Your Family – September 2019

88 yourfamily.co.za

MAD ABOUT PETS

LIFE ON THE ANIMAL FRONT

Ifyouandyourpetswouldliketobefeaturedasournext‘PetSelfieoftheMonth’,sendyourselfieto

[email protected]‘PetSelfie’inthesubjectline.Thephotomustbeatleast1MBinsize.

MichellevanderSpuyandherdogCoco

liveinBoksburg.Coco,afive-year-old

chocolatedachshundbitch,lovesgoing

onwalksandplayingcatchinthepark.

Shealsoenjoysdehydratedchickenasa

snack.Whenshe’snotrunningaround,

shespendshertimelyingonherback,

soakingupthesun.

PET SELFIE

of theMonth

Q

Iliveinacomplex

andmycatoften

disappearsforafew

days – but healwaysreturns.We’venow

discovered thathe’sactuallyvisitingother

tenants in thecomplex.Althoughwe’ve

asked themnottofeedhimwhilehe’swith

them, he stillgoesthere.Whatcanwedo

to keep himmorehomebound?

A

Most catsliketoroamandexploretheir

surroundings.However,itcouldalsobe

that your cat’slookingtomate,orissimply

finding tastiertidbitsoramorepleasant

environmentelsewhere.Sowhatcan

you do?

1 

Firstly, ensureyourcatissterilised

(neutered/castratedformales

and spayedforfemales).Their

reproductivedriveisoftenthecause

of themroamingandseekingamate,

or gettingintofightsoverone.

2 

Create acomfortable,stimulatingand

safe homeenvironmentwithenough

food andwater.Askingothertenants

to stop feedingyourcatisagood

idea, ashe’llhavelessincentiveto

look forsnacksthere.Ensurehehas

enoughhidingplaces/dens/bedsin

your houseandprovidehimwithtoys

and scratchposts,etc.Youcaneven

use cat pheromonediffusersinyour

home tomakeyourpetfeelmoreat

ease. (Theseworkverywell!)

3 

As a finaloption,considerkeeping

your catconfinedindoors.Although

the outdoorsisdefinitelymore

COMPILED BY NOLWAZI DHLAMINI CONTRIBUTOR: MICHAEL FERREIRA, 021 919 1191 PHOTOS: STOCK.ADOBE.COM AND SUPPLIED THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL VETERINARY ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR VET OR ANIMAL BEHAVIOURIST FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR PETS.

3

W

A

Y

S^

YOUR

(^) P
E
T
KEEPS YOU HEALTHY
It’s commonly known that pets make
people happy. They help us escape
daily stresses, show us affection and
cause us to laugh, which in turn releases
feel-good endorphins. Pet therapy has
become more common over the years,
with doctors using the pet-human
connection to help patients suffering
from anxiety, depression, autism,
post-traumatic stress disorder and
other ailments.
With World Suicide Prevention Day
on 10 September, pets are increasingly
being used to assist patients with
psychological problems. ‘People with
pets are happier, interact more with
others and are less likely to fall ill,’
says Dr Guy Fyvie, nutritional advisor
for Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Studies show
that animal-assisted therapy can do
the following:
1 Reduce stress, boost happiness and
promote recovery from depression, as
well as physical illnesses.
2 Increase your self-esteem and
improve your social skills.
3 Keep you moving: walking your dog
regularly and playing catch with them
makes you physically active – and
physical activity is excellent for your
physical and psychological health.
exciting, cats can adapt well to
simply staying at home. You’ll
obviously have to cat-proof your
windows and doors in case you
want to open them, and you’ll have
to be more vigilant.
You might find that doing all of the
above and keeping your cat indoors for
two to four weeks will help him accept
that this is his home and it’s a safe,
inviting space. Unfortunately, though,
he might just be a roamer by nature.
If you’re worried about him getting
injured (bitten by a dog, run over by
a car or hurt in a cat fight), changing
his lifestyle to indoors is definitely the
wisest option.
with Dr
Michael Ferreira