The Wild Treat Company

07/04/2020

Rescued dogs may suffer when lockdown ends

As the reality of lockdown in New Zealand due to COVID-19 approached, people took on canine companions, emptying dog shelters. Hopefully the dogs are managing to fit in and are getting lots of thoughtful attention.
Perhaps dogs will benefit from now on from more owners working from home, but many are likely to face a massive change when the lockdown ends, and some or all of the household leave for the day. This is likely to be extremely traumatising if it happens suddenly, especially to a rescued dog who has already lost one home. Small, gentle steps need to be taken towards being able to leave him/her for hours with minimal stress.
Dogs that get extremely anxious at separation can tear apart furniture, washing, shoes etc. This can be avoided, and remedied, with consideration and patience. For these dogs the steps towards being separated for long work hours need to be tiny. Ultimately it can take a long time and a lot of reassurance for a rescued dog to realise that he/she is truly in their forever home and they no longer need to worry quite so much if you leave for a while.
Here are some tips for easing your dog into being left alone:
• Unwind the dog before you go, with some vigorous exercise and stimulation e.g. a run around the block, or a tug of war (use old socks tied together), then 5 minutes’ training with treats.
• Make your departure pleasant. Hide food or provide a chew as you leave to provide a long enough diversion for you to get away. Your dog will have something to look forward to about your departure, instead of dreading it, and will be occupied as you go.
• For very worried dogs, get ready to go (gather keys, bag etc.) several times a day, but sit down again and do something else. Progress to going onto the other side of an internal door in the house, telling your dog to stay, then coming back in a few seconds. Increase the time the dog is left, then progress to an outside door and gradually increase the time away.
• Behave calmly, make going and coming low-key with a low level, delayed greeting.
• Have some safe, familiar toys present e.g. tennis ball, gumboot to drag around.
• Beds/resting areas should be comfortable and sited so your dog can take advantage of sun, warmth and cool as needed.
• Leave a freshly worn item of clothing in the dog’s bed e.g. sock, handkerchief (the owner’s pyjamas worked well for an extremely anxious dog).
• Ensure the area where the dog is to be left is hazard-free and secure.
• Remove valuable items that the dog might target if it does become anxious.
• Leave a radio or TV on if this is normal in your home.
• Have a routine.
• Provide plenty of exercise, clean water, nutritious varied food, chewing opportunities, company and kindness, every day.
• If you won’t have time for your dog’s needs then arrange help, e.g. dog walker, daycare.

By Dr Jo Pollard for The Wild Treat Company Ltd

17/12/2019

A Pet for Christmas?

Pets are entertaining and can bring great joy to a household, especially when they are happy and content. However all pets require at least some daily input and some are particularly demanding.

Any pet you acquire means a commitment. Pet ownership lasts years and requires money and time. Every year thousands of dogs and cats are put to death not because they are ill, or old, or because they have done anything wrong, but because the novelty and cuteness has worn off and they have become inconvenient.

At the lower end of the scale for care requirements are animals who have most of their needs met by their environment. Fish in a pond need little more than daily food and inspection to ensure all’s well. Birds in an aviary need daily food and clean water but can thrive without human interaction. This contrasts with pets kept on their own, such as a single budgie or dog who will need as much attention as they can get from people to meet their social needs. For people with plenty of time, these highly dependent pets can be extremely rewarding.

Children who love animals are sometimes badly disadvantaged when their parents have separated and the kids end up sharing time in two different households. They may miss out on owning a pet because of the difficulties in organizing care for it. Under these circumstances pets such as goldfish in a pond or large aquarium, or a readily transportable pet such as a budgie or rat, might be worked into the household routines. However there must be buy-in to this arrangement from both households, and provision made for safe, appropriate housing and care in both places.

Some pets are easy to keep: axolotyls require little more than another axolotyl for company, clean water and a daily feed, and they can be readily trained to take food directly from your fingers. Some pets are surprisingly difficult to care for: baby turtles rapidly outgrow small tanks and need a large amount of manual cleaning or expensive filtration equipment to keep their tank hygienic. They also need mineral blocks and turtle food from the pet shop, regular inspection to ensure their shells are drying properly when they bask, and social interaction…..turtles can be very time-consuming pets.

Dogs are particularly demanding on time and finances because of their dependence on people for exercise and social interaction, as well as the legal responsibilities they bring, and fencing and yearly registration costs.

So people need to avoid rushing into pet ownership in the middle of Christmas shopping! However rescue facilities are usually overwhelmed with animals at Christmas so if after considering all of the consequences, you feel your household could accommodate a new member, please consider adopting one of them.

Dr Jo Pollard, for The Wild Treat Company Ltd.

03/11/2019

Monday Morsels

Protecting animals on Guy Fawkes night

By Dr Jo Pollard (BSc (Hons), PhD) www.wildtreat.co.nz

Pets, livestock and wildlife are often terrified of fireworks and every year at Guy Fawkes time there are accidents and injuries involving animals. Forward planning can help keep family pets and livestock safe and we can all help to ensure that animals don’t suffer fireworks-related accidents.

Protecting family pets
* Ensure pets have minimal exposure to fireworks. If there is a display near your place then consider taking them elsewhere.
* Keep pets indoors (make sure everyone in the household knows that the pet isn’t to be let out!). Sights and sounds can be muffled by keeping interior doors and curtains closed, and by leaving a radio or TV on fairly loud. Feeding treats or playing with pets may also help to distract them and help make the event more positive.
* If you have a nervous dog or cat, or a very old pet or a pet with a heart problem, your veterinarian may supply a light sedative for the animal.
* Make sure pets wear collars with identification so they can be returned promptly if they escape and run away. Cat collars should have an elastic insert to prevent strangling if they get hooked up.

Protecting livestock
All livestock are liable to be frightened by fireworks (especially horses, ponies and deer). There is a risk of serious injury if they blunder into fences, ditches or over bluffs. The consequences can be very serious if they escape onto the road, where they can be injured or killed, or cause accidents involving pedestrians and motorists.

* Anyone who has livestock close to a planned fireworks display should move their animals to a safe place beforehand.
* Paddocks should be well-fenced and well away from the display.
* Horses could be stabled for the night, or an old sensible horse could be borrowed as a paddock companion for a few days before and during the event.
* If livestock cannot be moved away from sights or sounds of fireworks, someone should stay with them to make sure they come to no harm.

Suggestions for fireworks display organisers
* It can be very helpful if the organisers of firework displays give the neighbours advance warning, such as leaflets in letter-boxes.
* For large displays a notice can be placed in a local shop window or in the public notices in the local newspaper. The site should be selected carefully to minimise disruption to vulnerable livestock.

31/10/2019

Friday Funny

You live with a cat and a dog. Every day you feed them, love and entertain them…

The dog is very grateful. When you fill his bowl, he thinks “Wow, you do all this for me, every day. You must be god.”

When you fill your cat’s bowl, he thinks “Wow, you do all this for me, every day. I must be god.”

Put your pet on a pedestal – feed him/her our 100% natural raw Eco-treats! Made with love and care. Visit www.wildtreat.co.nz

29/10/2019

Wednesday Wisdom

How fussy is your cat?

Many cats prefer to snack every few hours rather than eating a big meal all at once. They can also be very changeable in what they like, or extremely fixed in their food preferences.
Encouraging him/her to eat diversely from a young age makes the cat easier to feed, so you won’t both suffer if a favourite food isn’t available. A varied diet also is likely to provide a good balance of nutrition and pleasure from eating different things.
If your cat is fussy our pure, raw, wild crumbles are very likely to please - try a little 3-pack and have some fun! From your cat’s wildest dreams: wild rabbit, goat, wallaby, possum or venison.
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27/10/2019

Monday Morsels

How socially smart is your cat?

(from https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/05/cats-rival-dogs-many-tests-social-smarts-anyone-brave-enough-study-them)

To find out whether your cat can pass some common tests of social intelligence, try these simplified experiments at home. Make sure your cat is calm and relaxed before you start.

1. Does your cat know its name?
• When your cat is calm, say four words of about the same length and accent as its name, waiting 15 seconds between words. Then, say its name.
• If your cat gradually reacts less to each random word, but responds to its name by turning its head toward you, rotating its ears, or moving its tail, it probably “knows” its name.
• It may be easier to train a cat that knows its name, for example when using verbal commands like, “Sit!”

2. Is your cat tuned in to your emotions?
• Take your cat into a room with a potentially frightening object it has never seen before, like a robot vacuum. Sit calmly on the floor with your cat, then make friends with the object, saying “what a nice vacuum” in a calm, friendly voice. Approach the object and touch it.
• If your cat is initially freaked out but calms down—and even approaches the object—after you make friends with it, your cat likely can pick up on your emotional cues and alter its behaviour in kind.
• Your mood can influence your cat’s mood. So, if you’re calm and chipper at the vet’s office, it may stay calm as well.

3. How independent is your cat?
• Sit in a room with your cat. Ignore it, sitting quietly or paying attention to a book or phone, for 2 minutes. Then, try to interact with your cat—call it to you. If it comes, pet and talk to it.
• Highly social cats immediately come to you when you begin to pay attention to them, whereas more independent cats keep their distance.
• If your cat tends to be antisocial, try spending more time with it. Like humans, cats can become more friendly if we make extra effort.

4. Does your cat prefer you—or food?*
• Pick a few items you think your cat may enjoy, such as treats and toys. Set them on the ground, sit nearby, and see where your cat lingers. Your cat prefers whatever it spends the most time with. But it may just be hungry. Repeat the experiment in varied situations to be sure of its preferences.
• If your cat prefers you to toys or treats, the best training incentive may be your presence.
• *If food doesn’t come first, try the experiment again with 100% pure, raw wild treats for cats: visit www.wildtreat.co.nz for NZ wild rabbit, possum, goat, wallaby and venison to tempt him/her.

Social cognition researchers are finally probing the secrets of the feline mind—when the cats deign to cooperate

24/10/2019

Friday Funny

Credit: The Pet Collective

https://www.facebook.com/366827403332071/posts/3069497809731670/

22/10/2019

Wednesday Wisdom

Which parts of the mouse does your cat eat?

Given the chance to catch wild prey such as birds and mice, cats will eat most parts of the animal. The head seems to be the most favoured part, and the “guts” (digestive tract) the least.

Depending on the cat and its mood it may leave parts uneaten. If it feels like supporting the household, or isn’t hungry, it might present you with its prize. If the head is still there you are extra lucky!

For a taste beyond your cat’s wildest dreams trial him/her on our pure, wild rabbit, goat, wallaby, possum or venison crumble…try a little 3-pack and have some fun! Only $5 including postage (rural $3.70 extra).

17/10/2019

Friday Funny

Credit: The Pet Collective

https://m.facebook.com/thepetcollective/videos/2502753750011670/