Pets Magazine December/January 2022

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December/January 22, FREE

CAVALIERS’ CHOICES

Cavaliers’Choices Premium pet products for you & your pet chosen by Sophie Nell and Rufus, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, assisted by the Marie.

Pooch-tastic Treats!

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We love the tasty and nutritious treats from Green and Wilde, which range from exotic ostrich to rabbit and venison with no nasty additives. Rufus, the younger Cavalier, also gives a paws up to this well-known brand’s ethical chew toys made from sustainable jute which seem to outlast all other toys for their robustness. The company does excellent sh treats and antler chews for the stronger chewers out there. The Christmas stockings and meals for dogs and cats are also temptingly delicious and all natural.

The full range for cats and dogs is available at www.greenandwilds.co.uk

Join the Woof pack!

This is fantastic gift for more active dogs that love to play ball. Woofpack includes 3 tail-wagging retrieval toys for air, land and water play. Perfect for puppies and active dogs who love to retrieve. This three in one pack includes1 Jetwag Disk: Soft rubber frisbee that ies far and high; 1 Tailwind Ball: A super bouncy and ultra durable ball with a textured surface for extra grip;1 Fetch Ball: The most fun retrieval toy for waterloving dogs! Bounces on water only. Perfect for playing fetch at the beach, lake, or river.

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The Woofpack is priced at £16.99 and available from Amazon.

A perfect pet harness

We adore these practical and cute pet harnesses from Doodlebone. Made from a breathable air mesh fabric, the Doodlebone Originals Snappy Harness is soft, comfortable, strong and secure whilst also reducing pressure on your dog's neck during walkies. The lightweight mesh fabric is slightly padded and nished with a fabric lining and edges for maximum comfort with no irritation.

The 'step-in' design makes this harness perfect for dogs who don't like having anything put over their heads. It is also great for dogs whose head/neck measurements are too wide to t a standard xed neck size of a traditional 'over the head' harnesses i.e. larger headed or wider necked dogs. The harness wraps around their body and snaps into place with Velcro and buckle. Double D-rings for lead fastening add extra security. A re ective trim helps your dog be safe and seen in low light conditions. Perfect for early morning or evening walks. The Doodlebone Originals range blends 11 zingy colours and 11 gorgeous patterns.

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Priced at £18.50 and available at www.dfordog.co.uk/snappy-air-mesh-dog-harness.html

Delicious Dog Treats

We’ve reviewed many types of dog treats before, ranging from baked biscuits to organic grain free offerings, but seldom do we come across a brand that packs such a mightily wholesome punch. Pawfect Foods is true to its name in producing dog snacks that are delicious and high quality. These grain free human grade treats come in a selection of very palatable offerings from including Himalayan dental sticks (Rufus’s personal favourite!) to herbal infusions and ‘elevenses’ dog cookies, vegan fruit and veg jerky.

The dogs loved the ‘Nature’s Munch’ range which consists of fresh dried and bit size banana, apple, pineapple, papaya, coconut and mango. The humans in the team also smelled the treats and they did indeed indicate their respective fruit – far removed from so many similar offerings, they actually resembled in more than appearance what they are. A great start. It felt good and wholesome to be feeding the dogs something that looked and smelled natural and was good for them too.The Himalayan cheese treats were a huge hit with one lucky boy especially, 3 year old Rufus, who absolutely cannot get enough of the brand’s Himalayan Chew Bars – yum yum! It’s a 5-Star Paws Up from the Pets Mag Canine Review Team.

For more information and to buy, please visit: www.pawfectfoods.co.uk.

PS/ We’re always looking for premium products & services to review for both pets and people! Please get in touch with the boss at editor@petsmag.co.uk.

Sophie, Nell & Rufus

Love,

xxx

MY PET: GRAMMY-WINNING JESS CHALKER LUCY & BOWIE

Vet

Jess Chalker is an Australian-born

the Australian Government through

songwriter and artist living in London UK.

Australia Council for the Arts. We caught

Musically, she hails from humble roots as

up with Jess and her cute kitties Bowie and

one of YouTube’s rst ever viral artists,

Lucy.

with over 1.5m views on her self-penned songs. She went on to front Australian

Tell us about your gorgeous cats?

new-wave duo, We Are The Brave, whose

We were living in Sydney, Australia when we got grassroots hits ‘Your Ghost’ and ‘Sparrow’ Bowie and Lucy, who are blue-point Birmans. I achieved close to a million streams across actually wanted a dog but we lived in an apartment, so it wasn’t practical.

YouTube, Soundcloud and Spotify. She is

now embarking on a bold new solo career and announces her emotive, self-re ective debut full-length album, “Hemispheres”, released last month via her own imprint

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528 Records. The album is supported by

My husband got me an RSPCA voucher for my birthday, which is where we initially went to find a cat. I fell in love with a couple of moggies there, but because we lived close-ish to a highway, we weren’t allowed to adopt them.

How long have you had Bowie and Lucy?

We’ve had them 10 years now (they’re 13) and they’re so much fun. They’re still like kittens, really. Very playful and we love watching them tear around after each other. We moved to the UK from Australia about three years ago and brought them over with us, so they’re both little international jetsetters!

Both of us grew up with dogs so were looking for Do Bowie and Lucy go with you to a ‘dog like’ cat. A friend told us that Birmans would be a good match for us - we’d never heard work? of them so went looking for Birmans on rescue sites and on Gumtree. We only wanted one cat, At the moment we both work from home, so yes, but these two came as a package deal (siblings!), they’re sort of our furry colleagues! Their little so we adopted them together. They were three- shenanigans make the days go faster for sure. years-old at the time and had been abandoned at a cattery by a couple who broke up and sadly What di erence do Bowie and Lucy couldn’t look after them anymore.

make to your life?

Birmans are known to be very gentle, loving and loyal cats -- ours are very friendly and would never scratch or lash out at anyone. They talk a lot, love a rub on the belly, meet us at the door when we come home, and follow us around like little shadows.

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We don’t let them sleep with us because they are little terrors, but every morning they both wait for us at our bedroom door when we wake up,

which is very cute. They also love chasing apples that fall from our tree in the backyard. They really are the perfect cats for dog lovers! And they have the bluest eyes you’ve ever seen. It was funny too, as I’d always dreamed of having a talking, blue eyed cat called Bowie… and I got one, plus a bonus!

I used to suffer a lot with anxiety and depression before we got our cats; I think having creatures to nurture and care for has hugely helped with my mood since then. Even now, anytime I have a down day Bowie (the boy) is always up for a cuddle, which is lovely.

Is there anything you feel strongly

things in the world?

about regarding pet welfare?

They love their food, and going exploring I wish everyone realised that having a pet is a outside (they’re indoor cats). They’re the huge, huge commitment. If there’s any doubt in happiest sleeping on our bed, especially if we are your mind, then don’t do it. in it. Bowie is a real lap cat; his preference is to be draped over my husband in any way possible. He also likes being held like a baby. Lucy sticks with me a little more and is a great reading / cooking companion. Though, I have to be careful with her as she gets under foot a lot. I’ve had a few near-nasty falls.

Do Bowie and Lucy have any tricks or special character traits?

Bowie is extremely chatty/ opinionated, which can get annoying sometimes. He also has an unexpectedly deep meow that people usually find quite funny. Also, similar to what humans do when they get frustrated, Birmans are known to ‘huff’ when they’re annoyed/fed up with something. Bowie huffs a lot if he’s being ignored, if I’ve picked him up for too long, or a request (i.e., to go outside) goes unanswered. Lucy has a sweeter, more bell-like meow and doesn’t talk much when she does it's quite special. She loves boxes, has a very sweet disposition and everyone loves her. Birmans do shed a lot of fur which gets annoying given I wear a lot of black. That’s their only downside - their fur gets in everything.

What are Bowie and Lucy’s favourite

I grew up on a rural property in the Australian bush, where people used to abandon their dogs all the time. We’d always take in strays so would often have five dogs at once. We’d spend a lot of time with these animals, trying to gain their trust and make them feel at home. Also, whilst we happen to have pedigree cats now, if possible, I would always choose to adopt an abandoned pet first. You have to spend a bit more time on an animal that has been abused, or left behind, but it’s 100% worth it. You’ll have yourself a one of a kind little soul.

Neglected elderly dog abandoned days before Christmas makes incredible transformation

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n elderly dog had almost given up on life when she was abandoned on the cold streets of Birmingham just days before Christmas.

Ten-year-old German Shepherd cross mastiff was in a pitiful state when she was found wandering in Harborne on 20 December last year. West Midlands Police found her and managed to catch her and take her to the RSPCA. Inspector Stephen Lee, who launched an investigation, said: “Poor Molly-Moo was in such a sorry state and looked so sad; when you looked in her eyes she seemed broken, like she’d given up hope. It was devastating.

“Molly was wandering along a busy, dangerous road and I believe she’d been dumped there by someone like rubbish.

She was incredibly emaciated with bones protruding and had a bad, untreated skin condition.”

Molly was chipped and officers managed to trace her original owners but it turned out she’d been stolen from their garden six years earlier and they were now unable to take her back.

Festive cheer: Molly now

She was put on a special diet to help her put on weight and vets started to treat her skin condition.

She spent six months with the staff rehabilitating and recovering until staff felt she was ready to find a loving new home.

It didn’t take long for fabricator welder John Bebbington (55) from Leicester and his wife,

Happy now: with new owner John

Joanne, and 15-year-old stepson, Harry, to spot her photo online and fall in love.

John said: “We lost our Staffie after 13 years together and we weren’t really looking for another dog but, one day, we came across Molly-Moo’s photo online and we were all smitten.

Her face just looked so sad and her story was heartbreaking.

I’m glad she can’t talk because I don’t think I could face hearing what she’s been through. Our previous dog had 13 years of bliss and we felt we wanted to give Molly a good end of life.”

The family adopted Molly-Moo in June and said she was initially quite nervous and confused. John said: “There was a lot of anxiety initially; she’d cry and manically look everywhere when we were out

and about. I could tell she was anxious and frightened. Her skin was tough and rough like elephant skin, she stank and there were chunks of fur coming off all over the house.

“It was a hell of an undertaking; we had to bathe her everyday and keep on top of her medication. We had to shampoo her, clean her ears and clean up after her as all of her scabs fell off and her fur came out. There were times when we thought: ‘What have we done?’ But then we remember what someone had done to her and how she deserved a happy and healthy life.

“Now, she’s like a totally different dog. Her fur has grown back and her ears have healed; her skin is soft. She’s

also much happier in herself. We can let her off the lead and she toddles around the park socialising with other dogs. She’s really turned a corner and is very happy, sweet-natured and wellbehaved. She’s an older girl but it doesn’t stop her bounding around through the grass; it’s an absolute joy to see. She never goes far though; she won’t leave my side. I’ve definitely found a best friend for life; and she has too!”

This Christmas will be a far cry from how the old pooch spent her last Christmas, in RSPCA care surrounded by love but still skinny, itchy, frightened and confused. This year, she’ll know what it feels like to have a full tummy, a soft healthy coat, and a loving family around her.

To Join the Christmas Rescue and help our rescuers be there for the animals in need this winter, please visit www.rspca.org.uk/ rescuexmas.

Top tips to help you prepare your puppy for their rst Christmas

Many dogs are facing their first Christmas with their new families - here are some tips to make sure it’s a

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happy one…

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he RSPCA is offering advice to owners looking forward to their rst Christmas with their new puppy to ensure both they and their pet enjoy the festive season.

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A boom in pet ownership during the pandemic means many families are experiencing their first Christmas with their puppies which means lots of new experiences which could leave pets feeling overwhelmed, overexcited or stressed.

But there are lots of things people can do to prepare their puppies for a month of parties, presents, decorations and dinners to ensure the season is merry and bright for everyone.

Lorella Notari, RSPCA Head of Clinical Behaviour, said: “Lots of pets rescued or bought during lockdown have not had all the opportunities they would normally have to socialise so they might find the hustle and bustle of Christmas time difficult. They might be seeing Christmas decorations for the first time or be unused to large numbers of guests gathering in your home, not to

mention all the smells and temptations of festive food.

“It is really important to take the time to think about how you are going to help your puppy to cope with these new experiences, whether it is making sure they have somewhere quiet and

comforting to escape to if things get too much or ensuring that any younger guests visiting your home know how to behave around them.

“With a bit of preparation, there is no reason why both you and your puppy can’t enjoy the festive season.”

Top tips to prepare your puppy for Christmas: Coping with guests: Make sure that everyone who visits your home lets your puppy greet them in her own time.

Make sure you put a couple of beds for her in quiet places, where she can retreat if the noise and activity gets too much. Make sure guests know not to approach her when she is in her bed

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Younger visitors: Children can get over excited around dogs, especially at Christmas time. Make sure they don’t overwhelm your puppy with attention and give her space.

Children should always be supervised around dogs - and the RSPCA has advice about how to keep children safe around dogs.

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Leaving pups on their own: Christmas is a busy time with lots of socialising and there may be times you need to leave your puppy on her own. Make sure you have taken the time to get her used to being

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alone, gradually building up the time you leave her so that she is confident being on her own. If you are going to be more than a few hours, consider asking a friend or a pet sitter to look after her.

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Eve. The RSPCA has fireworks advice to help prevent and reduce noise phobia and care for your pet when the rockets go off.

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Keep your puppy’s routine: December is always busy, with shopping trips, parties and visits to Father Christmas’ grotto but wherever possible, try to stick to your puppy’s routine. Make sure you take her on lots of walks and give her play and attention, which can help ward off any unwanted behaviours at Christmas time.

Festive food: There are lots of temptations around at Christmas time, but the food we love - such as chocolates and the raisins in our Christmas pudding could be poisonous for pets. Make sure your guests know not to feed your dog scraps from the table and ensure that you shut the kitchen or dining room door to prevent a ruined dinner Last Christmas, the RSPCA and a poorly puppy. received a call about an abandoned, neglected, abused Scary noises: Remember or suffering animal every that your puppy might minute. The RSPCA has never have heard the launched its appeal Join the bang of a cracker and Christmas Rescue to help its that the sudden noise rescuers be there for animals could leave her scared, in need this Winter. To join the so you might want to rescue, visit make sure she is out of www.rspca.org.uk/ the room. Fireworks can rescuexmas. also be scary for many pets, so make sure you are ready for New Year’s

Help Your Pudgy Pooch!

Tony Knight, an internationally-acclaimed Dog Listener and trainer,

on how to help the portly dog in your life

Tony Knight, an

seen as a sign of wealth. Now it is commonplace in many societies and the new fight is the battle of the bulge.

internationallyacclaimed Dog Listener and trainer, on how to

Needless to say, this phenomenon is also responsible for the evergrowing of dogs with evergrowing waistlines. Canine obesity is much more common than we think and even with the best intentions, our dogs can succumb to it.

help the portly dog in your life ght the battle of the bulge this New Year...

Happy New Year! I hope that the festive season has been kind to you and yours. I know from long experience that I will not be the only one using the idea of new resolutions to once more take control of my diet.

The problem with all that food is that it is soooooooo good! I am always impressed with my body’s ability to gorge food as if it is going out of style – a trait that we all retain (along with the stored calories) as part of our instinctive makeup to survive.

amount of humans on the planet. The body is designed to fast and feast, and the temptation to take in as much as is physically possible is at its strongest when surrounded by food during the festive period.

My dog Pru once stayed with friends while I was out of the country working. They made the error of not shutting the door to the pantry properly when they went out for a short while. Pru succeeded in opening the door and finding the big bag of dog food therein. My friends returned to find her in a food coma, stomach like a balloon, lying right by the now half-empty bag of food.

Fortunately, she was OK but not keen to move for several hours…

Extra weight on joints can be a serious issue for certain breeds of

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Give me an empty plate and a buffet and the instincts to balance as much food as possible on it is still very strong. It takes willpower to not come away with a mini Mount Everest of Gluttony…

This natural instinct comes from a time when we didn’t know the next time we were going to eat – something which is still a stark reality for a fair

dog...

The reason that obesity is a growing problem (no pun intended) in more affluent countries is down to this nature in conjunction with the ability to eat at will. Food quality is also an issue as the body needs more time to digest less natural foodstuffs (and not having the time to do so). In the not-toodistant past, corpulence was

For dogs and humans, being overweight has a detrimental effect on health. In addition to the obvious problems, extra weight on joints can be a serious issue for certain breeds of dog that have inbred conditions such as hip dysplasia or early arthritis.

Battle of the Bulge...

foodstuffs and it is a good idea to keep that in mind when feeding our dogs. However, even the best quality food can make a dog fat if they are given too much of it. Therefore, quantity is also as important as quality. If you’re thinking that this is too simple a solution, you’d be right (and there is nothing wrong with that).

Dogs are also – with some exceptions – quite robust when it comes to what they can eat.

Let’s be honest; dogs can eat disgusting stuff sometimes! A healthy mix of kibble, meat and vegetables is fine in a smaller meal. It is easy to take your eye We know that our bodies find it off the ball, though. Once, when easier to process natural I suddenly noticed that my

The easiest solution to avoiding a chubby Chihuahua or a blobby Bloodhound is to feed them less. There are “formulated foods” out there that claim to be good for dieting, when in fact a remarkable percentage of them simply add fillers to make it look like a dog is getting enough food, while actually they are only getting a relatively small amount of nutrition. If you feel that you need a degree in chemistry to understand the list of ingredients on a bag of dog food, it’s probably best to steer clear of it.

dogs were a little wider in the waist department over a period of time, I reduced the amount of food.

The problem was resolved in a couple of weeks. Of course, they would always seem to be hungry (for which the Guilt Fairy blamed me), but then again they did that even when they were getting more than enough. Maybe you have thought that when your dog acts like they haven’t eaten for days the moment you make yourself some toast 5 minutes later…

Fairy blamed me), but then again they did that even when they were getting more than enough. Maybe you have thought that when your dog acts like they haven’t eaten for days the moment you make yourself some toast 5 minutes later…

Some begging is not so subtle…

I always like to keep things simple, so as well as knowing the general weight range for your dog’s breed (N.B. this cannot realistically apply to multi-pedigree dogs who have parents of surprisingly different sizes) my basic rule for knowing if your dog’s weight is correct is to feel their ribs. If you can feel them but can’t necessarily see them, they are probably fine. If there is a fair layer of blubber around

them, give them less. The exercise element to better health should not be done to their detriment, especially if they are prone to injuries as a result of their breed or age.

Gentle exercise for a short time is good, even when they are in

In short, good nutritionists will advise that there is no such thing as a successful fad diet. A permanent change with a healthy balance of ingredients (in an equally healthy quantity) is the key to weight loss. The same goes for our dogs.

Remember that their instincts will tell them to eat whenever possible (those individuals who seem to be fussy with their food are doing it for a completely good health. There’s no need to different reason – that subject stick them on a treadmill and is for another time) so it is up to us to make sure that they aren’t eating themselves into health problems. Taking responsibility for their eating habits makes the difference between a healthy hound and a paunchy pooch…

Remember -their

instincts will tell them to eat whenever

possible... run them into the ground.

You don’t really need to weigh these two to find out who needs to drop a collar size…

To find out more, visit: www.tonyknightdoglistene r.com