Table of contents for Issue#68 2017 in Pets

Hi PETS readers, A lot has changed since I last held the reins here at PETS magazine — the biggest (for me) being that I’ve had a baby! Looking after a two-legged little one has been a lot more challenging than I could have thought, but the love I have for my new little boy knows no bounds. I’ve found there are some similarities between raising a child and raising a pet: you need to feed them; you have to clean up after them (although I don’t have to search the yard for Airlie’s poop, thank goodness!); and you need to teach them good behaviour, although the skills I’ve been learning with my son (finding his toes and chewing on toys) are somewhat different to those practised by my dogs…

SEND US YOUR SNAPS! Do you want your photo to appear here on our “My Pet” pages? Email a clear, sharp photo (1MB or larger) of your pet along with your name, mailing address, contact number and a few words about why you love your pet to pets@universalmagazines.com.au or send hard-copy photos to My Pet/PETS magazine, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670. Remember to make copies as the photos cannot be returned. Happy snapping!…

KONG $100 PRIZE PACK This KONG Prize pack provides all-round entertainment for your dog. Included is the KONG Classic, the ultimate enrichment toy made from high-grade, all-natural rubber. This chew toy can be filled with food and treats for ongoing enjoyment. Your dog will be licking his lips when he tries the KONG Easy Treat Bacon and Cheese flavoured paste. Place a small amount inside the KONG Classic along with some KONG Snacks to entice your dog. When your dog has finished enjoying the yummy treats, there are two new play toys for games of fetch — the KONG AirDog Fetch Stick and the original KONG Wubba. For more information, visit kongcompany.com. PETS has a $100 KONG prize pack to give away. PETS MAGAZINE Get the latest and greatest pet…

For more information visit localvet.com.au/FurKids or visit Dr Jo’s clinic at Shop 11/2 Sheppards Drive, Greenbank Qld. PILLS FOR POOCHES Q:Hi Dr Jo, I have two Bull Terriers, Rocco and Stanley. While they’re not from the same litter, they’re only two years apart and both had the same mother. They’ve grown into very similar dogs when it comes to temperament, size and looks. When it comes to their flea and worm tablets, they’re usually the medium-sized weight. But in most brands, the larger-sized weight incorporates both of their weights combined (e.g. they’re both around 15kg, but the larger tablet weight range goes higher than 30kg). With this in mind, can I buy the larger weight-range tablets and just feed them half the dose each? It seems like an easy way to…

1. Entry into the competition implies full acceptance of all conditions of entry, including the instructions on how to enter. 2. Entry is open to all residents of Australia and New Zealand. Employees and immediate families of the promoter, associated companies and agencies associated with this promotion are ineligible to enter. 3. Entries close with last mail on June 22, 2017, unless stated otherwise. The entries will be judged by the PETS editorial team and the winner(s) will be selected on July 6, 2017. The winners will be notified by mail, email or telephone. 4. Write the competition name on the front of the envelope and send to PETS magazine, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670 or enter via our website at petsmagazine.com.au 5. Prize(s) will be delivered to…

JUNE 11, GYMEA ANCATS 20TH PLATINUM ANNIVERSARY SHOW When it comes to showing cats, the Australian National Cats Inc sure knows how to do it in style! Come on down to the ANCATS 20th Platinum Anniversary Show, held at the Tradies Club, Gymea. With six all-breed rings plus a grand parade qualifying ring, this event promises to be ANCATS’ best one yet. For more information and to register your cat to compete (your fifth exhibit entry is free), visit ancats.com.au JUNE 10-11, MELBOURNE ACF INC 45TH NATIONAL SHOW The PETS team thinks felines are fantastic, and that’s why we were so excited to hear about the Australian Cat Federation’s 45th National Show. Hosted by The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy Australia and Victoria, this is one event not to…

ATTENTION ALL PET LOVERS! Tell us why you love your furry, fluffy, feathered, slippery, scaly or slimy friend for your chance to win a cool prize. CONGRATULATIONS, MILLY! You have won a 12-issue subscription to PETS magazine, ensuring you get the latest and greatest pet news delivered direct to your door every month for the next year. We hope you enjoy your prize. CHARMING CHARLI Milly was always a little nervous around dogs, but Charli helped change all that. The story starts when I was in prep. My mum and dad decided to get a puppy because at the time I was scared of dogs, but now I adore them. One day, after we got the dog, Mum came home from work, got her phone and took a photo of…

When cold weather hits, no one wants to leave the door open and let in the chilly air. That’s why PETS is a big fan of the pet door, such as this one from Sureflap. These give your pet access to the outdoor world without you having to let all that cool air in in the process. * For more information, visit sureflap.com *NB: PETS recommends only allowing your cat outside if you have a cat run or Catmaxstyle enclosure to prevent your feline friend wandering off or endangering our local wildlife. We all know that cold wet weather can result in a cold, wet dog, which is why PETS is going to have a Dirty Dog Doormat around this season. This fabulous product magically soaks up the mud and dirt,…

WRITE TO DR KATE Does your puppy pee in all the wrong places? Does your kitty scratch the new couches? If you have a question about your pet’s behaviour, write to our resident animal behaviourist, Dr Kate Mornement from Pets Behaving Badly (petsbehavingbadly.com.au). Send your question to Naughty or nice/PETS, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670 or email your question to pets@universalmagazines.com.au with the subject heading “Naughty or nice”. Stay tuned, as your question may be answered by Dr Kate and published in the magazine. COCO’S CAT-ASTROPHE Q:Hi Dr Kate, my three-year-old Toy Poodle, Coco, is very sensitive to cats. There’s one who comes and sits on the fence between my house and the one next door and Coco will spend hours barking at it. At night, she may…

GOURMET DELIGHT PETS loves to give our cats the very best, and that’s why we love Gourmet Delight. Gourmet Delight premium cat cuisine is made from natural ingredients, as nature intended. Containing real fish and chicken, Gourmet Delight is grainfree and by-product-free, developed to mimic the natural diets of cats in the wild. Containing no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and available in a range of delectable flavours, this range has something to suit even the fussiest of eaters. Delight your loved one with gourmet natural cat cuisine. Find out more at gourmetdelight.com.au TROUBLE & TRIX CAT LITTER When it comes to cat litter, we want the very best — one that doesn’t leave our house smelling and one our kitties will enjoy using. That’s why PETS loves Trouble &…

1 Position your bird in an area where it can interact with people who walk by. 2 Make eye contact with your bird. You’ll know it is listening to you because it will be wholly focused on you — alert and receptive. 3 Be clear and consistent. Repeat the word several times. 4 Use an upbeat tone and plenty of emotion. “You’ll often find birds will learn the names of the kids in a family as their parents call them,” says Amy. 5 Technology can be a teaching tool — with music playing in the background your bird may pick up some song lyrics.…

Did you know there are around 2000 species of gecko worldwide? Australia is home to around 150 of them. Dr Danny Brown, wildlife veterinarian at Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, has been keeping and breeding geckos for around 30 years. He says they make great pets because they’re quiet, clean and require minimal space to house. Dr Danny describes them as more of a sit-and-observe type of pet. “They can be active at times, though, and often respond to their owner at feed time,” he says. The most commonly kept geckos are Knob- Tailed geckos, Spiny Tail geckos and Velvet geckos. “These are the easiest to feed and house and they’re quite hardy,” says Dr Danny. Many geckos are nocturnal, meaning they’re active at night. They have super-sensitive eyes that are…

WRITE TO PETS! Do you have an amazing pet story or a hilarious animal joke to share? How about some feedback on one of our articles? Or did you recently get a new pet? PETS would love to hear from each and every one of you (and your furry buddies). Drop us a line at Paws for thought/PETS, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670 or email pets@universalmagazines.com.au with “Paws for thought” as the subject heading. Letters, poems, photos, collages and drawings are also welcome. Be as creative as you like! A TOTAL PETS PERSON Dear PETS, I love reading every single one of your magazines — it’s my favourite magazine in the world. I love it because it’s ALL about animals! And I’m crazy about every creature on the…

“I just got a new pup. His name is Jasper and he is a Bichon Frise x Shih Tzu and 12 weeks old. I give him hugs and pats to show I love him.” - Hayleigh Farlow “Kisses, lots of kisses!” - Sarah Haora “I take him to breakfast every day,play with him, spend time with him — oh, and don’t forget the treats! When he flops, I give him petting sessions and everything he wants! He’s like a little brother to me.” - Ariana Su “I have three pets: one dog, Rosco, and two cats. Showing Rosco I love him is super easy with walks, training, play time, cuddles, treating him as part of the family, taking him on outings, feeding him etc. Every day I tell him I…

MRS DOG Author: Janeen Brian Illustrator: Marjorie Crosby-Fairall Publisher: The Five Mile Press RRP: $19.95 Available: Now, from all good retailers Mrs Dog is a beautiful story about a farm dog at the end of her working life. Mrs Dog spends her days following around Tall-One, the farmer, until the two of them come across a stray lamb one day, and Mrs Dog decides to adopt it. The lamb grows up learning the ways of a puppy, until Mrs Dog goes missing — and that’s when everything changes. This is a delightful story with strong messages of courage and determination. Complemented by striking images with incredible detail, Mrs Dog is a fabulous picture book for those who love all things animal. ANIMAL HEROES Author: Anthony Hill Publisher: Penguin Random House…

LOOKING FOR A NEW PET BUT NOT SURE WHAT TO GET? Whether you’re after something furry, fuzzy, slippery, scaly or slimy, PETS takes the hard work out of choosing your new family member. Keep an eye out for our “At a glance” boxes where we rate the care and maintenance, grooming and exercise requirements of different breeds and creatures on a scale from one to five: KIDS AND PETS Most of the critters we feature are family-friendly, though it’s important to remember children should be supervised when playing with any animal, whether it’s a dog, cat, bird, bunny or reptile.…

MAZE Help the worm escape the bird. FIND-A-WORD Can you find the 16 bird names hidden below? They can run forwards, backwards, up, down, diagonal and backwards diagonal, so get searching!…

Hello PETS readers, Welcome to our Feathers and Fins Flip Fun special! We’ve put together 23 pages packed full of useful information on owning a bird, reptile or fish, so if any of these more unusual pets float your boat, you’re going to love what we have in store! From teaching your parrot to talk to setting up the perfect aquarium, we have you covered. So sit down, relax, and learn how you can expand your pet family with something a little different.…

1. Some of these curious creatures have sticky toes with a natural adhesive on them, meaning they can stick to smooth surfaces like glass! 2. If a gecko feels threatened, it can drop its tail. This occurs so that the predator sees the tail wriggling about and the gecko can make a sneaky run for it. 3. Geckos like to shed their skins a lot — some will even eat their shedding skin. 4. Geckos can range in size from a tiny 2cm to a whopping 60cm. 5. Some geckos can even fly — they have flaps attached to the body and can glide over long distances. You can only keep Australian native gecko species as pets, not exotic species from overseas. Like other reptiles, you need a special permit…