In this issue
- You, Your Pet and the Law
- "Tis the Season to be Jolly Frightened" Dealing with Fear in Pets
- New Year, New Pet?
- Got any resolutions for 2009?
You, Your Pet and the Law
Owning and caring for a pet such as a dog, cat or horse can be great fun and very rewarding, but it also brings a high level of responsibility and a long-term commitment both in terms of care and your finances.
Under the law – governed by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 – you control your pet’s lifestyle and it is your responsibility to make sure that its welfare needs are met, whatever the circumstances. This applies whether you own or are responsible for the animal on a permanent basis or are just looking after it temporarily for friends or family.
Now, to help people understand their responsibilities under the Animal Welfare Act, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has issued some new draft guidelines (called codes of practice) for the care of cats, dogs and horses in England, which are set to come into force next year. In Wales, the Welsh Assembly has already launched similar codes and the Scottish Government is also expected to to do similar soon.
In general, the law requires you to take reasonable steps to ensure that your pets:
- Have a suitable environment to live in
- Have a healthy diet
- Are able to behave normally
- Have appropriate company
- Are protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
Risk of prosecution
DEFRA stresses that each new code will explain what you need to do to meet the standard of care the law requires for cats, dogs and horses in all these areas. It will be your responsibility to read the code and to fully understand your dog’s, cat’s and horse’s welfare needs and what the law requires you to do.
Owners will not be fined for breaking the rules but failure to comply may be used in animal cruelty prosecutions.
To find out more, less experienced owners are being encouraged to seek advice from pet care specialists such as their vet, vet nurse and animal behaviourists when they need expert help on welfare and healthcare issues.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn explains: “These three new codes of practice are designed to outline the responsibilities under the Animal Welfare Act and give practical advice on how to fulfil them.”
Key provisions for dog welfare include;
- Ensuring they don’t become lonely and have the company of people, dogs or other animals
- A warning that owners who leave them in hot cars could face prosecution
- Ensuring your dog is kept away from potentially harmful substances
- Providing constant access to fresh water
- Making sure that dogs kept outside are in a secure and safe environment
- Ensuring that your dog has a balanced diet that meets its nutritional needs. Your dog must be fed at least once a day but generally it is advised to feed twice per day
- Providing adequate training, exercise and somewhere for your dog to go to the toilet
- Paying attention to health care needs and routine measures such as vaccination, parasite control, grooming as well as examining the dog regularly for signs of injury or illness.
- Ensuring your dog does not stray and providing identification such as a correctly fitted collar and id tag.
Other key provisions for cat owners include;
- Toys or entertainment to avoid boredom as well as the opportunity to climb and jump and exercise to fulfil the natural instinct to hunt
- Advice on obesity, which includes giving measured portions of food per day rather than adlib grazing as well as advice that cats are carnivores and cannot exist as vegetarians
- Provision of shelter and care even for farm or resident wild cats
- What to look for to identify stress
- Proper handling to assist socialization.
Other key provisions for horse owners include;
- A reminder of the duty of care owed to horses and that caring for and handling them requires expert experience.
- Advice on the correct size of stables, grazing and heights of fencing
- Advice on a good pasture management programme
- A reminder of which plants, shrubs and trees are toxic to horses.
- Correct use of rugs
- A reminder of the need to inspect grass-kept horses at least once per day, stable-kept horses at least twice per day and of the need to pick out hooves daily
- Advice on diet, exercise and body condition scoring
- Advice on when to call the vet in the event of injury or illness
- Advice on routine health care, shoeing and dentistry and on caring for older or infirm animals.
To obtain copies of all the codes of practice and to find out more about the Animal Welfare Act 2006, your responsibilities under it, and other legislation relating to dogs, cats and horses, you can write to:
Defra
Animal Welfare Act Implementation Team
Area 8B, No 9 Millbank 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR
Tel: 0207 238 5991
Email: Animal Welfare Consultations (FFG)
You can also download copies of each code –
For horses at:
"Tis the Season to be Jolly Frightened" Dealing with Fear in Pets
Christmas is such a special time, full of seasonal smells and sounds, with family and friends coming round who you may only get to see at this time of year. But all this strange behaviour by their owners can cause some pets to panic and show signs of fear – so we have some advice to make sure your four-pawed pals stay happy over the holiday season.
Give the gift of time
It's easy during all the excitement of the Christmas and New Year to forget to take time out for your pet, but this interaction could be even more important at this time of year than normal. Taking time to stroke and reassure your pet will show them that you still care for them and that they don't have anything to worry about.
Social whirl
If you are having guests round to visit, make sure that you take into account how much their presence could affect your pet's well-being. If they are regular visitors then you probably don't need to take any special measures, but if your pet hasn't met them before, or isn't used to young children for example, you may need to consider options such as a den or an off-limits room for your pet to take refuge in if they get upset or unnerved.
Remember, remember…
We all know to keep our pets indoors on the 5th of November, but we may forget that fireworks are an increasingly common part of New Year celebrations. Try to keep cats and dogs inside and remain calm yourself, as this will have a calming effect on them. For small animals, such as rabbits and guinea pigs, if you can’t bring them inside turn their cage to face a wall so they can’t see the bright flashes that may frighten them. Also, give them extra bedding for them to burrow away and hide in, so they feel they can get away from the source of their fear.
Unusual objects
Christmas trees, presents and decorations, are items that form a huge part of Christmas for us, but can be an unusual intrusion into your pet’s life. Climbing the Christmas tree, opening presents and nibbling wires are common types of destructive behaviour exhibited by animals over Christmas.
“I came back from Midnight Mass to find my cats had opened all the presents left under the tree!” says Oxford-based owner Jane Bordenave, “Since then, I always make sure that the presents are hidden away if we are going out for any length of time.”
And it’s not only the presents that may suffer: “When I was young I left my hamster rolling round in its exercise ball in the room with the Christmas tree. I only left the room for two minutes - and returned to find the hamster had rolled the ball into the tree and knocked it right over,” confesses Enfield owner Jenny Townsend. “ You wouldn’t think such a small creature could have such a dramatic effect!”.
Not leaving the animals alone in the main room where most of these items are located is a good first step to eliminating these problems. Raising wires off the floor, not putting presents under the tree for as long as possible and discouraging your pet from approaching the tree can also help.
Seek advice
If your pet is prone to stress anyway, talk to your vet to see if they can recommend anything that will help them through the festive season. Vets are professionals who can offer you advice on most aspects of your pet’s welfare and should be approached for advice if you are particularly concerned about how your pet will react.
Merry Christmas, everyone
Finally, there are lots of products available to make Christmas a special time for your pet as well as the rest of your family. Look in supermarkets, pet shops and online for festive treats to reward your furry friend for their good behaviour over Christmas, and to include them in the holiday cheer!
New Year, New Pet?
Over the Christmas period you and your family may have invited the patter of tiny – or not so tiny – paws into your home. For first time pet owners, having a new four legged friend can be rewarding, but also challenging.
The first thing to remember is that you are bringing your animal into an unusual environment by bringing them into your home. A big, new place away from their mother can be scary for puppies, kittens and other young animals and they may try to hide. This activity is not unusual, but it is best to make sure that your new pet cannot make its way behind the cooker or under the bath, for example, by ensuring these areas are thoroughly sealed and secure – you would be surprised how small a space little pets can crawl into!
Kittens may arrive litter trained, but this is a habit that may need reinforcing. Cats won’t toilet near their food, so you will need to keep a litter box as far away from your kitten's food as possible to encourage positive behaviour. If you want your kitten to toilet outside, this is a separate training issue that you will need to address once it has got used to living in your house (it is normally three weeks before a kitten can be let outside, and then they should be accompanied until they are confident).
Puppies will arrive needing to be house trained, and it is advisable to have training pads on hand to help this process. Puppies should not be let out until after they are fully vaccinated, and supervision in the garden is always advised until they are confident enough to go out alone.
Older dogs and cats you may have adopted will probably arrive house trained, but they will still take time to bond with you and get used to their surroundings. Keeping them indoors may be advisable until they have settled in.
Although other pets may not require house training, before they arrive you need to make sure that you have a secure enclosure with suitable, clean bedding that is changed regularly. They will also need correct food, and a constant supply of fresh clean water.
For all pets, it is best to do some research before they arrive so that you know how best to take care of them and meet their needs.
Got any resolutions for 2009?
We are sure you will have lots of your own but here are some suggestions for your pets…
Cat: “In 2009 I will not scratch your new curtains, even if it is quite funny. I won’t leave dead mice on the doorstep, or bring live ones into the house. Finally, I resolve to show you affection other than just when I want food.”
Dog: “In 2009 I will not bark for unknown reasons at 3.00am. I will try not to knock over your coffee or red wine through over-enthusiastic tail wagging. Lastly, I resolve not to eat the cat’s food, even if it does taste better than mine.”
Hamster: “In 2009 I will not bite my owner for no apparent reason, just take the bits of my feed I like and leave the flat green ones and not to start running endlessly on my wheel after you have just drifted off to sleep.”
Owner: “2009 will be the year that I remain calm when Kitty refuses to eat her formerly favourite food. It will be the year that I will take Rover for a walk even if it is the wettest day since records began. Finally, it will be the year that I remember the happiness my pets bring me, even in moments of great frustration!”
