Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Welfare Bazaar, continues her column
IF somebody described you in two words, what would they be? Mine certainly would not be as complementary as Parker’s. In the notes the Southall Cat Adoption Centre write daily about the cats in their care, they’ve written two words for Parker for today ‘utterly gorgeous’. And he certainly is.
When I met him, he welcomed me into his pen with open arms.
He showed me where he’d had his tail taken off and how beautifully it is healing.
When Parker was found, as a stray in May, he had an injured tail and part of it was taken off then.
But because the remaining part was getting sore, in September, he had his tail completely removed. This boy is so friendly and very chatty. Although he loved having a visitor, he obviously wanted to make sure that, because of me being there, he didn’t miss his tea and kept going through to the other side of his pen to check on the progress of the food trolley and then coming back to see me.
If you can home this lovely boy with no tail, you can meet him at the RSPCA Cat Adoption Centre, Burket Close, Southall.
Many animals become strays as the result of becoming frightened by fireworks.
Top tips to make fireworks less frightening for pets include making sure your dog or cat has somewhere to hide which they can access at all times.
One idea is to prepare a den where your pet can feel safe, perhaps under a table with some of your old clothes.
Walk dogs before the fireworks start. Make sure your dogs and cats are in early during firework nights.
Close the curtains and windows, block any cat/dog flaps and put on music to mask the sound of fireworks.
Make sure they can’t escape. Try and avoid leaving your pet alone during potentially upsetting nights.
Importantly, don’t forget small animals that may normally live outside.
If possible bring hutches and enclosures into a quiet room indoors or into a shed.
Provide lots of extra bedding for your pet to burrow in so it feels safe.
If you can’t bring them in, partly cover any aviaries or pens with thick blankets or a duvet to deaden the sound of the bangs but make sure there is enough ventilation and ensure your pet is still able to look out.