As a pet owner, we bet you appreciate your pet every day in lots of ways. From the greetings you get when you walk through the door, to getting some fresh air with your furry companion out and about on a walk and then snuggling up after a long day. Our pets bring love, fun, and relaxation to our lives.
National Pet Appreciation Month gives us the chance to recognise all that our pets bring to our lives and celebrate them with others up and down the country. National Pet Appreciation Month was set up some years ago and alongside celebrating pets, it hopes to highlight and encourage responsible pet ownership.
The aims of National Pet Appreciation month are to:
- Promote responsible pet ownership
- Make people aware of the mutual benefits of living with pets
- Increase public awareness of the role of pet care specialists
- Raise awareness of the value of working and assistance companion animals
- Encourage fundraising for UK pet welfare charities and organisations
How can a pet owner take care of their pets?
Part of being a responsible pet owner is knowing what to do to take care of your pet. Animals have lots of needs - from the basics such as food and shelter through to more complex needs around feelings of safety and intellectual engagement. All these needs are specific to the type of animal you have. Ultimately you, as the pet owner, are responsible for meeting these needs and providing your pet with the absolute best life.
To feel confident in caring for your pet you may choose to study a qualification in small animal care. The Level 3 Award in Small Animal Care and Welfare is a comprehensive course that covers the care needed for a wide range of species including:
- Dogs
- Cats
- Rabbits
- Guinea pigs
- Hamsters
- Birds (including budgerigars)
- Reptiles (including bearded dragons)
By the end of the course, you will feel confident in being able to meet the following needs of your pet:
- Health care
- Behavioural
- Environmental
- Dietary
- Social
If you are the proud owner of a dog or a cat (or maybe both!) then familiarising yourself with the basics of pet first aid is wise. You can learn pet first aid through either the Canine First aid or Feline First aid courses.
The Canine First Aid Webinar will take you through the basic principles of first aid for dogs including:
- how to handle an injured dog
- how to use improvised first aid equipment
- how to administer CPR
The Principles of Feline First Aid course will teach you how to perform a daily health check on your feline friend and how to recognise common health problems. The course also covers:
- Handling
- Basic behaviour
- Signs of illness
- Treatment for common injuries
Do you believe a pet dog or cat will choose its owner?
Many of us have experienced it, we walk into a shelter or a pet shop and feel an instant connection with one of the animals. We like to think that the animal has sensed something within us and decided that we will make good owners!
Shelters will often tell stories of how a family has picked out a pet online that they think will suit them. But when they turn up at the shelter, another pet approaches them and they end up leaving with that one instead because the pet has chosen them!
If you’re interested in delving deeper into the subject then the How Dogs Think and Learn course will be of interest to you. It explores the question of whether dogs can think. Are they self-aware? Do they experience emotions? Many dog owners would say they experience emotions but it’s interesting to explore the science and research behind answering those questions.
Most of us know about the 5 senses, but some neurologists believe there are as many as 21 different senses. A dog’s world is mostly taken up with smells and sounds. And interestingly, according to animal behaviourist Dr Temple Grandin, animals think and remember in pictures.
Maybe by the end of the course you’ll be able to answer for definite whether or not a pet will choose their owner!
Are cats good loyal pets?
Our canine friends are well known for their loyalty, even known to sit by graves when their beloved owner has died. But, as many of us know, cats can be aloof and independent and are a law unto themselves!
Cat owners often joke that their feline buddy will happily go to whoever feeds it with no sense of loyalty to their owner. However, there are some touching stories out there of cats who have travelled miles to find their owners and cats who have saved the life of their owner by alerting them to a fire or sensing that they had a health need.
Researchers from Oregon State University have found that cats form emotional attachments to their caregivers including secure attachment, which is when being close to a caregiver helps them to feel safe and calm.
Cat behaviour is an interesting subject – and if you’d like to understand your pet better, then the Feline Behaviour and Psychology Diploma may be just for you. During the course you will learn about:
- behavioural signs (including vocalisation, body posture and scent marking)
- the cat-human social relationship
- stress factors of living in the human environment
- breed differences
- rescue cats and their behaviour
So, are cats good and loyal pets? Well, they don’t tend to obey us but maybe cats love us in their own unique way!
If you adore animals, you can keep track of all upcoming animal awareness days and events with our FREE calendar! Download it here.
