July 2018, FREE
FORMER OLYMPIC SPRINTER IWAN THOMAS & HIS ADORABLE FRENCH BULLDOG FRANK
Pet Horoscopes
by celebrity astrologer Russell Grant! INSIGHTS INTO AQUARIUM CARE FROM OUR EXPERT/ PLUS OUR TOP PET PRODUCT REVIEWS
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Cavaliers’ Choices... Premium pet products, destinations & activities for you & your pet chosen by Sophie Nell and Rufus, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, assisted by Marie.
Chuck it! The best-selling Ultra Grip Launcher promises play that covers maximum distance with minimal effort, while the Ultra Ball guarantees satisfaction for even the most fetch-fanatic dogs. With its famous high bounce and tough rubber exterior, the Ultra Ball is the pawfect accompaniment for the Ultra Launcher, which launches balls three times further − giving dogs and owners a way to enjoy even more far flung play. Provides lots of fun for even the most active dogs. The set is available in medium (RRP £14.99) while stocks last. ChuckItToys
Hoovering Up The Hoover Optimum Power Pet Bagless Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner is a decent all round vacuum cleaner, as you’d expect from Hoover. It combines multi cyclonic cleaning power and performance with an a+ energy rating. This Hoover comes with a pets turbo brush to loosen and lift stubborn pet hair. This is a great tool to leave your stairs, carpets and upholstery clean and hair-free. It has good suction and is a generally effective cleaner for pet hair. It has a nifty auto- cord rewind, and is small and compact - perfect for storage. All in all, we’d recommend this vacuum cleaner particularly for small living spaces. Available from selected retailers including Argos at £129.99.
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Cavaliers’ Choices... Two's Company The Double Dog Extension Lead by Mountain Paws is constructed from durable nylon and designed to stand up to the daily exertion of walking even the most energetic of dogs. Easy to clip on to your normal lead, the double dog extension lead features two separate elasticated sections that offer increased freedom for your dogs and a reduced risk of shock from dogs pulling. Robust clips at each end of the lead can be securely attached to your pet’s collar. The lead also features a camlock that allows you to adjust the length between the two dogs, ideal when walking two breeds of different sizes. Each of the individual lead sections has an integrated grab handle, ideal for keeping dogs close when required. www.mountainpaws.co.uk
PS/ We’re always looking for premium products & services to review for both pets and people! Please get in touch with the boss at editor@petsmag.co.uk. Love,
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Sophie, Nell & Rufus
xxx
Olympic Sprinter IWAN THOMAS &
FRANK OUR COVER stars this month are notable TV appearances include being a former Olympic sprinter IWAN THOMAS finalist on Celebrity Masterchef, and Frank, his French Bulldog. Best competing on Total Wipeout, quizzing known as a 400m runner, Iwan is a on Eggheads, Pointless Celebrities, A former European and Commonwealth Question of Sport, performing on Stars champion and remains the British In Their Eyes as Chris Martin, and record holder in the 400m. Iwan was competing on Strictly Come Dancing. awarded an MBE in the 1998 Queen's He has just started a new Breakfast Birthday Honours List for his services Show for Love Sport Radio. to Athletics. Since hanging up his spikes, Iwan has become a TV star. His
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What breed is Frank and why did you Does Frank come with you to work? choose him? He has done, but it depends what I’m doing. Obviously, if I am in a TV studio, it Frank is a French Bulldog; having worked at would be a bit boring for him but he has Crufts for C4 for 3 years I did a lot of come on outdoor photoshoots and even to research a meeting at the and spoke charity Movember. to a lot of different breeders What difference to make does Frank sure I found a make to your breed that life? would work with My life feels fuller my knowing that he lifestyle. around and it’s hard to describe I was also the feeling when really you come home adamant and he is always that it had happy to see me. to be a Dogs are amazing, reputable there don’t judge breeder you and love you, and stuck even when you to the aren’t giving them correct treats! guidelines, even down to colour.
Do you take take doggie-friendly
How long have you had Frank?
holidays with Frank?
He was born 24th October 2016 and we picked him up in between Christmas and New Year 2016.
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Not yet, but I’m always on the lookout for dog friendly hotels. He has come to a few hotels with me, but only for the odd night or two.
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Do you take Frank with you to restaurants and pubs? Frank comes with me whenever possible, definitely to pubs but I haven’t found a dogfriendly restaurant yet.
What are Frank’s favourite things in the world? Food, food and food, oh sleeping on my lap. He just seems like being with me, so loves coming out in my car and even coming for a run.
Does Frank have any tricks or special character traits? No tricks but when he runs he sometimes does a cheeky roly poly and then carries on running.
make any sense to me, animals depend on us and to betray their trust is the lowest of the low.
Follow Iwan on Twitter at @iwanrunner
Is there anything you feel strongly about regarding pet welfare? I hate hearing that people either neglect or are intentially mean to animals, it doesn’t
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Here’s Looking at You Kid...
New to fish-keeping? Expert ALEXANDER S. HOWSON shares his top tips on caring for an indoor aquarium.
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An indoor aquarium can be beautiful
By Pets Magazine fish
that their own aquarium
think of your filter as a house
expert ALEXANDER S.
looks nothing like them, here are 10 reasons your tank just isn’t up to
for bacteria and this bacteria helps the fish by turning
HOWSON
standard, and how to fix Millions of people around it. the world keep fish, from vibrant reef tanks to bustling planted aquariums; there are a massive variety of styles to choose from and the internet is literally filled with millions of aquariums, but one thing many people discover is
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No filters Some things in life are optional, having a filter in your aquarium is not. It is an essential piece of equipment for keeping any fish and without it they won’t be alive for very long. You have to Pets Magazine
chemicals in the water into less harmful chemicals. Quite simply, when fish breathe and poop it all goes into a chemical called ammonia and this is really harmful to fish but the bacteria that lives inside your filter turns it into lesser products which aren’t as harmful as the ammonia. They turn it into nitrite and then into nitrate which you take out when you do your water change (see number
with a chemical
Unsuitable: Your pet will not live long in a home like this
called nitrate in your tank which is only harmful in large doses. To get this out of the water you need to take some water out of your tank, around 25% is sufficient and then you need to fill it back up again with
three) making the water clean
went wrong. To fix this only
and healthy so your fish can
buy fish that grow small
carry on breathing.
enough to live in your tank size; a good rule is one
Too small a tank Not to burst anybody’s bubble but fish don’t grow to the size of their tank, instead what happens is that in too small a space they release a hormone to slow down their
sure to use an aquarium dechlorintor though as the bacteria killing chemicals, that water companies put into our
centimetre of fish per litre but tap water will kill all the good the tank should always be five bacteria that lives inside the times the length of your
biggest fish so they have plenty of swimming room.
Water changes
growth but this hormone only This one almost everyone stops the outside of your fish
gets wrong and yet it’s so
from growing and all its
simple once you’ve mastered
organs and inners keep on
the basics of it.
getting bigger. When the bacteria in your If fish are kept in too small a
filters convert the harmful
tank for too long eventually
chemical that the fish
they’ll die of organ failure,
produce, ammonia into nitrite
leaving you wondering what
and nitrate you’re finally left
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fresh water, be
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filters.
Not keeping enough fish Some fish need to be kept alone, because they are big or aggressive while others need company because they are social animals. Many types of tetra, guppies, mollies, platies and even certain catfish need to be kept in groups of six or more and without sufficient numbers your fish could become shy, colourless and
Ditch the tacky tank! become shy, colourless and
get to them is during the dry
worse of all aggressive. Many
season, when the waters have begin to show off more.
barbs have a reputation of
receded and the fish are
being aggressive fin nippers
reduced to living in shallow
but it’s mainly due to them
pools.
numbers, so increase the
As the fish are being
amount of fish in your shoals
collected, the temperature of
and notice them perk up and
the water is often took to
liven your aquarium.
indicate at what temperature they should be kept at in
Even if your fish were bred in aquariums, at some point
captivity but this has a knock
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point, usually when you’re buying your first tank, you pick the most colourful gravel and the first ‘no fishing’ ornament you can see, but this often isn’t the best choice
for our fish. It’s important to on effect that our information recognise and research our is slightly skewed and we may fish’s natural environment
their ancestors were collected often be keeping our aquarium inhabitants far too from the wild and often the only time that collectors can
Tacky Tanks We’ve all done it at some
being kept in insufficient
Too Hot
watch your tired, lifeless fish
warm, so lower the
temperature slightly and Pets Magazine
and to try and replicate it in the closest way possible.
Dirty filters Ever notice that your filter doesn’t work half as well as it did a few months ago? You’re not the only one and this is often a result of the sponges
there two bigger reasons that right, you can plan the lights mean you should avoid flake
to turn on when you get
food, the first being that it’s a
home from work but if you
lot less nutritional, because
leave the lights on for much
flake food is cooked at a
longer than eight hours, it can
higher temperature than
add to and promote algae problems, which
(also known as
Don’t leave the lights on too long in your aquarium!
makes the tank unsightly and adds to your stress levels.
media) inside the
Keeping
filter
hybrids
getting
Real fish geeks hate
clogged
hybrid fish, and here’s
up. To stop this every few months, you should squeeze them out and give them a quick swill in a bucket of the old aquarium water, it’s best to do it when you’re doing a water change and using the old water you’re taking out. Avoid using tap water as the bacteria killing chemicals that water companies use will kill all of your beneficial bacteria that lives on the sponge.
Feeding flake food
why you should too: pellets or granules which means that a lot of the
to breed with different
food than the alternatives
they can sometimes be
In total this means that you’re species of fish and if they look similar to a certain species actually getting less quality and also because flake food doesn’t sink, bottom dwelling fish don’t get any food and the fish that do, end up gulping in air as they eat, which can lead to bloating
unknowingly bred with them and they can then pollute the gene pool to such a degree that a species can become extinct because they have ‘hybrid blood’ in them, also
and swimming problems.
hybrids are usually wrecked
Leaving the lights on
struggling to eat, swim and
Flake food is messy and leftovers often clog up the
Eight hours of light is perfect
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of fish, hybrids are often able
nutrient content is burnt off.
for too long
filter and look unsightly but
they ruin other species
for fish, and if you time it Pets Magazine
with medical problems, often breathe due to poor breeding and odd, designer characteristics.
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Pet Horoscopes by Russell Grant
ARIES (March 21st-April 20th)
your human companion
The moon in your sign as the
attempts to make
month begins adds a potent
themselves more clear, they
energy to your emotional life.
need to backtrack or revert
Though you feel content about
to former methods.
many things, you struggle with where you stand in a primary
relationship. It's possible those
TAURUS (April 21st-May 21st) like to explore new tastes, a
who are responsible for you
You could get quite a
few you encounter in this
have been sending mixed
disagreeable surprise if you
manner are likely to leave you
signals and you're uncertain of
roam around infrequently used more than a little disgusted.
what's expected of you or if
areas of your home with your
Your best course of action is to
anything's expected of you. As
tongue hanging out. While you
proceed with caution.
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The unpleasant flavours you
beautiful; what happens from
you go. At least for the present
experience are a signal that a
that will be delightfully
time, you're quite irresistible
clean up is called for; do you
surprising. It shouldn't be too
and likely to be pursued by
part and then involve your
difficult to maintain an aura of
various sorts of admirers,
housemate in getting this
calm, as the general
some human and some
attended to.
atmosphere in which you
animal. You'll literally be
currently find yourself is
followed around and possibly
GEMINI (May 22nd-June 21st)
supportive of quiet elegance!
even receive a gift from one of
Stepping down from your
Show whoever is watching that these followers, most likely
throne, where you usually get
you were born to be regal!
something edible. Enjoy the
waited on hand and foot,
attention while it lasts, but
you're currently in a mode to
don't take it too seriously. You
be the one providing whatever
LEO (July 24th-August 23rd)
know how these infatuations
little services you can to those
Adopting an all-or-nothing
go.
you live with. This is a good
attitude with your owner is a
role-reversal! Whether you're
dangerous game. And while it's
carrying items to the trash,
understandable that you're
LIBRA (September 24th-
picking up toys and bringing
quite frustrated, that's no
October 23rd)
them to their correct storage
excuse for acting out. If your
You possess a personal pet
places, fetching items your
owner is sensitive, they'll take
grace and elegance that makes
human friend needs or keeping the time to find the source of
everyone like you; you're even
watch over youngsters so they
your frustration. Chances are
able to charm irritable friends
don't get themselves in
you resent too much
out of their nasty moods. This
trouble, you're showing
smothering. Take care not to
talent keeps you in a circle of
everyone how helpful and
hurt your friend's feelings,
loving relationships, which is
selfless you can be.
though. Their constant cuddles your favourite place to be! One and kisses are proof of their
special friend notices how you
CANCER (June 22nd-July 23rd) undying devotion. Count your
extend yourself in acts of
You won't want to be exhibiting blessings!
kindness and wants to be there
any overexcited behaviours
to tend to your emotional and
now; someone with more than
VIRGO (August 24th-
physical needs as much as
a mild interest in you is looking
September 23rd)
they're able to. As a dynamic
and making judgements
It wouldn't be surprising if
duo the two of you gain quite a
regarding your future. Put on
you're feeling on top of the
reputation!
your best manners and keep
world and causing people to sit
yourself looking your most
up and take notice wherever
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SCORPIO
as a bell, free of the
(October24th-
cloudy befuddlement
November22nd)
that sometimes descends
The stars are
over you. You could,
bringing out your
however, have one or
deepest feelings and
two distractions as you
a heightened sense
navigate the spiritual
of romance. You'll
terrain you like to call
find yourself on the
home; dip in to your
prowl for a spiritual partner or playmate if you don't already have one. You're drawn to make a love match that isn't just physical. Make the most of this opportunity, it feeds your soul. Someone new on the scene could get your interest. SAGITTARIUS (November 23rd-December 21st)
CAPRICORN (December 22ndJanuary 20th)
overcome any momentary
want to curl up there. It's not
companionship and guidance
Is there a secluded, out of sight disturbances. You're in a place to provide comforting spot in sight; if yes, you might that you don't like getting
Though you'd rather have the spotlight all to yourself, you share it with a creature who's equally as hungry for it. The act the two of you perform is sure to evoke laughter from some and amazement from others while inspiring at least one viewer to call for the local TV station to put it on the news! One way or another, you seem destined for fame!
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to all the people you hold dear.
involved in what could turn into dramatic situations, because there's enough
PISCES (February 20th-March
that in the moment things are
being in your element and
mischief in you to want to keep 20th) Few things are more fun than your nose in trouble, it's just
Whoever you live with will be at just too bright and blaring for a loss for words after seeing your sensibilities. Besides that what you're up to this month.
reserve of stillness to
a drama queen or king is afoot and you know it's best for everyone if you opt not to
finding your days delightfully filled with good friends and good food. You'll be especially pleased when you discover a particular friend is planning a
participate.
visit. Before you go scouting
AQUARIUS (January 21st-
stop and recall what makes this
February 19th) You're still in the early stages of a lovely cycle of weeks; you could even feel somewhat infallible during this period! Your intuition is working clear
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about for a welcoming gift, guest happy! Enjoy this time with your human and animal friends. Everyone who drops by now brings tasty food treats and introduces interesting new influences you find fascinating.