Shout About Pets

He did it again! Paul the psychic octopus has correctly predicted the outcome of last nights World Cup final between Holland and Spain.

After predicting the correct results of Germany vs. Australia, Ghana, England, Argentina, Uruguay, Serbia and Spain, Paul then went on to correctly predict that Spain would beat Holland to win the World Cup in their first ever final appearance!

Surely Paul has to be one of the most sought after sea creatures in the World now with his 100% streak of predictions during the tournament potentially netting punters around £3000 if they had reinvested all of their winnings along the way.

If you are the owner of a tortoise in the South of England then the current advice is to keep them locked up after a number of the shell covered reptiles where stolen from gardens across Dartford, Kent.

3 spur-thighed tortoises vanished on June 17 and then last week a rare African leopard tortoise also disappeared.

‘Mini-Me’ - Melissa Wheeler’s tortoise was stolen on Wednesday. She said: “My daughter Emily, who is four, is absolutely devastated that he’s been taken.”

With tortoises costing upwards of £100 it is certainly a very valuable member of the family and should be treated as such.

Sure, a cute, furry animal like a rabbit seems the perfect present for Easter, but according to an animal welfare group, this really isn’t the case. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund have released figures showing that:

• Looking after rabbits after Easter is over costs owners an average of £1,000 annually
• Worse still, thousands of these ‘Easter present’ rabbits end up in rescue centres when owners change their minds or find they can’t look after them

The need to find a great gift for Easter or any other seasonal occasion isn’t a good enough reason to get a pet. You should only do so when you are sure you have the time, energy and money to give these cute little creatures the care and love they deserve. Go for a chocolate Easter rabbit instead!

Electric shock collars designed to shock misbehaving pets such as cats and dogs into obedience have been officially banned in Wales. These sort of behavioural techniques are popular in America, but pet owners in Wales could face a £20,000 fine if they are caught using them.

Whilst those in support of the collars claim they are useful in terms of modifying dangerous behaviour, animal rights groups such as the Kennel Club and the RSPCA claim that using the collars is inherently cruel, as they cause a great amount of unnecessary shock, pain, distress and suffering to the animal.

They instead suggest long-term, reward based training schemes for modifying the behaviour of naughty pets.

I know many people will disagree with me, but I think that guinea pigs are the most friendly, lovable and easy to maintain pets you can choose. My family and I have had a number of guinea pigs in the past, and here’s why we love them:

• Cuteness – Guinea pigs have a perpetually smiling mouth, round bottoms and just the right amount of cuddly fatness, not to mention the adorable chirrup/squeak they make when excited

• Looking after them – Apart from cleaning out old bedding once or twice a week like you would with other pets, guinea pigs are really easy to look after. They do pee a lot, but this can easily be managed by carrying them in a dedicated blanket or box. They will also eat all of your food scraps, including peelings you would normally chuck in the bin.

• Entertainment – The fact that guinea pigs aren’t as active or intelligent as often exhausting pets such as dogs actually works in their favour. Unlike hamsters, they will comfort you by sitting still, but the ‘tippy-toes’ way they run about is adorable every time.

There’s so much more to say about how great guinea pigs are, but I’ll leave it at that for now.

According to a new study conducted by Erika Friedmann, a professor at the University of Maryland in the US, pets can actually make you healthier and happier. The results of the study suggested the following:

• Pet owners suffering from mild hypertension had lower blood pressure when they had their faithful animal companions with them in stressful situations
• People of all ages experience less stress when a pet is present
• The presence of a friendly pet tends to make most people feel more comfortable in social situations

Speaking of her own dog, Friedmann explained:

“Without my four-legged friend, I wouldn’t do anything,” she says. “She makes me more social, and she makes me more active.”

According to recent figures released by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a staggering 35 percent of dogs are currently overweight. Cats are faring no better, as apparently one in every four cats is fatter than they should be.

Vets are advising that pet owners get out of the habit of feeding snacks to their cats and dogs, as well as avoiding buying fatty, sugary or other unhealthy pet food or treats for them. Experts are also citing the Lent period as the best time to change your pet’s diet, as you can do it along with your own diet plan.

There are numerous ways to keep your pet safe while travelling, not even travelling, people look at cages as being cruel as it restricts movement etc, the only reason people look at them like this is simply because they used to be used as cruel apparatus.

As I said cages are a good way of keeping your pet safe and out of harms way, for example if you are in the car and driving a long distance, you do not want the dog / cat climbing everywhere for their own safety, they would more than likely jump out of the window into a neighborhood they do not know, or if you are on the motorway they would jump out to certain death.

I have experience of the above as one of my cats did exactly that and jumped out while we were stopped at traffic lights, this was back when I myself thought it was cruel to put them in a cage, I parked up and tried to find him but he had disappeared and I never saw him again.

This is why animal cages are very necessary because no matter how cute a pet can be, they are dumb regardless of how many tricks they can do, or open the door with their paws!

What is it about animal these days we just love to spoil them, don’t we? When looking at the market there mountains of websites and products aimed just for pampering your pets
Recently my friend was moving house and was contemplating what furniture would fit and what really was either ready for chucking or else wouldn’t fit.
As the deco in the new place was all very moderns she really just wanted an excuse to get rid and start a fresh. Lucky of you have the budget, MTV cribs have a lot to answer for. Anyway there are basic items that one would natural think of would the sofa fit, will the Bedroom Furniture look out of place, but she went a step further… will the dog bed look out of place in the back bedroom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I don’t know what alarmed me more about that sentence, the fact that the dog bed had to match the room or the fact that her pooch had its own bedroom!
Following which we are now on the hunt for the perfectly dog bed and the new sofa has gone on a back burner! I have found four poster beds with leather head boards, seen brass legs beds in the shape of crown and even miniature over paddered couches.

But the best thing I have found has to be the miniature ‘antique’ wardrobe I have found with draws and actually hanging rail inside
I am pleased to report my friend decided it was a tad old fashioned looking but gave us a giggle all the same

I adore my little fury friend and I don’t know what I’d do without him when my other half is away. I do appreciate all that my little dog does for me. He always seems to know how to cheer me up and make me smile with his little weird faces. It breaks my heart when I leave him standing there at the door watching me as I leave to go to work. Lots of my friends used to tell me that I should get another dog to keep him company but I always explained to them that I could only ever have one child and that I could never love another one.
After serious thought and some searching through the toy shops I found a little electronic dog covered in fur that barked and walked kind of like a dog. After getting this new friend home for my dog it took me ages to get it to move like it did in the some because once again the batteries weren’t included.
After buying some wholesale batteries I can leave the house in the morning without felling guilty as I know that my little dog has a friend to keep him entertained and occupied.