Hints & tips
Basic pet tips
Being a successful pet owner means taking responsibility for your pet. There's more to it than just going to the pet shop and getting a puppy or a kitten.
Here are a few common sense hints and tips when considering your pet's welfare:
- Make sure you can afford a pet. There are ongoing costs, including vaccinations, worming, toys and grooming products.
- Be consistent with your pet. If you don't want a dog on the furniture, you should never allow it. Allowing it now and then makes the animal uncertain and confused. Everyone in the household should stick to the same rules.
- Have your pet spayed or neutered unless you are breeding. Apart from the problem of stray or unwanted animals, having one litter after the other also puts strain on the pet.
- Dogs need exercise and become grumpy and unmanageable when kept confined in yards or gardens. Especially dogs such as border collies that need a lot of exercise and open spaces. Be prepared to commit yourself to taking your dog for a daily walk or run.
- Play with your cat. They need to feel a sense of adventure to satisfy their hunting instinct. You don't need expensive cat toys. A rolled up ball of paper or an empty cardboard box will provide your cat with adventure.
- Feed your animals at the same time every day. Pets are creatures of habit, and they need the security of regular and predictable feeding times. Ensure you give the correct portion of food for the age and weight of your pet. Make sure there is always fresh water for your animals.
- Never hit or hurt your animals. Your tone of voice is quite enough to convey displeasure. Small children can hurt pets quite badly without even realising what they are doing.
- Pets like company. Some cats can spend quite a lot of time on their own and be fine with it, but others may prefer some company. Dogs need lots of company. They are pack animals and get depressed if they are cooped up all day on their own. If you work fulltime, consider getting more than one dog so they can keep each other company. Playing with your animals and spending fun time with them is so important. That's the point of having a pet in the first place.
- Register with a good vet. If your pet gets ill, or is hurt in some way, you want to know that your vet will do the best he or she can. Most pets don't like going to the vet, but you will be able to see quickly whether your vet likes animals and whether your pet likes him or her. If you are faced with a huge vet bill, remember that vets are often quite amenable to making arrangements to have bills paid off.
- Consider having your pet ID-tagged. Most vets offer this service. Pets get lost all the time. If your pet has been ID-tagged, your chances of being reunited are just so much bigger.
- Unless you have a house sitter or a pet sitter that you trust, or a reputable kennel that has been recommended, you shouldn't be going away. Your pets are your responsibility - especially when you are going on holiday. Your vet may be able to advise on recommended kennels and catteries.
