I smell a Rat! I have an unreasonable fear of Rats and realise that this year with the help of the Chinese Zodiac, there will be steady reminders of this creature, until the end of January 2009! A Rat year is apparently a time of renewal, activity and hard work! A year of opportunities for those who are prepared and resourceful! A good time to begin a new job, get married, and generally make a fresh start! Perhaps it is a time to change my attitude to rats and even embrace the possibility of a rodent in the house! And by that I mean the Pet kind rather than the uninvited midnight guest! I will tell you my horror mouse story in a future blog but for now here is a thought for 2008:
It may be the year to champion hamsters, guinea pigs and gerbils, as news reaches me that Pet shops are seeing their popularity decline in favour of Iguanas, snakes,skinks and newts!
In the U.K Pet shops are attributing the surge in demand for reptiles and amphibians to the famous naturalist David Attenborough, whose latest T.V sereies for the BBC is called 'Life in Cold Blood'. The man is a genius at presenting nature and wildlife programmes and attracting massive interest in the natural world from adults and children alike. Great news until your child comes home from school and says 'Mummy I wanna Iguana'! This headline in the Daily Mail got me thinking and in anitcipation of such a request, I am totally prepared to champion the rodent versus the reptile!
Just had a great skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps with 3 very happy children but sadly no Toffee...not that she knew what she was missing and in any case she was being utterly spoiled while staying with her other no 1, Granny! I did however promiss the kids to drive Toffee out there next year, after all she has her passport and in this ski resort at least,dogs are very welcome!
I was struck by how happy dogs of all shapes and sizes seemed to be in the mountains! The snow makes a playground with endless exercise potential and with a huge frozen lake to walk on pets and parents alike reep the benefits of the clean air and sunshine! A snow spa for dogs and happy moods all around, what more could you want? Perhaps it is the altitude that has a positive effect on animals generally, and the lack of car fumes puts a spring in their step..even the horses seem to make light of their loaded sleighs as they trot up and down the steep roads...
Those of you who have to deal with pets facing a long cold winter might have a different view, but please post your snow and travel tips for us on Paws Connect, it would be really appreciated I am sure!
When I first heard of Dog-napping, the thought occured that Disney might be plotting another dalmation movie! However, Cruella's revenge aside, I did not realise how very real this frightening prospect is! More of that later but for now some simple safety tips, that should help ensure that no one can take advantage of the lifelong emotional ties we develop with our pets.
Micro-chip your dog
Don't inscribe or use your pet's name on its collar, it makes it too easy for a thief to befreind your dog...do however put a contact number and even your vet's contact details.
Try and regularly update your pet photographs, and be sure to take them from all angles!
Make a note of all distinguishing marks, weight and height, as this could be vital for the search.
Last but not least, if you walk your dog regularly in the same park, try and get the parks' police number and put it straight into your mobil phone!
Don't be as trusting as your dog!!
Remember these tips, and chances are you will never need them!
I was reminded by a friend today of how the real despair of loosing your pet, can be soemtimes miraculously reversed with the help of the microchip tracker. This story is incredible but true! A veterinary nurse was reunited with her lost dog, seven years after it went missing! She had moved to a new house 200 miles away from where she lived with her lurcher puppy named Rhia, and had all but given up hope of being reunited with the lost puppy. Luckily she had remembered to register her new address with the microchip tracker data base. Out of the blue the nurse received a call from staff at Battersea Dogs home in London after the dog was handed in at the shelter. Needless to say she rushed to London to be reunited with Rhia, how emotional that must have been, but after such a long wait, who wouldn't have shed tears of joy!
