Aggressive behaviour (a threat, challenge, or attack) may include scratching, biting, and visual (e.g., changes in posture, erect fur), vocal (e.g., growling, hissing) and scent-based signals (e.g., urine spraying). If your cat is being aggressive towards your other cat, the first step is to work out why. When you identify…
The best thing is to take your guinea pig to your vet for a pregnancy diagnosis. They can diagnose a pregnancy in various ways depending on how long your guinea pig has been pregnant. It is important to determine the number of pups in the womb so that you can…
If you are looking for a pet bird please check with your RSPCA shelter(s) or other reputable animal rescue organisation first to see if they have any birds you may be interested in adopting. You can have a look on the Adoptapet website at this link: https://www.adoptapet.com.au If you don’t…
Interacting with companion animals (including dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents, horses, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians) can have a range of physical and mental health benefits for people [1,2]. Animal and human health and welfare are closely linked (concept known as ‘One Health’ and ‘One Welfare’), and animals have been described…
Emergency planning for pets is an important part of emergency household preparations and greatly increases the likelihood of evacuating your pets to safety if that is necessary. As well as being prepared for the need to evacuate, you should also be prepared to shelter in place (i.e. if it is…
Desexing cats before they can reproduce plays an integral role in reducing cat overpopulation and there are also many health and welfare benefits for individual cats. The RSPCA advises owners to have their cats desexed before four months of age (before puberty) and advocates desexing of all cats before puberty…
Microchip identification is recommended for all companion animals where it is feasible and appropriate for the species. If your pet is microchipped, the microchip is registered with an appropriate database service on a central microchip database registry and the owner contact details kept up to date, if your pet becomes…
Ducks are generally very social and curious birds who can bond closely with people when kept as pets. Ducks are waterfowls, which means they are semi-aquatic, and prefer to spend most of their time in or around water. If you have chosen to own ducks, the following article will provide…
There are many instances where animals may need to stay at a boarding facility, such as when their owners are travelling or in hospital. Preparing your animal for a stay at a boarding facility Important preparation includes: Consider if a boarding facility is right for your companion animal – is…