ThePet.net Blog

Channel FIVE’s popular Gadget Show chose our Puppy Farm Awareness Day in September to film at, and the pet-tastic item was aired a few weeks ago:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

This weekend ThePet.net co-founder Marc the vet will be  travelling to Iquitos, deep in the Peruvian Amazon, to volunteer for a month with incredible charity AmazonCARES.org.

Marc will be mainly neutering dogs and cats to help control overpopulation, as well as treating routine health problems and also visiting local schools to talk with school-children about looking after pets.

AmazonCARES (which stands for Community Animal Rescue, Education and Safety) addresses vital topics important to a healthy community environment in Peru’s remote Amazon region.

These topics include animal welfare, human health, domestic violence prevention, humane education, conservation, environmental issues, respect for wildlife in their natural habitat, safety, responsible pet ownership and assisted animal therapy.

Why not follow Marc’s updates on twitter @marcthevet as he reports back from his adventures in the Amazon?!

Christmas is just a month away and we’re all planning who’s getting what present, desperately trying not to leave anyone, or anything, out.

But have you found your four-legged loved-ones’ special Yuletide gift yet?

Most of you I’m sure will buy your pet special gifts all year round, but how about giving something original to honour this festive time of year?

We’re so lucky in the UK, utterly spoilt with excellent pet shops tempting us inside them.

From traditional garden centres offering all the basics to a select group of high-end pet boutiques showcasing crystal-studded dog collars and trendy see-through cat bowls no less.

Every year it amazes us; the imagination and creativity shown by the pet product manufacturers to reinvent old-fashioned concepts and turn them into cool, flashy high-end gifts.

You don’t always have to look online and there’s never been a better time to support your local high street – if you can.

Personally we’re not really fans of silly novelty clothes for dogs (or cats) as we find it disrespectful.

Owners insisting their dogs love to dress-up as reindeer, Santa or Star Wars characters, wearing antlers with flashing lights, hoof-booties and sometimes even topped-off by the obligatory elf hat.

However on a more positive note, we’d much rather see more money spent on a pet than less.

Food is always another popular festive choice. Christmas stockings bulging with pet-friendly chocolate drops, turkey-flavoured treats and edible cards are widespread but please, when choosing food try to source healthy organic treats.

The golden rule is less changes to the gut bacteria the better, and this especially applies at this time of year when everyone’s guilty of feeding from the table and giving the ‘odd’ scrap. No grapes or raisins either.

Make the most of the practical products out there like weatherproof thermal coats (see picture), or a cozy cat bed?

Equafleece coat

Even a microchip implant can be the most useful present you will ever treat your precious pet to. They may not be glamorous to look at or much fun to play with, but as animals are more likely to get lost in these long cold wet nights ahead, they may be the one thing that ensures you spend future Christmas’ together as well.

And finally please think about local animal charities when spoiling your pet this Christmas.

Make donations in money, bedding or food, so animals in rescue centres can also feel special; as they perhaps wonder why they are alone in a kennel this year and not curled up by the fire like the last. Remember – it’s not their fault.

With the Christmas holidays just around the corner please consider how your festive celebrations may affect your pets, so we can all enjoy a safe and happy Christmas and New Year together.

Will you be spending your holidays at home or away? Leaving your pets at home will require the help of a responsible (and sober!) friend or neighbor to visit, feed and care for them.

Don’t forget that seasonal plants such as holly, poinsettia, ivy and mistletoe are all extremely toxic so please think very carefully when you’re busy decking out your halls.

If you are staying local and hosting your own party then please spare a thought for nervous pets with unfamiliar guests and when pulling crackers or popping party poppers; perhaps shut them securely in a quieter room with some soothing music, and check on them regularly.

Always make them a priority otherwise they may get scared, try to escape and perhaps never return.

Brightly-colored baubles and tantalizing tinsel are new and exciting objects for pets, who’ll most likely try to eat them and cause them all sorts of internal problems.

Properly securing any fragile glass decorations will make sure they’re kept out of reach at the top of your tree to avoid pets pulling them off, breaking them, or stepping on any sharp fragments.

Foodwise, there are hazards galore at this time of year. Most of you – I hope – will be well-aware that chocolate is extremely poisonous to both dogs and cats (rule: the darker the more deadly), and any suspect ingestion should be reported to your veterinarian immediately.

Symptoms of chocolate poisoning can include vomiting, diarrhoea and increased urination, progressing to seizures and sometimes even death.

Turkey bones can cause choking, constipation, as well as seriously damaging internal organs. Make sure fairy lights and electric wires are ‘chew-proof’ from inquisitive puppies, kittens and even rabbits too.

Another common danger at this time of year is anti-freeze; extremely palatable to cats, it will cause irreversible kidney failure if your cat even just licks his paws after walking through a puddle of the stuff, so be warned and check all outside areas and garages today.

Of course you should never give pets as presents, but if you are seriously thinking about getting your own furry friend, then please visit your local rescue shelter in January, where sadly there’ll be plenty of healthy but confused new in-mates to choose from and adopt.

Finally, ThePet.net would like to wish all you and your pets a very happy and healthy Christmas and New Year, see you in 2010!

Did you know that your own back garden has now become a fantastic refuge for our native species of birds, as they can actually find the countryside around them a hostile place these days?

So if you’ve a garden or a secluded area where birds can feed safely, then please try to do your bit to help them survive these coming winter months.

The cold weather’s already arrived and we can all easily help out some of our commoner species such as blackbirds, blue tits, robins, starlings and sparrows by setting up a feeding station and keeping it well-stocked until the spring.

It’s so rewarding to watch the coming and goings of birds from your garden, and within days you’ll even be able to recognize those regular visitors making routine visits in their daily search for food and water.

You may even discover species you’ve never seen close-up before, such as the nervous nuthatch (pictured) or even the stunning but extremely shy great spotted woodpecker.

Peanuts have long been a traditional favourite food but there is now such a wide range of specially prepared foods available you can even specialize in which birds you would like to attract!

Many of our favourite garden guests like the robin or thrush are not natural seed-eaters, much preferring fruit, berries, various insects, worms, grubs and snails; a diet fully catered-for by most bird food producers, local pet shops and garden centres.

When setting up a feeding station make sure your table or feeders are near to branches or perches where birds can land and look around – they need to feel safe before feeding. Also try not to put feeding stations too near thick bushes where a crafty cat might be hiding.

Please don’t feed rice, desiccated coconut or cooked meat. Bread isn’t very nutritious either but it’s not harmful and should always be broken into tiny pieces. Scatter some food on the floor for ground feeders such as song thrushes and chaffinches.

Provide birds with a fresh supply of water for drinking and bathing but never add salt, antifreeze or other chemicals to melt the ice. These hazardous substances can also prove deadly to our pets.

Find time to sit, relax and enjoy watching the birds in your garden. Combined, Britain’s gardens are our biggest nature reserve and go a long way to providing places where our native birds can not only just survive but also flourish.

Finally, please try and keep areas where the birds collect nice and clean. Sadly, they can become seriously ill, or even die when there’s a build-up of infected droppings. Prevent this by always cleaning your bird-table/patio regularly and changing their water frequently.