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PETS DEDICATED TO RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP

6 SECRET

TO KEEPI S NG YOUR CAT HAPPY

toto-rifFic

the winsome weimaraner

There’s no breed like the Cairn Terrier

Why we love this dog

WHY DOES MY CAT...?

Ragdolls rrule ule ...... O K? OK?

Feline mysteries explained d

Get the jump on this bad behaviour

ISSUE 71 (OCT/NOV 2017) AU $5.95* NZ $6.50

THE FABULOUS FELINE ISSUE

Pounce problems

(Both incl. GST)

Tummy troubles!

What’s wrong with your dog?

DINNER DRAMA

Your pet food explained

PETS

NOV/DEC 2017 Issue#71

THE FABULOUS FELINE ISSUE FABULOUS FELINES 30

Six secrets to keeping your cat happy Keep your furry friend smiling with these easy-to-follow steps

34

Why does my cat …?

Feline mysteries explained!

40

40

70

Pounce problems Getting the jump on this problem behaviour

42 Wild things We go back to the beginning of the domesticated cat

42

HEALTH & WELLBEING 54 Tummy troubles PETS finds out more about gastroenteritis in dogs and how to treat it

58 DINNER DrAMA What should you look for when choosing food for your cat or dog?

Our experts share their tips

70

Ask Your Vet Dr Jo from Queensland’s Furkids shares her advice on dogs that scoot and anxious Staffies

30

CREATURE FEATURES

............. 80 Weimaraner.................... ............ 82 Cairn Terrier................ ............... 84 Ragdoll ........................ ............... 86 Dartmoor pony ........ ............. 88 Agouti ............................

BEHAVIOUR & TRAINING

56 72

58

62 Feline anxiety

We talk a lot about dogs with anxiety, but do you know a stressed -out cat?

PETS finds out more

66

Keeping cats indoors

Why this could save your pet ’s

68

life

KONG Time

Dr Katrina Warren shares her advice on bringing home a rescue dog

88

REGULAR FEATURES

Editor’s Letter.............................. 06 Critter calendar.......................... 08 Paws for Thought........................ 10 My Pet............................................. 12 Pet Tales......................................... 16 Talk about the animals............. 18 Critter cartooning...................... 19 Pet News.......................................... 20 Roaring reviews............................ 26

72 Naughty or Nice

Dr Kate helps readers with fi ghting felines and climbing kitties

Furry Freebies.............................. 28 Posters............................................ 46 KONG Time........................................ 68 Behind The Scenes......................... 74 Kidzone............................................. 92 Next Issue..................................... 97 Solutions......................................... 97 Terms & Conditions................... 97 PETS loves....................................... 98

Cover: With special thanks to Cathy from Dollcatz Ragdolls. You can find out more about her gorgeous kittens via Facebook facebook.com/Dollcatz or by calling 0414 241 893. Of course, we’d also love to thank the very talented Danielle Lyonne from Animax Photography for her gorgeous photos.

PETS Editor Lauren Clarke pets@universalmagazines.com.au Sub-Editor Anastasia Casey Art Director Martha Rubazewicz Contributors Tim Falk, Carrol Baker, Katie Cincotta, Kristie Bradfield, Mel Hearse, Peter Clarke, Danielle Lyonne, Lovatts, Helen Frost, Mei Yen Chua, Dr Kate Mornement, Dr Jo Beckett, Dr Katrina Warren, Dave Hackett National Advertising Account Manager Chris Middleton (02) 9887 0629, cmiddleton@universalmagazines.com.au Advertising Production Coordinator Kathleen Freeman kfreeman@universalmagazines.com.au Associate Publisher Janice Williams (02) 9887 0316, jwilliams@universalmagazines.com.au

HWelcome to another issue of PETS, our Fabulous i PETS readers readers,

Chairman/CEO Prema Perera

Feline special.

I have a confession to make: when I first started work on this magazine, I wasn’t a huge fan of cats. Having grown up in a household of dog lovers, it seemed strange to me that anyone would choose those aloof, stand-offish animals over an adorable and enthusiastic dog.

After a few weeks on the job, I went to my first cat photo shoot — and I was hooked. This shoot involved some Maine Coons, and the beautiful, large-breed creatures totally won me over.

Soon, I started looking forward to spending time with cats, as much as if not more so than my time with the puppies. Contrary to what I first thought, they’re not all aloof after all, and make absolutely excellent pets. They’re also fun to cuddle with, and some are even up for a game or two — depending on the cat, of course. That’s what I love about cats, and it’s why I was so excited to bring you another issue dedicated to these fabulous animals.

Of course, we have lots of other features this issue, too, including a great one on decoding dinner — do you know how to choose the best food for your dog or cat? We also have an interesting article on gastroenteritis in dogs, and some fascinating features on the Weimaraner, Cairn Terrier, Ragdoll, Dartmoor pony and Agouti guinea pig.

So sit back, relax and enjoy this issue of PETS. Give your favourite animal a hug from me!

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www.petsmagazine.com.au

Publisher Janice Williams

Creative Director Kate Podger

Chief Financial Officer Vicky Mahadeva

Editorial & Production Manager Anastasia Casey

Associate Publisher Emma Perera Finance & Administration Manager James Perera

Marketing & Acquisitions Manager Chelsea Peters

PETS No. 71 is published by Universal Magazines, Unit 5, 6-8 Byfield Street, North Ryde NSW 2113. Phone: (02) 9805 0399, Fax: (02) 9805 0714. Melbourne office, Suite 4, Level 1, 150 Albert Road, South Melbourne Vic 3025. Phone: (03) 9694 6444, Fax: (03) 9699 7890. Printed by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd, Singapore. Retail distribution: Gordon and Gotch, Australia. NZ Distributor: Netlink. UK Distributor: KLM Partnership, phone: +44 019 9244 7544. Singapore & Malaysia distributor Carkit (F.E.) Pte Ltd, 1 Charlton Lane, #01-02 Singapore 539631, phone: 65 6282 1960, fax: 65 6382 3021, website www. carkitfe.com. This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the publishers. The publishers believe all the information supplied in this book to be correct at the time of printing. They are not, however, in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. Prices, addresses and phone numbers were, after investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, up to date at the time of printing, but the shifting sands of time may change them in some cases. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements which appear in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility must therefore be on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisements for publication. While every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

This magazine is printed on paper produced in a mill that meets Environmental Management System ISO14001.

Please pass on or recycle this magazine. *Recommended retail price ISSN 1835-9841 Copyright © Universal Magazines MMXVII ACN 003 026 944 www.universalmagazines.com.au

Photo: Animax Photography

Lauren, Editor pets@universalmagazines.com.au

Circulation Director Mark Darton

We are a member of

PETS is a proud supporter and partner of:

NEW

*with natural, real fish & meat Grain Free No artificial colours & preservatives

CRITTER CALENDAR Here are the events that the PETS team are looking forward to this issue. queensl

and

isbane Dog Brisbane Lovers Show NOVEMBER 4-5 The Sydney and Melbourne Dog Lovers Shows are not-to-be-missed events on our calendars, so we’re super excited to see that the show is now coming to Brisbane!

When it comes to pet events, the Perth Pet Expo is one of our favourites! Now in its third year, it celebrates our fabulous furry, feathered and finned friends, of all sizes.

Learn more about pet care from the industry experts offering advice, and be

Got a pet-related event coming up?

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www.petsmagazine.com.au

western au st

amazed at a range of fabulous pet products from the many exhibitors there. There are also dog demonstrations, an ANCATS show, a mobile animal farm, pony rides and much, much more. You can even bring your own pet! Make sure you see the Perth Pet Expo website for more details on that.

Tickets will sell fast, so visit perthpetexpo.com.au for more information.

Email pets@universalmagazines.com.au and let us know. We’d love to hear about it.

ralia

Perth Pet Expo NOVEMBER 4-5

The Dog Lovers Show sees a whole host of industry experts give their pawsome advice on the stage, including Dr Chris Brown and of course, our favourite Wonderdogs.

You can meet and learn information on more than 40 different dog breeds, and discover all you need to know about animal adoption, if that’s the road you choose to travel. This year, there’s also a moving tribute to the Australian Military Working Dogs, thanking them for the incredible work they do for us all.

While you can’t bring your dog to this event, you’ll definitely leave the Brisbane Dog Lovers Show with a smile on your face (and maybe a few gifts for your paw-some friend, too). For more information, visit dogloversshow.com.au

/t/ WĞĂŬ Ͳ dŽƉͲZĂƚĞĚ EĂƚƵƌĂů EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚ WĞƚ EƵƚƌŝƟŽŶ /t/ WĞĂŬ ĨŽƌ ĚŽŐƐ ĂŶĚ ĐĂƚƐ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ŝĚĞĂů ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶǀĞŶŝĞŶƚ ǁĂLJ ƚŽ ŐŝǀĞ LJŽƵƌ ƉĞƚ ƚŚĞ ďĞŶĞĮƚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŚŝŐŚĞƐƚͲƋƵĂůŝƚLJ ŐƌĂƐƐͲĨĞĚ ŵĞĂƚ ƉƌŽƚĞŝŶƐ ĨƌŽŵ EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚ͕ ƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ ŶĂƚƵƌĂů ĚŝŐĞƐƟǀĞ ĞŶnjLJŵĞƐ͕ ŽŵĞŐĂ ŽŝůƐ͕ ŵŝŶĞƌĂůƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƐ ĞƐƐĞŶƟĂů ƚŽ LJŽƵƌ ƉĞƚ͛Ɛ ŚĞĂůƚŚ͘ ǀĞŶ ϭ ƐĐŽŽƉ ƉĞƌ ĚĂLJ ĐĂŶ ďĞŶĞĮƚ ƚŚĞ ůĂƌŐĞƐƚ ŽĨ ĚŽŐƐ͊ tŚĂƚ͚Ɛ ŵŽƌĞ͕ LJŽƵƌ ƉĞƚ ŝƐ ŐƵĂƌĂŶƚĞĞĚ ƚŽ ůŽǀĞ ŝƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ŝƚ ĐĂŶ ĞĂƐŝůLJ ďĞ ƵƐĞĚ ĂƐ Ă ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ƚƌĞĂƚ Žƌ ƐƵƉƉůĞŵĞŶƚ ƐŽ ƚŚĂƚ ŝƚ ďĞĐŽŵĞƐ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ LJŽƵƌ ƉĞƚ͛Ɛ ĚĂŝůLJ ĚŝĞƚ Ăƚ Ăůů ůŝĨĞ ƐƚĂŐĞƐ͘ /t/ WĞĂŬ ŶŽǁ ŚĂƐ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ĐŽƌĞ ƌĞĐŝƉĞƐ͕ Ă ƌĞĚƵĐĞĚ ŝŶŐƌĞĚŝĞŶƚ ůŝƐƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŚŝŐŚĞƐƚ ;ϵϴйͿ ŵĞĂƚ ĐŽŶƚĞŶƚ ŽĨ ĂŶLJ ƐŚĞůĨͲƐƚĂďůĞ ƉĞƚ ĨŽŽĚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ͕ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ ŝƚ ƚŚĞ ƉĞƌĨĞĐƚ͕ ŶĂƚƵƌĂů ĐŚŽŝĐĞ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵƌ ƉĞƚ͘ A scoop of ZIWI a day goes a long way ϵϴй ŵĞĂƚ͕ ŽƌŐĂŶƐ ĂŶĚ EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚ ŵƵƐƐĞůƐ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ŶŽ ĮůůĞƌƐ͕ a small amount of ZIWI is packed with goodness. This small ƐĐŽŽƉ ŝƐ Ăůů ƚŚĞ ĨŽŽĚ Ă ϱŬŐ ĚŽŐ ŶĞĞĚƐ ĨŽƌ ĂŶ ĞŶƟƌĞ ĚĂLJ͘ Ask for ZIWI Peak by name at your local pet store, vet, holistic practitioner, wholefood or convenience store, or order it online.

ZIWI products are distributed by Number 1 (Australia) Pty Ltd, 2/4 Browns Road, South Nowra, NSW 2541.

E-mail us quoting PETS magazine for free samples and brochure, or for stockist details.

E: ziwi@number-1.com.au. W: www.ziwipetfood.com.au.

T: (02) 8011 0205.

PETS | Letters

s PaFOw R t h g u tho Write to PET S!

Do you have an amazing pet sto ry or a hilarious animal joke to share? Ho w about some feedback on one of our ar ticles? Or did you recently ge t 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 though t/PETS, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NS W 1670 or email pets@ universalmagaz ines.com.au wi th “Paws for thought” as the subject heading . Letters, poems, photos, collages and draw ings are also welcome. Be as creative as yo u like!

SURFING SUPERSTAR Hello PETS! My name is Lucy and I have an awesome Jack Russell named Max. We got him from a breeder when he was seven months old. He loves the water and I have a special story about him in the pool.

It was a very hot day and we were in the pool. We had a broken table tennis board for the pool and we had left it floating around. We always let Max in when we swim in the pool, and we give him a tennis ball to keep him occupied. We were not paying any attention to Max because we were underwater. While we were underwater, Max had an idea to jump onto the broken board and do some surfing.

So when we came up and heard a big splash, he had jumped in, wetting us all. We turned

10 www.petsmagazine.com.au

ar d tto see a lilittle l dog swimming around around trying to get out. I swam over to him and helped him get out. Ever since he did it, he has had a cool talent for surfing and he knows where the steps are.

From Lucy, via email Ed: Lucy, thanks so much for writing in and sharing your totally paw-some story about Max with us! He sounds like such a clever dog — and that photo is amazing! It sounds like you take good care of Max, keeping an eye on him and helping him out when he’s in the pool, too. We hope you keep enjoying fun in the sun together.

Letters | PETS

LITTLE ADVENTURERS

Dear PETS, My name is Ella and I am a #CRAZYANIMALPERSON. I have six horses, two Ragdoll cats, a Cocker Spaniel named George and an English Pointer named Tally.

This is about my beautiful cat Jackson and his grumpy yet sweet brother, Winston.

One day, my family and I went out to pick up horse feed and visit some friends. We were out for the whole day. Jackson and Winston are never allowed outside because: a) They might run away; b) The dogs don’t like the cats and; c) We don’t want them hurting the native wildlife that lives around our house.

While we were out, the cats discovered that someone had left the front door wide open! Being the curious creatures they are, they went outside.

As they explored the front yard, a big gust of wind must have blown the door shut — the cats couldn’t get back inside! Poor Jackson and Winston were stuck outside for hours, trying to get back in! And we had no idea!

When we got home, my dad saw a fluffy white flash running through the front yard — Jackson! We all panicked and raced

CUTE COCO Dear PETS, This is my first time writing to you so I hope it will get in. I am going to tell you about my nearly four-year-old Dashalier, Coco. We bought Coco when she was eight weeks old at a pet shop in Mt Lawley. Coco was a playful puppy and when anyone rang the doorbell she would run up to them and give them a big lick on the leg (since she is so small). Two

around, trying to find the cats. We quickly found Winston — he was pawing at the window, trying to get inside. But Jackson was still missing! I started crying and thought I had lost my boy forever, but then we heard meowing! Jackson was hiding under the hedge. We eventually coaxed him out and got him inside. I spent the next hour grooming them, pulling hedge and leaves and spider webs from their coats, and talking to them.

We are now VERY careful about the door and keep an eye on our little adventurers!

From Ella, via email Ed: Oh my goodness, Ella! How scary for you! It sounds like you love Jackson and Winston very much and that you are a great pet parent to them, talking to them and cleaning them to make sure they were okay after their big adventure. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us and for being a fantastic #crazyanimalperson (I am, too!).

years later, Coco got stung by a bee and it turns out she was allergic. She is really good company and won’t ever leave my side.

From Jade (and Coco) Ed: Jade, it sounds like Coco and you have a very special relationship. We loved reading your story about this beautiful dog. Thanks so much for writing in.

www.petsmagazine.com.au 11

PETS | My pet

MY pet We wish we got to cuddle Caroline’s cute canines — they sure have the right idea!

Mar tina’s Eddie

just won our he

ar ts.

We adore Kerri’s bounding Bella — so full of life!

Anne thinks Herman is “rocking his denim jacket” — and we have to say, we wholeheartedly agree!

12 www.petsmagazine.com.au

What a perfect pair of pet s. You must be so full of happiness with the se two, Naomi!

PETS | My pet

Chelsie’s Quacks loves sitting in her water dish.

Christine’s Scruff likes to protect is the strawberries. Clearly, the cat doing a fabulous job.

the just adores Ally’s Percy tie! cu a t ha W ket. washing bas

Carol’s dog Bella is best friends with beautiful feline Buster.

What a gorgeous pair!

naps! s Youorto s Send u appear here ant your phot

Maryanne’s Storm is a Border Collie who just loves flyball.

14 www.petsmagazine.com.au

Do you w l a clear, sharp t” pages? Emai on our “My Pe pet along with larger) of your photo (1MB or ntact number co s, ailing addres your name, m you love your ds about why and a few wor ines.com.au az ag iversalm pet to pets@un My Pet/PETS opy photos to or send hard-c North Ryde 4, 15 cked Bag the magazine, Lo ake copies as member to m apping! sn y NSW 1670. Re pp Ha . ed be return photos cannot

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ATTENTION ALL PET LOVERS!

Tell us why you love your furry, fluffy, feathered, slippery, scaly or slimy friend for your chance to win a cool p prize. rizz ri

CONGRATULATIONS, MALI!

You have won a six-issue subscription to PETS magazine, ensuring you get the latest and greatest pet news delivered straight to your door. Thank you so much for writing in. We hope you enjoy your prize.

Mali’s Ezra is a beautiful Cavoodle.

The best pets

My name is Mali, and I live in a quiet country town. We have six pets, but my favourites would just have to be our dogs. Ezra is a Cavoodle, he just turned one, and Colby is a Maltese x Shih Tzu, a little over three. Ez and Kee (those are their nicknames) love, love, love to play, and have the best wrestles and tug-of-wars! Sometimes you see them sprinting across the yard together, and it’s so funny! Before we got Ezra, Colby was super anxious (at his previous house he hadn’t had great training), and once chased the rubbish truck down the road! But he’s loads better now, and Ezra has

16 www.petsmagazine.com.au

helped. The two couldn’t be more different (Ezra has left no shoe unchewed, while Colby just wants a tummy rub), but they get along great and are best buddies. Sometimes I’ll sit on the couch and have a dog on either side of me! They ADORE walks, and always greet us with wagging tails. We are home schooled, so I get to see my gorgeous dogs every day, and pat and play with them (plus, stop Ezzy from chewing our toys!). They always come to you when you’re hurt or sad — they are so loyal! I love them to bits and couldn’t ask for better pets!

Photos courtesy of Mali Hoadley

Mali’s Ez and Kee truly are beautiful dogs.

These pups are just too cute!

Mali loves her two gorgeous pets.

Ez and Kee love to get comfy on the

WIN Do you love your pet? Tell us a warm and fuzzy tale about the special bond you share with your best pal for a chance to win a really cool prize.

TO ENTER:

All you have to do is tell us in 400 words or less why your pet is so special and include a few

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a PAWSOME PRIZE PACK! clear, sharp photographs (1MB or larger) of your friend. Please also include your contact number and mailing address.

Send your entries to Pet Tales/PETS, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670 or email your entries to pets@universalmagazines.com.au Please read the terms and conditions on page 97 before entering. Good luck!

www.petsmagazine.com.au 17

PETS PETS | Critter | Me and cartooning My Pet  

www.petsmagazine.com.au 18 Aug/Sep

SPONSOR A PUPPY AND GIVE SOMEONE WITH A DISABILITY A NEW LEASH ON LIFE. Each puppy takes two years and more than $Îä,000 to train. We receive no government funding so rely heavily on the generosity of people like you to carry out this vital work.

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pet NEWS

Photo: mexitographer/BigStock.com

WHY SHELTER CATS ARE AWESOME What’s independent, clean, low maintenance, a perfect companion and a great entertainer? You guessed right — it’s a cat! That’s just five good reasons to get a feline, but getting one from the shelter is even more awesome as you are not only saving a little furry life, you are making space for another one to be saved.

Although you will give your cat the very best care, it doesn’t mean your new pet won’t get into trouble. That’s why it’s a good idea to consider pet insurance when you bring your new kitty home to help take care of vet bills.

20 www.petsmagazine.com.au

Head over to Petsecure.com.au right now and enter the promo code PM16 to get your PETS magazine 10 per cen t lifetime discount when yo u take out pet insurance for your fluffy!

HORSES AND HENDRA

Photo: Melory/BigStock.com

The Equine Veterinarians Australia (EVA) is urging horse owners to vaccinate their horses against the deadly Hendra virus following three confirmed cases in just four weeks. Since the identification of this virus in 1994, there have been 60 incidences of the virus, resulting in 102 horse deaths.

“Every horse that has died because of Hendra represents one more compelling reason for horse owners to vaccinate their horses,” says Dr Ben Poole, president of the EVA. “The risk this disease poses to human health is also very real and it is important that the equine community remains vigilant in protecting horses and people from Hendra.”

Are you the loving owner of a beautiful horse?

Make sure you speak to your local veterinarian about protecting your horse from Hendra today.

COLLAR CONCERN According to the Australian Veterinary Association, approximately 9.2 million Aussie households own at least one pet, with around 4.8 million dogs in Australia — that’s almost one dog for every 100 people!

It is a legal requirement that all dogs wear collars and tags, but how much thought have you put into what you put around your dog’s neck? PetSafe states that the American Pet Products Association (APPA) has noted upwards of 26,000 collar strangulation accidents occurring yearly in homes and establishments.

Crates and kennels, playing with other dogs, fences, heating/cooling vents, shrubs and branches are a few of the most common strangulation hazards dogs face each day.

So what is the solution for this potential problem? Designed to prevent dogs from getting entangled by their collars, the KeepSafe Break-Away Safety Collar was invented by Tenney Mudge after the devastating loss of her beloved

Photo: Willee Cole/ BigStock.com

dog, Chinook, to a collar strangulation accident.

The collar features a patented break-away safety buckle that releases when pressure is applied or it gets caught on something, allowing it to fall off harmlessly and reduce the risk of strangulation or injury to the pet. The KeepSafe Break-Away Safety Collar also has a metal D-ring on each side of the breakaway buckle, which can be used to attach ID tags and can also be clipped together with a leash so pet parents can safely walk their dogs using the collar.

For more information, visit petsafe.net/AU

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News | PETS

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PETS | News

K PING YOUR CAT L KING THEIR BEST How many people have commented on your pet’s shiny coat lately? The outward appearance of cats and dogs indicates a lot about their internal health. A shiny coat and healthy skin are strong indicators that your pet’s diet is meeting their nutritional needs. On the other hand, if your pet’s coat is dull or they have flaky skin, it could be a sign they are lacking essential nutrients.

Your cat’s skin and coat utilises a significant amount of the nutrients from their diet, particularly protein and fatty acids, as well as specific vitamins and minerals. Did you know that the skin and coat are made up of approximately 95 per cent protein? With this in mind, it is not surprising that even subtle changes to our pets’ diets, and even to their health, can

have a striking impact on their appearance.

The people at ROYAL CANIN® know that each individual cat and dog has its own specific nutritional needs. Different factors such as age, breed and lifestyle can contribute to various sensitivities, which can impact your pet’s wellbeing. All ROYAL CANIN® food for cats provides everything they need to be nutritionally healthy on the inside and look their best on the outside. The Feline Care Nutrition range of wet and dry diets has been designed to support specific sensitivities, including hairballs, weight gain, urinary issues, sensitive digestion or dental concerns. For cats with sensitive skin or those prone to dandruff, ROYAL CANIN® offers a specific Hair & Skin Care diet.

As pet owners, our cats and dogs rely on us to notice if they are not looking their best or behaving normally. Inner health starts with a good diet, but it’s also important to consult a veterinarian if you notice any changes in your pet, and schedule regular check-ups.

For more pet advice, visit healthypets. royalcanin.com.au/blog/

Photo: PHOTO CREO Michal Bednarek/BigStock.com

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HELP YOUR PET LOOK GOOD FROM THE INSIDE OUT ®

At ROYAL CANIN , we know that beauty starts from within.

If you want your pet to look their best you need to feed them the best. That’s why our specially formulated diets for hair and skin are enriched with fatty acids and a specific patented skin complex to help promote coat shine, hair growth and healthy skin renewal.

PETHUB-ROYALCANIN.COM

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PETS | News

Photo: kozorog/BigStock.com

KEEP YOUR CAT ENTERTAINED

As pet owners, it’s important we offer our beloved felines not just a great diet, but an enriched lifestyle too. Here are some ways you can help your cat keep happy.

- Great grooming. By spending time looking after your cat’s coat, not only do you ensure your cat looks great, it can also be a pleasant bonding experience. Cat not a fan of the brush?

Coax your kitty using high-value treats, and never force her to sit through a grooming session. For more tips and advice, visit your local grooming expert or vet.

- Play time. It’s important to play with your purring pet so she can burn off some of that energy. Invest in a toy that mimics the sort of prey she might find in the wild — something with feathers or a bright, shiny toy is often very appealing. This is another great opportunity for you to bond with your pet. Another great idea

A HOME FOR NSW DOGS

Dogs NSW is the peak body responsible for promoting breeding, showing, trialling, obedience and other canine-related activities in NSW. With more than 10,000 members of this fabulous group, the organisation is calling on the state government to consider creating a permanent state dog park on its 27-year-old grounds in Orchard Hills.

“Dogs NSW’s lease with the NSW government runs for another 11 years, with an option to extend until 2038,” says Dogs NSW spokesperson, Brian Crump. In the meantime, construction of infrastructure has begun next door to Dogs NSW’s headquarters for the development of 245,000sqm of land into an employment hub, threatening the future of canine activities in the area.

t i 24 www.petsmagazine.com.au

is to purchase ase a toy that allows ows your cat to burn off some me steam alone, e, such as the KONG Triangle Play Mat. This his is bound to entice your cat, with i h a textured d iinterior i for f scratching and a plush surface, perfect for snuggling. There’s even a catnip-filled hanging mouse, perfect for batting and swiping! For more information, visit kongcompany.com

Dogs NSW would like the government to either sell the current land to them or grant them a lease in perpetuity, allowing them to invest funds and create an internationally recognised State Dog Centre. It would feature show rings, training areas for herding, obedience, agility and more, as well as a library and museum celebrating — you guessed it — all things canine!

Here at PETS, we think it is a fabulous idea. If you’re a NSW resident, jump online to sign the petition at https://goo.gl/hqy58B and visit dogsnsw.org.au for more updates.

Photo: chughes/BigStock.com

Whether playing CATCH or TUG OF WAR or simply throwing it around at the beach, the versatile BOMBER by Zeus is the ultimate INTERACTIVE TOY designed for dogs that love to play and love to play hard!

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Š2017 Zeus is a trademark of Rolf C. Hagen Inc.

g n i r a o r

REVIEWS

books

TRAVELLING WITH PETS ON AUSTRALIA’S EAST COAST DOGNITIVE THERAPY Author: Carla Francis Publisher: Woodslane Press RRP: $29.99 Available: Now, from all good bookstores We love our furry friends and consider them to be part of the family. Now, more than ever before, when it comes time to go on holiday, many of us are choosing to take our pets with us rather than book them into a kennel. But finding the right accommodation that accepts guests of the two- and four-legged variety can be tricky — unless you happen to have yourself a copy of Travelling With Pets on Australia’s East Coast. The comprehensive guide covers the very best in pet-friendly accommodation from Melbourne to Cairns, so that wherever your road trip takes you, you’ll be covered.

Organised geographically and alphabetically, you’ll find basic information on each business, such as an indication of cost, location and contact details, as well as other vital important info, such as whether the pet is allowed inside and how many humans the accommodation can sleep.

Overall, this is a very impressive resource and a must-have for any dog owner who likes to get on the road with their pet. We know we won’t be leaving home without it!

= Zzzzzz = Not so good = Good = Grrreat!

= PAWTASTIC!!

26 www.petsmagazine.com.au

Author: Laura Vissaritis Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia RRP: $29.99 Available: Now, from all good bookstores There are many books out there on training your dog, and we’re pleased that Dognitive Therapy is one of the better ones.

This book focuses on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy, the behavioural management strategy to cope with distress, and applies them to our canine friends, encouraging pet owners to see the world through their animal’s point of view.

Laura is a canine expert, having trained dogs for more than 30 years, although as she is quick to point out in the book’s introduction, the relationship is very much multi-directional. She has learned a lot from animals, too. She believes in building a trusting relationship between canine and human, and explores ways to establish this and how to develop a confident, happy dog through dognitive therapy, based upon the idea that to change your dog’s behaviour, first you must work on yourself.

Overall, Dognitive Therapy is a really interesting read, even if you don’t have a dog you feel needs training. It explores the humancanine bond and offers easy-to-understand, practical advice which puts the onus on us when it comes to our pet’s behaviour.

All you need to do to win is visit petsmagazine.co m.au and enter on line, telling us in 25 wo rds or less why yo u and your pet would lov e to win. Alternati vely, you can mail your entry to Furry Fre ebies/ PETS, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NS W 1670. Be sure to inc lude your mailing address, phone nu mber and email ad dress, as well as the inform ation on which competition you are entering. Entries clo se December 21, 2017 . Please read the ter ms and conditions on page 97. Good luc k!

y rr fu FREEBIES ROYAL CANIN WET AND DRY CAT FOOD

Cats respond well to a little variety in their diet. That doesn’t mean they need to be eating something different for every meal or regularly have their diet changed to something different. This is unnecessary and could cause stomach upsets. However, providing them with a diet that is a mixture of wet and dry food has been shown to reduce problems with fussy eaters. Different cats also have different preferences when it comes to texture. By feeding them a mixed diet, they’ll get a combination of textures that ensures they will find the one they like.

At ROYAL CANIN®, they do more than simply produce a wet and dry cat food.

They provide breed and age specific wet and dry combinations for pure breeds like

TRAVELLING WITH PETS ON AUSTRALIA’S EAST COAST

Maine Coons and British Shorthairs that tailor nutrition to the particular needs of that breed, for both kittens and adults. ROYAL CANIN® ranges also include specific diets for more mature cats, cats with health issues and cats that need to have their weight managed. For more information, visit royalcanin.com.au.

PETS has a bag of dry cat food (4kg or under) and a box of wet cat food pouches to give away to 2 lucky winners.

When you hit the road with your furry friend, it can be hard to know which places will allow you to take your pet with you. Thanks to Travelling with Pets on Australia’s East Coast, holidays are about to get a whole lot simpler!

This book identifies a list of great pet-friendly accommodation, but it doesn’t stop there. It also lists l amenities, rules such as whether the t dogs are allowed inside, and even gives g you an approximate guide to cost, ensuring that whether you’re on a budget or have more to spend, there’s an option for you. Travelling with Pets on Australia’s East Coast is out now from Woodslane Press. PETS has three copies of Travelling with Pets on Australia’s East Coast to give away.

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PETS MAGAZINE

Stay up-to-date on all things animal with PETS magazine. Featuring news, information and education on the special beloved furry friends that make our families complete, this magazine is perfect for any lover of pets — so why not get it delivered directly to your door to ensure you never miss an issue?

Annual subscriptions are available now. For more information, visit universalshop.com.au. PETS has three six-issue subscriptions to give away.

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**Terms, conditions, waiting periods and exclusions apply. This is general information only. Please read the Combined PDS, Policy Terms & Conditions, and FSG available on petsecure.com.au. Petsecure Pet Insurance is issued by The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd, (ABN 78090 584 473, AFSL 241436), and is distributed and promoted by WaldenWood Group Pty Ltd (ABN 53 093 501 538, AFSL 278954).

PM2017-C

PETS | Fabulous felines

O T S T E R C E S 6 T A C Y P P A AH

What are the key ingredients your cat needs for a fulfilling life? Tim Falk investigates the six secrets to feline happiness.

and needs for a happy life isn’t always easy. From the right diet to the right home environment, there are several factors you need to consider to help ensure that each minute your cat spends with you is as enjoyable and fulfilling as possible.

Let’s take a look at the six key ingredients your cat needs to live a happy and healthy life.

1. THE RIGHT DIET If you’re an animal lover, you’d probably be willing to do just about anything to make your pet as happy as possible. After all, if you take the time to consider all the years of joy, love and companionship they give to you, it’s only fair that you pull out all the stops to make your furry friend’s life as wonderful as possible.

But if you’re new to the world of cat ownership, working out exactly what your feline friend wants

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You are what you eat, so a complete and balanced diet is crucial for your cat’s wellbeing.

“If you want to give your cat the best opportunity for a long and healthy life, the right diet for your cat is the most important component of this equation of happiness and health,” says Dr Gloria Tetlow, veterinarian from Just for Cats Vet Care & Grooming in Bayswater North, Victoria.

Photos: kozorog/BigStock.com, Patrik Slezak/BigStock.com, insomnia/BigStock.com

A complete and balanced diet is essential to keep your cat happy.

Fabulous felines | PETS “There are two brands I trust (Hills and Royal Canin) which are companies that do extensive research into a pet’s requirements; they do testing of ingredients before and after the food is made. Supermarket foods may not have this background. Working with cats exclusively for over 10 years, I have seen the difference diet has on general health.”

Every cat is an individual with its own personality, and any experienced cat owner will tell you that some felines can be very particular about what they eat. It’s also worth mentioning that the shape of your cat’s face can make a difference to his diet.

“In particular, cats with pushed-in noses, like Persians and Exotic Shorthairs, can have difficulty picking up food because of the short jaw as their eyes are level with their mouth,” Dr Gloria says. Some brands have foods specifically designed for these cats, while other

cats have to be hand fed because they have trouble picking up their food.

And let’s not forget, an ample supply of fresh, clean water is another must for any kitty.

2. MENTAL STIMULATION According to Dr Jo Righetti, animal behaviourist and the host of radio show Talking Pets every Thursday night on 2UE Talking Lifestyle, mental stimulation is important for a cat’s mental and physical health. “Cats can get bored and/or ile most will simply sle stressed. While sleep more,

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIET

“Diet is super important,” explains PETstock vet Dr Bronwen Slack. “The right diet can help reduce the risk of dental tartar, urinary crystals, obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Having your pet on the right diet can contribute a significant amount to keeping their teeth, gums, urinary tract and digestive system healthy.”

Cats are inquisitive, so offer them adequ ate mental stimulation.

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PETS | Fabulous felines

Ensuring your cat feels loved will

make her very happy.

this is still a concern for their welfare. Mental stimulation prevents stress,” she says.

“And give a cat some fun. We don’t allow cats to fulfil their natural behaviour drives (hunting), so giving them alternative, appropriate stimulation is important.”

Dr Gloria points out that cats are naturally inquisitive, especially as kittens, and it is important for them to learn about the world they live in. “For indoor cats the provision of climbing structures (eg cat scratching posts with beds etc and/or shelves, or steps attached to the wall) provides some stimulation from ‘exploration’. Cardboard boxes are a cheap and effective entertainment, changing them over when the cat has lost interest,” she says.

Meanwhile, outdoor cats can explore up trees and along fences. “This can lead to trouble, so having an enclosed large cat run is ideal for those cats that may fight with others,” she explains.

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3. A SAFE PLACE Next on the list of essential requirements for your cat is shelter. Every cat, regardless of their age, gender or breed, needs a safe and quiet place they can retreat to whenever they want.

“Cats like to watch action from a safe height, so shelves, window sills etc are important. A box can also be all a cat needs to feel safe and secure — never throw away a cardboard box when you have a cat,” Dr Jo says.

Whenever the world gets a little overwhelming or your furry friend just needs a little bit of quiet time, your cat should know that they can escape to their own private sanctuary for a break.

In addition, Dr Jo points out that while cats do not need to go outdoors, if kept entirely indoors they may benefit from having access to cat grasses to nibble on. However, many cats will enjoy safe access to the outdoors and there are now a range of cat enclosures which offer

Fabulous felines | PETS the great outdoors in a safe way. Of course, once night time falls, your outdoor cat should be encouraged to stay at home.

4. VETERINARY CARE If you want your cat to live a long and healthy life, another important step is to find a good vet — and pay them regular visits. “Cats age faster than humans, so a vet check once a year is like a human going to the doctor for a check-up only once every four years. A lot can happen in that time, so it is important to have annual vet visits so that the vet can update their vaccinations and check their whole body, especially teeth, heart, weight, joints, eyes, ears and skin,” Dr Bronwen says.

Dr Gloria agrees that annual check-ups at the very least are essential for your cat, but these may need to become more frequent as your pet gets older. “Don’t rely on Facebook, Dr Google or pet care forums. Cats are so good at hiding their health problems so if they are not quite right, you can bet something is brewing. Often an owner cannot detect what is wrong because signs of ill health can be very gradual and they don’t notice it, or owners say ‘he is getting old’ so it’s what you expect,” she says.

Parasite prevention is also crucial, ensuring that your cat is protected against worms, fleas and other nasties. Your vet will be able to advise you on the best parasite prevention plan for your pet.

5. SOMETHING SPECIAL Just like people, every cat has their own unique personality quirks and behaviours. While one cat may love nothing more than snuggling up in your lap on the lounge, for example, another uch more at home wh might feel much when given his hiich ch tto o relax. own space in whi which

TOP TIP

Don’t forget that your cat must have access to a clean litter tray at all times.

With this in mind, the next secret to a happy cat is to tailor your home to your cat’s needs and preferences. Not only will your cat love you for it, but doing so could also make life easier on you.

“The best thing I ever bought my cat was the ScoopFree self-cleaning litter tray, which I bought from PETstock. My cat also prefers to drink from running water and was always jumping into the bathtub, shower or sink to drink from the tap — until I bought him a Drinkwell water fountain, which is his favourite,” Dr Bronwen says.

You can also buy toys and other accessories that match your cat’s play preferences. For example, wand toys encourage running and chasing, interactive food toys provide mental stimulation, and climbing structures give your pet the perfect opportunity to look down on the world from up high.

By taking your cat’s needs and wants into account, you can help make each day of his life that little bit better.

6. LOVE AND ATTENTION The final secret to creating a happy cat is a whole lot of TLC. However, Dr Jo explains that all cats are different in their demands for affection.

“For most, interaction with an owner is a must. Cats love us. They may not show it as obviously as dogs do but most love to be near their owners,” she says.

Dr Bronwen also points out that while giving your cat lots of love is vital, there are plenty of different ways you can show your affection. “Love and attention are hugely important — this may not need to be physical hugs and cuddles, as although some cats are very affectionate, others like to have their own space. But love and attention also means regular brushing, feeding them a healthy diet, watching their weight, paying attention to their behaviour to pick up on any signs of illness, and of course annual vet checks,” she says.

Once you have built a strong relationship with your cat and developed an understanding of their needs, you’ll be able to provide all the care and love your feline friend requires for a long, happy and healthy life.

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PETS | Fabulous felines

WHY DOES MY CAT …?

Ever wondered why your cat does those bizarre, unique, quirky and wacky catty things she does? Tim Falk looks at the reasons behind some unusual and unorthodox feline behaviours.

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Most cat lovers would agree that every kitty has its own unique personality that helps it stand out from the crowd. Whether your cat loves eating things she shouldn’t, develops strange obsessions with random household objects, or simply enjoys sleeping in the most bizarre places, every cat does something a little bit funny, quirky and ridiculously cute.

But have you ever wondered why your kitty does those unusual things she does?

Is there a perfectly rational explanation for her behaviour, or is it something you should maybe be a little concerned about?

Let’s examine a few quirky and bizarre cat behaviours to find out why cats do the crazy things they do.

WHY DOES MY CAT …

ENJOY KNOCKING THINGS OFF TABLES?

If you’ve ever wasted an hour or two watching cat videos on YouTube — and let’s face it, who hasn’t? — you’ll no doubt have seen countless videos of cats knocking things off tables and

Photos: Varvara Kurakina/BigStock.com, Gen1607/BigStock.com, insomnia/BigStock.com, Ulianna/BigStock.com

Why do cats enjoy knocking things off tables?

Fabulous felines | PETS

Coco’s teddy bear obsession

Coco is a ten-and-a-half-year-old ginger cat with a unique obsession: he absolutely loves teddy bears.

“He loves to play fetch with his two favourite teddy bears — we throw them, he brings them back,” explains Coco’s owner, Yvette Salvaris.

“And every night as soon as my husband and I are in bed and the light is off, Coco will go and bring his two teddy bears into our bedroom, place one on the floor on my side of the bed, go back [to] get the other and put it on the floor on my husband’s side of the bed, then jump up on the bed and go to sleep.”

Coco’s love of fetching teddy bears started when he was a kitten, and he brought his two favourite bears to his owners when they were watching TV on the couch Since then, it has continued. “He picks them up by the ear/legs/arms and meows while he brings it to us. It usually gets dropped at our feet and he hangs around for praise and a pat. We have even tried just throwing it back down the hallway after he brings it to us, and he just waits a few moments then goes and brings them back,” Yvette says.

But according to Dr Jo, the reason for Coco’s behaviour is simple: some cats simply enjoy a game of fetch.

“The behaviour itself is reinforcing — either by the owners throwing or by the behaviour itself exercising the cat and providing fun. Since the cat enjoys it, he will keep on doing it. Unless he is OCD about it, or the owners are frustrated by it, there’s no need to change,” she says.

surfaces. From photographs and fine china to other cats, many felines seem to get a kick out of knocking stuff off a shelf to watch it fall on the ground.

However, PETstock vet Dr Bronwen Slack says this behaviour is nothing to worry about.

“It is a normal cat behaviour and often a source of constant delight (and outrage) in my household. My little cat loves to knock over vases, ornaments or anything sitting on a table or shelf,” she says.

“It is hard to know why they enjoy doing it; I suspect it is because they want to see if it will bounce/roll so that they can then chase it. If your cat tends to knock things over, use some Velcro tape to stick those things down or make sure that they are put away in a drawer or cupboard. Ensure that your cat has plenty of other toys to play with so that they are less inclined to topple your china.”

Dr Jo Righetti, animal behaviourist and the host of radio show Talking Pets every Thursday night on 2UE Talking Lifestyle, offers a similar explanation. “It is, I believe, replicating how they might ‘play hunt’ with small creatures — paw them to get them moving, watch them scurry away or fall off shelves. It’s simply fun.

Their action has a reaction, the behaviour is fun so it is repeated,” she explains.

WHY DOES MY CAT …

LIKE TO SIT IN HIGH PLACES?

Does your cat love finding the highest perch in the house, no matter what or where it is, and then curl up in that very spot? This is a very common feline behaviour and one that Dr Jo says is completely normal. “Cats sit in high places to get a cat’s eye view, to feel safe and secure, to be able to see, hear and smell from a distance and to look down on everyone else in the household,” she says.

WHY DOES MY CAT …

LIKE TO CURL UP IN SMALL SPACES?

This is another perfectly normal feline behaviour, as Dr Bronwen explains. “Cats like to curl up in a small space where they can feel

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PETS | Fabulous felines

Some cats are prone to random bouts of intense activity.

Oreo’s mirror madness

When night falls, Oreo, a 19-monthold Shorthair/Persian cross, loves nothing more than jumping up on the dressing table and scratching the mirror. “It wakes me up every night,” explains Oreo’s owner, Jessica Cartwright. “I pull him off or he will keep going. Then he moves onto the glass shower screen, the bathroom mirror over the sink or even the TV screen. It’s never during the day, only in the middle of the night.”

Just like Totoro, the Maine Coon who likes scratching the shower door, Dr Jo says Oreo’s behaviour has most likely developed because he uses the mirror as a litter substitute or scratching post alternative. “He may also enjoy seeing the reflection of a cat,” she says.

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safe and sleep comfortably, although it may not look comfortable to us sometimes,” she says.

Dr Jo adds that most animals curl up to keep warm and cats like to have something solid against their backs. “Hence their love of boxes,” she explains.

WHY DOES MY CAT …

RUB HIS FACE ON EVERYTHING?

Why does your cat feel the need to rub his face up against just about every new object or surface he comes in contact with? This behaviour is your cat’s way of leaving her scent.

“Cats have scent glands on their faces and rubbing against objects and surfaces ensures they leave their scent on these objects, making them belong to the cat. It feels and smells like home to your cat,” Dr Jo says.

WHY DOES MY CAT …

PREFER DRINKING FROM WEIRD PLACES?

Fabulous felines | PETS You’ve left out a fresh bowl of pristine water for your cat to drink, but when he gets thirsty you find him trying to take a sip from your dripping bathroom tap — why?

“Some cats prefer running water over stagnant water as this is more likely to be clean of debris and bacteria and it will taste better,” Dr Bronwen says. “My cat prefers to drink from running water and was always jumping into the bathtub, shower or sink to drink from the tap”— until she bought him a pet water fountain.

Dr Jo says that cats have an ability to ‘taste water’ and often do not enjoy water straight from the tap. “Filtered water may taste better, as may rainwater or water flowing from a tap.

Plus, they often don’t drink water that’s placed next to their food, so it’s important that you have several watering spots throughout the home,” she says.

WHY DOES MY CAT …

HAVE SUDDEN BURSTS OF ACTIVITY?

Have you ever noticed your cat go from zero to 100 in an instant? From lazing around the house with seemingly not a care in the world, all of a sudden he’s up on his feet, sprinting here and there and jumping around like a maniac. Then, before you can so much as tell him to take it easy, he’s settled right back down again and looks like you’d need

Cats love curling up.

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PETS | Fabulous felines

Totoro’s quirky habits •

Totoro the two-and-a-half-year-old Maine Coon has a few quirky behaviours: ‘Running’ on the shower door (a bit like scratching but without the nails). “I think this began because she’s fascinated by water, but has now evolved into a strange ritual even when I’m not in the shower.

She also sometimes does it on other doors, but never scratches. It’s a bit like she’s exercising running on a treadmill,” says Totoro’s owner, Freddy Grant from online art gallery bluethumb.com.au Dr Jo says that this ‘running’ sometimes starts as a litter-covering behaviour that is then extended to vertical surfaces.

For other cats it may be an attempt to scratch their nails, which is scent-marking behaviour. “In the absence of tree trunks

Does your cat love to sit in high places? So do many others.

38 www.petsmagazine.com.au

to scratch, get the cat scratching posts of different textures and differing angles,” she says.

Knocking the crystals out of her litter tray. “We have wooden floors so they fly across rooms. She will purposefully go in her litter tray and kick as hard as she can (despite us buying the hugest tray possible to try and stop her from being able to) until she gets a few out. Then she will hit them around and hide them under rugs, then sometimes try to retrieve them,” Freddy says.

Dr Jo says that in most cases, the cat discovers that this behaviour is fun purely by accident. “It’s not recommended in case cats ingest the crystals. Try focusing the cat’s energy and fetch behaviours onto more appropriate toys,” she suggests.

Obsession with bottle caps. “She always has her eye open for Stelvin wine caps. The moment we open a bottle of wine she will be plotting to grab it from the table. Like the crystals, they fly across the room on our wooden floors, which is why I think she likes them, and she’ll hide them,” Freddy says.

Once again, Dr Jo says this is a fun and self-reinforcing behaviour for the cat.

“Make sure the cat is safe and cannot swallow or chew them. Direct her games onto more appropriate objects,” she says.

•

•

a forklift to move him from his perch. What’s that about?

The good news is that it’s perfectly normal.

“Cats are hunters and hunting may require bursts of energy. Playtime replicates hunting and general feline play behaviour,” Dr Jo says.

“Allow your cat safe places to play and also interact with them,” she advises. It’s also important to be sure that your cat focuses their hunting instinct on the toys you provide, not on your flesh!

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PETS | Fabulous felines

Pounce problems Wh W hen d does your cat’s pouncing behaviour turn from playful into a problem?

By Carrol Baker.

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Most cat owners have been on the receiving end of a playful cat pounce. With eyes as round as saucers, ears back, a tiny bottom wiggling from side to side, the cat pauses, focuses, then launches up and bam, pounces! Often a cat will lie in wait, hiding until their unsuspected target walks past to catch them by surprise.

It’s super cute when a kitten innocently pounces and wants to play, but sometimes pouncing can also be accompanied by biting, scratching, hissing and other aggressive behaviours. The kind of behaviours you don’t want.

Cats pounce for many reasons — it might be a signal they want to play, they might want to burn off excess energy, or the cat could be trying to get your attention, and sometimes it

Photo: zsv3207/BigStock.com

Pouncing can be a problem behaviour in some cats.

Fabulous felines | PETS can be a sign of fear. Animal behaviourist Celia Ann Richards says most of all, pouncing is an innate hunting instinct — it’s all part of the cat’s nature as a predator.

DOING WHAT COMES NATURALLY In the wild, big cats stealthily and slowly approach their prey then pounce, or launch themselves at their intended prey. You don’t need to worry that your cat is sizing you up to be a tasty snack though! “Cats and kittens pounce on their human family to practise their hunting skills,” says Celia. If you watch a few kittens playing together, you’ll also notice pouncing is something they do to each other — for fun. They’ll romp and run, tumbling over each other, and sometimes they’ll pounce.

“It’s important for your cat to express themselves, to practise these skills just as they would in the wild,” adds Celia. It should be encouraged through play with various cat toys, which motivate the cat to pounce, jump up and stretch in the air. There are cat teaser toys that mimic a bird in flight, or you can use table tennis balls or even scrunched up paper. Cats are athletic animals — sure, they like to find a sunny spot to sleep in, but they also enjoy being active too. It’s essential to encourage this for their physical and emotional wellbeing.

“It’s important that cats have enough exercise which mimics what they’d do in the wild to stop unwanted behaviour problems,” says Celia. “If a cat is not allowed to act out its natural traits, it may become bored and unhappy.”

A PLAYFUL POUNCE What do you do when your cat pounces on you? You probably chase them around the house, pick them up and give them a cuddle and some attention. Your cat is pretty clever.

They’ve learned that pouncing on you equates to snuggle time.

Celia says it’s not uncommon for pet owners to encourage pouncing behaviour with kittens — but it’s not always a good idea.

“It can be problematic, especially if children (and adults) wiggle their fingers for a kitten

to chase and pounce,” she says. “It may seem like a great game, but the kitten will learn to see your hand as prey and grab hold and start scratching and clawing. This hurts,” she says.

Celia also cautions against young children playing with hard sticks or other items to encourage pouncing behaviour, because they may accidently harm or hit the cat. “If this happens, the cat or kitten may become scared of children, and display aggressive behaviour, such as hissing, scratching or growling,” she says.

The key message is to encourage pouncing cat behaviour, to mimic their natural behaviour in the wild by using suitable toys — not human body parts.

AGRO POUNCE OR PLAYFUL POUNCE? Pouncing can be harmless, but cats can also pounce because they’re feeling agitated, angry, frightened, excited or overstimulated.

Celia says a playful pounce has no accompanied biting or scratching, and claws are retracted so they can’t scratch. An aggressive pounce is often accompanied by behaviours like clawing and hissing.

TOO MANY POUNCING PUSSY CATS In multi-cat households, pouncing can be a problem. Celia says often it’s the case when a younger cat pounces on an older one. “For example, an older cat might be using a litter tray, the younger one pounces, and the older cat is startled and no longer wants to use the litter tray, because it equates using the litter tray with scary things happening,” she says.

WHEN IS POUNCING PROBLEM BEHAVIOUR? If your cat is pouncing more often than they normally do, or they seem overly aggressive and biting and scratching accompanies their behaviour, it’s a good idea to pop into your vet for advice. If you adopt an older cat that hasn’t been properly socialised as a kitten, they may display aggressive fear-based pouncing behaviours as an adult cat. Your vet will rule out any medical issues, and can offer some tips on how to modify the pouncing behaviour.

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WILD THINGS has hh Recent DNA research changed the way we view the history of the humble house cat, as Kristie Bradfield discovers.

They are both affectionate and aloof, demanding and demure, and their elegance and grace have inspired poems and paintings.

Cats and humans have a very special relationship forged over millennia, but it’s only recently, with the advent of DNA testing, that we’ve been given an insight into their evolutionary process. So how did humans and cats become best friends? It’s a long story.

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Cats today can be very domesticated — but they didn’t start out this way.

Up until the end of the 20th century, it was widely believed that cats were domesticated by the Ancient Egyptians around 5000 years ago. It’s been well established that cats played an important role in Ancient Egyptian society: they were considered sacred animals and were associated with deities. Goddesses Mafdet and Bastet were both depicted in feline form and offered fierce protection from snakes, scorpions and those who would do harm to pharaoh. The cats depicted in artwork didn’t seem to mind being around humans and there was evidence that cats were mummified, which further supported their place in Egyptian society. After reviewing this archaeological evidence, it seemed logical to conclude that cats were domesticated in Ancient Egypt. However, the new millennium brought with it new evidence to consider.

In 2001, French archaeologist Dr Jean-Denis Vigne and his team at the National Museum

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PETS | Fabulous felines

Fabulous felines | PETS

R WILD BEHAVIOU aviour,

Cats still display “wild” beh le whether it be chattering whi ncing pou , side out bird a g chin wat other on toys or rough-housing with wild any iced not you e Hav s. pet your behaviour in your cat? Share e. story on our Facebook pag

of Natural History in Paris The Korat is thought to be one of wildest naturally produced domestic cats. uncovered a 9500-year-old burial site on the island of Cyprus. The site contained two skeletons, genetically distinctive wildcat lineages: Felis a human and a cat, within close proximity, silvestris silvestris from Europe, Felis silvestris cafra surrounded by tools, polished stones, seashells from southern Africa, Felis silvestris ornata from and other decorations. This discovery was central Asia and Felis silvestris bieti from China. significant because it debunked the long-held The fifth lineage not only included the fifth Egyptian theory by providing solid evidence subspecies, Felis silvestris lybica from the Middle that humans and felines were coexisting East, but it also included all of the domestic, thousands of years before purebred and mixed-breed cats. According to Dr previous evidence Carlos’s findings, all domestic cats, including the suggested. ones that roam our hallways, descended from this one subspecies of wildcats.

CATS IN THE After determining the how, Dr Carlos’s team CRADLE turned their attention to when domestication The Cyprus discovery began. Thanks to Dr Vigne’s Cyprus cat reinvigorated the research, Dr Carlos was able to narrow down search for the exact point domestication to around 12,500 BC, just as of feline domestication. humans were establishing the first settlements Archaeologists gave way in an area known as the Fertile Crescent (also to geneticists such as Dr known as the cradle of civilisation).

Carlos Driscoll. He looked With the spread of agriculture, humans to DNA instead of bones. were not only storing large quantities of food Dr Carlos and his team but they were also creating sizeable amounts collected and analysed of food waste, which attracted scavengers DNA from 979 wild and such as wildcats. People discovered that these domestic cats from all over cats were adequate at keeping the rodent the world and determined population in control and at this point our that there were five relationship with Felis silvestris lybica began.

DOMESTICATED TWICE? Cats played a big part in Ancient Egyptian society.

Earlier this year, scientists from the University of Leuven and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science helped us get one step closer

www.petsmagazine.com.au 43

PETS | Fabulous felines protecting or sled pulling. They already possessed naturally what they were useful for: their predatory skills as pest control agents.

Paleogeneticist Dr Claudio says And this is what made them useful to human that the wildest naturally produced communities in the first place.” domestic cats may be Asian breeds But something interesting happened like the Korat and the Siamese. “They when these cats, like our Cyprus cat, started are most likely the result of natural to explore the world. While cats tolerated factors acting on populations of cats being around humans in the Fertile Crescent, that were once transported to more they were far from being the lap cats we remote regions of Asia,” he says. “These know today. cats remained isolated and did not Dr Claudio’s crossbreed with other cats introduced team believe later or native cat populations.” that cats were domesticated twice.

“Something changed at some point in the cats’ behaviour; we argue this might have happened in Egypt. Cats developed a more friendly attitude towards humans. They just had to cat. d produce naturally wild, another be to thought The Siamese is become more tolerant of humans so that to understanding the path to domestication. they could be seen as cute companion animals “The study of animal domestication in and enter humans’ households,” he says. bioarchaeology and in particular in paleogenetics It’s likely that companion animals, like the has been already under the spotlight for quite humble house cat, have more secrets to share some time,” says paleogeneticist Dr Claudio and Dr Claudio says that it’s important to Ottoni. “Our research was aimed to fill this gap, continue feeding our curiosity. “Our research to provide a picture about how cats were so responds to our need to look into the past, to successful in spreading from a relatively small look at the evolutionary paths that made us place — the domestication centres in the Near humans. This includes understanding the deep East, and later Egypt — to the whole world.” interactions with the animal species that we Dr Claudio’s research is the most domesticated,” he says. “This is even more true comprehensive survey of cat DNA to date when we talk about cats. They have conquered and it’s heralded surprising results. “House our households as mere companions, they are cats are domestic animals, though their definitely part of our collective consciousness, domestication pathway was quite peculiar, hence the importance and extreme curiosity in unconventional,” he says. “Cats were never understanding how this intimate relationship selected to accomplish tasks like hunting, developed.”

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PETS | Health and wellbeing “Not all cases need to see a vet and many can be managed at home with veterinary guidance,” Dr Leigh says. “But it’s a good idea to get your pet checked out to rule out other conditions, such as pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas, the organ near the stomach that helps digest food and control blood sugar) and foreign bodies.”

Gastroenteritis has a number of causes, such as sensitivity to new or certain foods, viruses, bacterial infections, parasites, poisons, abdominal disorders or reaction to medications.

“The most common causes for gastroenteritis are parvovirus, pancreatitis and getting into bacteria-ridden food, such as from the garbage,” Dr Leigh says.

Any age or breed of dog can get gastroenteritis. Depending on the cause, some stomach conditions are also contagious to other dogs, pets or humans. “Dogs fed on raw diets have increased incidence of gastroenteritis,” she says. “We also often see outbreaks of giardiasis (intestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite giardia) after the rain.”

Giardia is the most common intestinal parasite found in humans. Dogs develop the infection by ingesting infectious cysts shed in another animal’s faeces, more commonly via water as the parasite prefers the cool and moist environment. Symptoms of giardiasis include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, flatulence, bloating, vomiting and weight loss.

TUMMY TROUBLES Gastroenteritis in dogs is like a ‘stomach flu’ which can be contagious but is fortunately treatable.

Pet journalist Caroline Zambrano learns more about this condition, how it can be recognised and how to treat it.

Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract — usually the stomach and intestines — and is described by veterinarian Dr Leigh Davidson as a ‘stomach flu’, characterised by vomiting and/or diarrhoea.

Dr Leigh has been a veterinarian for 17 years and is the founder of Your Vet Online, which provides pet owners who have animal health questions with 24/7 access to qualified veterinarians. She commonly receives client enquiries with stomach problems, such as gastroenteritis. Most questions are about symptoms and if veterinarian treatment is necessary, she says.

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SIGNS OF GASTROENTERITIS

Gastroenteritis symptoms in dogs can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on the cause, and can range from diarrhoea and/or vomiting (which can lead to dehydration) to having a decreased appetite, abdominal discomfort/pain and appearing less active, says Dr Leigh. “Generally speaking, all these symptoms are commonly seen, so the important thing is to understand when the signs are severe enough or warrant enough suspicion to contact a veterinarian.”

Photos: ch_ch/BigStock.com, Dr Leigh Davidson, Kirisa99/BigStock.com

Puppies need to get their complete vaccination to avoid the chance of many deadly diseases before they venture out.

Health and wellbeing | PETS

Little Bella’s lifethreatening stomach worries

Sydney veterinarian Dr Leigh Davidson received an emergency visit one evening from an 11-week-old chocolate Labrador, named Bella, who had started vomiting that afternoon and was not at all her usual cute, bubbly self. In fact, she could hardly lift her head off the exam table to greet Dr Leigh.

“I knew this was bad,” says Dr Leigh.

Bella had been visiting NSW’s Central Coast that weekend and had been on long walks around the town. The puppy already had her second vaccination at 10 weeks old the previous weekend.

“On physical exam, Bella looked miserable with her big, sad puppy-dog eyes. Her heart rate was rapid and her pulse was weak,” Dr Leigh says. “Bella was drooling and looked as if she would vomit any moment … and actually did a couple of times. And then the diarrhoea came, with blood!”

Oh no! Knowing that Bella hadn’t completed her course of vaccinations, it was important for Dr Leigh to test for Parvovirus, a highly contagious viral illness that affects dogs.

“Parvo is one of the most common causes for gastroenteritis and can be fatal,” she says.

Test results came in — Bella had the deadly

Dr Leigh Davidson deals with many sick pets through Your Vet Online.

Parvo! But the puppy had been vaccinated with the correct vaccine course that includes protection against the virus. How could she still become so ill?

“That’s because puppies have antibodies (part of the body’s defence system to fight off infection) from their mother. These maternal antibodies help to protect all animals when they are young. If antibodies from their mother are still at a high level when we vaccinate, it can interfere with how the vaccination works and this is what happened with Bella. It is why we try to complete a vaccination course at 16 weeks, when the maternal antibodies have dropped sufficiently for the vaccine to work appropriately and give them protection,” explains Dr Leigh.

Bella was immediately admitted to hospital in isolation and started on an aggressive treatment of fluids to rehydrate her.

“Because Bella was cold (hypothermic), we needed to warm her up, too,” Dr Leigh says. “We started Bella on medication to stop her vomiting and pain relief for her sore tummy, as well as antibiotics.”

To everyone’s relief and joy, Bella began to respond to treatment. She spent nearly five days in hospital before she could return home. Even though Bella was out of hospital, medications and a special diet were still required.

“It was also very important that she didn’t go for walks and remained at home, as she potentially could still spread the virus,” says Dr Leigh.

Diagnosis usually involves your vet obtaining your dog’s medical history and performing a thorough physical examination, including determining frequency of and how long the symptoms have been going on for. Your vet will also look for evidence of dehydration, abdominal pain or tenderness, bloating or gas, swelling or any other physical abnormality, explains Dr Leigh.

“Radiography or ultrasound may be needed to examine the intestinal tract more thoroughly, and an elimination diet may be started to check for food allergies and hypersensitivities,” she says. “A definite

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PETS | Health and wellbeing SOME CAUSES OF CANINE TIS GASTROENTERI s

• New foocedsrtaorinsefoonsdsitivitie to

tions

cterial infec • Viruses or ba s Pa • rasitedic me ations to n tio ac Re • • Poisons • Tumoursorders l dis • Abdomincnarea titis)

Sensitivity to new foods can be cause for gastroenteritis.

(ie pa

diagnosis of some conditions is made by collecting samples of the stomach and intestines for histopathology (the study of changes in tissues caused by disease).”

TREATMENT AND PROGNOSIS OF GASTROENTERITIS

Treating the underlying cause of gastroenteritis is important but so is correcting dehydration and any electrolyte abnormalities, and preventing further vomiting. This often requires hospitalisation, says Dr Leigh. “Gastroprotectants and antibiotics may be given as part of the treatment. Changing the diet is also recommended, regardless of the cause,” she says.

In moderate gastroenteritis cases that require hospitalisation for rehydration, vomiting and diarrhoea normally improve within 48 hours of treatment. The majority of cases do not require hospitalisation, but in most cases diarrhoea can take up to 10 days to resolve, says Dr Leigh. “Puppies and older dogs can feel the effects much harder due to having a less-developed immune system and often less body fat,” she says.

Dr Leigh’s advice for pet owners concerned about their dog’s stomach problems is to not wait for symptoms to continue or get worse. “It is always best to get veterinary advice early on for what you can do for your dog,” she says.

WHAT IS PARVOVIRUS?

Parvovirus can be transmitted by direct contact with an infected dog or the faeces

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of an infected dog. When your dog sniffs an infected dog’s stool, it can contract the disease.

Parvo can also be brought into your dog’s environment by way of shoes that were in contact with the infected faeces.

“If your dog needs to be hospitalised and treated for Parvovirus, costs can easily exceed $1500,” Dr Leigh says.

The best prevention against Parvo infection is to follow the correct vaccination protocol.

Young puppies should be vaccinated from 6–8 weeks of age, then every 2–4 weeks until 16 weeks of age or older.

“Vaccinating your dog will not just save money — it could also save your dog’s life,” she says.

Dr Leigh shares advice on protecting your puppy from Parvo: Do not socialise your puppy with unknown dogs until at least two weeks after the last vaccinations. (Please join puppy pre-school and socialise with dogs that you know are vaccinated.)

Keep unvaccinated pups away from veterinary clinic floors and boarding kennels, and avoid walking in parks and around town in endemic areas.

Don’t allow your dog to come into contact with any strays or dogs whose vaccination history you don’t know.

When out walking, always collect and dispose of your dog’s waste.

Parvovirus is resistant to most household disinfectants. Bleach is the best way to clean contaminated areas. For more information about Parvovirus, consult your veterinarian.

• • • •

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PETS | Health and wellbeing

Danielle Chenery talks to the experts about how to ensure you’re feeding your cats and dogs the perfect diet.

Confused trying to decide what to feed your pet that is both good for their health and your budget? You’re not alone. Annabelle Selleck, owner of Good Pet Food Kitchen, says the huge variety of pet foods available can make pet parents feel overwhelmed.

Especially when you break it down into all the types of food you can opt for: there’s raw frozen, cooked frozen, canned, freeze-dried/

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Feed your dog the best-quality dog food you can afford.

dehydrated raw food or dry food. Then there are all the different brands to consider, from those you’ll find in the supermarket all the way to vet-only lines. So how do you know what to chose?

BEST FOODS FOR DOGS

“Dogs are essentially carnivores who have adapted to a more omnivorous way of eating,” says Annabelle. “You should be looking for the highest-quality protein source as the main ingredient in your dog food,” she adds. “Chicken and other poultry like turkey, spatchcock or quail, as well as beef, lamb and fish are all great.

Look for grass-fed and free-range if possible.

Novel protein sources like kangaroo, goat and venison are also becoming more popular and can be great if your dog has developed an intolerance to more common protein sources.

“Egg is also a great complementary protein source to add to your dog’s diet. And don’t forget all-important organ meats like liver, hearts, kidneys and tripe for essential amino acids,” she says.

Photos: monkeybusinessimages/BigStock.com, kozorog/BigStock.com, Yastremska/BigStock.com

DINNER DRAMA

Health and wellbeing | PETS

Absolute MUST AVOID ingredients

Annabelle Selleck, owner of Good Pet Food Kitchen, shares her list of ingredients to avoid.

BHA — Butylated hydroxyanisole — a chemical anti-oxidant.

BHT — Butylated hydroxytoluene — another chemical anti-oxidant. Both BHA and BHT are used to slow the deterioration of important oils in pet foods and have been shown to promote liver disease and other illnesses.

Ethoxyquin — a chemical preservative that is only allowed in pet food, not human food, and in studies has been shown to promote cancers.

• •

•

Once you have protein covered, whole foods such as vegetables and fruit come next, as well as micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. “These can come from various sources, such as whole foods, seeds, herbs, seaweeds and oils,” Annabelle says. And don’t forget about balancing calcium and phosphorus, which is really important for dogs. “If you are not feeding your dog raw bones, make sure they are receiving good calcium in their diet. Eggshell powder is a great natural source.”

According to Dr Leigh Davidson, veterinarian and founder of Your Vet Online, dogs don’t generally require anything special. “They are omnivores and have evolved to handle most things due to developing alongside humans and

scavenging from our waste,” she says.

Leigh adds that as a general rule, it’s important that at least one of the first five ingredients in your dog’s food is an animal protein. “This is not to say that plant proteins are bad. That is another fallacy. There is absolutely no study that shows plant proteins or grains are inappropriate for a normal animal.”

BEST FOOD FOR CATS

“Cats are obligate carnivores which means they cannot survive without meat protein,” says Dr Leigh. “Taurine (an amino acid) is essential. If a diet is depleted of taurine, cats can develop central retinal degeneration resulting in blindness and dilated cardiomyopathy (heart failure).

“Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is an essential vitamin for cats, which means it must be part of their diet in order for your cat to maintain optimal health. The brain and other high-energy organs require thiamine for proper function because it is used for carbohydrate metabolism. If a cat does not get enough thiamine in its diet, you will first notice a lack of appetite, weight loss and gastrointestinal upset.

As symptoms progress, cats will experience neurological symptoms such as neuromuscular weakness, unequal pupil sizes and decreased light response by the pupils. Extreme cases can lead to heart problems,” she adds.

You can find taurine in red meat, especially heart and liver, poultry, eggs, dairy and shellfish.

Feed your cat according to his life stage.

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PETS | Health and wellbeing understand your pet’s health and individual needs. They can advise on what diet is appropriate for your pet’s life stage and how much to feed. If you think your pet is showing signs of illness related to its pet food, call your vet,” Dr Leigh advises.

Dr Leigh’s general tips on dog and cat food

Make sure a good protein source is the main ingredient in your dog’s meal.

WHAT TO AVOID FOR BOTH DOGS AND CATS?

That’s a lot of information about what your dogs and cats can eat, but how do you know what to avoid?

First of all, some common foods are poisonous to your pets. For example, grapes (raisins, sultanas, currants), chocolate (especially dark chocolate), onions (leeks and garlic) and certain nuts and seeds can all cause a lot of health problems and even death.

Aside from this, the best rule to follow is the same as for humans: look for the leastprocessed options you can find. Also consider including ‘life stage’ foods — for example, puppy versus adult, as well as those tailored to help disease states such as urinary tract issues and preventative options such as dental health, furball and brain diets.

“Your animal’s needs change as they age,” says Dr Leigh. “It’s important to discuss with your veterinarian at each yearly health check your pet’s diet and if any dietary modifications are recommended. As our pets age they require less calories and often levels of healthy fats and oils are increased, while salts and carbohydrates and proteins are decreased depending on clinical needs.”

Dr Leigh’s ‘avoid’ list for dogs includes cooked bones and small bones, as well as food that does not meet AAFCO standards or is not manufactured by reputable companies.

“When in doubt, call your veterinarian. They

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Dr Leigh Davidson, veterinarian and founder of Your Vet Online, provides a handy reference guide for choosing the best foods for your pet.

Don’t confuse complete and balanced. Complete means the food is appropriate for that species (cat versus dog), while balanced refers to the particular ingredients that are appropriate for the life stage and clinical health of the individual.

Know who has manufactured the food. Is it ‘manufactured by’ or is it ‘manufactured for’? The latter means that quality control may not be adhered to closely. You want to look for manufacturers that use higher-quality ingredients, that conduct preproduction testing, that test for food safety on the lines and in the end product, and who are responsive to questions.

Don’t get swayed by marketing hyperbole. By-products are not unhealthy and are actually just the off-cuts from the human food chain. It is a sustainable and eco-friendly way of feeding your pet a high-quality protein.

Human grade: this is a myth.

Once something leaves the human food-inspected facility to go to a pet food manufacturer, it ceases to be human grade.

Organic: there is no quality control to determine whether something is truly organic in the pet food world. Any sort of claim is self-professed. Be wary.

•

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PETS | Behaviour and training The jury is still out on whether cats in single- or multi-cat households are more prone to anxiety.

A growing number of cats are suffering from fear, stress and anxiety. Laura Greaves investigates what can be done for our fretful feline friends.

When Jessie Weatherley’s beautiful Russian Blue, Sophie, started having ‘accidents’ outside her litter box, at first Jessie put it down to clumsy kittenhood. After all, Sophie was just five months old and had only been with the Melbournebased family for a few weeks — Jessie was sure her pet would soon grow out of the messy behaviour. But as time passed and Sophie continued to urinate in all the wrong places, Jessie started to worry. When her mum came to stay and Sophie was sprung about to wee on her bed, Jessie knew it was time to seek help.

“Sophie is the sweetest little cat and very chilled out. She wasn’t uptight or frightened, so I thought it was a behavioural problem. I was at my absolute

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Types of feline anxiety With their penchant for sleeping and lolling in the sunshine, cats aren’t known for being particularly highly strung. But feline anxiety is surprisingly common: research suggests that up to 25 per cent of cats may suffer from the condition.

Anxiety, by definition, is the anticipation of future dangers from unknown or imagined origins. According to Dr Leigh Davidson, a veterinarian and the founder of yourvetonline. com, there are several distinct types of feline anxiety. The most common are: Noise anxiety (fear of the vacuum cleaner, thunderstorms, fireworks etc) Travel anxiety (“Cats are place-orientated, meaning that if we take them out of their familiar surroundings we induce fear, anxiety and stress,” says Dr Leigh.)

Vet anxiety Litter box problems Separation anxiety Crating anxiety Grooming anxiety “It is worth remembering that pain and fear are often linked in cats. Many of the cats that turn into monsters inside a veterinary clinic are actually experiencing and or remembering pain,” Dr Leigh explains. “Pain superimposed on fear and anxiety creates a cat that really doesn’t want to be handled.”

But it’s precisely their reputation for being supremely relaxed at all times that means

• • • • • • •

Photos: Willee Cole/BigStock.com, Ztranger/BigStock.com, Jessie Weatherley

Scaredy cats

wits’ end with her,” she says. “I sought vets’ opinions and they just shrugged their shoulders and said, ‘Sometimes kittens wee outside the litter box.’”

Finally, Jessie found a vet who was willing to dig a little deeper. After ruling out any underlying health issues, he decided to treat Sophie for anxiety. The suspected diagnosis was confirmed when the young cat responded almost immediately to medication.

Now four, Sophie is a relaxed, happy cat — and she always pees in the right place.

“I have to admit I didn’t really want to tell people my cat was on Prozac,” says Jessie.

“Sophie was incredibly dopey for the first few days of taking medication, but then that passed and she was great.”

Behaviour and training | PETS even the most doting cat owner can miss the signs of anxiety. These include avoiding eye contact, biting, holding their ears in a flat or lowered position, freezing or walking slowly, hissing, hypervigilance, licking their lips, pacing, trembling and even yawning.

Anxiety can also manifest in physiological conditions such as hair loss from over-grooming, chronic diarrhoea due to irritable bowel, or blood in the urine from Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, all of which can be triggered by stress.

Mysterious origins There is no known single cause of or trigger for feline anxiety. To this day, Jessie Weatherley is still in the dark about the source of Sophie’s stress.

“She definitely has triggers, but even now I still don’t really know what they are. We think my mum’s visit was a trigger, even though Mum is a huge ‘cat lady’, so I’ve no idea why Sophie found her stressful,” she says. “Mum has stayed since and there haven’t been any issues. I think it’s hard to pinpoint the triggers. I was only seeing the behaviour rather than the cause.”

Whatever the cause, Dr Leigh says she’s seeing more and more anxious cats. Females tend to display higher levels of anxiety or fear, but anxiety doesn’t seem to show any correlation to age until cats get older, with senior cats aged 11 and older more likely to be anxious.

“Is this true anxiety or is it cognitive dysfunction? More research is required,” she says.

The jury is also out on whether single- or multicat households are more likely to have increased anxiety. Existing research is mixed, though Dr Leigh says many studies suggest that single-cat households exhibit more anxiety. She believes a lack of appropriate mental stimulation may be contributing to the problem. “Anxiety is a problem that is becoming more common, particularly as many people are now keeping cats inside only,” she says. “It’s a catch 22: keep your cat inside and it is safe from trauma and disease, and wildlife and birds are protected, but your cat may not have its stimulation needs met appropriately.”

full clinical examination to rule out any medical cause that may be causing comfort or signs of stress. This will include a full blood count and chemistry panel, urinalysis and hormone testing.

“The key to diagnosis is in a very thorough history. Often vets may ask owners to fill out a questionnaire, asking questions such as how many hours a day the cat spends alone, how much exercise they receive, how they react with family, strangers and so on,” says Dr Leigh.

Only when the cat is given a clean bill of physical health will a diagnosis of mental health disease be made. “We then look closely to determine what triggers seem to cause the onset and use a combination of medication and behaviour modification to treat,” she says.

That’s the good news; there are myriad treatment options available to help ease your kitty’s anxiety. Worryingly, however, as many as 67 per cent of owners of anxious felines don’t seek veterinary treatment for the problem. “They don’t do anything about the anxiety because they believe that either treating the problem is unnecessary, there is no way to treat the problem, or the treatments are too expensive,” says Dr Leigh.

Commonly used medications include calming pheromones such as Feliway, gabapentin, minor tranquillisers called benzodiazepines, and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) drugs, more widely known as antidepressants such as Prozac.

“Feline anxiety can definitely be cured, but this doesn’t mean that your cat might not need lifelong medication,” she says. “Anxiety is a mental health disease. Like a cat that needs insulin for diabetes, you can’t just stop medicating the brain and not expect a relapse. The longer you leave it, the longer your poor cat suffers.”

Sophie the Russian Blue occasionally reverts Separation anxiety can be a problem for some cats.

Treatment options A vet who suspects a cat may have anxiety will perform a

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PETS | Behaviour and training

Acupuncture for cats

As well as appropriate medication and behaviour-modification strategies, an increasing number of cat owners are turning to complementary therapies such as acupuncture to ease their pets’ anxiety.

Dr Jennifer Hutchinson, a small animal vet and animal acupuncturist at Melbourne’s Karingal Vet Hospital, explains how it works.

Acupuncture is the insertion of fine needles into specific points in the body to achieve homeostasis, or balance. These points are located along meridians, or channels, and when stimulated can cause physiological changes in the body. Acupuncture has been used in China for over 4000 years, and the theory and points have all been transcribed for use in animals.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that disease is an imbalance of energy in the body. Acupuncture aims to bring the energy back into balance, thereby assisting the body in healing disease.

We use very fine acupuncture needles in a combination of points, which vary for each individual case. For those animals that don’t

to her anxious urination habits, but resuming her medication always helps her regain her equilibrium, reports Jessie. “If I see the behaviour again I start medicating her. For me, finding a good vet was certainly critical to her — and my — recovery,” Jessie says.

Be er behaviour When medication is prescribed, it is designed to be used in conjunction with environment and behavior-modification strategies. “Medications limit fear and anxiety and are an important first step in the process of managing mental health disease. It is hard to train animals when their mind is stressed, fearful and anxious,” Dr Leigh explains.

“Behaviour modification is very important.

The behaviour changes needed will depend on the type of anxiety. Essentially we look at providing a peaceful, fear-free environment with lots of rewards for good behaviour and avoiding

64 www.petsmagazine.com.au

tolerate needles, we are fortunate enough at our clinic to have a laser therapy machine that we can use to do pulse laser on the acupuncture points, which works just as effectively.

Acupuncture has proven to be extremely beneficial in the treatment of emotional and psychological problems in human clinical practice. Similarly, we often see rapid and dramatic responses to treating behavioural issues in animals. Normally we perform weekly treatments for six to eight weeks, and then go to a maintenance phase. Some animals will respond after the first treatment and others we don’t see a response until the third or fourth.

More people are using alternative therapies themselves and seeing how it can help them, so are more receptive to it as an option for treating their pets. I also treat quite a few patients that have not responded to western medicine, so the owners are looking for a different treatment modality to improve their pet’s quality of life. These animals are not just pets, they are much-loved family members, and their dedicated owners are willing to look beyond ‘normal veterinary care’ and seek out alternative options.”

inadvertent reward of destructive, anxious behaviour.” This could involve anything from providing safe places for cats to hide, eat and toilet to being careful not to use strong-smelling cleaning products at home, as pungent odours can upset a cat’s sensitive sense of smell.

Little things like ensuring litter trays are kept impeccably clean, and that there is always one more litter tray than the number of cats in the household, can also make a big difference.

It’s also important to remember that many cats aren’t fond of lots of human affection. “Hugging and holding tight, or patting your cat is just unbearable for some. Cats prefer their space and long light strokes,” she says. “You may be stressing your cat with love.”

And never punish or yell at a cat that exhibits signs of anxiety as this will only make the problem worse. “Punishment has no place — it just makes your cat scared of you.”

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PETS | Behaviour and training

Keeping K i your cat indoors is recommended by most experts, but why? Dr Kate Mornement from Pets Behaving Badly reports.

66 www.petsmagazine.com.au

In recent years, there has been a trend towards keeping pet cats indoors. Many local councils in Australia now enforce cat curfews, meaning you could face ďŹ nes if your cat is caught roaming the streets during the night. So why has this practice become so popular and what are the beneďŹ ts?

The biggest benefit of keeping cats indoors is that doing so helps to keep them safe.

Indoor cats are much less likely to be injured compared to free-roaming cats. Cats that live an outdoors are more prone to being attacked by another cat or animal or being hit by a car.

Free-roaming cats are also more susceptible to contracting diseases compared to their indoor-only counterparts. Another benefit

Photo: AnnekaS/BigStock.com

Where to keep your cat

Provide your indoor cat with lots of enrichment to help keep her happy.

Behaviour and training | PETS is that indoor-only cats cannot be stolen or fed by someone else. Research suggests that people feeding cats that don’t belong to them is quite a common occurrence. This can lead to the cat moving in with their new-found friend, leaving their owners heartbroken.

While keeping cats indoors has obvious benefits, it can pose several challenges for some cat owners, especially those who have more than one cat. Cats are highly territorial by nature and sometimes behaviour problems can arise, with numerous cats sharing a limited amount of space. Inter-cat aggression, stress/ anxiety and territorial problems can result in inappropriate toileting and spraying in the home. Ensuring you reduce competition for space and other high-value resources, such as litter trays, cat towers, scratch posts, food and water bowls, and favourite resting places can help reduce such problems. Increasing the available space by utilising vertical space indoors can also make a big difference.

Enrichment opportunities Cat hammocks, shelving and window beds are great additions and enjoyed by most cats, keeping them mentally stimulated if they need to remain indoors all day.

Another option is to add some safe outdoor space for cats to explore, which is highly enriching. There are endless options for outdoor cat enclosures, runs, parks and tunnels, which can help keep indoor cats happy. These can be furnished with trees, scratch posts, shelving, toys and litter trays to provide cats with additional opportunities to explore.

Toys and play are also very important for indoor cats. Even though pet cats are domesticated and provided with everything they need, they still retain their instincts to perform natural feline behaviours. These include hunting, stalking, scent marking and patrolling their territory. Providing your indoor cat with outlets for these natural behaviours and instincts is key to a happy cat and optimal welfare. Toys that mimic prey promote hunting, stalking and chasing and provide an

appropriate outlet for these behaviours. This helps reduce the likelihood of cats hunting and stalking their owner or another cat in the home. Feeding enrichment, in the form of food-dispensing toys, is another great way to provide mental stimulation and physical exercise for indoor-only cats.

Walk time If an outdoor enclosure isn’t feasible for your indoor cat, there is another option to allow them time outside: walking them on a harness and lead. Training a cat to enjoy going for a walk on a lead can take a little time, and it’s not something all cats enjoy. However, if you have an easy-going cat that loves being outside, it’s certainly an option worth considering. Just be sure you use a goodquality and correctly fitted harness and lead and take the time to allow your cat to get used to wearing it before venturing outside.

Positive reinforcement training can really help your cat associate the harness with positive experiences rather than fearing it. Feed your cat its favourite treats while gradually getting it used to the harness. To begin with, lay the harness on the floor and place treats near and on it. Repeat this over several training sessions until your cat shows no hesitation in approaching the harness.

Next, hold the harness in one hand and use a treat to encourage your cat to put its head through the harness. Again, repeat this step several times. Gradually continue the process over several days or weeks until you can fasten the harness while your cat remains calm and relaxed. There are some excellent videos on YouTube if you want to know more about how to train your cat to walk in a harness.

Indoors and loving it Keeping your cat indoors has many benefits, however it’s very important to provide plenty of opportunity for mental and physical exercise and for the expression of normal feline behaviours. This will help to ensure your cat stays fit, happy and healthy and will avoid behaviour problems.

www.petsmagazine.com.au 67

PETS | KONG Promotional Feature

EN WITH DR KATRINA WARR Adopting a dog is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Not only are you helping a dog in need, you are potentially saving a life.

Adopted dogs often need a little patience as they transition from life in a shelter to living in a home environment. I have a few tips to help them settle into their new home as quickly as possible.

HELP THEM FEEL SAFE It might take a while for your new dog to settle and get to know you. It’s important to give them space and time while they explore their new home. Don’t flood them with stimulation like lots of visitors or heading to off-leash dog parks, as they need to build up their confidence slowly. Teach children to let their new friend spend some time on their own, especially when they are sleeping, eating or lying on their bed. Hand-feeding them some kibble or treats may help them feel comfortable around you.

USE REWARDBASED TRAINING Your new dog cannot be expected to know your house rules, and the quickest way to teach them is using rewards for appropriate behaviour. A reward is something that really motivates your dog — this is usually a yummy treat, although some dogs are highly motivated by toys. Use lots of treats to reward all desired behaviours such as sitting, lying on the bed or behaving calmly. Just five minutes of training three times a day can make a huge difference to your dog’s behaviour very quickly.

PREVENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNWANTED BEHAVIOUR It is important to set up your dog for success.

Don’t leave them unsupervised inside the house until you are confident they are properly toilet

68 www.petsmagazine.com.au

Dr Katrina Warren advises on helping yo ur rescue dog settle into his new home.

trained. Take them outside regularly for toilet breaks and reward them with treats and praise when they go in the desired area. Be conscious not to reward any behaviour that is attentionseeking, like jumping up and mouthing. Focus on rewarding any behaviours that you want from your dog. For example, ask them to sit and give them a treat when they do so.

TEACH THEM TO ENJOY HANDLING, PATS AND GROOMING Your new companion may not be comfortable being handled. They may even be fearful of your hands touching or petting them. Teach your dog that pats and being touched result in something enjoyable happening, like being given a treat. Start very slowly — for example, touch their feet for a couple of seconds and immediately follow this with a treat.

GIVE THEM LOTS OF SAFE THINGS TO DO The act of chewing can help with separation anxiety and reduce stress in some dogs. Set up good chew habits from the start by offering safe chew toys such as the KONG G Classic (for adult dogs) stuffed with h food. The KONG comes in many sizes and strengths and caters for or different chewing styles, from puppies and regular chewers up p to the KONG Extreme for dogs with powerful jaws.

For more information, visit kongcompany.com

PETS | Health and d Wellbeing

Ask vet YOUR

With ’ ids Fur K o Dr J t t Becke

Staffies can be prone to anxiety.

ANXIOUS DOGS

Q:

Dear PETS, I have a six-month-old Staffie, Chux, who so far seems quite relaxed. However, I’ve heard that anxiety, particularly in Staffies, is a very common problem. Are there signs I should look out for to make sure Chux is okay?

Lachie, via email Hi Lachie, if you are lucky enough to have a happy, healthy Staffie then please enjoy it! Unfortunately this breed does have a few issues, and yes, their anxiety and co-dependence is probably one of the worst. Staffies often like

A:

70 www.petsmagazine.com.au

to think of themselves as people rather than dogs, so when acquired as a pup, if they are not trained and are always treated like one of the human family, they can grow up to expect this. What this means in the long run is a dog that doesn’t like to be apart from you. It will try to rip up things outside to get inside, pull off screen doors to get inside, howl the house down to get attention, hurt other dogs that get in their road (or get shown more attention than them) etc, with some Staffies worse than others. But if you train your dog and teach it how to be a dog, not a human, this can go a long way to reducing the issues. Training is always a good idea, not just for tricks, but general obedience, and for keeping your dog occupied and allowing you to spend quality time together. Fingers crossed you are already doing the right things and Chux stays a good dog.

Photos: kramar89/BigStock.com, alenkasm/BigStock.com, Kaz Dalton

For more information visit localvet.com. au/FurKids or visit Dr Jo’s clinic at Shop 11/2 Sheppards Drive, Greenbank Qld.

Health and Wellbeing | PETS

WATERDRINKING PROBLEMS

Q:

Dear PETS, my six-year-old Siberian cat, Goblin, has started to drink a lot more water than usual. She’s also urinating pretty frequently (probably because she’s drinking so much water!). Do you have any advice on whether this is a problem and what Always monitor your pet’s eating and drinking habits to ensure they don’t have any drastic changes that could hint at an underlying health problem. the reason behind it could be?

Ben, via email Hi Ben, you most certainly need to get Goblin to see done. They will most likely take blood the vet as soon as possible as there are many and urine samples to check what is going on things that can cause a cat to drink and pee inside Goblin and help differentiate the range of more. Unfortunately they can include some nasty possible conditions. Don’t get too distressed just conditions like kidney failure, diabetes mellitus, yet as many of these conditions can be controlled hyperthyroidism and liver disease, just to name a if identified early enough. Often appropriate few. You will need to recall Goblin’s history. How diets, adequate hydration and occasionally long has this been going on for? Also, has Goblin medication can go a long way to helping the lost weight recently? Is she eating like a horse situation. Hopefully this gives you a bit more of and what condition is her fur in? A good history an idea, and your vet can get Goblin on the road will help your vet narrow down what needs to be to diagnosis, management and treatment.

A:

SCOOT, SCOOT!

Q:

Dear Dr Jo, I have a four-year-old Aussie Kelpie and I’ve noticed that recently she’s started to scoot along the floor, like you see dogs doing when they’ve got worms. But we treat her regularly and make sure her tablets are up to date.

What could be the cause of this strange behaviour?

Freddie, via email Hi Freddie. it’s great to hear you do the right thing by worming your dog regularly — just be sure to check the brand of worming tablet you use on her. Not all medications are created equal (just like home-brand foods often are not quite as good to taste!). Cheap wormers don’t always cover all the worms in your dog. Reliable products include Drontal, Milbemax, Interceptor, Sentinel, Panoramis, Nexgard Spectra, Revolution and Advocate. If one of these is

A:

what you use regularly, then worms are less likely to be the issue. So unfortunately, anal glands are likely to be the problem. These are two glands located in the wall of a dog’s anus that produce a scent that comes out with your dog’s poo, or when she is distressed.

They use these scent glands to mark their territory.

When a dog is fed a good-quality largely dry-food diet, these glands get expressed when they pass a nice firm motion. But dogs getting fed too much human food, a constantly changing diet, or lots of soft, sloppy tin food/dog roll often don’t have nice firm motions to help express these glands. As a result, the glands build up, get enlarged (sometimes painfully so) and cause the dogs to drag their bottoms around to try to express them themselves. It’s probably best to take her to the vet and get the glands checked and expressed if needed ... and if diet is the problem, correct this as soon as possible. Good luck.

www.petsmagazine.com.au 71

PETS | Behaviour and training

NAUGHTY

ist Dr Kate Animal behaviour her canine Mornement with rador and pals Joseph the Lab Archie the Boxer.

OR

Do you have a badly behaved budgie or a misbehaving mutt? Animal behaviourist Dr Kate Mornement sharess some handy hints to help get common pet behaviour blunders under control.

Some cats enjoy living in the same household together, although this isn’t always the case.

CAT TAILS

Q:

Dear PETS, I love cats and really want to get one, but before I do, dad says I need to learn more about them. I was wondering if you could tell me more about what a cat’s tail movements mean? Do they swish them about for any particular reason or is it random?

Chloe, via email Hi Chloe, it’s great that you are doing some research before getting a cat. Cats communicate a lot of information through their body language. Being able to read your cat’s body language is important in terms of understanding

A:

72 www.petsmagazine.com.au

WRITTE E TO Dr KATE

Does your puppy pe e in all the wrong pla ces?

Does your kitty scratc h the new couches?

If you have a question abou t 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, Locke d Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670 or email your question to pets@un iversalmagazines.c om.au with the subject head ing “Naughty or nice”.

Stay tuned, as your qu estion may be answ ered

by Dr Kate and publi shed in the magazin e. its behaviour and emotions. A cat’s tail movements can tell us quite a bit about how they are feeling. For example, a tail held straight up in the air with a curl at the end indicates a happy, alert and inquisitive cat. If the tail is swishing back and forth it can mean the cat is agitated or angry. A tail held in a low position or tucked under means the cat is feeling frightened or anxious, and when the tail is straight and stiff with the fur standing on end the cat is angry or very scared.

A cat’s ears, eyes and body can also communicate their feelings. Dilated pupils can be a sign of aggression but also playfulness. Ears held back or flat against the head mean the cat is angry or frightened, whereas ears held forward indicate the cat is alert or happy. When cats arch their backs with their fur on end it means they are scared or angry, whereas a cat lying on its back purring means it’s happy and content. I hope this helps you understand cats a bit better.

Photos: maximkabb/BigStock.com, mashimara/BigStock.com, Zoo Studios

nice

Breed | PETS Behaviour andfeature training | PETS FIGHTING FELINES

Q:

to their own will help reduce competition.

Try to increase the cats’ access to space by adding an outdoor enclosure or additional vertical space inside the home using shelving, cat towers etc. Finally, work on creating a positive association between the male cats by giving them their favourite treats whenever they are near each other. Over time, this should help reduce aggression. Sometimes, rehoming one of the cats is the best option when behaviour modification is unsuccessful.

Dear PETS, I have three cats — two males, one female, all desexed. Sadly, however, the two males keep fighting with each other. They’re indoor cats, and it’s getting harder and harder to keep them away from each other, especially while I’m out of the house. Do you have any suggestions on how we can stop this behaviour?

Rachel, via email Hi Rachel, although many people keep multiple cats in the same home without a problem, this isn’t always the case. Cats are highly territorial by nature and many do not tolerate sharing their territory (your home) with other cats, even if they know them. This is especially true when there is perceived competition for access to territory and other highvalue resources. To help prevent aggression you need to try and reduce perceived competition for resources. Cats typically perceive space, litter boxes, food bowls, cat towers, scratch posts and favourite A cat can arch its back when it is scared or uncomfortable. resting places as high value, so ensuring each cat has ready access

A:

CLIMBING KITTY

Q:

Dear Dr Kate, my cat loves getting up in high places — on top of the cupboard, the curtain railing, you name it! The problem is, sometimes I need her to come down, in particular when we’re going out and I want to get her into another room where she can be left.

Do you have any advice on getting her to come down from these high spots? Just calling her and offering treats doesn’t seem to be working.

Joey, via email Dear Joey, your cat sounds very cheeky!

But it also sounds as though she really enjoys being up high. You are certainly on the right track offering treats, however I don’t think the treats you are offering are good enough

A:

because your cat would rather stay up high than come down for the treat. Try experimenting with a few different high-value treats. Things like canned tuna, sardines and roast chicken are considered high value for most cats. On the night you’re going out, you could delay feeding your cat part or all of its meal until you leave.

That way, your cat will be hungry and more likely to come down to eat.

I would also suggest adding some more high spaces for your cat to explore in the home. Cat towers, shelving, cat hammocks and window beds all offer high vantage points which are highly desirable to most cats. With some extra options for high spaces, you might find your cat utilising these more appropriate places rather than the tops of your cupboards.

www.petsmagazine.com.au Aug/Sep 73

PETS | Behind the scenes

SAY

e s e che ng pllaayyiin bllaasst p had a b We h s on with the cute kittie ver. this issue’s front co Check it out!

“Does this shoe smell bad

“I’ll just take this …”

“Hello? Is it me you’re looking for?”

“You are getting very, very sleepy …”

74 www.petsmagazine.com.au

Photos: Animax Photography

Purr-fectly gift-wrapped

to you?”

Behind theMy scenes | PETS  Me and Pet | PETS

“If the shoe fits …”

I love you this big!

Treat, anyone?

Why pull a rabbit out of a hat when you can pull this cutie instead?

Camouflage kitty.

birdhouse?

“Really? A doll and a s!”

You guys are ridiculou

With special thanks to Cathy from Dollcatz Ragdolls. You can find out more about her gorgeous kittens via Facebook facebook.com/Dollcatz or by calling 0414 241 893.

The lovely Cathy with her beautiful kittens.

www.petsmagazine.com.au Aug/Sep 75

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TH E LIT TLE RA SC AL

PETS OFFER Educational and informative, this diary is for all dog lovers. The Puppies in a Pickle diary features super-cute images of a variety of puppy breeds getting into mischief. Aimed at a younger audience, the diary also features helpful tips on where to get your dog, year-round pet care, training techniques and nd more. mo

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creature

S E R U T FEA

Looking for a new pet but not sure what to get?

Whether you’re after something furr y, fuzzy, slipper y, scaly or slimy, PETS takes the hard work out of choosing your new family member.

our “At a glance” Keep an eye out for e the care and rat we ere wh xes bo ing and exercise maintenance, groom nt breeds and ere diff of ts en requirem from one to five: creatures on a scale

Low maintenance nce Moderate maintena ention att r ula reg Requires Lots of work High maintenance

Kids and pets

Most of the critters we feature are family-friendly, though it’s important to remember children should be supervised when playing with any animal, whether it’s a dog, cat, bird, bunny or reptile.

PETS | Creature feature

by EEuropean Bred b nobility, the Weimaraner is characterised by its lean good looks, keen tracking skills and protective love of its owner. By Helen Frost.

80 www.petsmagazine.com.au

The Weimaraner requires attention and training from a young age.

The Weimaraner’s insatiable appetite for tracking is matched only by its love for its owner. Dedicated and loving, the Weimaraner is a utility gun dog that is incredibly versatile and sports distinctive tones of grey and silver. This dog is believed to have been developed by noble sporting types at the Court of Weimar in Germany and kept during the early 19th century.

Known for their keen hunting skills, the dogs were favoured by game hunters so breeding was mainly controlled by the hunters and gamekeepers in central Germany, around the regions of Weimar and Thuringa.

THE ARISTOCRAT

There is no mistaking the Weimaraner’s aristocratic looks. A close cousin to the German Shorthaired Pointer, this breed is thought to have remained free from crossbreeding after

Photo: Madrabothair/BigStock.com

THE WINSOME WEIMARANER

Creature feature | PETS it was initially recognised and is considered the oldest German pointing dog, bred without crosses for the past 100 years.

This “grey ghost”, as it is called, has an uncanny knack for tracking and was bred by the Germans to work at a steady and tireless pace. This thorough hunter is a keen swimmer that loves the water and also has a nose for the search. With a diverse range of natural abilities, the Weimaraner was developed to find and point, track and retrieve game.

They were so sought-after and well respected that the dogs were often kept as companions by the early German hunters, instead of being kennelled. This could be a reason for their need for human companionship today.

Having owned Weimaraners since 1975, Debra Howell of the Weimaraner Club of NSW adores the breed and has experienced firsthand their amazing sense of tracking and devotion to their owners.

“Years ago, I lived with my Weis in Guildford, NSW, and my parents lived close by.

One night I went out without my dog and he proceeded to get out of the house and track me across two main highways to my parents’ place. Luckily, he was quite safe, but it taught me what a phenomenal sense of smell they have for tracking,” Debra says.

Highlighting the need for training, their undying devotion is highly commendable but also means they need to be in a secure home and backyard environment. One attribute commonly given to the Weimaraner is its intelligence and thorough nature. If they are bored and want to break out of the family home, they will stick at their chosen task for as long as it takes.

deaf if they are on the track of something exciting,” Debra reveals.

She adds it is a good idea to introduce your Weimaraner to anyone new who arrives at your home. “This way, the dog knows you are happy with the newcomer and you have accepted that person or dog into their territory. They can bite if not introduced to newcomers to the house,” Debra warns.

Very capable in all fields of dog sports, Weimaraners excel at retrieving, tracking, agility and obedience. However, they are happiest when they are doing simple tasks with their owners, like following their masters around or going on a daily walk and rolling in something they’ve tracked.

“They are definitely not the dog for everyone,” Debra says. “They will give their all to you, but will expect something from you in return — be that a cuddle on the bed or just sitting next to you on the lounge.”

When you are looking at welcoming a Weimaraner into your home, be prepared to have a mate for life. Some Weimaraner clubs have a breed information officer who can provide prospective Weimaraner owners with a list of available puppies, as well as older dogs from the rescue service.

At a Glance

Grooming: Exercise: Size: Large Lifespan: 10–12 years

TRAINING REQUIRED

Debra says the breed certainly requires attention and training. “Ideally, as young pups, it is good to get them into a routine and be firm and consistent with the rules of the house. It is much harder to train a 30kg-plus, out-of-control and ‘too smart for their own good’ dog. They can open doors, get through the smallest hole in the fence and be totally

For more information on the Weimaraner or to contact a local breed club, visit your state canine council website via ankc.org.au New Zealand readers can visit nzkc.org.nz for information.

www.petsmagazine.com.au 81

PETS | Creature feature

A fearless and energetic breed, the Cairn Terrier is a fun family dog. By Mei Yen Chua.

82 www.petsmagazine.com.au

Toto from The Wizard of Oz is probably the best-remembered Cairn Terrier of today’s popular culture. Rest assured, Dorothy’s fearless and mischievous on-screen sidekick is just as memorable off-screen.

These fluffy, feisty terriers were originally bred to hunt in the rocky outcrops of the Scottish highlands and western islands, particularly on Scotland’s Isle of Skye.

Many believe the Cairn Terrier is the oldest purebred British dog, even older than the Scottish Terrier. At the turn of the century, the Cairn was also known as the Short-Haired or Prick-Eared Skye Terrier.

WELL-ESTABLISHED IN OZ

The Cairn Terrier has been in Australia since approximately 1930. John Bartram of the Cairn Terrier Club of NSW recommends this well-established breed to most people, but he offers words of caution if your energy levels are low or if you are elderly.

“A young energetic puppy might not be

Photo: Bigandt_Photography/BigStock.com

TOTORIFFIC

The Cairn Terrier is an adaptable breed of dog with a fun-loving personality.

Creature feature | PETS suitable for an elderly person, where an older and more settled dog may fit the bill,” he says.

“In general, though, Cairn Terriers are suitable for those who are willing to spend time with them, exercise them regularly and put a little effort into maintaining their coat.”

John recommends the breed to families with young children, as he believes the active and outgoing nature of the Cairn Terrier lends itself ideally to a family situation. Remember that young children will need to be supervised when playing with any dog, and the Cairn is no exception.

ENJOYS HUMAN COMPANIONSHIP

Jill Saulbrey, former president of the Victorian Cairn Terrier Club, also emphasises that the Cairn is very adaptable, but definitely needs companionship and company. The Cairn will generally get along with most people and family members in the household, but will bond closely with one particular person.

John points out that most Terriers have a mind of their own. He says they are generally obedient and do well at obedience trials, but if you want a dog that will obey every command at your will, the Cairn may not be your ideal choice.

Like John, many Cairn enthusiasts are attracted to the rugged and natural look of the breed, its size and, of course, its active, outgoing nature.

Taking into account the Cairn’s hardy and innate digging qualities, a secure backyard is imperative or you run the risk of your dog wandering off and, due the breed’s impulsive nature, being hit by a car.

The Cairn is an active dog and though a good-sized backyard may be sufficient to keep your dog occupied, it is always advisable to spend quality time walking and playing. This will keep your dog from becoming bored and destructive, keep both of you fit, and strengthen those human–canine bonds at the same time.

CAUTION FOR LIVER DISEASE Although the Cairn is relatively free of major genetic diseases, John lists several conditions that prospective owners should look out for in the breed.

There have been occasional cases of undescended testicles and slipping patellas.

Several liver-shunt cases have been recorded, which can be lethal if not detected early and treated.

According to Jill, a very small percentage of Cairns develop liver shunt but a simple and inexpensive test can be done before the puppy leaves for its new home. This is important to ensure the dog’s liver is functioning properly, and many conscientious breeders are now starting to test for liver disease in their stock to ensure the future longevity and health of the breed.

John stresses that the test is a small price to pay for peace of mind and an important factor to think about before purchasing your dog.

COAT CARE

Grooming the Cairn need not be a very timeconsuming activity. If your dog has a coat of the correct texture, grooming should be fairly easy.

Because it is a double-coated breed, brushing the coat and combing through once or twice a week is recommended to prevent it knotting and to keep the coat healthy. The breed sheds once or twice a year and if you’ve been maintaining the brushing and combing, enough coat will have been removed to keep it tidy, but it may be necessary to have the dog stripped.

At a Glance Grooming: Exercise: Size: Small Lifespan: 12–15 years

For more information on the Cairn Terrier or to contact a local breed club, visit your state canine council website via ankc.org.au New Zealand readers can visit nzkc.org.nz for information.

www.petsmagazine.com.au 83

PETS | Creature feature

Looking for a lovable, loyal and robust cat with perfect cuddly toy looks? Mel Hearse talks to Cathy Nixon, breeder and owner of Dollcatz Ragdolls, about these pretty little purrers.

84 www.petsmagazine.com.au

The Ragdoll is a truly adorable breed.

Cathy saw her first Ragdoll kitten back in 1989 at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. “I immediately fell in love with this gorgeous little kitten who had just been brought in from America, and decided then and there that I would love to breed Ragdolls. I love all kittens, but I especially love Ragdolls with their eternally kitten-like features — their big round blue eyes and rounded ears, and the fact that they stay playful their whole entire life,” she says. Following the show, she registered with the NSW Cat Fanciers’ Association as Dollcatz Ragdolls, and with the help of her family, has been breeding purebred Ragdolls for 13 years now. “We are really pleased with the lines and the beautiful, loving, docile-natured kittens we have been getting — such a gorgeous breed!”

The breed has an interesting history, hailing from California. It is a relatively ‘new’ breed, with their lineage beginning in the 1960s.

Photo: Animax Photography (animaxphotography.com)

THE LOVEABLE RAGGIE

Creature feature | PETS Legend has it they were first bred by Ann Baker, a resident of Riverside, California, who bred Josephine, a domestic longhaired white female she found roaming the neighbourhood to other cats she owned and some she found.

She chose breeding partners based on physical and character traits she liked, and the breed has evolved from there.

THE CAT WITH DOG-LIKE TRAITS

Cathy says Ragdolls should be kept as indooronly cats due to their docile, gentle, trusting nature. “They adapt easily into any environment; therefore, they are suitable for almost all kinds of homes, even apartments,” she says. They suit all kinds of living arrangements — families, couples, single- and multiple-pet homes.

They’re also a great choice for families that like having multiple species of pet in their home — unlike many cats, they love dogs, and Cathy adds they are very dog-like themselves.

“The way they greet you at the front door, and the way they want to be in the same room as you all the time makes them a popular alternative to owning a dog, especially in apartments.” She says they’re also low maintenance, and have nonmatting, low-allergy fur, so they may suit folk that avoid owning pets due to allergy (though you’d best test this before bringing home a kitten).

THE BREED STANDARD

Ragdolls are larger cats. Fixed males will weigh an average of 6.8–9 kilograms; females will weigh between 4.5–6.8 kilograms at maturity, though they grow slowly into their size and fluffy coat, taking up to two years to fully reach their colour and four to reach their full size. The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) describes them as a semi-longhaired pointed breed, meaning their body hair is lighter than their points — the face, legs, tail and ears.

They come in three colour patterns — bi-colour, colourpoint, and mitted — and these patterns come in six colours — blue, chocolate, cream, lilac, red and seal. When you combine this with the four possible patterns the points can come in — lynx, solid, tortie or torbie — you can see there is a quite a variety of colours that can be bred.

So, what do these different patterns mean?

Bi-colours are primarily white, with their paws,

underbodies, chest and an upside-down V marking on their faces in all white. Colourpoints have pointed markings and no white hair in their coat, while mitteds, much like the name implies, have white feet in the front and white boots that go all the way up, a white chin and a stripe of white up their bellies. They may also have a blaze, star or hourglass-shaped patch of white covering their forehead and nose, and only their tails, ears and the outer part of their masks show the darker markings.

CARING FOR YOUR RAGDOLL

Ragdolls have a semi-long coat, with plush, silky hair, and require fairly minimal grooming; brushing their hair a few times a week with a steel comb to remove any matts or tangles will suffice. Health-wise, they’re a sturdy, healthy breed, so you won’t need to be wary of many hereditary diseases, though some breeders believe they are prone to the heart condition, big-cat syndrome, which can be ruled out by having your kitten blood tested for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy — a healthy kitten will test negative.

That said, they are a large cat and can become obese if overfed, so watch their weight and talk to your vet if they need to lose weight; as with any breed, obesity can cause heart, joint and muscle issues for cats. They will also require their annual shots, and preventative treatments to keep them tick, worm and flea free. And last, but certainly not least, spaying or neutering your cat is important — not only does it prevent unwanted pregnancy, it can reduce straying (which puts them at risk of injury from accidents or cat fights) and for owners of female cats, it can reduce midnight callers meowing at your door!

At a Glance

Grooming: Low maintenan ce Size: Large Weight: 6.8–9kg for males, 4.5–6.8kg for females Lifespan: 12–15 years

www.petsmagazine.com.au 85

PETS | Creature feature

L U F T H G I L E D E TH DARTMOOR

The Dartmoor is a great pony for a young rider.

Strong yet gentle, the Dartmoor truly is a delightful pet for pony lovers. By Carrol Baker.

Th This hi noble bl pony is b i strong t in i stature t t and d gentle in nature, making it an ideal first pony for children to ride. It’s also just the right size for children to easily saddle up, groom and ride. With an easy-going nature, the Dartmoor doesn’t spook easily. It’s also an intelligent and intuitive breed that has proven to be a good all-rounder.

86 www.petsmagazine.com.au

The Dartmoor Dar breed of pony once roamed wild and free in the rugged highlands in Dartmoor in the south-west of England, Dartmo which is of course where their name came from. Over the years, the breed was influenced by many others including the Arabian, Polo and Hackney.

Some historians claim that in 1541, Henry VIII outlawed “nags of small stature” and the breed was almost wiped out, and again in World War II, where the region they roamed became a training ground for soldiers. But the Dartmoor breed survived and lived to tell its tale.

SMART AND SASSY

They might be small in stature, but the Dartmoor is big in personality. Marie Bannan from Marankie Farm Dartmoor Pony Stud says the Dartmoor is a truly special breed

Photo: Frolova Elena/BigStock.com

A LON LONG-LIVED BREED

Creature feature | PETS of pony. “One is never enough,” she says.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons Marie started breeding them more than 20 years ago. “I like their general stockiness, their presence, temperament and their height,” says Marie.

“I always rode stockhorses and was getting a bit tired of bigger horses standing on my foot, accidently or otherwise, and as you get older the ground gets harder when you come off,” she says with a smile.

One of Marie’s first Dartmoors was called Bozo, and he still has a special place in her heart. “He was a huggable little fellow, and was a bit of a character,” says Marie. “We couldn’t leave the door open — one day he wandered in and was watching TV with my son.”

A PRETTY PONY

The most popular colours for a Dartmoor are black, light bay and dark bay. They’re a handsome, muscular breed with sturdy legs and thick manes and tails, a smallish head and a medium-length body. During the cooler months, their manes and tails grow quite lush, and they shed their winter coats in the summer months.

As well as being an ideal riding pony, Marie says the Dartmoor is quite versatile. “From jumping to harness to hacks, you name it, they are well suited to lots of different disciplines,” she says.

AT HOME WITH YOUR DARTMOOR Make sure your Dartmoor has access to clean water and feed, and keep worming and vet checks up to date.

Your pony will need a securely fenced paddock that’s a couple of acres in size, has access to natural shelter and a stable. The Dartmoors don’t have a big appetite, probably due to their origins in the rugged plains of England. So don’t overfeed your Dartmoor or you could end up with a roly-poly pony, which isn’t good for their health. If you have plenty of quality pasture grass, you’ll only need to supplement with the occasional grassy pasture mix bales. Marie also suggests molasses and mineral lick blocks from time to time. “Mine will get in and eat them like lollies if they

need them. If they don’t, they’ll ignore them,” she says.

The Dartmoor is resilient and strong, and usually very healthy. Marie’s suggestion to avoid any potential issues is to buy from a registered breeder who has a good cross section of bloodlines.

IT’S SHOWTIME

If you plan on showing your Dartmoor, preparing your pony can be a little different than other breeds. “The Dartmoor is a native breed so when shown you don’t plait, it’s to be shown natural. They can be scrubbed up but you don’t clip them or paint their hooves,” says Marie.

YOUR FIRST PONY

Before you get your pony, it’s important to be familiar with being around ponies. As well as getting some riding lessons, Marie recommends learning about grooming a pony.

“A lot of kids are in love with the idea of getting their first pony, but with that comes responsibility, for the health and safety of the pony, as well as the little rider. Find a friend who has a pony and ask for help with grooming,” she suggests. “Learning to groom a pony teaches kids how to behave naturally around a pony — grooming teaches you how to talk to a pony, how to halter it, tie it up correctly, to walk around a pony safely, how to do its mane and tail, how to give it a biscuit of hay, and how to pick up a pony’s feet.”

At a Glance Grooming: Height: 12.2 hands maximum Weight: From 125kg to 160kg Longevity: 25 years

www.petsmagazine.com.au 87

PETS | Creature feature

The beautiful Agouti is one colourful and cuddly cavy. Tim Falk reports.

With a loving temperament, docile nature and available in an extensive range of colour combinations, the Agouti is one colourful and cuddly cavy. If you’re looking for a cavy that combines gorgeous good looks with a winning personality, this might just be the perfect pet for you.

“The Agouti cavy is very appealing and they have a lovely nature towards people.

The colour contrasts of the base of the hair being one colour and the tip of the hair being another on Agoutis is very striking,” says Sarina

88 www.petsmagazine.com.au

This cute cavy has the perfect personality.

Etherington from Sathra Stud.

Sarina also happens to be the Secretary of the Australian National Cavy Council and has owned Golden Agoutis for 30 years. And, having also bred Chocolate and Silver Agoutis and with her Golden Agouti Sathra Junior taking home the award for Best in Show at the National Australian Cavy Show in 1996, she’s well placed to talk about the many wonderful features of these fabulous furry animals.

“The Agouti, along with all other cavies, are very docile, friendly animals,” Sarina explains.

“They are soft, warm and very cuddly — they sit on your hand or lap and purr like a cat when you stroke or pat them gently. Of course, individuals can and do have their own personalities — these obviously become favourites!”

COLOUR COMBINATIONS

One of the standout features of Agoutis is that they come in a vast array of colour combinations. “First you have the dark-eyed,

Photo: Tanya Upton/BigStock.com

PINT-SIZED PERFECTION

Creature feature | PETS black-based (each hair) group,” Sarina explains.

This includes the following: Golden Agouti — black base, red ticking, black eye and black pigment.

Silver Agouti — black base, white ticking, ruby eye and black pigment.

Lemon Agouti — black base, buff/lemon ticking, black eye and black pigment.

Next come the chocolate-based versions of the above varieties: Chocolate Agouti — chocolate base, golden ticking, ruby eye and chocolate pigment.

Cinnamon Agouti — chocolate base, white ticking, ruby eye and chocolate pigment.

Cream Agouti — chocolate base, buff ticking, ruby eye and chocolate pigment.

“A new and lovely-looking genetic variation is the Gold/Slate Agouti, which has a slate base, golden ticking, dark eye and blue/black pigment,” Sarina says.

Then there are the pink-eyed versions of all of the above (except the Gold/Slate Agouti): Golden/Lilac Agouti — deep lilac base, golden ticking, pink eye and lilac pigment.

White/Lilac Agouti — deep lilac base, white ticking, pink eye and lilac pigment.

Lemon/Lilac Agouti — deep lilac base, buff/ lemon ticking, pink eye and lilac pigment.

Golden/Beige Agouti — deep beige base, golden ticking, pink eye and beige pigment.

White/Beige Agouti — deep beige base, white ticking, pink eye and beige pigment.

Lemon/Beige Agouti — deep beige base, buff/lemon ticking, pink eye and beige pigment.

In Sarina’s words, there’s “a colour combination to please everyone”.

• • • • • •

• • • • • •

CARING FOR AN AGOUTI

If you’re planning on showing your Agouti, you’ll need to be prepared to put in some hard work to get your pet looking his best.

“Agoutis are high maintenance for showing as they need to be groomed perfectly,” Sarina says. “This means the cavy’s guard hairs (a layer of dark hairs that grow over the normal hair that hide its beautiful natural ‘ticked’ appearance) all need to be removed. The show Agouti must have even ticking, the correct base colour, eye colour and pigment to be

competitive and have any chance of being placed or the winner.”

In more general terms, to keep any cavy fit and healthy you must have a clean, dry cage — make sure to clean it regularly — and feed plenty of grains, pellets and greens.

Cavies must also be free of any lice, bites or mites. “If your cavy shows any sign of these — normally hair loss, irritated skin, scabs and/ or open wounds — then your cavy should be bathed in a pyrethrum-type solution, which is safe to use for both us and your cavies to clear it up. Regular bathing in this solution will help to keep all these nasties at bay,” Sarina says.

GETTING AN AGOUTI

If an Agouti cavy sounds like it could be the perfect pet for you, expect to pay anywhere from $20 to $100 for a show-quality, purebred Agouti. However, prices vary depending on availability and which particular Agouti breed you are after, while pet-quality Agoutis generally range from $20 to $50.

Sarina also has some simple advice for anyone thinking of getting their first cavy. “A cavy or two take up small amounts of space so are perfect for people with limited room for a pet. Of course, all cavies make excellent pets for children and, yes, us young-at-heart folk, too,” she says.

“Understanding the responsibility to look after any animal, cleaning their cage and feeding them every day, along with providing fresh water, is also very important. For any cavy breed, the prospective owner should love small animals that require a lot of care but that give so much joy and happiness!”

At a Glance

Maintenance: Size: Small Lifespan: 4–8 years Cost: $20 to $50 for pets (up to $100 for show-quality cav ies)

www.petsmagazine.com.au 89

PETS | Promotional feature

r e d e e r B ETPLACE MARK

Check out some of the br ders the PETS team know and love

Ravera Ragdolls We spoke to Vera from Ravera Ragdolls to find out why she thinks Ragdolls make the perfect pet.

Q: Tell us how you started breeding.

A: I received my first Ragdoll (Tia, a Seal Point) as a gift from my husband for Mother’s Day, as I had wished for a Ragdoll kitten after seeing Burke’s Backyard when they did a special on the Ragdoll cat. That was approximately 15 years ago. My passion just grew from the day Tia joined our family. With my medical background, I thought I could make a difference. I really appreciate genetics and the effects of positive breeding, so I began my journey to improve the health of this special breed with an aim to share, as I know how much joy and love Tia brought to me and my young family.

Q: What makes Ragdolls so unique?

A: They are a unique feline. They have a lot of dog-like traits and yet have the independence of a feline. We all are so busy in our lives today but we all remember having a pet, and it certainly adds a beautiful dimension to any family, big

K balies Miniature Schnauzers We spoke to Angus McIlrath from Koobalies Miniature Schnauzers to find out just what it is he loves about the breed.

Q: Tell us how you started breeding.

A: I was seven years old when my grandmother got her first Schnauzer.

Her name was Lynette Hobbs.

90 www.petsmagazine.com.au

or small. Children learn so much from having a pet to care for and it can be so special for them to have the unconditional love from their pet.

They learn so much when they have to care for another living thing that is dependent on them.

Q: Describe the perfect Ragdoll owner.

A: The perfect Ragdoll owner would need to have a love for animals and want their pet to be indoors, as Ragdolls are indoor cats and do enjoy being around a busy family or with company. If you are often away from home, then two would be perfect as they have each other for company.

They are a social feline and being left alone for long hours can be quite lonely for them.

For more information, visit raveraragdolls.com

Q: What makes Miniature Schnauzers so unique?

A: They are a large dog in a small package, and they don’t moult.

Q: Describe the perfect Miniature Schnauzer owner.

A: Someone who wants a best friend or a new companion. Someone who will love and care for their special bundle of joy.

For more information, visit koobaliesmini schnauzers.com

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Kidzone | PETS

MAZE

Help the lost kitten find her way out of the maze.

Solutions on page 97

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PETS | Kidzone

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Photos: Animax Photography, mdorottya/BigStock.com, Life on White/BigStock.com, Alexandr L./BigStock.com, SNR/BigStock.com, lizziebee/BigStock.com, Agoy/BigStock.com, Vadimborkan/BigStock.com, LeniKovaleva/BigStock.com, insomnia/BigStock.com

Can you find the 16 cats hidden in our find-a-word? Words can go up, down, forwards, backwards, diagonally, or backwards diagonally, so keep your eyes peeled.

Kidzone | PETS

RAGDOLL

PERSIAN

EXOTIC SHORTHAIR

SIAMESE

BURMESE

AUSTRALIAN MIST

RUSSIAN BLUE

BENGAL

MOGGIE

MAINE COON

SCOTTISH FOLD

SPHYNX

BIRMAN

DEVON REX

BRITISH SHORTHAIR

KORAT

www.petsmagazine.com.au 95

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Games for you and your pet

SOLUTIONS SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 1. Trouser pocket missing 2. Boy’s shirt pattern 3. Extra book 4. Bow in hair larger 5. Footprints different 6. Extra heart 7. Tail smaller 8. Paintbrush missing. © Lovatts Puzzles

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© Lovatts Publications

By Peter Clarke

TERMS AND CONDITIONS...

1. Entry into the competition implies full acceptance of all conditions of entry, including the instructions on how to enter. 2. Entry is open to all residents of Australia and New Zealand. Employees and immediate families of the promoter, associated companies and agencies associated with this promotion are ineligible to enter. 3. Entries close with last mail on December 21, 2017, unless stated otherwise. The entries will be judged by the PETS editorial team and the winner(s) will be selected before January 31, 2017. The winners will be notified by mail, email or telephone. 4. Write the competition name on the front of the envelope and send to PETS magazine, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670 or enter via our website at petsmagazine.com.au 5. Prize(s) will be delivered to winners within four (4) weeks of notification of winning. Prize(s) are not transferable or redeemable for cash. 6. The prize must be collected within one (1) calendar year from the date a winner is chosen. If the prize is not claimed within this time, the competition is deemed invalid and the prize will be forfeited. 7. Prizes are subject to availability, not transferable or exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash. Any change in value of the prize(s) is not the responsibility of the promoter. 8. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Prizes will be awarded on the basis of merit. Chance plays no part in determining the winners. 9. All entries become the property of the promoter. The entries may be entered into a database for future promotional, marketing and publicity purposes, unless otherwise stated by the entrants. If you do not wish to be entered into this database, please indicate this on your envelope. This will not exclude you from entry to the competition.

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GOURMET DELIGHT

PeVtEs LO S DR D R ZOO IRRITABLE SKIN CREAM

All pets can be itchy sometimes and this itch can have a number of causes. Dry skin is a frequent occurrence.

Dr Zoo Irritable Skin Cream is designed to help soothe irritated, itchy skin using edible oils and other soothing ingredients such as aloe vera, chamomile and colloidal oatmeal, which is a wellknown calming ingredient for pets’ skin. This balm is ideal for applying to a pet’s itchy areas. It is an ideal follow-on treatment for pets that have completed a prescription course o of medicated steroidal ccreams and a good aalternative for those p pet owners who may b be concerned about lo long-term cortisone u use, seasonal allergies or frequent dry spots.

For more information, visit in drzoo.com.au dr

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We want to give our cat the very best when it comes to its food, and that’s why we love Gourmet Delight. With real natural fish and meat, this product is grain-free and contains no artificial flavours or preservatives, making it a healthy meal option for your pet.

Not only that, you can now get the new grain-free chicken and beef mince multipack from your local Woolworths, enabling you to stock up on produce for your feline friend.

For more information, visit gourmetdelight.com.au

ZIWIPEAK AIR-DRIED TRIPE & LAMB

We love eating food that’s delicious and healthy, and we know our dogs do too. That’s why the PETS team is currently going gaga over Air-Dried Tripe & Lamb, new from ZiwiPeak.

Made from 98 per cent meat, organs and New Zealand green-lipped mussels, this dog food is air-dried for superior retention of the original ingredients’ nutrition. With no grains or antibiotics used in its production, ZiwiPeak Air-Dried Tripe & Lamb is a complete and balanced dog food. And best of all, it tastes great so your furry friend is bound to love it.

For more information, visit bowhouse.com.au

WEST COAST PET CARE CENTRE

Shop online or in store at West Coast Pet Care Centre. They have a fantastic selection of dog and cat products, so you will find something not only your best friend will love, but you will too. You can order online and collect from West Coast, or enjoy a cheap flat-rate postage fee. At West Coast you can treat your canine and feline friend with a new toy, pick up all your dog training gear, and select from fabulous pet collars, leads, accessories and more. Our online store features ZipMoney, where you can buy now and pay later.

Check them out at west-coast.com.au/shop

Shop Online or In Store

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Major Dog Waldi WA’s Leading Pet Care & Dog Training Facility

08 9306 2767 49 Adams Road Mariginiup (Wanneroo), WA, 6078