Pets are for life not just for Christmas, so make sure pet insurance is under the tree

Pet insurance should be at the top of pet owners' Christmas list and is the best thing they could buy their pet, according to research carried out on behalf of the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

The ABI has revealed that almost a third of Brits would consider giving a pet as a gift at Christmas, but found that many pet owners are unaware of how expensive vet bills can be if the animal is injured or becomes ill, making pet insurance a valuable purchase.

Nick Starling, director of general insurance and health at the ABI, warned that "if they need veterinary treatment, bills can run into hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Having pet insurance in place means that pet owners can have the confidence that their pets will get the best treatment without having to find money to cover large bills. This is even more important during hard economic times when household finances are already stretched."

Meanwhile, a study by MORE TH>N has discovered that the average dog can put on as much as the equivalent to one human stone in weight over the Christmas period as a result of misguided owners giving them too many treats.

This can put them at risk of developing a number of serious illnesses, the pet insurance provider warned, and urges dog owners to consider the consequences of giving uneaten mince pies and other Christmas leftovers to their pooch.

"Dog owners really do need to take care of their animals during the festive season" urges Pete Markey, head of MORE TH>N pet insurance, as "misguided kindness when it comes to treats could cause serious health issues for the nation's dogs in the New Year."

But the bark could be worse than the bite and MORE TH>N's fears could be unfounded this credit crunch Christmas, as cash-strapped families are less likely to treat their pets, according to research from Saga pet insurance which found that it's not just humans who are feeling the pinch.

Of dog owners aged 50 or over, just 54 per cent will be buying presents for their dogs, compared to 68 per cent in previous years.

Some of those who cannot afford the treats might be among the four per cent of British pet owners who will send their beloved pet a Christmas card.

Virginia woman sues SPCA. They let someone adopt her dog.

A dog escaped a yard in Newport News, Virginia, was picked up, and taken to the animal shelter.

The dog's owner, Catherine Welch made repeated attempts to locate the missing bichon/poodle mixed breed dog and gave the SPCA a description of her pet. The shelter allowed someone else to adopt the dog.

The woman who originally found the lost pet saw Welch's flyer and contacted her telling her she had taken the dog to the shelter the day the dog went missing.

The shelter refused to release the name of the person who adopted the dog. Welch filed suit to have the name released. Five months after the adoption mistake, the SPCA released the name of the person who adopted the dog.

This is obviously an unusual occurrence.

Read the rest at the Daily Press and learn about Welch's reunion with her dog named Diamond.

Family Holiday Traditions of Feeding Homeless Pets Can Mean the Gift of Life

The joy of giving to pets who are suffering in our economic crisis can be the most rewarding and memorable holiday tradition of the season. The article, Twelve Family Holiday Traditions That Help Homeless Pets from the website Animal Shelter Tips, outlines easy and low cost ways to share the joy of the season and even the gift of life with homeless pets.

Santa Fe, NM (PRWEB) December 8, 2008 -- Homeless and needy pets are facing a bleak future in our economic turmoil. Donations to animal shelters are down, and many financially strapped pet owners are surrendering their pets to shelters that are already full.
When asked what they most like or remember about past holidays, adults and kids usually respond with fond memories of traditions or family activities rather than gifts they received. What could be more memorable and meaningful than giving the gift of life to homeless and needy pets? The love and companionship of pets represent the true meaning of the season. Families can start holiday traditions to help these pets.

The website Animal Shelter Tips has posted the article, "Twelve Family Holiday Traditions That Help Homeless Pets", to help parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and kids find ideas for family activities, including:

Consider dividing the amount spent on kids between traditional gifts and donations to the local animal shelter to help homeless pets.

For example, print a photo of a homeless dog from the local shelter on photo sized paper and place that photo in a card or wrapped gift. Include a note with wording such as "Bobby, your Aunt Jenny sent a donation in your name that will feed me for three months. I'm an eight year old sweetheart of a black Lab still waiting for my forever home. This helps me so much. Thank you! Zack."

Sponsor a kids' Christmas party at home on behalf of the local animal shelter's pets.

Each child can bring pet food from the shelter's wish list. Match the kids' contribution of food pound per pound. Ask friends to do the same with their kids and make it a competition between families, neighborhoods, etc.

Aunts and uncles, as well as grandparents, often struggle with gift ideas and activities for kids in the family. Start a tradition of helping homeless and needy pets with younger family members.

For example, an aunt can take her niece shopping for pet food for the local shelter. Take the shelter's wish list on the shopping trip as well as a photo of a shelter dog or cat. Go together to deliver the food. Call ahead and ask to walk a shelter dog or help socialize a shelter cat. This activity, together with lunch, a movie, or a visit to see Santa, will create memories for both aunt and niece as well as teach the youngster how much our homeless friends need help.

Does your family draw names for holiday gifts? Ask for volunteers (probably adults) to withdraw their own names and substitute pets' names from your local animal shelter. Include a photo of the pet, its name, age, and a food preference on a card.

The person who draws a pet's name can buy pet food. Make sure the kids in the family understand that family members gave up gifts for themselves so homeless pets can be fed. Take the kids along when the items are delivered to the shelter.

More ideas are listed at Twelve Family Holiday Traditions That Help Homeless Pets.

Holiday ideas just for kids are listed at Twenty Ways Kids Can Share the Holidays with Homeless Pets.

Combining holiday traditions with helping homeless and needy pets could be one of the best reminders that it's better to give than receive.

About Animal Shelter Tips:
Website author Cathy Grace was inspired to launch Animal Shelter Tips by the homeless pets she's adopted. Her work background is in marketing and publishing, but her passion is her animals. She's welcomed into her home cats from the Santa Fe, New Mexico, Animal Shelter and Humane Society, the no-kill shelter Operation Kindness in Carrollton, Texas, as well as a kitten appearing at her doorstep in Evergreen, Colorado.

Ask the expert: Pet Subjects

By Pete Wedderburn
Last Updated: 12:00PM GMT 02 Dec 2008

We have two cats, Molly and Alfie, aged three and four years respectively. Mollie has always rubbed her head and face around door frames, leaving black marks which I can only remove with a cream cleaner. Alfie never does this. Can you explain what she is doing and how I can stop her? She is very nervous and I do not like to get angry with her.

MB, by email

Cats have scent glands on their faces and flanks and at the base of their tails. When they rub against objects (or people), they are depositing scent marks that are undetectable to humans. Once an area has been marked in this way, it makes it seem more like "home" to a cat, and this seems to provide some type of social reassurance to the animal. You can buy a spray called Feliway which contains synthetic cat pheromones of the type contained in cat facial scent. If you spray this around the doors, Molly might not feel the need to continue to rub against these areas because she will already regard them as "done". Alfie sounds like a more confident cat and his scent-marking areas are probably out in the garden, further away from the inner home area.

I have a two-year-old male English springer spaniel who misbehaves when he sees stones on the beach. He ignores any commands and goes up to other people, barking for them to throw stones for him. I have tried fitting him with a muzzle, but this does not stop him. He is fine elsewhere. It just seems to be the stones on the beach that affect him.

LR, by email

His breed is strongly motivated to play throw and fetch. Stones on a beach are ideal for this game. He gets a reward every time someone gives in and throws one for him. You need to train him to prefer toys to the stones. Find something that he really loves, then teach him that this is preferable to a stone. One way to do this would be to bring some stones into the garden. You can then practise throw and fetch with toys, while ignoring him when he picks up a stone. This could then progress to similar play in a park and, finally, on the beach. He will gradually learn that the only thing he can play with is the toy and that stones are not worth bothering with.

Are people serious when they say that rats are "good pets for children"? How can disease-ridden rodents be compared with cute creatures such as hamsters and guinea pigs?

MP, Poole, Dorset

You are not alone in feeling negative about rats. I know people who are so repulsed by them that they can't even stay in the same room as a rat in a cage. But I also know dozens of children who adore their pet rats. They are intelligent, clean and playful creatures, much less likely to bite their owners than hamsters. The risk of a human picking up disease from a rat is no greater than from a dog or a cat (but, as with any pet, it makes sense to wash your hands after handling them). You need to plan properly before getting a pet rat. But for children over the age of eight, I would definitely place them in the top 10 of suitable pets. If you think rats are bad, what do you think about another new pet trend: cockroaches?