Table of contents for Issue#67 2017 in Pets

If you could imagine the perfect pet, what would it be? One that’s big on cuddles, small on exercise and is loyal and loving? Anyone who has been lucky enough to get to know the gentle Greyhound would say it’s a great fit for most families. But due to their super-speed, this beautiful breed has been mostly reserved for the racetrack. RACING DOGS Most Greyhounds are bred to be racing dogs, but some are also bred as pets and for showing. Many people who acquire Greyhounds as companion animals, however, source them from a rescue organisation. Lynette Coxeter from Greyhound adoption organisation Friends of the Hound says in the racing industry, these dogs aren’t treated as pets and are instead used as a way to make money for people who…

Jasmine Yates’ cat Topaz was always very meticulous about her toilet habits. She kept her litter box neat and tidy and constantly made sure to cover any mess. Jasmine kept an eye on the tray but Topaz’s toilet routine was so reliably consistent. Topaz was so good about using the litter tray that she took tiny foster kittens under her wing and taught them how to use it, too. But one day, things changed. Topaz stopped covering her poo. She even started going to the toilet on the couch. For 10 years, Topaz had been the poster kitten for regular bowel movements but this, combined with some other worrisome behavioural changes, was enough to alert Jasmine that there might be a problem. She took her cat to the vet and…

When Chris Williams’ Labrador Charlie wanted to climb into her bed to sleep each night, she was at first reluctant to agree. “I had planned to only allow Charlie to sleep on his little bed on the floor and keep the big ‘human’ bed off-limits,” she explains. “But he was just so good at tugging on my heartstrings. He’d look at me with these big dopey eyes and place his paw on the bed, and I felt so bad for making him stay on the floor. After a few nights of this, I gave in and the big lump has been snoring away next to me ever since.” Chris and Charlie’s scenario is one many pet owners can relate to. We all want to do the right thing by our…

WRITE TO DR KATE Does your puppy pee in all the wrong places? Does your kitty scratch the new couches? If you have a question about your pet’s behaviour, write to our resident animal behaviourist, Dr Kate Mornement from Pets Behaving Badly (petsbehavingbadly.com.au). Send your question to Naughty or nice/PETS, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670 or email your question to pets@universalmagazines.com.au with the subject heading “Naughty or nice”. Stay tuned, as your question may be answered by Dr Kate and published in the magazine. RIGHT FROM WRONG Q: Hi Dr Kate, we are getting a new puppy in a few weeks’ time. It will be our first time with a dog; previously, we’ve had cats. It looks like we’ll be getting a rescue dog, perhaps a Staffy cross.…

Named for its city of origin, the Brittany or Epagneul Breton is from the French province of Bretagne. According to pedigree.com, in the 1850s, English sportsmen went to Bretagne with their sporting guns and well-trained Pointers and Setters and bred their dogs with the local dogs, which were later crossed with a French Pointer called a Braque. This ties in with the theory that the Brittany was originally classed as a Spaniel because it was thought to have been developed as a result of a cross between the English Setter and a small French Land Spaniel. In 1983, the Spaniel reference was officially dropped because Spaniels mainly flush out game while Brittanys hunt, point, flush and retrieve their game. Many believe the Brittany has been around since the early 19th…

There’s something undeniably beautiful about the calm, gentle and majestic Clydesdale. Whether they’re pulling a horse-drawn carriage to a wedding, lugging a brewery wagon at a promotional event or just grazing lazily in a paddock, these magnificent animals just seem to draw the eye. But there’s plenty more to the Clydesdale than just good looks. “I love the versatility of the Clydesdale horse,” Aimee Deakin, secretary of the Western Australian branch of the Commonwealth Clydesdale Horse Society, says. “This horse can offer endless hours of pleasure rides, compete in dressage, jumping or even eventing competitions, pull fallen trees out of the way on your property, pull a wagon or carriage — there is no end to their talents. Their working horse mentality creates a willing partner in whatever discipline you…

VICTORIA MAY 5-7 DOG LOVERS SHOW, MELBOURNE Celebrate your love of all things canine at the Melbourne Dog Lovers Show. Sponsored by friends of PETS magazine KONG, this event has quickly established itself as one not to miss on the canine calendar. You will be provided with a range of pooch-based entertainment bound to leave you speechless as you marvel at the talent on offer. You can also learn more about different breeds, get some great health tips at the KONG Celebrity Vet stage, be amazed by some of our awesome working dogs’ skills and visit a variety of stalls with dog-themed products to help make your pet ownership journey simpler (and more fun!). Not only that, but 2017 will see the popular dock diving event from last year’s Sydney…

Not many people know that you can narrow your pet adoption down by breed. Breed-specific rescue groups exist not just for purebred dogs and cats, but also for bird species such as Parrots. Jacqui Hill, who is part of the German Shepherd Rescue Victoria (GSRV) team, says even she didn’t know so many breed-specific rescue groups existed. “I used to just search Facebook for German Shepherd pages and then realised there were rescue groups for breeds.” Jacqui says she often hears criticism about breed-specific rescue groups from people who say, “Why do you only care about German Shepherds? Why are they only worth rescuing?” She argues it’s not about having any bias towards a certain breed, but offering expert knowledge that will place a dog with the right owners. “It’s…

With calls to shut down puppy factories in Victoria and the permanent ban of non-rescue pets sold in Los Angeles pet shops late last year, it‘s high time we look at this practice that costs the lives of countless dogs each year. “I believe puppy factories are the ultimate betrayal to our ‘best friends’. They deserve to live a life free from harm and trauma and have all their needs met. They are worthy of this fight,” Debra Tranter, founder of Oscar’s Law, says. Debra founded Oscar’s Law in 2010, the organisation named for her own dog who was rescued from a Victorian puppy factory after being found in a severely malnourished state. This came after almost two decades of campaigning to abolish puppy factories in Australia and promote rescue.…

Your cat’s skin and coat are often a very good indicator of her overall health and wellbeing. If the skin is healthy and her coat is shiny, there’s a good chance your kitty will be in tip-top condition. But if your cat is constantly scratching, has bald patches, a bad smell or even dandruff, she could be suffering from one of many skin conditions. Dr Kim Kendall, veterinarian from the Chatswood Cat Palace Cat Clinic on Sydney’s North Shore, outlines several common conditions that can affect your pet’s skin and coat. “Knots can be caused by inadequate grooming, often due to sticky saliva or arthritis, and sticky coats occur due to pollens, dust or diesel irritating the mouth, making saliva sticky and then the coat gets sticky and clumps,” Dr…

Crate training provides an effective training tool for adult dogs and puppies alike and, while it may take a little time and effort to train your pet to use the crate, it will come in handy and pay off your time investment many times over. What might you use it for? Crate training can be a useful tool for teaching a new dog the boundaries of the house, keeping your pet safe at home or in the car, for travel on an airline, or even keeping the animal calm and resting following surgery or injuries. While some don’t love the idea of a crate or think it looks cruel, crate training from an early age is a kindness; it means should any of the above come up suddenly, your pet…

Unlike a regular goat, which is bred as livestock, the mini goat was developed purely as a companion animal. The new kid on the block in terms of goat breeds, the Australian miniature goat has been around for 20 years. Sam Doyle-Cox from Kawinkidink Miniature Goat Stud says the breed emerged after breeders sourced different small goats and selectively bred them. “Over the years, they were able to slowly bring down the height and lock in those small genes,” she says. FRIENDLIEST OF ALL The miniature goat comes in many different colours and breed types and Sam believes they make great pets because they’re small, manageable and very friendly. “They are inquisitive and love being around people.” One of Sam’s miniatures, Captain Jack Sparrow, is very special to her. “He…

WRITE TO PETS! Do you have an amazing pet story or a hilarious animal joke to share? How about some feedback on one of our articles? Or did you recently get a new pet? PETS would love to hear from each and every one of you (and your furry buddies). Drop us a line at Paws for thought/PETS, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670 or email pets@universalmagazines.com.au with “Paws for thought” as the subject heading. Letters, poems, photos, collages and drawings are also welcome. Be as creative as you like! PURR-FECT PETS In NZ, cats are very cute, Unlike dogs that chew my boot! Tim and Coco want their tea, All day, every day, believe me! I love hearing kitties purr, And I know that ones with fur, Would…

ALBY AND THE CAT SERIES This fun series follows the life of Alby, the guide dog, and the stuck-up neighbour cat, Pussums. From foes to friends, the pair realise they share a few commonalties (no spoilers here) and the adventures begin. Aside from the fabulous illustrations and easy-to-read, fun format, what’s special about these books is that they offer an important lesson, providing the reader with an insight into the life of a disabled person and the challenges of day-to-day living. The Alby and the Cat series teaches children the virtues of humility, empathy and understanding, all while entertaining and delighting. Once you read the first book, you’ll be left wanting to hear more about the adventures of Alby and Pussums … lucky there are three books in the series!…

If you visit a rescue shelter, you’ll see cats and dogs of all different kinds that are desperately looking for someone to love. These gorgeous pets have been surrendered because their owners are unwilling or unable to take care of them any longer. All they want is a new home and someone to care for them. If you are looking for a pet, consider visiting a shelter instead of a pet store. There are plenty of good reasons why you should. 1.YOU MAY SAVE A LIFE Many rescue organisations are literally bursting at the seams with unwanted pets. Michael Beatty from RSPCA Qld says they can’t take on any new rescues at the moment at their shelter. “If you want to surrender a dog to the RSPCA now, there is…

Protection Society of NSW, enough to see many cute kittens come through our shelter. We have a fantastic foster care program where people welcome little kittens into their homes and their hearts until they are old enough to be adopted. But while we aim to provide the best possible care, as humans, it is very hard to teach a kitten to be a cat when we aren’t cats ourselves; some lessons are best taught by a mother feline. Kittens are adorable and while you may be tempted to take home one of these tiny bundles of joy, it is very important they stay with their mums until they are at least eight to 10 weeks of age. There are many reasons why keeping kittens with their mothers will give them…

You’re sitting on a bench in your local off-leash park, watching your dog play happily with a couple of other dogs. They’re wrestling, barking and running around, and it all looks like a lot of fun — except the other dogs’ owners don’t think so. They’re quick to pull their pet away from yours and head for the hills, and you soon get the feeling that other pet owners are avoiding you and your pooch. If this situation sounds familiar, it might be time to ask yourself, is my pet a bully? Does he know how to play happily and safely with other dogs without hurting or scaring them? As a pet parent, it can be pretty distressing to find out that your dog isn’t quite the perfect pet you…

Is there anything more comforting than cuddling up with your dog? They’re always so happy to see you, to play with you or to simply sit by your side and relax. Therapy dogs capture all the benefits of pet ownership and offer these services to the elderly or unwell, with volunteer owners and their incredible dogs visiting aged-care facilities, hospitals and schools. One of the most established groups offering this service in Australia is the Delta Society, with more than 1000 volunteers and their special dogs across the country. I know the program well, having worked as a Delta volunteer with my Cavalier King Charles, Gidget. Every Tuesday, we used to visit our local nursing home and bring some joy and company to the elderly people battling the ravages of…

As its name suggests, the German Shepherd originated in Germany, with the first official German Shepherd Club (SV) founded in 1899. When cavalry officer Captain Max Von Stephanitz bought his first German Shepherd, he was smitten. Widely recognised as the “father of the breed”, Captain Von Stephanitz led the way in promoting German Shepherds and was instrumental in introducing them to life in the service. Recognising their high level of intelligence and ability to be trained, the newly formed German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany encouraged the German police service and army to make use of these adaptable creatures. By the end of World War I in 1918, 48,000 German Shepherds were enlisted in the German army. These dogs were used for what could have been the very first search…

A term coined in the UK, moggy is a common synonym for a domestic cat — the equivalent of the bitser dog, if you will. The Australian Cat Federation (AFC), which classifies the moggy as a companion cat for the purposes of showing (that’s right, having a moggy does not preclude you from being involved in the cat show circuit), defines it as a non-pedigree cat of indeterminate origin; where one parent is known and the other parent is of indeterminate origin; or a purebred cat without a pedigree. Moggies are typically divided into long-haired and short-haired domestics. There’s a range of theories behind the name moggy — some say it’s derived from the word mongrel, while others think it comes from the name Margaret or Maggie, a term once…