Daily Mail - 03.03.2020

Daily Mail, Tuesday, March 3, 2020^ Page 39

3 of the best CoMfoRt toYs

one cat, and two million of these

(18 pc) are living with other cats

they don’t get along with. Cats

are naturally solitary creatures

and their territory is very impor-

tant to them. Living closely with

a cat or cats they don’t get along

with can cause a lot of stress,

which can affect their health.

S

o it’s not just our busy

l i f e s t y l e s t h a t h a v e

repercussions for pets.

s ad l y, m i l l i o n s a r e

s u f f e r i n g b e c a u s e w e d o n’ t

understand them as well as they

understand us.

take cats. You know how they

always sit on people who hate

cats? Well, there is a good reason

and it’s not down to the belief

that ‘cats are contrary’.

Cats are sensitive, and sensible.

Cat lovers, on spying a cat, start

cooing, reaching out to it; they

stare at it, follow it and try to

pick it up. Cats are complex

creatures and they hate being

pursued or unsolicited cuddles.

s o i m a g i n e h o w r e l a t i v e l y

attractive the cat-hater seems,

who is steadfastly ignoring the

cat at all costs!

this is one of my favourite

veterinary facts because i am

fascinated by pet behaviour and

psychology. Humans, being social

creatures ourselves, find it

difficult to understand species

that don’t need their own kind.

While dogs, rabbits and many

other species are social animals

— like us, they enjoy company;

that’s how they feel safest and

happiest — cats are not.

Cats guard their food, territory,

w a t e r ( a n d t h e i r h u m a n s! )

fiercely. other cats in the house

or even in the neighbourhood

can be a massive cause of stress.

this can lead to over-grooming,

gut and toileting problems.

in practice, when i’ve men-

tioned stress to cat owners, they

often say things like: ‘oh, he’s

not stressed — he sleeps all the

time.’ in fact, we now know that

many cats ‘sham sleep’. this

means they pretend to be asleep

to avoid conflict and stressful

situations. A close look at their

tense facial expression and

rotated ears gives them away.

Yo u’ l l b e a m a z e d b y h o w

many cat owners aren’t aware of

these fundamental cat facts. it

illustrates how rarely we do

sufficient research before adopt-

ing an animal.

impulse buying of pets has

become a real problem in the

days of instant gratification. too

often puppies are bought from

dodgy people in laybys and

service areas.

But online can be just as

hazardous. often, sellers sound

like legitimate breeders, but the

pups are just supplied from a

terrible environment into a

seemingly normal home for an

agent to sell.

Just like children, the early

stages of an animal’s life are

critical to ensure it can cope with

the world around us. this means,

C

HirpY, waggly-tailed

a n d b r i g h t - e y e d —

that’s how we picture

dogs. so it’s hard to

i m a g i n e t h e m e v e r

feeling down in the dumps.

However, they are capable of

suffering depression in the same

way we are.

Cats, too, can suffer stress. people

often find the concept laughable

because we associate that word with

an overly large workload, relationship

troubles or money worries.

But feelings of tension are not

confined to humans. A study by one

leading vet has suggested a staggering

80 per cent of Britain’s ten million dogs

suffer from anxiety, sleeplessness,

depression, obsessive - compulsive

behaviour or other disorders.

And a swiss report claimed our

frenetic lifestyles are to blame for pets

suffering psychological burnout. the

people’s Dispensary for sick Animals

(pDsA) has blamed dogs being left

alone for hours at a time.

Findings from the latest pDsA Animal

Wellbeing (pAW) report reveal that

many owners are failing to meet their

pets’ welfare needs. the study found

1.9 million dogs (19 per cent) are left

alone for longer than the maximum

recommended four hours on a typical

weekday, while 1.3 million dogs (13 pc)

don’t get walked on a daily basis.

Cats are also affected: 4.7 million

(43 pc) live in a house with more than

All For Paws Little Buddy Warm

Bear, £14.99, petplanet.

co.uk

DesigneD to help pups

with separation anxiety after

leaving their mothers and moving

to a new home, this plush toy features

an internal, removable bag of buckwheat

which can be heated in the microwave to

make this toy a warm, cuddly companion.

Ancol Small Bite Teether ’n’ Rope Dog

Toy, £3.99, petplanet.co.uk

This has been designed for young puppies

to aid in the growth and development of their

teeth and jaws and to encourage safe, non-

destructive chewing. The knotted rope

encourages interactive play with owners.

Kong Kitten Chirpz Chick Cat Toy, £4.50,

petsathome.com

The average cat sleeps up to 16 hours a day

so needs plenty of exercise when it is awake.

The Kong Kitten Chirpz Chick’s motion-

activated sound chip calls your

kitten to play with an irresistible

song, kicking off a cat’s curiosity

and natural instincts.

TURn TO neXT PAge

Unmissable pullout to transform your best friend’s life

healthier

haPPier Pet

how to

have a

CelebriTy veT and auThor

by Emma

Milne

How

to tell

if your

pet is

anxious

depressed

or

Picture: Ge

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