Pups usually stay with their mother and litter until they are at least 8 weeks old. At this age your puppy should have received its first vaccination, be microchipped and have been checked over by a veterinarian.

• Water and food
• Sturdy, non-spill and non-chewable bowls
• Toys for your puppy – We recommend toys that “make puppies think/work”, such as a Kong. Avoid toys with small parts that your puppy could choke on.
• Good-quality food, appropriate for age/breed
• Collar and lead – The sooner your puppy gets used to these, the easier it will be to train them.
• Grooming tools, such as shampoo, comb and nail trimmers
  A quiet and warm place they can call their own

Puppies require feeding between 2 to 4 times daily, depending on age and breed. Fresh, clean water should be freely available to your pup at all times.

We recommend premium puppy food designed for your breed of puppy. The following brands are excellent quality nutrition for your puppy:

• Hill’s Science Diet
• Royal Canin
• Delicate Care

Treat toys are a perfect way to keep your puppy entertained whilst they eat their food. Kongs are a great option that we recommend!

There are two ways to classify problem behaviours in puppies.

A problem behaviour is a natural behaviour that is unacceptable to you for a particular reason.

Common problem behaviours include:

• jumping on people
• barking
• toileting in inappropriate locations
• digging
• chewing objects
• play biting

• Small breeds < 10kg reach adulthood at around 9 to 12 months
• Medium breeds 10 to 15kg reach adulthood at around 12 months
• Large breeds 25 to 50kg reach adulthood at around 12 to 18 months
• Giant breeds 25 to 50kgs reach adulthood at around 18 to 24 months

Yearly health checks are our recommendation for adult dogs as this will help our vets pick up any health concerns early on, so they can be treated accordingly.

• Allergies
• Bad breath and tooth decay
• Grass seeds
• Coughing and sneezing
• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Injuries, such as wounds, sprains, strains
• Lumps and bumps
• Bladder infections
• Anxiety and other behaviour concerns
• If you suspect your dog may have one of these conditions or symptoms, please contact us or your local vet.

It is possible for kittens to reach puberty as young as 4 months of age, which coincides with the timing of their last vaccination. During puberty, kittens will start acting like teenagers and you will notice the following:

• Desire to roam.
• Increased marking behaviour, including scratching and spraying.
• Calling behaviour to attract all tom cats in the area.
• Potent urine smell where tom cats are spraying outside your house.
• Cat fights between tom cats attracted to your female.

Your kitten or cat can never have enough toys! Ideally rotate toys daily to keep your kitten entertained. 

Examples include:

• Laser light
• Feathery toys
• Wind up toys that move
• Bouncy balls
• Empty boxes
• Toilet rolls
• Cotton buds 
• Tissues
• Hanging items
• Dragging items.

Cats are by nature very clean, so it’s crucial to use a good quality litter tray and litter that your cat likes.

For adult cats: A large, deep tray, around 1.5 times the length of your cat and 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) deep.

Kittens and senior cats may require a tray with shorter sides for easy access.

To clean your cat’s tray, empty all the dirty litter into a garbage bag (try not to breathe in any dust particles while doing so). Scrape the litter on the bottom into the bag if needed.

Scrub the tray in warm water and detergent, rinse thoroughly and leave to dry. For disinfection, bleach can be used according to the instructions on the bottle. Ensure your rinse the tray thoroughly after disinfection.

Cats can be fussy creatures!
We recommend a premium food for the right age and lifestyle. A young cat should stay on kitten food until 12 months. Adult cat food is for cats between 12 months and 7 years. Once your cat is over 7 years old, it should change to a senior food.

You may choose to feed only dry, a mixture of dry and canned food, or only canned food. Dry food helps to exercise your cat’s jaw and assists with teeth cleaning, so we recommend including some dry food.

Some examples of excellent quality food include:

• Hill’s science diet
• Royal Canin

Clean, fresh water should be available at all times for your cat. Even if your cat drinks from unusual places, such as the bathroom tap, it will need its own water bowl. Ideally this should be placed some distance away from its food and be completely separate from the litter tray.

Many cats enjoy drinking from a water fountain. There are several water fountains on the market for cats!

Yearly health checks are recommended for cats. Our expert team of veterinarians will be able to assess your cat’s general health and answer any questions you have.

Apart from yearly checks there are other times whern it is required for you to bring your cat to visit our vet team.

If you notice any of the following signs and symptoms, please contact us immediately:

• Difficulty breathing
• Fitting
• Collapse
• Swollen face
• Unable to walk. This includes both being unable to get up or not being able to put weight on one leg
• Vomiting repeatedly during the course of 30 minutes
• Blood in vomit or blood in diarrhoea
• Refusing food for more than 24 hours
• If your cat has eaten rat poison, or if they have eaten rats or mice and you know there is rat poison in the area
• If your cat has eaten medication meant for people
• If your cat has eaten a foreign object like a needle, fish hook or string
• A bleeding wound where the bleeding does not stop with 2 minutes of firm pressure
• Continuing meowing or yowling
• If you have seen your cat with a snake

 

Being prepared is very important when integrating a new pet into your family. Having the required equipment to home your new pet is vital. For example a hutch for rabbits, tank for fish or a cage for a reptile. Creating a healthy and safe environment for your pet is vital.

We are happy to help with advice on training your new pocket pet, including toilet training rabbits and basic obedience training for birds.