Dr Jo's blog

but I still feel like a winner!

Just watching the stars prepare for the Oscars and thinking how lucky I am to be sitting at home with a cat on my lap and a dog at my feet.

…Unlike the stars who, not only have to excel at whatever art they choose (acting, presenting, singing, modelling) but have to think about their appearance every moment of the day. After all, in these ‘valued’ professions, it’s not only being able to perform at the job but it’s about showing that you are controlled (ie. no chocolate, false smiles) and always looking acceptable by today’s standards (AU size 8 and below!).

Well, guess what – my pets don’t care. They don’t care when I have a bad hair day. They don’t care that I put on a few kilos or lose some. And I have even more benefits living with pets – I am healthier (less chance of cardiovascular disease), I have kids who are more popular with their peers; I am less stressed.

So no I won’t be watching Oscar night except for a sneak peak at the red carpet (always hopeful that someone’s outfit will be covered in dog/cat hair!). I’ll be walking my dog. I’ll be answering my cats’ meows. And in their eyes I’m the winner – every year

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Life’s a circus and I’m the juggler.

Ever wonder what you’d do if you didn’t have pets? And if you also have two legged little creatures, how would it be if they weren’t around? I’ve found myself wondering just that over these summer holidays as I juggle work and life (never a balance).

Who’s going where with who? – seems to be the never ending topic. Who needs picked up? Who’s got time to take the dog for a walk? Has anyone remembered to make that appointment to get the cats vaccinated? What do you mean our youngest child has to come to work with me?!

Then you have an evening when the cats are all asleep, eldest son has taken dog for a walk, younger sons staying with friends. The house is peaceful – and… it’s boring! Bring back the chaos. Bring back the noise.

So while I complain about trying to fit everything in and give everyone enough attention – and who’s giving me attention, I wouldn’t swap it. Just got to perfect that juggling

Check out my website.

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Wishing everyone a peaceful Xmas & New Year…

Pet Problems Solved website

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What did you consider before choosing a pet? My list of factors to consider is here. Here’s the quick list:

1. Time
2. Energy
3. Finances
4. Space
5. Experience
6. Other family members
7. Other pets
8. Stage of life
9. Expectations
10. Which pet?

What other factors did you think about before you acquired your pet?
What else would you like people to think about before they get a pet?

Please leave your comments below…

Read the expanded list
Read more top tens

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I wonder what they’d say? Perhaps along the lines of a diary…

Monday:

• Day – Walk. Yippee! Sniffed 5 dogs, 3 males, 2 females. Enemies = 1. New playmates = 2. Home. Left alone ALL day. Snack: pot plant, watering system.
• Night: Mum home – dinner. Yippee! Kids home – snacks – 2 choc chip bics (yes I know I’m not allowed). Crept onto bed when family asleep.

Tuesday:

• Day – Walk. Yippee! Sniffed 2 dogs, both female. All friends. (Note to self – need to get out more, meet new friends. Try escaping over backyard fence today.) Home – snacks – rawhide chew, treat ball. Prefer watering system but digging hole in lawn to bury treat ball = fun.
• Night – dad found chewed newspaper – not happy. Outside all night.

Or perhaps more of a social commentary:

• Three new dogs passed fence today, one wearing bling collar (Xmas wish list – I don’t think so).
• Family gardening, dug up my fav old bone. Need to redig their new plants to replace fav old bone in preferred hiding spot.
• Missed my walk today. Need to bark, bark, bark. Didn’t they hear me? Bark, bark, bark.

Cats of course would have their say / blog (cat-a-log) too:

• Sleep interrupted (!) but for very good reason – feeding time. Yum! Back to sleep.
• Dreaming of the great outdoors. Doors shut. Windows shut. The modern cat’s life  (sigh).
• Gazing at the food bowl, willing it to refill.
• Swatting dad’s newspaper as he reads it. Maybe he’ll feed me. Snooze on lap. Shed hair copiously.
• Find prime spot on bed prior to families entry. Refuse to budge. Bite. Sleep in prime spot on bed – ALL night.

If pets could blog, what do you think they’d say?

More reading:

Leo Blog (cat-a-log) – for one year Dr Jo’s Maine Coon kitten kept a blog.

Pet Problems Solved – Dr Jo’s website with lots of pet info.

Read “A Modern Dog’s Life” by Dr Paul McGreevy for a unique insight into how dogs view our and their world.

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OK I confess – my cats have become hunters. I think. I have yet to catch them in the act.
Well I guess they always were hunters – they are cats after all but I limited their ability to hunt. I value our native wildlife. I know cats are not native to Australia and it is frowned upon to allow your cat access to the great outdoors. In fact I even tell people how to stop their cat hunting:
• Indoor cats
• Protect your cat, protect your wildlife

That’s great until you have a population explosion of geckos. These endearing little creatures, in Sydney it is the Broad-Tailed Gecko, like to hide in crevices and cracks in sandstone and in brickwork. In other words they inhabit our house. Try telling your cats not to hunt small animals that live alongside them and wriggle and wiggle.

Geckos are expert wrigglers. Especially when they are caught. Having heads and tails that look identical makes it easy for them to drop their tails and make their escape, the wiggling tail still wriggling and jiggling under the cat’s paw (presumably, I have never seen this happen!). The escaped lizard then runs around my house, appearing when you are about to jump into bed or stepping out of the shower. Or sometimes it’s just the tail you stand on. Prickly things!
This morning I have found 4 geckos. All alive. All returned to the great outdoors.

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More on the Broad-Tailed Gecko

Confessions of a behaviourist – part 1

Dr Jo’s website

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Lightning asleep

People expect my pets to be perfect.

I tell them there is no such thing as the perfect pet (just as there is no such thing as the perfect human!). They don’t believe me. They think I say that just to make them feel better about their misbehaving cat/ dog/ budgie/ turtle. I wish

I have lost of pets. My life revolves around them and work fits in wherever possible. Two years ago Thunder and Lightning arrived. Yes it was a bolt, a flash and any other way you want to describe mayhem. Thunder and Lightning are two ferrets. Ferrets arrive and cats, dogs and husband are packing their bags ready to move out!

Luckily ferrets sleep around 80% of the day. The ideal pet in many ways. When they are awake they are fun, fun, fun. The rest of the time they sleep in their palatial mansion. We let them out to run around when we are home. Generally we confine them to where we can keep an eye on them and they can’t steal (Lightning likes to steal soap and hides her cache under my bed!)

Last night we let them out and the usual ferreting party began. All other pets have to be kept away from Lightning who terrorises them.  Chilli dog and Thunder love to play (watch video). Suddenly  it went quiet. Like little kids you worry when things go quiet…

Investigation revealed that Lightning was nowhere to be seen. The cat flap was spotted – OPEN!  So Lightning had ventured into the great outdoors onto our deck and down the stairs to the garden or beyond.

I armed myself with a squeaky toy and a torch and went out into the black night. “Lightning! Lightning” I yelled. Yes I could hear the neighbours wondering what the madwoman was doing now, summing up atmospheric disturbances from the gods. Ten minutes of calling and frantic squeaking brought nothing except a very frustrated Thunder from indoors.

Next there was a knock at the door. There stood my two neighbours ferret in hand. “Yours?” they asked, already knowing what the answer would be. Apparently Lightning had turned up at their doorstep and not being a shy individual had demanded their full attention.

We were pleased to see her. Thunder was pleased to see her. You can get attached to ferrets.

More about ferrets

More about behaviour

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