A Christmas Wish!

I just couldn’t help myself!!

Today I received a card from someone with the most adorable picture of a little pug with a candy cane Christmas hat on! He’s got the most wonderful face (albeit a little grumpy looking as is the way of the pug)! I was all overcome by this little chap’s face that I fled to my computer browser almost instantly and was greeted by some of the most adorable faces ever! Soon, I was cooing away at the monitor wishing for another puppy and wondering if there was room for one more in this little pack.

So, I guess this isn’t really a post. Not a real one anyway. It’s a way for me to show you all the gorgeous faces out there! - If only to alleviate the boredom of the people in the near vicinity to whom I keep squealing “look at him, he’s so CUTE!”

Here they are, some of the cutest faces I’ve ever seen:

A little black labrador!! I think I'd call him Charcoal - Charlie for short.


This little fella is a gorgeous little beagle and he'd have to be 'Biscuit'!

I love Border Collies and this little'n I'd have to call Sampson - Sammy to those who pass us by in the park!

This Chow Chow puppy is just too sweet to resist - what do you reckon? I think she's a Lilly.

This little lady's a heart breaker. A beautiful Dachshund who would just have to be a Daisy!

If anyone has any photos of their little cuties that they want to share then feel free to send them to us!! Right now I’m a huge bundle of admiration and motherly warmth, so I’d just love to see them!

The holly and the ivy

Christmas is almost here again and no doubt as you rip open the 9th door in your advent calendar you’re thinking that it’s almost time to break out the Christmas decorations and start thinking about getting that gorgeous real Christmas tree!

Decorating the house with seasonal and traditional plants and decorating a real Christmas tree, with the smell of fresh sap and pine in the air is by far one of my favourite of Christmas traditions. In two days I will be donning my favourite winter ware and trudging out into the countryside with my family and our two dogs (I’m guessing that the cats are probably out there already waiting for us!) and going to get a little holly and ivy for the mantle piece in our house.

But as you probably know by now, things that are good for us humans aren’t always good for our pets. So here’s a quick guide to the plants that could potentially be dangerous to your animals.

Poinsettia
The bright red leaves are very Christmassy and just perfect as a centrepiece on that gorgeous Christmas table. There’s controversy over just how poisonous this plant is but suffice to say that if the sap is ingested by pets it can cause skin and mouth irritation. In these cases it’s best to wash the affected area with cool water.

Mistletoe
Well, this one was probably very obvious. The mistletoe plant has extremely poisonous berries. If you’re using this plant as decoration it’s recommended that you remove the berries first – especially if it’s in easy reach of children or pets. If you intend to hang is as a ‘kissing post’ and don’t want to remove the berries keep a good eye out for any that fall or are knocked off. Contact a doctor if any of the berries have been ingested by a pet or child.

Holly
It seems that berries in the case of holly will cause the most trouble too. They’re not as bad a mistletoe berries (after all some birds do live off them) but holly berries but still come with lots of their symptoms like intestinal distress, vomiting and.. hmm, well you can guess. As with mistletoe, contact a vet if you think your pet has ingested any of the berries.

Pine trees
Real Christmas trees are the best but if you get one that drops its needles then make sure you keep the droppage to a minimum. If your pet ingests the pine needles there is a danger that their internal organs can be pierced. So try and get a non-drop tree of plump for an artificial tree if you’ve got particularly crunch happy kitties!

Whatever you do – DO decorate your house with natural deckies, DO get that real Christmas tree if you want it and DO make your home a Christmassy paradise. But also – DO take the necessary precautions to make sure Buster and Socks don’t accidentally gobble up something that doesn’t agree with them!

Christmas presents for your pets!

Well, Christmas is coming and I have to admit that I am miles behind this year! I haven’t even started shopping or even thinking about it – so in an effort to get on top of it all I logged on to the world-wide-wonder-web and started to have a look.

How exactly I progressed from presents for mum to presents for my pets I’ll never know, but I found some things that I just love! Turns out that the only darlings in my life to have Christmas presents thus far this year are my pets!

Some people may well think that buying presents for your pets is crazy – and I’ll admit that I hadn’t intended to (and for that matter, I was quite surprised by the selection available!) but in amongst all the holly shaped things, snowflakes at every turn and buying charity Christmas cards (Go on – Do it! You know it’s right ^_^ ) I just got caught up in it all!

I love the little penguin igloo house and I’m guessing the cats will probably fight over it! As for the snowflake scratching post – that’s justified the other one has met its maker......and the dog hamper will be a lovely present for my Gran’s dog.

'Tis the season to be jolly folks! So, what are you getting your little angels this year?

Yawning proves that dogs are empathetic (apparently)

“Yawning is contagious, you catch it like the flu, when someone yawned near me today, I started yawning too…” Then I passed it on to the dog?

As you may well already be aware your dog is prone to yawning. But here’s a little bit of info about those cheeky contagious yawns and the deep set behaviour of your pooch.

There are moments in your life where you may well think that perhaps you’re stepping into the realm of slightly crazy; where the tilt of your puppies head seems to imply that they know what you’re thinking. Times when a paw on your arm is a comforting gesture. Fear not, according to research into dog’s behaviour and yawning, it’s been proved that dogs are empathic.

Yawning is known to be contagious in humans but now scientists have shown that pet dogs can catch a yawn, too. The copying activity suggests that canines are capable of empathising with people, say a team of researchers from Birkbeck College, University of London who recorded dogs’ behaviour in lab tests.

By placing a selection of dogs in front of strangers the team found that 21 out of 29 dogs would yawn in response to the stranger in front of them yawning. Even better, when there was no yawning ‘cue’ and during a period of time spent with the stranger when they didn’t yawn, not one of the dogs yawned.

So there you have it. Yawning is contagious for humans, close primates and now dogs; meaning that your dog is capable of empathising with you. Perhaps that’s why they call them man’s best friend?

Halloween Monsters!

Well Halloween has come and gone and now we’ve got bonfire night to prepare for and Christmas to look forward to.

Halloween in the spirit of things brought us some fabulous fun and costumes. I had the privilege of attending a party where the costumes were so mind-bogglingly fantastic that I thought I’d wandered onto the set of a Doctor Who or Buffy episode. That along with a terrifying sound track and I was reduced to a quivering wreck in the corner.

However, Halloween also brings about some great comic events and sight and it seems our pets are not immune to the pitfalls of fancy dress. So here are a few of the fabulous costumes we’ve seen out, about and on the web this Halloween 2008. If you’ve got any pictures to share then feel free to send them our way! Until then, check out these little monsters:

Ah, Cute but terrifying! Bring on Christmas so we can break out the red scarves, wooly hats and snowflake outfits!

Pets on Bonfire Night

Bonfire night is coming: Roaring fire, bright bursts of colour, whizzes and pops and bangs. Hot dogs and soup; sparklers and warm wooly hats. Bonfire season is my favourite but there our other out there for who these festive events are as pleasant. There will be Guy Fawkes celebrations a plenty, but no doubt you’re thoughts have wandered away from the festivities and to some of the most vulnerable members of your family.

Pets at this time of year can experience unnecessary stress and because we cannot reason with them it is up to us to do our best to safe guard them against the fright of fireworks.

So the following posts will be looking at the various pets that might be occupying your home and how to make sure that they stay safe and happy this bonfire night season!

Have a great time everyone!!

Clickpets xx

Small Animals: Rabbits, Guinea pigs, Gerbils, Birds Chinchillas etc.

Sometimes it is easy to forget about smaller animals, especially those that live primarily or are relegated to the garden. But these animals scare very easily and it is important to make sure that they are as protected as possible during the firework season.

* If it is possible bring outdoors animals inside or take their runs into a garage or shed.
* If not put down extra bedding so that they can burrow as this will ease their anxiety.
* Cover their enclosure with a thick blanket making sure that there is still plenty of ventilation
* Turn enclosures to face a wall rather then the open garden, to reduce the risk of them being startled by the flashes.
* For animals that are kept in the house make sure you move them to the quietest room in the house and close curtains and doors to block out as much noise and light as possible.

Dogs and Cats

Dogs and cats are obviously what people think of when it comes to protecting your pets from firework frights. Not all animals’ exhibit signs of fear but sadly this doesn’t mean that they are not anxious or stressed. For dogs things such as excessive panting or yawning could be indicators of tension in your pet.

Here we’ve put together a quick list of dos and don’ts to make sure that you’ve done everything you can.

DO
* Keep your animals inside in a quiet room where the curtains, windows and doors have been closed.
* Block off cat flaps so that startled animals cannot escape.
* Put on music, the TV or radio as a distractive and comforting noise for your animals. Not too loud but enough to mask some of the quieter sounds.
* Make sure that your animals are wearing identification or have been micro chipped so that if they do escape they have a better chance of getting home again.
* Set up a hiding space for your animals. Somewhere warm and comfortable, filled with blankets they can hide under and an unwashed item of your clothing so they can smell you.

* Make sure this is set up weeks in advance of bonfire night so that they have time to grow accustomed to it.
* Reward calm behaviour and ignore frightened behaviour.
* Stay with your animals and stay calm, that way they’ll realise that nothing out of the ordinary is going to happen.
* Make sure you’re pets have gone out to the toilet before ‘locking’ them in: provide a litter tray for cats.

DON’T
* Walk your dog during prime firework time. Walk them early instead
* Take your dog to firework display, whether they seem to be fine or not.
* Don’t take your dog to the shops with you or tie them up outside a shop front while there’s a risk of fireworks
* Similarly don’t leave them in the car.
* If your pet displays anxious, destructive or agitated behaviour do not shout at it as this will only confirm that something bad may potentially happen. Reward good behaviour.
* Leave your pets unattended for long periods of time on firework evenings.

Horses and Livestock

Horses and livestock are some of the most vulnerable of animals when it comes to firework evenings as they can become agitated easily. If you’re organising a private display at home or at a local institution and are surrounded by farmland please make the effort to contact and inform the farmer or livery yard owner of your firework plans.

In many cases firework displays will be carefully positioned and sensitive to the needs of horses and livestock in the area. But as this is not always the case, especially concerning private displays, here are a number of precautions you can take to ease the anxiety of your animals.

* Keep your animals in the most familiar environment for as long as possible. If they are usually left out in the field, leave them for as long as possible before bringing them in to a secure area.
* Make sure that someone experienced stays with your animals. Animals are very intuitive and they will pick up on nerves or anxiety so remain calm when around them.
* Do not go riding when you suspect that you might encounter fireworks.
* If you need to relocate your animal for the evening then make sure you accompany them. If they have to be left in another’s care make sure that you leave clear instructions and contact details for yourself and your vet, which can be used should problems arise.

Woodland animals

Okay they might not classify as our pets but woodland creatures are just a susceptible to problems around Guy Fawkes Night. If you build a bonfire at home make sure you check it thoroughly before lighting it for hedgehogs or rabbits that may have made nests there. Another way to safe guard against harming these woodland creatures is to build your bonfire as late as possible or gather the materials and ‘rebuild’ it on the night in it’s designated location. That way, our furry woodland friends will have had ample time to flee.

Pet Myths Busted

I’m sure you’ve heard some of those fantastic rumours. That butter on a cat’s paws will stop it treading to far from home or that dogs are sick if their noses are warm? Well, we’ve had a look around and found a few that we felt needed banishing. So the following is some of the classic:

Dogs should have a litter before they are spayed.
Spayed dogs have a lower risk of cancer and urinary infections and there’s no reason for them to have a litter before they’re spayed.

‘The Cat who got the cream’ - Cats can have cow's milk.
They may love it but it isn’t very good for them. Although cats like milk they’re lactose intolerant and milk will give them a runny tummy. But, like us, it’s usually the bad things that taste the best!

Dogs are sick when their noses are warm.
A dog’s nose doesn’t actually indicate its health. It’s a classic old wives tale! The only way you’ll be able to tell if your dog has a fever – is the old fashioned way. With a thermometer. Normal dogs are about 37 – 39 oC.

The Kitty cat and the fish.
Cats are fine with the a little fish now and then but if it forms that main part of their diet they may fall victim to a vitamin E deficiency or yellow fat disease (aka steatitis) so, maybe just for special occasions.

Crossbreeds are always healthier than purebred dogs.
Not necessarily. They have diverse genes but can sometimes develop the diseases of both breeds. With purebreds you know which illnesses are likely and can test for them. Some crossbreeds aren’t tested properly. So make sure they are tested properly and you can take home that little puppy for sale!

If you move house put butter on your kitty’s paws to stop them roaming and getting lost.
No, really, don’t do that. Better to just keep them indoors with a litter tray until they’re settled and feel comfortable in their new surroundings. Give them 3 weeks plus and they’ll know where their new home is.

Happy dogs wag their tails.
Dogs do wag their tails when they’re happy. They also wag their tails if they’re: agitated or excited. Look for a tail wagged high or over the body for aggression. All other waggings are friendly.

Cats always land on their feet.
They do, but if they fall from too low down they might not have time to right themselves. And even if they do land on their feet they may break or fracture bones. Their seemingly impossible feats of flexibility sadly don’t make them invincible.

Dogs eat grass when they are sick.
Dogs eat grass because when they were wild they ate herbivores – so grass used to be a staple of their diet. Now they balance their diet with a little lawn.

A cat purrs because it's happy.
Cat’s purr when they’re happy. They also purr when their in pain or anxious or nervous. They can even purr when giving birth! Purring is more expressive of emotion, than specifically on happiness. But usually, a purring moggy is a happy one.

Dogs like tasty food.
Dogs actually have really bad taste buds and so the tastiness of a meal is predominantly based on smell.

All male cats spray.
No they don’t. Some will and it’s more likely to be non-neutered males then neutered ones. This is a good reason to neutered them. Don’t be fooled though, female cats can spray too! (Although, it’s less likely)

Cats and Dogs are enemies!
Not true in the slightest! Some cats and dogs will be enemies the same way that some people will be.

All cats hate water.
Not necessarily. Some cats like water and I’ve seen many a happy cat sit on the draining board and bat at a dripping tap for fun.

No doubt you’ve heard of many more, so feel free to add them in the comments below. Let’s hear them people, what’s the weirdest cat rumour you’ve ever heard, what old wives tales need banishing when it comes to cuddly puppies and happy pooches!

Doggy fashion: Yay or nay?

By now you must have seen it. A dog walks passed on a chilly winter day, a designer collar fair enough, we’ve all seen those, but his cute little Prada coat? That’s a whole other matter. Being a Brit means that this sight has largely passed this clickpets writer by. I’ve seen the occasional terrier in a cute little tartan doggy jacket but that’s hardy unusual. As for pink booties, fur trimmed hoodies and bobble hats – well that’s different.

This phenomenon led me online of course, where better to purvey a diverse spectacle of doggy fashion. I could not have prepared myself if I’d tried. Merely typing into Google the words ‘doggy fashion’ will bring up 278,000 hits (and think that’s just dogs). The net is awash with a diverse mix of doggy fashion paraphernalia. And I must admit – I quite like some of it.

I’ve heard the arguments for and against. That there’s no reason why you shouldn’t but at the same time, it’s stupid to put a coat on an animal that comes full-equipped, isn’t it? And surely, while all these items are beautiful, the perfect cute notion of doggy fashion can only apply to smaller breeds, can’t it? There’s something less appealing about a bull mastiff in a hoodie to me, and I’d truly feel for a St Bernard forced into a sweater.

A number of these sites particularly took my interest especially for their doggy furniture. I was almost envious of the adorable chaise lounge and the four posters beds. Some of the coats designed to keep our furry friends warm were more fashionable then items in my own wardrobe. But I have to admit I can’t shake the farm from my bones because carry bags just don’t inspire me. My dog and I will be walking.

Now, perhaps I’ve come to the doggy fashion world a little late, and perhaps I missed the point, but I wonder whether all this is really as much of a revolution as it’s made out to be? So, what do you think? Doggy fashion: yay or nay?

Top 10 Dog names from Argos Survey

There are over 6.1 million pet dogs in the UK and Argos Insurance Services published the top dog and bitch names from its survey of over 20,000 canine names.

Not surprisingly both top dog and bitch names are popular human names. Explains dog psychologist Neil Walker of http://www.dogtherapist.co.uk/: "Dogs are very much seen as part of the family and as such owners can give as much consideration and thought to naming their dog as they do they own children."The Argos survey shows that inspiration for names came from a variety of sources; the survey reports on the top ten names inspired by alcohol and in our celebrity obsessed culture, dogs named for the rich and famous. TOP TEN DOG & BITCH

NAMES:

1 Max (m) Molly (f)

2 Charlie (m) Holly (f)

3 Ben (m) Rosie (f)

4 Jake (m) Poppy (f)

5 Barney (m) Lucy (f)

6 Jack (m) Ellie (f)

7 Buster (m) Tess (f)

8 Toby (m) Meg (f)

9 Jasper (m) Bonnie (f)

10 Oscar (m) Daisy (f)

Ten Interesting Pet Facts

Here are some interesting facts I found about pets, take a look...

1. It has been established that people who own pets live longer, have less stress, and have fewer heart attacks.

2. Every known dog except the chow has a pink tongue - the chow's tongue is jet black.

3. The phrase "raining cats and dogs" originated in 17th Century England . During heavy downpours of rain, many of these poor animals unfortunately drowned and their bodies would be seen floating in the rain torrents that raced through the streets. The situation gave the appearance that it had literally rained "cats and dogs" and led to the current expression.

4. A cat can jump as much as seven times its height.

5. A cat's tail held high means happiness. A twitching tail is a warning sign, and a tail tucked in close to the body is a sure sign of insecurity.

6. Cats have a third eyelid, called a haw, that is rarely visible. If it can be seen, it could be an indication of ill health.

7. When your cats rubs up against you, she is actually marking you as "hers" with her scent. If your cat pushes his face against your head, it is a sign of acceptance and affection.

8. Dogs can alert their owners of an epileptic seizure up to an hour before it occurs.

9. A cat sees about 6 times better than a human at night.

10. Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not sweat by salivating. They sweat through the pads of their feet.

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Cat survives post

Wouldn’t it be great to find something special in the morning post, amongst all the bills and junk mail? Well that’s exactly what happened this week as a parcel containing a cat travelled 450 miles from south to north Germany. Owner Gitti Rauch accidentally packaged her cat as she was wrapping presents for family, and did not realise her feline friend had curled up inside the packages for a cat nap. She didn’t realise the cat; Janosch, was missing until after the parcel had been posted. Remarkably, Janosch came out of the ordeal unharmed, without even a scratch.

I’d much rather receive a cat in the post than the gas bill!