Hide n Seek!

Me furbro Gizmo has been acting weird da last couple days, eatin ok, toiletin ok but hiding unda bushes in da garden and not coming in wen he's called. So fort I'd write up about it in here for any hoos who need to know wen der pet not feeling well and da signs to look for.

It's one ov da most stressful fings when we fall ill. As we can’t tell dem when we feeling ill, it's up to da hoos to observe our behavior and take appropriate action when it'ss not normal. This ‘abnormal’ behaviour, whatever it is, will be one ov da keys to determining health or illness. After all, dey know dere pets better dan anyone else, we hopes. If we very playful every morning and den one morning we is lying in the corner, dat's likely a sign of illness or problem.

Even though it sounds simple and obvious, most ov us furs follow a daily routine and have particular habits. When we suddenly stop following those habits, warning bells should sound for da hoos and a visit to the *wispas* vet is in order. This is especially true of furs dat have been membas ov da fambly for a while as da hoos shud know us best. When it comes to officially diagnosing the actual problem, *ahem puts Matron's hat on* of course the vet is da best hoo for dem to call. However when it comes to observing our natural behaviour, da hoos are da best detective in determining if our behaviour is normal or abnormal.

The process of observation becomes more difficult when we has just recently come into a new home/fambly, cos dey not had us long enuff and it lacks any type of ‘observational history’. Still warin me Matron's hat pals *coughs* In this case dey need to be aware of some of the basic signs of illness in cats and dogs. Dey must also be aware dat most dogs and cats instinctively try to hide illnesses as illness equals vulnerability to predators. We all know dat, but hoos not always understand how we fink. By the time we is showing obvious signs of illness, there is a good chance that we is already fairly sick.

The following signs (and this is only an incomplete and fairly basic list cos after all I am only a fur allbeit a fully qwolified medicul Matron ov Zombie Squad Medics) are good indicators dat dere is a healf problem with us and that we needs to be seen by a vet.

Weight-loss, weakness, disorientation/confusion, loss of appetite, excessive vomiting, excessive diarrhea, excessive scratching, head shaking, difficulty breathing, hiding in general, hiding in dark places, sleeping or resting much more than usual, blood in the urine or stool, making odd noises when touched or picked up, general disinterest in things we likes, difficulty walking or moving about and uncharacteristic discharge from any orifice (dat means opening *nods*) in the our body, deez are all good indicators of a medical problem. Any other symptom not on this list that is abnormal is also an indication of illness. Sorry for da long werds but I tryin to make dis easy for da hoo's cos dey not speek fur langwige.

Ahem... ware woz I? Oh yea....

Being diligent observers, or becoming diligent observers once dey get new furs is one of da best ways to ensure our long term healf. After all, just like humans furs do get sick from time to time and need occasional veterinary visits. The difference between pets and hoos though, is dat most hoos will not try to hide their illnesses. Dey tend to make a meal ov it and make sure everyfur knows dey not feeling well, ahem... hoo flu comes to mind or sumfin similar. So when a fur does show signs of illness, our medical problem might well need immediate veterinary care. That’s why being aware of our normal behaviour, as well as general the signs of illness is so important.

*takes Matron's hat off*

So der yoo haz it. Make sure yoo tell yoor hoo to read dis so dey know if yoo not well or not. Or if dey alreddy know da signs fink abowt sharin yoor noms wiv dem.

Will let yoo all know how Gizmo gets on, Muvver finks he either got wind (gas for all yoo furs ova da pond) or eated sumfin dats upset him. But if he no better by late aftanoon Muvver will nip him into da vet for a checkup! But yoo know us furs, we duz feel poorly one minute den we fine da next. But Muvver wont let Gizmo go any longer dan dis aftanoon feeling poorly pals. Dunt worry!

Right now dat's me lecture ova for today, just a qwick reminder about Firewerks, cos in da UK it coming up to Bonfire Night, wen da hoos let off bangers and firewerks. Tell da hoos to keep curtains/blinds shut, turn up da volume on da tellybox or radio and plug in some pheromone fingies and make a nice dark cave for us to hide in. Keep furs indoors and make sure der microchips is up to date incase scared and run off, and if really scared and shaking, tell da hoos to put a coat on yoo one size too small so it tight, or to spend money on a proper funda jacket wots supposed to stop us feeling vunrubble and upset. hmm... *scratches head wiv claw* I fink dats about it for firewerk advice for da hoos. oooh me almost forgot, if yoor hoos find a lost fur on firewerk night tell dem to take it indoors in a cat basket or crate prefurably, until da morning den ring da local vets. Cos dey probbly lost and scared an need a safe dark quiet sanctuary til da morning wen der owners can be traced.

Right me done now, I gonna go an eat me bacon!

Cya laters pals, rememba, share da love!

Angel Bonnie
xoxoxox

Halloween & Firewerk Season is almost here!

Hello my fwends!

It will soon be firewerk season, an no doubt sum stupid hoo's will be lighting early and all times ov day and nite, cus dats how sum ov dem are, stupid and dunt fink about us furs. Corse we dunt know what firewerks are or understand why dey gotta be set off, so I've got a few tips yoo can tell yoor hoo's to do.

To us, the loud noises and bright flashes are scary and unexpected and we often want to escape from what is, to us, a high-stress situation.

There are ways hoomans can prepare for Firewerk season in order to help us stay calm, so make sure yoor hooman knows how to help us cope wiv fireworks

So hoomans here is sum tips:

- Make sure we have a safe space or den where we feel comfortable. Hoos can make us a den either in da lounge or bedroom, a sort ov cave ware we can go and feel safe, if dey not got a crate den a fireguard or even cardboard box will do, but someware just big enuff for us to get into and curl up. Some towels or blankies over da top helps sound proof it too. Same goes for our kitteh couzins, an if dey alreddy got one of dem igloo beds den juz need a towel draped over da front leavin little gap to peep out from.

- Check when displays are being held, keep us inside, and try to sound-proof the house by drawing curtains and keeping windows are doors shut.

- Introduce background noise using the TV, radio or music streamin, to make the sound of firewerks less obvious.

- Try to act normally as we will look to you for reassurance.

- Make sure our microchip information is up-to-date just in case of escape. This is a legal requirement for dogs and highly recommended for cats in da UK not sure about outside UK.

- Use a pheromone or natural calming product to help manage our anxiety. Yoo can get plug in types and drops to put on our bedding or wherever we like to rest up. Da plug in fings dey can buy to plug in releases feramones, like dem lectric air freshner fings, only feramones. Dey need plugging in and switchin on 2 days before da firewerks iz expected. Dey is qwite good, muvver got one ov dem.

- It also a good idea to let us out to toilet before da firewerks start kickin off. Nuffin wurse dan juz sqwot down for a pee and sumone lets a banger off behind yoo and me not talkin bowt beef sossiges.

- And dey also gotta make sure dey get da kittehs in early and keep dem in, get a cat litter tray and sum litter, it not gonna brake da bank and it might get a bit whiffy in da howse but it better dan losin kitteh if it runs scared at firewerks or even wurse if some nasty little oyke ties a firewerk to it's tail. Nasty little oyke bein sum nasty cruel minded hookid dat shud know better but not got enuff brain cells.

Start to prepare now for Firewerk Season and help us to manage our firework fear or noise phobia. Best not to get dem to sympathise wiv us too much, as dey fink dey iz comfortin us, but we fink dey bein weak and it makes us more scared. So dey gotta be brave and pretend nuffin rong.

Der are also physical fings yoo can get us, wich I fink are debatable wevva dey werk or not, in the form ov tight fitting specialist coats dat are supposed to calm us down, dey neva werked for me personally but dey duz werk for some furs. They be quite pricey too, so a cheap way ov makin a calmin coat is to a doggy sweater a size too small or get yoo pawrent to cut a sleeve out ov an old sweatshirt or jumper and cut 2 holes in it for our front legs.

Corse sum ov us dunt mind da bangs and flashes, my sisfur Lily le Puss loves to sit in da window watchin and my ovver sisfur Dora dunt bat an eyelid but my two ovver brofurs Giz and Mojo are petrified ov da bangs and nuffin seems to help dem wich is very sad.

Hoomans and hookids build bonfires on or before 5th November, den set dem alight and let off da firewerks. Dis can go on for weeks in some areas *rolls eyes*. But dere's lots ov wildlife dat like livin in piles of wood cuz to dem it's just a nice warm place to spend da winter, dey not aware dat some hooman gonna cremate dem on Bonfire Night. So da hoomans must always check dat dere's no hedgehogs or anyfing else livin in da pile ov wood dey wanna burn. Even if it means takin it all to bits and rebuilding it agen. Hedgehogs is good for eating slugs and fings dat scoff yer plants but dey not dat good as a BBQ for hoos!

Anyway dats me advice to hoo's who mite be readin dis artickle, use Google for furva advice. Da mostest impawtunt bit ov advice I can gives yoo is to make sure yoor chip up to date, yoo kept indoors and hoos keep da windows and doors closed, and da back gates, and when yoo go out to toilet make sure yoo on da lead incase yoo jump da fence or find a hole froo it. Cuz der some wicked evil hoo's about who wud tie firewerks to us for fun if dey catch us, but not only dat, imagine bein lost on firewerk night. Nuffin more terrifying my fwends. So get yoo pawrents to put demselves in our paws and make sure dey keeps us safe!

I hope dis advice has helped!

Love yoo my fwends, keep safe!

With all my love

Angel Bonnie da Westie
xoxoxo