This week’s story is about rabies… It was reported recently that a baby was bitten by a large rat, resulting in the tragic death of the child. It struck me as out of character for a small, normally timid creature to attack with such viciousness as to inflict a fatal wound. This made me wonder whether the rat had not, in fact, been rabid. But we will never know because the rat escaped capture and the symptoms of rabies are only detectable 20 - 60 days after exposure. Continue Reading

Sandra’s puppy, Rex, is grabbing her kittens and hurting them. What can she do to stop this dangerous behaviour, before another death occurs? Continue Reading

Madelein would like some more information on cat aids, otherwise known as FIV. Continue Reading

Here’s a cautionary tale to remind you to keep your pets warm this winter: I visited a friend yesterday and noticed on her window ledge, in a large cage, one of the most colourful birds on the planet. It was a Sun Conure, a small parrot, indigenous to South America, and his name was Monet in remembrance of the French Impressionist whose canvasses vibrated with brilliant colours.  And the little bird was well named because he too was a burst of dazzling yellow, orange, red, green and blue feathers.

Well known for his curiosity and vocal skills, Monet was uncharacteristically still and had puffed up his plumage, making him seem very forlorn. And when I got closer he stared at me through sad, round eyes but never budged from his perch. Continue Reading

Do you know what the number one killer of dogs is in our country? Well, you may be surprised to know it is not road accidents or dreaded diseases, but rather euthanasia. The purpose of this article is to stress exactly how important it is to sterilize your pets to help prevent the overpopulation and death of countless beautiful animals. Continue Reading

This Q&A deals with weaning 5 week old kittens and training them for the litter box. Continue Reading

Ronelle is worried about her underweight cat who, although he eats quite a bit, still looks like a stray. Continue Reading

It occurred to me the other day we may actually be killing our pets with kindness! Or could it be with ignorance?
When I mention poisons now, I am not referring to the box of Rattex hidden away out of reach or the deadly fertilizers we put on our lawns, but I refer rather to prescribed harmful substances which may appear on the surface to be harmless  …but how safe are pesticides, medication and everything else for our beloved pets!? Continue Reading

This pet owner needs some advice on getting her nervous cat to the vet. She also wants to know if there is such a thing as prozac for cats. Continue Reading

Did you know that nowadays it is quite common to give human medication to pets, regardless of well documented side effects? Sadly our precious pets are being medicated as an alternative to specialized help. And still obligatory castration seems the order of the day for every imaginable problem from destruction to house soiling! And when castration fails, Ritalin, Prozac or similar equivalents are used as a first choice of treatment. Perhaps in the near future, Viagra will be prescribed for depression or maybe a lobotomy for piddling on the carpet. Continue Reading