A.S.A.P. Alonnisos Society for Animal Protection.

Here are 9 ways for you and your companion to enjoy a happy life together. But remember – if, despite your best intentions, you find yourself in a situation in which you feel you cannot keep your pet, PLEASE, DO NOT ABANDON IT! If it’s a behavioural problem, there will be a solution; if you are moving, animals can move too. Abandonment is the cruelest thing you can do to a friend. 1. Respect is an important part of your relationship, a relationship which may last for as long as 20 years. So, consider the following: · Is your home suitable for a pet? Cats and small dogs can live in apartments, large dogs need more space and lots of walking. Cats and dogs should not live on balconies! · Is someone at home during the day? Dogs need companionship and get lonely if left on their own for too long. · Can you afford a pet? Pets need not only food, but medical care, a suitable bed, perhaps a travelling cage and someone to look after them when you are on holiday. · What kind of pet would be best for you? Pedigree or mixed-breed? Small or large? Dog or cat? Long or short haired? Male or female? Young or mature animal? Lots of questions, but consider this – there are many stray animals which need good homes, so why not contact the local animal welfare group and give a stray animal a chance of a decent life! 2. Proper training is good for both you and your pet. Kittens are easy to toilet-train: put them in a litter box and they will get the message. Puppies require more patience! Put the puppy on newspaper and ‘persuade’ it to use this when it wants to go to the toilet. Move the paper closer to the door each day until, finally, it is outside and the animal realizes that this is the place to go to the toilet! Praise the animal after it uses the litter tray or newspaper. Accidents will inevitably occur but NEVER rub the animal’s nose in its urine or faeces. Training of any description should be started early. A small squirt of water on a cat’s nose will discourage it from clawing furniture – but provide something that it can scratch! A trained dog is happier than an untrained one, as dogs are pack animals and need a ‘leader’. The first word to teach is ‘no’, followed by heel, sit, stay, wait, come and down. Use the same tone of voice each time you use the word: be patient, praise success, and remember that training should be fun for both you and the dog. 3. Good food, clean water and a comfortable bed – the basics of life for all of us! Puppies need 2.5 x the calories of an adult dog and small meals 3-4 times per day. In adolescence puppies’ muscles and bones are still developing and they need 2 meals per day of high quality food. Mature dogs can be fed once a day. Fresh water should also be available. Kittens need many small meals and fresh water. Once weaned, cats lose the ability to digest milk proteins and giving them milk will probably cause diarrhoea. As the kittens grow, reduce the number of meals per day. Give them the best quality of food you can afford and serve it in clean plates. Cheap biscuits can sometimes block the urinary tract of neutered male cats. Clean, comfortable bedding should be provided and try to get the animal used to sleeping in the same spot every night (your bed should not be the spot in question!). Don’t forget to walk your dog last thing at night so you can both sleep in peace! 4. Yearly health checks are a great idea - should there be a vet available to carry them out! With no vet on the island it is up to you to keep an eye on your animal. Check for any changes in posture or movement and check regularly for any lumps or enlarged organs. Be aware of any changes in behaviour or eating habits: if you find anything abnormal, seek the advice of a vet. George Michail comes over from Volos regularly, but if you have any concerns call him or contact a member of ASAP for assistance. You should vaccinate your pet against a range of life-threatening infectious diseases: distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis and leptospirosis in dogs; feline rhinotracheitis, calici-panleukopaenia and chlamydia psittaci in cats. And always check for ear mites – these are endemic on Alonnisos! 5. Neutering keeps your pet healthy. Spayed females are 50% less likely to get cancer; castrated males are less likely to have prostate problems. Neutered pets are less likely to roam, spray, fight or contract diseases such as feline leukaemia. The cost of neutering is small compared to the cost of medical care for a pet which develops a disease. There is a huge stray cat and dog problem in Greece: why add to it? 6. Parasites such as ticks, fleas worms and sandflies all need to be dealt with – regularly! De-worm puppies and kittens with Panacur; older dogs need Drontal + and cats Drontal. Frontline drops (on the back of the neck) control fleas and ticks. Flea collars do not help much and may irritate the skin, especially when new. If your dog sleeps outside use an insect repellent like Autan, Antiphlebotome or Citronella on the dog’s skin, house and bedding. 7. Barking dogs may annoy you, but they are sure to irritate your neighbours even more. Some dogs bark excessively when lonely (and chew up anything they can get their paws on). If you have a dog which is alone for many hours, give it a special welcome when you get home; give it toys to play with; and take it for an extra long walk when you have time. 8. A breakdown in normal behaviour or toilet habits means your pet is trying to send you a message. Perhaps you are neglecting it or perhaps it feels that its territory has been invaded. If you are introducing another animal into your house be patient, introduce them on neutral ground and spend time with each. Don’t push them and don’t scold them –they will get used to the idea in their own time! 9. Love is felt by dogs and cats, along with fear and pain. Although discipline is an important part of your relationship with your pet, never resort to cruelty: never beat your pet because you are angry; never keep a pet shut up for days; never lock it out on the balcony; never abandon it on the streets. If you have an animal that loves you, consider yourself lucky – and treat it with the love and respect it deserves in return!