside from “can I have an ice cream” the most oft-asked question was “when can we have a pet dog” - a discussion that seems to rear its head with ever-more frequency. Having teased them about the labradoodle (a cross between a labrador and a poodle, of course) I then said that I would be prepared to get a liger (a cross between a lion and a tiger) since it would help keep next door’s cat away. I didn’t actually think such a thing existed but, you know, t’internet’s a wonderful thing, and as you can see this hybrid animal really does exist.
Lest you think I present this only for amusement (for liger-louts?) let me also point you in the direction of this article which clearly sets out how this type of cross-breeding would be extremely unlikely in the wild. Perhaps we’ll just get a gerbil.
Every so often my wife returns to this, one of the favourites on her wishlist: “Could we get a dog. Pur-lease?”. My usual answer is “Yep, right, sure. How about we do that justafter we retire to the South of France” or similar, something that is about as likely as us retiring to the South of the Moon, if you must know. It’s not yet reached obsessional stage with her, and it would hardly be that practical for us in any case, but we have mused over the idea that someone, somewhere should offer dogs for rent, so that you could, say, at the weekend, enjoy taking your preferred pooch for a good walk, and perhaps helping out people who were ill, or were really busy, and who needed someone to look after their dog for them. Something like that.Â
Anyway, it now seems someone, somewhere is doing this - welcome to the world of Flexpetz……a Californian concept that’s apparently doing good business right now in the States. With Flexpetz, you sign-up as a member, they vet you (no pun intended!) and whether it’s for a few hours or a weekend, you can get your dog delivered to your door, complete with global-positioning microchip in case you and your rented Rover get seperated.Â
 The website features a news clip from a LA TV show where the presenter describes it as a “guilt-free, worry-free, commitment-free ownership” and everyone seems very amused, amazed and accepting of the idea of pet-timeshares.
Only in California, you might think, but apparently the concept is coming over here - with Flexpetz due to opens its first UK office in London later this Autumn. If it does make it to these shores you can bet it is going to be controversial and already the Kennel Club has issued a statement with their deep concerns and misgivings about the idea.
I can’t say I approve of it myself, it could prove to be terribly disorienting for a dog to have a wide range of people all looking after it, and no stability in its life. A dog is for life, surely, not just the the weekend. Â
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