Bits for Pets Blog

Rabbit Jumping UK is the country’s only rabbit jumping club and began when retired office worker Maureen Hoyle visited a fellow breeder in Sweden and got inspired.

The unusual sport is popular there and in other parts of Scandinavia.

Rabbit fan Maureen took the idea back home and appealed to others to join a new club.

The rabbits are trained by owners at home who use treats to encourage the animals to make a leap of faith over barriers.

On Saturday members met at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate, North Yorks. They treated visitors attending the Bradford Excel Small Animals Show to two competitions and rabbit jumping displays.

“The rabbits love it,” said Maureen, from Huddersfield, West Yorks. “The rabbits are very agile and a lot of people are surprised by what they can do.

“The rabbits have to clear the jump without touching it.

“In more serious competitions the obstacle has a delicately balanced weight at the top which will fall if the rabbit makes contact. That will add a penalty to the rabbit’s total time.”

Nine competing rabbits wearing harnesses were guided by their owners on a lead through a course of six jumps.

The world’s champion bunnies can clear heights of up to three feet.

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People who own a cat are more likely to have a university degree than those with a pet dog, a study by Bristol University suggests.

A poll of 2,524 households found that 47.2% of those with a cat had at least one person educated to degree level, compared with 38.4% of homes with dogs.

The study said longer hours, possibly associated with better qualified jobs, may make owning a dog impractical.

It also found that UK pet ownership was much higher than previously thought.

Cat and dog numbers were last estimated in a scientific peer-reviewed journal in 1989, which said there were 6.2 million and 6.4 million respectively in the UK.

But according to Bristol’s Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, the populations today are likely to be about 10.3 million and 10.5 million.

Overall, it estimated that 26% of UK households owned cats and 31% owned dogs.

The study, published in Veterinary Record, suggested a number of other characteristics, aside from education level, were associated with either cat or dog ownership.

Of those surveyed, dog-lovers were more likely to be male, living in rural areas and under the age of 55.

Age of children

But cat owners were more likely to be female and living in smaller or single-person households.

The age of children in a family also appeared to make a difference, with cats being more common than dogs in homes with children under the age of 10.

However Dr Jane Murray, a lecturer in feline epidemiology at Bristol University, said the variation in education level between owners was the most striking difference.

“We don’t know why there is this discrepancy,” she told the BBC News website.

“We did look at average household income but that wasn’t significant.

“Our best guess is that it’s to do with working hours and perhaps commuting to work, meaning people have a less suitable lifestyle for a dog.

“It’s really just a hunch though.”

Dr Murray, whose post is funded by the Cats Protection charity, said researchers hoped to repeat the study using the results of the 2011 census to get a clearer idea of trends in UK pet ownership.

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A dog version of the anti-depressant Prozac has been approved for sale to British pet owners.

The one-a-day tablet, which tastes of beef, is said to help cure ‘canine compulsive disorder’ and ’separation anxiety’ brought on by owners’ long absences during the day.

Symptoms include poor behaviour, whimpering or tail-chasing.

The drug, called Reconcile, is also designed to curb the compulsive pacing, chewing and dribbling which its makers claim is a result of depression brought on by their owners’ long absences.

The anti-depressant Prozac has been used to cure compulsive behaviour in humans, and works by increasing the brain’s levels of serotonin, a ‘happiness’ chemical.

Trials involving more than 660 mentally-disturbed pets in Europe and the US produced improvements in behaviour within eight weeks.

Eli Lilly, the drug’s US manufacturer, said: ‘Treatment for companion animals is a relatively new area for us.’

They point to research which shows that as many as 8 per cent of dogs suffer from canine compulsive disorder.

Critics say gods are now being diagnosed with ‘lifestyle’ illnesses so that drugs can be marketed to treat them.

Roger Mugford, an animal psychologist, said: ‘Most breakthroughs in dog behaviour are achieves by carrying a titbit and using it wisely, not by drugs.’

Reconcile has now been granted a licence by the UK’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

However, it was first licensed in the US three years ago for separation anxiety from being left alone for long periods.

The American Food and Drug Administration said it should be taken with therapy to modify the dog’s behaviour – and should be taken by puppies as young as six months.

At the time, Steve Connell, Eli Lilly’s manager of consumer services for companion animal health, said that more than 10million US dogs exhibit strange symptoms from being left alone too long.

‘Lilly research shows that 10.7million, or up to 17 per cent, of US dogs suffer from separation anxiety,’ he said. ‘We’re thrilled that our first product for dogs can help restore the human-pet bond.’

He said research showed that 73 per cent of dogs taking Reconcile and undergoing therapy showed better behaviour within eight weeks, compared to dogs receiving therapy alone.

The drug’s website says: ‘While you may not be familiar with canine separation anxiety, you are probably familiar with its symptoms.

‘While you are gone, your dog may do one or several of the following: chew destructively; bark or whine; inappropriate urination and/or defecation; drool; pace; tremble; vomit – or worse.

‘Separation anxiety is a clinical condition in your dog’s brain. Your pet is not a bad dog. Your pet’s behaviour is the result of separation anxiety.’

In Britain, research for Sainsbury’s Bank in 2003 indicated that 632,000 dogs and cats had suffered from depression in the previous year.

Nearly three times as many had suffered from behavioural problems which could be linked to depression, such as attacking furniture.

Clare Moyles, Sainsbury’s pet insurance manager, said: ‘People are leading more stressful lives and unfortunately this can have an adverse effect on the health of our pets.

‘Cats and dogs can be very susceptible to their owner’s feelings and if they sense that they are unhappy they can become agitated or depressed.’

Side effects of Reconcile can include lethargy, reduced appetite, vomiting, shaking, diarrhoea, restlessness, excessive barking, aggression and seizures in a small number of dogs.

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The latest must-have toy would be top of the list for most youngsters with cash to burn.

But not for little Emily and Tom Bartlett, who turned down a Nintendo DS for Christmas and decided to donate all their pocket money to help homeless dogs instead.

Mum Trudy, from Maugersbury, near Stow-on-the-Wold, was surprised when the pair decided they wanted to give away the £75 they had carefully saved in their money boxes throughout last year.

She said: “I asked them what they were going to do with it and suggested a Nintendo DS or a Wii game.

“I also said about giving some to charity. I thought they would give £5, but between themselves they came up with the idea of giving it all to the Dogs Trust. I’m quite shocked and very proud.”

Thanks to the generous efforts of the duo, the 120 canine residents at trust in Wickhamford, near Evesham, got a donation of 11 bags of food as a new year present.

Trudy added: “They were very pleased with what we gave them. We looked around and went and visited a dog called Skippy which is sponsored by the children’s gran.”

Dog lovers Emily, six, and Tom, four, have plenty of canine friends of their own – with nine family Jack Russells that are shown in the summer.

It looks like another worthy cause will benefit from the children’s efforts next year.

Trudy said: “They have already started collecting and are planning on doing the same for a charity of their choice again this year.

“They pick up loose change off the kitchen table. It’s kind of their pocket money. We leave change there for them to put in their money boxes.”

Shauna Stedman, supporter relations officer at Dogs Trust Evesham, said: “It’s very heartwarming. At this time of year we’re having a bit of a tough call trying to rehome the dogs – especially at Christmas time where we do urge people not to buy dogs as presents.

“These two children actually thinking about the Dogs Trust themselves brings a tear to the eye. We have no Government funding and rely purely on public support.”

People who would like to give money, food, blankets and toys can drop into the centre or go to www.dogstrust.org.uk.

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A small otter cub saved after being found lying by the roadside in Aberdeenshire is said to be thriving.

The otter was found on the outskirts of Huntly by a motorist, who took him to vets.

Now named Ron, after the River Deveron which flows in the area, he is being cared for at the Scottish SPCA’s Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fife.

Ron is now being bottle fed and will be taken to an otter conservation project on Skye as soon as he can feed himself.

Scottish SPCA senior Inspector Lesley Crockett said: “He was very lucky to be found as it was a dark, miserable day and pouring with rain.

“Thankfully the motorist who found him took him to Strathbogie vets where he was dried off and fed.

“We were then asked to help provide onward care for the otter cub. I fed him overnight before he was transported to our Wildlife Rescue Centre.”

Colin Seddon, manager of the Wildlife Rescue Centre at Middlebank, said: “Ron is being bottle fed every four hours from 7am until midnight. He’s coming on leaps and bounds and we will shortly be weaning him with fish.

“Once he is able to feed himself he will be taken to the International Otter Survival Fund on the Isle of Skye where he will benefit from being amongst other otters of a similar age.

“The long-term goal is for him to be released back in to the wild, but he still has a long way to go yet.

“Young otters are dependent on their mothers until they are about 12-months-old so orphans like Ron need to be kept in captivity until they reach the age that they would naturally be finding their own way in the wild.”

He added: “He’s already shown us that he’s a survivor so we’re hopeful he’ll continue to progress well.”

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A new gîte in Nantes offers guests the chance to live as a rodent for the night – complete with fur costumes and a romantic hamster wheel for two

A cat named Krillen survived 19 hours in a freezer in Te Kuiti, New Zealand. Sarah Crombie heard a faint meow when she approached the freezer, which hadn’t been used since her partner Sid Sisson shut it the night before. He didn’t realize that Krillem had jumped inside. The freezer was set to -18C, the coldest possible setting. She opened the lid and saw him on a bag of dog food.

“I raced inside to get Sid and as I came out, Krillen rolled off the bag in an attempt to get out, but he was that frozen he just rolled to the bottom of the freezer on his back,” she said.

“At first we thought his eyeballs were frozen. I’ve never seen a cat with such big eyes.”

Fortunately, Sid, 28, knew it was essential to raise the body temperature of hypothermia sufferers slowly. So he put the cat under his shirt and got into bed with him.

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Its time to put on some thicker socks and put on a jumper; as its getting chilly outside! So please spare a thought for your outdoor animals as they might be feeling the cold as well. We are often asked by our customers how to kept their outdoor pets warm over the colder months, and we always recommend the Snugglesafe Heat Pad.

The Snugglesafe Heatpad is very easy to use. Just pop it in your microwave for five minutes and the SnuggleSafe heat pad will provide up to 10 hours of warmth & comfort for your pet. SnuggleSafe is perfect for cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and other animals that may need additional thermal support, especially during the winter time. There are no wires, no electrical connections and the case is bite resistant.

Click Here! To take a look at the SnuggleSafe Heat Pad

At long last our updated Freddie Hutches are now in stock. We would like to say a big thank you to all our customers who pre-ordered the hutches we just know they are worth the wait!

These hutches have been designed by the Bits for Pets team, so you wont find a hutch like it anywhere else. We loved our first generation of hutches, but we listened to our customer feedback and made some modifications on the new and improved range. This includes larger doors, a higher and deeper hutch.
If you have rabbits we consider this hutch a must have offering 5ft x 2ft of space for your pet.

The RSPCA found 32 dead horses after receiving a tip-off about an enclosure in Buckinghamshire. Almost 100 other animals were found at the site, which was described as a “horror story” by the Horse Trust.

More than 80 animals were removed from the site yesterday, where dozens of ponies, donkeys and horses had been found in an advanced state of neglect.

The RSPCA was given an anonymous tip-off about an unwell horse at the site, but had not anticipated the scale of cruelty its officers were about to find. With no food and water, rows of emaciated horses were found tethered in pens, standing among the carcasses of those that had not survived the grim conditions.

The scene of devastation that greeted rescuers has been described by some as the worst they have ever witnessed.

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Click Here! to make a donation to the Horse Trust