Furry Friends

How to find a good cattery.

There are many things we need to think about when we plan to jet off on our next vacation; what to pack, how much Manchester airport parking is going to cost us, but perhaps most important of all is where to keep our pets. As all of us with furry friends know, it is not easy to leave them behind in a strangers care but planning ahead can make it a little bit easier. Here are a few tips and More

Things To Think About When Buying Fish

Walking into a pet shop and seeing the magical aquarium at the back, glowing with undersea life and brightly coloured fishes, the idea of having your very own mini-aquarium is an exciting one. So what do you do? You jump straight in of course! And within days you’re…realizing that perhaps you should have given all this a bit more thought after all… Before you jump in with both feet, have a look at the following list to make sure that More

How much do we love our pets?

It has become very clear over the years that we really love our pets. There are new gadgets coming out every day for our pets. If you have a high bed and a small dog you can buy steps to help your dog get into bed with you. If you have a dog that is afraid of clippers there is even a gadget for that. There is nearly a gadget for anything you can think of for your pets. If More

When To Bring Your Outside Dog In

Many people have a problem with dog owners allowing their dogs to stay outside all of the time. I was talking to the fine people at Synergy Vets the other day, and they tell me that this does not mean however that it is inhumane to leave dogs outside as long as they are being properly cared for. If there is plenty of room to run, a doghouse that it can seek shelter in, and plenty of food and water, More

Homage to Hammy.

It has been several years since we had a pet in our home. The last few creatures to share our residence were hamsters; two of the Syrian variety to be precise. Our first one was named ‘Ziggy’ (due mostly to his zigzag stripe, but also because of the uber-cool Bowie character) and he was a thoroughly friendly little chap. However, after Ziggy went to the great hamster ball in the sky, we bought Hammy…

Hammy (not the world’s most original More

What To Feed Your Pet Parrot

Some parrot owners do not consider what they feed their bird important. They simply purchase a bag of bird seeds from the local pet shop without really looking at the available options. But your parrot’s happiness and health are dependent on its diet, and for this reason, every parrot owner should be aware of what to feed their bird.

Bird seed, although not necessarily bad for your bird, can be severely detrimental to both its health and happiness, if its More

Guidelines for Housing Your Rabbit Indoors

Providing a housing space for you rabbit can be the difference between a happy pet and a depressed rabbit. Like all pets, a rabbit’s home should be somewhere they feel comfortable, private and secure while at the same time still being close to the family. Here are some guidelines when you consider buying or building a housing space for your critter.

To begin with, your rabbit’s house (or cage) should be rather large. Don’t just grab a bread-basket sized cage, More

How to House Train Your Poodle

Poodles, as opposed to other “toy dogs”, are surprisingly intelligent. This makes house training them a fairly easy endeavour; however, there are some do’s and don’ts that should be addressed.

Negative reinforcement, although very common with pet owners, is not a good strategy for house training your poodle. “You catch more bees with honey than with vinegar,” my mother used to say, and it’s true. Instead of punishing your poodle for bad behaviour, such as soiling the rug, try rewarding More

How To Dog Walk

All dogs have a different walking pattern–even dogs of the same breed who grew up together may be at odds; some will want walking five times per day, while others will laze around the house or be happy mooching with a chew between their paws and one walk lasting only fifteen minutes.

Whatever your dog, here are some things to keep in mind while out walking:

1) Take the dog out of either the front door or the back, but More

Coping With Your Long-Haired Dog

Breeds such as the Shetland Sheepdog make truly fantastic pets: they look great, have a naturally playful temperament about them and can also be shown off at shows to mass applause. But the last thing you are likely to see on Crufts is any problem concerning their long hair—in fact, it can be very difficult to work with, and be a ongoing problem that many new dog owners are completely unaware of; grooming can give you a bad back, and More