Do you want to know why this post is late, everyone?

The heat – oh my goodness, the HEAT!

Part 2: Sweltering Temperatures

It has been sweltering, folks. And unfortunately, I have been blessed with a computer that does not like the tropical Queensland weather. One day this will be rectified, but until then? Both you, the reader, and I, the author, will have to suffer through this together.

Don’t get me wrong – one of the best things about living in a subtropical climate such as Queensland is the glorious summer weather that we have – it begs us to go to the beach, or have a BBQ, or sit in the sun and get our yearly dose of Vitamin D.

But on other days, it screams at us to get inside, turn on the air conditioning, and hide until the evening.

We have various options to both enjoy and escape extremely warm conditions, thanks to wonderful technologies that keep our houses cool and our food chilled. However, until our companion animals have opposable thumbs, they have difficulty accessing these same technologies.

In the last couple of weeks, many animal welfare societies have started to post their summer guides. To save doubling up on a lot of this information, I would like to link to a couple of the key ones:

• RSPCA Victoria have a quick bullet-point list on Summertime Care.
• RSPCA New South Wales offer their Safe Summer for Animals articles.

However, in summary, you cannot beat these three tips:

1. Plenty of cool water (lots of big ice cubes can help too).
2. Plenty of shade (inside preferable, but an outdoor patio is suitable).
3. Plenty, PLENTY, of relaxation.

Too many animals pass away every year when they are left in cars or other unsuitable environments in the summer months (see RSPCA Queensland for their November 2009 article on car fatalities). I could go into a long diatribe about this, but here’s the simple truth, folks:

Don’t ever leave your animals unattended in a motor vehicle or other enclosures susceptible to high temperatures (plastic dog houses, plastic carry crates, etc.).

Just don’t do it.

No exceptions, no pardons, no “quick stop-off at the grocer”.

It is creating a high-risk situation that is avoidable, and no responsible person should ever consider putting their companion animal’s life at risk.

Small animals

As a bird and guinea pig owner, I have an extra challenge in this regard. For starters, my animals are limited by their cage and hutch as to where they can find a cool, shady respite.

In the summer, I urge my fellow exotic animal owners to bring enclosures inside. With shade being the most important element, why not relocate enclosures to 100% shade?

Other tips include the following:

• Using old pillowcases on top of guinea pig litter as little “beds” sure helps with the litter bill. I alternate between a day pillowcase and a night pillowcase for about 3 days, leaving the other one out on the clothesline to air out.
• Tiles! We have invested in a couple of old bathroom tiles, and these make a wonderful addition to a hutch, giving your animal the option for a cool surface if the heat picks up.
• We use water bowls instead of those water drippers. However, in the summer I like to have both there, just in case the bowl water gets soiled for any reason.
• Misting spray bottles are wonderful for birds that are not keen to hop into a bowl for a bath. Making sure the water is fresh, give your birdies a nice little misting bath (do not aim directly at the bird. Instead, turn the nozzle to face the ceiling – the water will shoot up into the air before “raining down” on your birds).

 
Stay tuned to Part 3 of our series on how to deal with the summer holiday season!

And summer is anything but kind to many Australian homes. Already, bushfires are being predicted for South Australia, with many more extreme weather conditions on the way. Thunderstorms, heatwaves, and even fireworks can cause our companion animals distress.

So how do we deal with the upcoming weather theatrics and holiday festivities? Here’s a short primer to get you thinking about options for the summer ahead.

Part 1: Thunderstorms

Everyone has different tolerances and reactions to extreme weather – while one person will flinch every time they hear thunder, another person will quite happily go out in the rain and scream to the heavens, “bring it on!”.

How does your pet react to these occurrences?

My boys will usually flinch, but one of our guinea pigs is exceptionally sensitive to noise and light moreso than the rest of our clan. When storm season happens in Brisbane, we make sure that he has a secure and warm place to hide to comfort him. A colleague of mine has two small dogs – one would whine at the sound of thunder and the other would not be fussed. She has noted that they both now seek comfort next to her during a storm.

RSPCA Victoria reports the repercussions of “thunderstorm phobia”: “When dogs become frightened they will try to reduce their fear by either trying to escape the noise or by becoming more active as an outlet for their anxiety, often resulting in destructive behaviour. A dog at large and destructive behaviours increase the risk of injury to the dog.”

Knowing your companion’s responses to these events is your responsibility, and is in the best interest of you and your animal to provide a safe way to manage these reactions.

What can I do if I am not home?

• If a bad storm is forecast, consider what your animal needs. A warm space? A loving hug? Spend time with your mate and see what needs to be done.
• If your animal needs someone in the house with him/her, try to be at home if you have a safe method of getting there.
• If you cannot reach your home safely, try to find someone who can. Family and friends are your best options, as they will be familiar with your animal. Can they get access to your home in the case of an emergency?
• A trusted neighbour is your best ally. During bad weather, they can be your best way to check on the well-being of your pet if you are unable to get there. Of course, this puts the responsibility on you to introduce your pet to your neighbour – the sooner, the better.

What can I do if I am home?

• During a storm, give your animal access to the place that he/she feels safe. This could be anywhere – under a table, on your bed, or a private space in their hutch. Dissuading this behaviour can cause anxiety for your animal. Frankly, what would you prefer – for Fido to pee on your rug, or for him to run around the house and damaging the property, injuring you or injuring himself?
• Distraction therapy for your dog or cat is a good activity if your pet seems anxious. Food is always a great motivator, so having a chew toy or some fruit and vegetables will give your animal something to do. Encouraging small games that allow them to exert a little bit of that pent-up energy is also a great distraction (tug of war, chase the mouse, etc.).

On Saturday, Part 2 of our Weather Warning series will look into how to help your pets cope with the impending heatwave.

(original article at News.com.au)
(PDF Copy of Article)

In a feel-good article for the weekend edition of The Sunday Mail, Samantha Healy has stumbled on a truth that many people with companion animals have known for a while: we treat our pets as our children.

And can you blame us? In a society where the cost of raising a family is starting to skyrocket along with divorce rates, the family unit is not very reliable anymore. Buying a house will be a far-away dream for many young Australians, and unemployment at some point in our careers is a certaintly.

Our animals, our companions, give us something that our professional and personal lives can’t provide consistently anymore: unconditional love and trust. They will be there when we get home, wagging their tails or chirping away happily. They won’t steal the car keys and go for a joy ride. They won’t leave us for anyone else.

This is not just a trend – this is a certainty of the future. Pets are important to the emotional well-being of single men and women, and now they are making an important contribution to the family structure of the dual-income couple.

Everyone should have the opportunity to have the company of a companion animal, no matter what their housing status is, if they can prove that they can also give the animal the love and care that he or she deserves.

NSW tenants and landlords – get ready for some puppy love.

RSPCA New South Wales: Pets and Rental Properties

Many thanks once again to Mark from RSPCA New South Wales for this new article on renting with pets for NSW tenants. RSPCA NSW have not just given some state-specific information, but also provided excellent general advice for anyone who is looking to start a new tenancy with their companion animal.

Pets and Rental Properties is an invaluable resource for Australian tenants and landlords, and hopefully a step forward in creating harmonious relationships between all parties so that a companion animal can have a loving home.

There is an increased need for this information in the community, especially relating to relevant procedures that are often governed by state laws. I am also honoured that they chose to include me as a resource for their article.

The process of a successful relationship between tenant, landlord and animal has many positive rewards for everyone involved.

Tenants have the benefits of a stable environment for their pet, with the knowledge that they are able to talk freely and resolve issues with their landlord. They are able to know the joy and benefits of having an animal in their family.

Landlords can rest assured that their tenant will be responsible with their house/unit, and have complete knowledge of every occupant that resides at the property. They can discuss any concerns that arise and make fair agreements about how to resolve situations.

Animals will have a happy, relaxed environment, hopefully for the long term. They will know that their owners will never be made to choose between them and their tenancy.

All of this will, in turn, reduce the number of animals abandoned or surrendered to animal welfare organisations, freeing these resources for such organisations to deal with other incidents of neglect and abuse.

Dogs use up more energy resources than a car, authors claim

I am not in a position to disprove these findings, however, I want to look at the possible social implications of this study.

Firstly, I find that this study is once again crossing the fine line between “owning” pets and “adopting” animals. One correlates with the idea of animals as material possessions, the other with a notion of animals as “family”. By comparing and contrasting dogs, cats, and even birds with the ownership of a motor vehicle, both Robert and Linda Vale are going to get a lot of negative feedback from humane organisations who are trying to combat the “ownership” analogy that leads to many thousands of animals dumped at shelters or even in the wild every year.

Secondly, there is the inevitable question of “well, here’s the research – what are you going to do about it?” Does having a pet in the family negate your responsibility to the environment?

Let us look at the comparison that is provided in the article: between a German shepherd who creates an eco footprint of approximately 1.1 hectares, and a human in a developed country whose eco footprint is anywhere between 1.8 and 6 hectares.

Are we asking fertile women to undergo procedures to get their tubes tied? Are men guilted into having vasectomies so that they do not bring a child into their household that would create a eco footprint up to five times that of a large dog? No, they are not. However, “larger animals” are being victimised simply because they are large, with the author of the article suggesting goldfish and hamsters as a eco-friendly option for families who “want to own” an animal.

Lastly, there are many other ways to reduce your eco footprint other than giving up your companion animal. Take a walk instead of switching on the plasma. Have a candlelit dinner instead of using lightbulbs. Play board games instead of heading straight to your favourite console. Only purchase food that you know that you are going to consume, or have a worm farm to pick up the scraps.

I find it interesting that none of these options were discussed in the article.

Or, perhaps, I am not surprised that these suggestions were completely ignored in favour of “ditching the dog.”

Long story short – don’t believe all of the hype. If you want to be ecologically aware and still adopt an animal, do your research so that you can fulfill both obligations responsibly.

Domain.com.au: “How pets boost property prices”

Domain clarifies further: “with the rise in single-person households, pets will become an even larger influence in the type of property we look for and the amenity of the suburb around us.”

With pets becoming more than the animal that is “kept in the backyard”, new property owners and tenants are looking for properties that will pamper their loveable four-footed friends.

This market is on the increase – what can you do as a home owner or landlord to make your property pet-friendly? Domain has included some simple suggestions to help “future-proof” your property for companion animals.

Many thanks to Mark from RSPCA New South Wales for forwarding this article. You can follow RSPCANSW on Twitter (@RSPCANSW) or at the RSPCA NSW website.

Alina from the Australian Cavy Sanctuary has introduced her piggy friends to EarthBath – a range of natural pet care products from the USA. Their happy faces say it all, really:

Of course, any kind of pampering for your pet is welcome pampering, and with flea and tick season in full swing in Australia, now is the best time to give your furry or feathered companion a wonderfully indulgent bath!

Birds

• Feathered friends love the water! A low-running tap in the bathroom sink is fascinating for many birds. If you are under water restrictions, getting a reflective tray or dish and filling with a low level of water (covering the feet) will give your parakeet some play time with their new “mirror-friend”! 

Dogs, cats, and other furry friends

• Dog washing can be fun for the whole family! Get some lovely shampoo and lather up your four-footed friend in the bathtub or out in the yard.
• If you have a busy schedule, why not book your dog or cat in to see a groomer to get spoilt? The professionals are there to make sure your pet is PAMPERED and has an enjoyable experience. Take the time today to book in your pet before the weekend rush!

Once your pet is dry, treat them for fleas and ticks if you haven’t already, and give them a special treat.

There are plenty of horror stories of tenants who are left with the difficult option of giving up their pet or giving up their home. There is no right or wrong decision when faced with this dilemma. However, there is a way to avoid the situation from arising. While no rental home is guaranteed to have the same tenancy conditions forever, you can increase your chances of having a consistent tenancy arrangement by being honest with your landlord and your real estate agent.

Why? Well, whether we like it or not, we do not own these properties. The landlord owns the bricks and mortar that give us shelter. And likewise, it is not the bricks and mortar that make up a home – it is the things that we bring with us. A tenant who demonstrates an understanding of this delicate balance through a responsible attitude towards the building’s care will have a better chance of staying as tenants. We are the eyes and ears of the property – once a landlord gets shut out from the going-ons, they would rather remove the figurative lock than feign ignorance.

And you know what? There are no guarantees. That is the nature of renting properties. And while there is no magical cure to having a house forever, there are certainly many ways that you can screw it up. Being dishonest is right up there on the deadly tenancy sins.

The best method is to know what to say to give the owners of the property the ability to make an assessment of their risk. If you are adopting a puppy, discuss this with the landlord and provide options where you demonstrate your responsibility. This may include barricading certain areas of the house, or a written agreement stating that you will pay for damages, with a clause that gives the option for the landlord to not renew the tenancy if the damage exceeds a certain financial threshold during the period of the tenancy. Financial and physical thresholds may convince the landlord that you will show due care, rather than allowing damage to occur with no other consequence than your bank book.

Of course, this responsibility goes both ways. Ensure that your landlord is upfront with concerns and questions. If they are dismissive of the notion of pet ownership, provide the opportunity to discuss why. While it may not enable you to adopt the little pup that you love, it may open a door for other pets to be considered who are equally worthy companions. If your landlord believes that you are not living up to your end of the pet arrangements, ensure that you had stipulated a clause where discussions are entered into prior to eviction notices being given. Make sure that landlords are held accountable and receive concerns in writing, either via email or post so that you have a adequate paper trail.

It’s all about trust, and that trust goes both ways.

Take the time to do a thorough cleanup of your pet’s sleeping area and/or cage.

Yes, it is not the most exciting job in the world, but it needs to be done, and always best to do regularly so that it is less work when the landlord inspects! So here are some tips to get you planning for the weekend:

Cats and Dogs

• Wash your cat’s pillows, hose down the dog’s bed hammock, and sweep (and mop if necessary) underneath the bed.
• Leave everything outside to dry in the sun to kill any nasty bugs, making sure you flip items once or twice.

Birds

• Take your bird cage outside, remove all of the toys and perches, and give it a good clean with some bird cage cleaner.
• Got rope perches? They clean wonderfully in the dishwasher! Ditto with bird toys too! Go easy on the dishwasher powder though, and leave in the sun to dry.
• Regularly rotating toys not only allows you to clean thoroughly, but also keeps your birds engaged and motivated with new activities.

Guinea pigs, rats & mice

• Give your guinea pig some time out of the hutch, and give it a good hosing outside with some hutch cleaner.
• Leaving toys, beds, perches, cages and hutches in the sun to dry also helps to kill off some of the nasty bugs. Make sure you have rinsed everything thoroughly though!

Bonus: doing it now gives you less stress when the landlord comes to inspect, and your animals will love you for it!

1. They create mess. Some animals don’t know about proper human ettiquette, which is apparently a bad thing.

2. They create noise. Landlords don’t like getting slugged with noise complaints due to unruly tenants. A dog at home alone, birds chattering to each other – these can deter the sense of peace and privacy for neighbours.

3. They cause unpredictable damage. Let’s face it – pets are chaos creators. You can’t scold them in the same way you can a child. Urinating on carpet or digging holes in yards devalue the property.

These were the three main issues that we faced when we looked for a rental property. These are not misconceptions, but they are all mangeable concerns if they are discussed upfront with property owners and tenants. Here are my tips on how to start that conversation.

New Pet Owners

1. Be upfront. If you are currently on a lease and are thinking about buying a pet, contact your real estate and/or landlord and discuss this. Acknowledge that you know that they might have concerns, and that you will not do anything without their permission.
2. Do your research. Unit dwellers – check the body corporate policy about pets in the complex. House tenants – survey your house and note issues with fencing. Note which inside areas are carpeted and where is tiled (tiled areas are easier to clean!). Decide where the bed/cage/hutch will be, and where you can store toys and food. Find out if there are any neighbours who are pet owners and talk about their setup (a great way to meet new people too!)
3. Don’t adopt an inappropriate pet! Yes, we all want the kitty or puppy to hold and snuggle. However, will you be home often to care for a young pup and enforce good behaviour patterns? Is your home appropriated for a dog or cat? Do you have time to walk or play with a dog every day? If you are uncertain, don’t go for one of these just yet. Additionally, first pet owners should go for a smaller animal to give them a “stepping stone” into pet ownership. Trust me – smaller animals are just as cute and fun as that schnauzer across the street! As smaller animals are very sociable, they should be bought as “bonded pairs” so that they have someone to talk to when you are away at work.
4. Budget. There will be food and toys and bedding, but what about budgeting for vet fees, or for possible damage? If you can’t afford to replace/clean carpet every time Pooky does a “naughty tinkle”, then consider a smaller pet such as a bird, rat, fish or guinea pig. Added bonus – landlords are usually more approachable when you are purchasing a smaller critter! :)

Current Pet Owners

1. YOUR PET IS A TENANT TOO! I can’t stress this enough. Just like you have to give information about your occupation, your pet should be able to account for his daily activities too. Fill out a “pet profile”, including information about their dwelling (hutch or cage for smaller pets, bedding for larger ones – take photos if you can!). Your pet should have references too – your previous landlord/real estate and your vet are two places to go to get a reference regarding behaviour and likelihood to create mess. Get some general information flyers about your pet from websites online so that the landlord knows more about your four-footed friend.
2. Offer a “pet bond”. If you know that your Squawky sometimes likes to nibble at wooden railings, you should not only endeavour to keep him away, but offer a pet bond as a sign of good faith and have this written into the tenancy agreement. This shows that you are responsible about your pet ownership as well as concerned about another person’s property.
3. Report damage immediately. It is not your house – you are renting it. The owner of your home has the right to know when damage is made so that you and they can negotiate repairs quickly. And ALWAYS offer to pay the full amount of the damage bill.

Advice for Landlords

1. GIVE A PET A GO! Statistically, companion animals bring happiness and good health to a home. Just because your tenant is not able to live in a permanent dwelling doesn’t mean that they should be punished by not having the opportunity to have a faithful companion.
2. Remind your tenant to adopt, not to buy. Organisations such as the RSPCA will always check with a landlord before releasing an animal into a new owner’s care. This is also a way for you to verify about the nature of the animal being adopted so that you are prepared.
3. Write all arrangements into the Tenancy Agreement. If you are concerned about a new tenant’s level of responsibility, make sure you get all agreements in writing. Also make sure that, when inspections are carried out, agents can check on the welfare of the animal and call the RSPCA if they are concerned about the care of the pet (write this into your Tenancy Agreement as well).

We were very lucky with our five sweet boys to find a good home. We clean their hutch and cage regularly, sweep/vacuum around them, and make sure they are kept away from areas of potential damage. We make time for them every day – feeding them, cuddling them and even just talking to them. We love each and every one of them, and they have brought nothing but happiness and humour to our lives. Our home was recently sold to new owners, and the real estate praised us every day for the level of care that we gave to our boys.

Too many animals are surrendered to shelters every year because new landlords refuse to have animals on their property. I will not deny that the concerns are valid, but this should not be an “all-or-nothing” scenario. There are good ways to negotiate the terms for having a pet. I hope that some of the suggestions in this post will show landlords and tenants the ease of having a pet in a home, and also the responsibilities of having a pet in a rental property.

Take it seriously, folks – animals should not have to suffer based on irresponsible pet owners or ignorant landlords.