Happy at Home Pet Care Guernsey

17/08/2023

It's Black Cat Appreciation Day.

We have an enormous, fat, lazy black cat called Eli aka Weeby.

I was at the GSPCA last week to help out and they had quite a few beautiful black cats for rehoming, they're not very popular.

To be fair, this is probably why...

16/08/2023

Love this lizard!

05/08/2023

Look at this handsome puss we looked after recently

31/07/2023

And then you're quite tired, so you just need a bit of a rest...
http://wix.to/4KeTdmh

31/07/2023

And you play!
http://wix.to/lWCWCvB

31/07/2023

When your pal comes to visit and you have a great game!
http://wix.to/CK0D9by

29/07/2023

How amazing is that? I love when Siddy sheds his dragon spikes!
http://wix.to/JMO3wuV

26/07/2023

Contrary to popular belief, rabbits are very intelligent animals and require a lot of stimulation to keep them from getting bored and depressed.

As much as we’d love to, we can’t spend all day every day with our beloved buns, so how can we ensure they are happy in our absence?

☺️ Provide them with plenty of space so they can exercise and rear on their hind legs.
😄 Ensure they have bunny buddies to keep them company.
😃Give them plenty of toys to play with.
😁 Encourage their natural behaviours such as digging and foraging.

Remember, being a rabbit owner doesn’t mean locking them in a hutch all day, it means being responsible for their entire welfare and wellbeing - even when we’re not there.

26/07/2023

It isn't just about actors...AI and Cat Utopia!

Over the weekend I saw an article from a BBC Wildlife magazine to do with bearded dragons and sliding doors. In looking for it again (and failing to find it), I came across a post on the University of Lincoln website about an art installation called Cat Royale.

I put it as a blog on the website, but I've realised the website is down and for reasons I'll announce soon, I'm not going to put it back up!

Below is what should have been the blog post:

Cat Royale is a collaboration between artists, computer scientists and animal experts to design a robot to entertain cats.

Clover, Pumpkin and Ghostbuster were three cats chosen to spend up to 6 hours a day playing games with the robot, which used AI to learn what they liked most.

The cats were filmed in a specially designed space described as "Cat Utopia" with areas for playing and socialising, raised walkways, cosy dens, feeding stations and luxury litter trays.

At the centre of this area was a robot arm which did things designed to make the cats feel happy, like lifting a feather bird into the air, dragging a mouse toy along the floor and offering treats.

An AI was programmed to learn what each cat liked best, so the robot arm could personalise their experience.

Whether we realise it or not, AI is becoming part of our cats' lives and I certainly see that when I'm carrying out care visits for cats in people's homes. It might be an automated cat flap, or feeding system, or even a self-cleaning litter tray!

Observations from the Cat Royale experiment were positive and it looks fun, but it was one part of a bigger project to explore deeper questions about the benefits and trustworthiness of AI for all users, including us.

When it came to Clover, Pumpkin and Ghostbuster, Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln said:

“Some owners feel they are just there to serve their cats’ needs; this project gives us a unique chance to see whether the human element of our interactions is important.

I am sure many owners will be relieved to know, the relationship between these three cats and their owners did not weaken and if anything strengthened as a result of this experience.
Interestingly, the cats also seem to have formed a closer social relationship with each other as well.”

My husband, who is slave to our heffalump Weeby, will be relieved to read this. As will our neighbour who pretends he's tough but has a heart of mush when it comes to little Minou!

The cats in the experiment were filmed throughout and the edited eight-hour result is being shown at the Science Gallery, King's College in London until 20 January 2024, as part of "a playful look at the ways artificial intelligence is already shaping so many areas of our lives - from our healthcare and justice systems to how we look after our pets."

If you follow the link below you can see a tiny section of the film.

The links worked in the blog post but you might have to copy and paste into your browser.

https://london.sciencegallery.com/ai-season

The link to the University of Lincoln article is below

https://news.lincoln.ac.uk/2023/06/28/are-cats-and-ai-the-purrfect-partnership/

And this one of the artists speaking about the Cat Royale the project and about the deeper questions and concerns relating to the use of AI in our lives. Very interesting...

https://www.blasttheory.co.uk/projects/cat-royale/

25/07/2023

Look at this beautiful boy sitting so beautifully to have his photo taken 😺
http://wix.to/umllBMb

23/07/2023

Tortoises can form a close bond with their owners. This is the glare of a tortoise who knows I'm not one of 'his people'. He watches everything I do with great suspicion!
http://wix.to/vnTRpdA

15/06/2023

Siddy's about to shed the skin on the top of his head. You can see it's gone much lighter in colour because it's starting to detach.

Usually that would curb his appetite and he'd stay in bed, but he's eating like a beast at the moment and still wanted to go outside for a few minutes in the sunshine.

Siddy living the dream!
http://wix.to/DTlbXgh

30/05/2023

If you're going away and are worrying about how your garden will survive in this beautiful weather, get in touch. We might be able to help!
http://wix.to/5kedDFf

29/05/2023

There's usually some quiet time between school holidays, but this year not so much and the summer is very busy with bookings.

If you're going away and will need 'at home pet care' during July and August, we have very little availability left.

We could perhaps help if you live in the Vale, St Sampson's, St Peter Port or north end of Castel or St Andrew's, but we definitely can't take any more bookings from further afield for July and August.

Happy at Home Pet Care is for pets that don't need lots of human company, just someone to pop in once or twice a day to feed, give clean water and some tickles etc.

Cleaning out of pet enclosures, garden watering, house plant watering and putting the bins out can also be arranged!
http://wix.to/4WAurhs

28/05/2023

Siddy living the dream!
http://wix.to/t4Df5cs

04/05/2023

According to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and Hedgehog Street, allowing hedgehogs to pass freely through our gardens is one of the most important things we can do to help them.

That's because hedgehogs travel around one mile every night hunting for food and in search of a suitable mate. Secure gardens can cause hedgepigs to divert across roads and we're all too aware of the awful consequences that can have.

A hole just 13cm by 13cm is enough for hedgehogs to get through but too small for most pets.

Hedgehog Street has some great ideas https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/link-your-garden/

You can even buy snazzy Hedgehog Highway signs so no one accidentally blocks the gap. And so the hedgepigs can see which way to go of course!
http://wix.to/Ec4THWU

02/05/2023

As part of Hedgehog Awareness Week, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society is urging everyone to become a Hedgehog Champion for their area at Hedgehog Street – a project run by BHPS and People’s Trust for Endangered Species.

https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/

Join over 120,000 Champions by signing up for free at www.hedgehogstreet.org – you will get an email each month with top tips on how you can help hedgehogs and there’s even a Hedgehog Street app you can download from The App Store or Google Play!
http://wix.to/5yc8txF

29/04/2023

This year the British Hedgehog Preservation Society is asking us all to "Think Hedgehog!" and look at our gardens from a little hog's perspective.

Is your garden a disaster or a des-res?

Check out their website for lots of ways to help Guernsey's hedgepigs!

https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/hedgehog-awareness-week-30th-april-6th-may-2023/

http://wix.to/fQNc9T1

21/04/2023

It wasn't me!
http://wix.to/gWp5H1y

20/04/2023

Double trouble! Two gorgeous cheeky bunnies we've been looking after over the Easter holidays.
http://wix.to/ogL4Gb6

14/04/2023

Tummy tickles for a lovely boy over the Easter!
http://wix.to/bGIg4H3

12/04/2023

Such a beautiful pusscat I was looking after recently.
http://wix.to/s9NCqip

04/04/2023

03/04/2023

Siddy had a bath on Sunday.

I know it's difficult to tell but he was loving his fluffy towel!

30/03/2023

I've been looking after a tortoise called Cecil, he's a lovely chap but he definitely knew his humans were away.

Some species of tortoise have really quirky personalities, they can make their likes and dislikes very clear and they develop a real bond with their owners.

Cecil wiggles his bottom in obvious pure happiness when his mum scratches his shell, but when I tried the same he wasn't fooled. He showed he wasn't impressed by turning his back and trundling off into his house.

I didn't take it personally. Cecil is like Sid our Bearded Dragon, an intelligent and sensitive little soul who likes his routine and his own people.

I'm glad to say the cat was happy to see me each day though!

http://wix.to/1gjPcFf

08/03/2023

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝟏𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐅𝐘 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐒🥦🥬
⁠
Some favourites include:
⁠
💚Spring greens ⁠
💚Parsley⁠
💚Broccoli ⁠
💚Basil ⁠
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⁠
Aim to vary the greens you give them and remember to keep to small portions of any plant or herb🐰🐰
⁠
Head to our link in bio to see handy list of recommended and safe vegetables and herbs for your rabbits⁠
⁠
𝙍𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙈𝘽𝙀𝙍 𝘿𝙊𝙉’𝙏 𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙂𝙀𝙏 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙃𝘼𝙔⁠🌾

21/02/2023

Here's a dog friendly pancake recipe from The Dogs' Trust.

If you're using peanut butter, always make sure it doesn't contain xylitol which is harmful to dogs.

You could also top with mashed ripe banana, grated carrot or a bit of grated apple.

Hopefully your dog will go barking mad for their pancake, not look at it with disgust before walking away, like my daughter's dog did with her banana pancake last year!

20/02/2023

http://wix.to/QWBs0fd

05/02/2023

I'm away at the moment, only back at the weekends and when I come home it's lovely to see the boys, Gus and Chester. They're very cheeky and give gorgeous nose bumps.

When it's rains they're locked out of their extension because it gets muddy, but they were loving it this weekend. It's got lots of soil and Chester in particular did some great digging.

To change it up a bit I put a branch in the extension this evening so no doubt they'll spend some time investigating that tomorrow and trying to shift it :)

21/01/2023

If they have to sleep on wet bedding they're going to be freezing cold and very uncomfortable.

Scheduling in an extra cleaning out day each week and making sure their house is topped up with lots of fresh bedding every evening will make sure they stay nice and warm and snuggly.
http://wix.to/eoGwo7w

11/01/2023

Toilet training a puppy is much like toilet training a toddler, it involves a lot of time, patience, vigilance and you know there are going to be accidents!

As a general rule, from the age of around 3 months when they're awake and active puppies can hold on for about one hour per one month of life, which looks like this:

Under 10 weeks - 1 hour
10 -12 weeks - 2 hours
3 months - 3 hours
4 months - 4 hours
5 months - 5 hours
6 months - 6 hours
Over 6 months - 6 to 8 hours maximum

Whilst some adult dogs are able to hold on longer, making them wait can result in urinary tract and kidney infections so it's not advisable or kind. Bear in mind as well that elderly dogs need to be able to go more often.

The key to toilet training a puppy is routine!

To read more and find out how I can help go to www.happyathomepetcare.gg and see the Puppies and P*e blog post!
http://wix.to/5ujc1Jd

08/01/2023

I can't take any bookings for January or February but I have availability in March!

17/12/2022

Last year we got two puppies and though they were only on their own for part of the day, it wasn't always easy to factor in a mid-morning pop home to let them out for a wee and a quick play.

I'm excited to say I'll soon be offering puppy visits!

I can't take any more appointments for January and February, but I have space from March.

It's not long before they can hold on, but we found those quick visits really helped reinforce the toilet training for our pups.

So if you're planning on getting a puppy but aren't quite sure how to factor in popping home from work during the day to let them out, get in touch and see if I can help.
http://wix.to/ZukeSAP

09/12/2022

Merry Christmas and the Animal Poison Line!

In many households Christmas is a time of much food and whilst a slice of turkey and a sprout or two (at your own risk, we have a Staffie I need say no more...) will go down a treat and rabbits and guinea pigs will love the raw veggies, there's a lot that's toxic to animals even in small quantities.

Most people know about chocolate, but stuffing and gravy can be toxic and things with dried fruit such as mince pies, Christmas pudding and Christmas cake can be fatal.

The Animal Poison Line is run by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) and is the only 24 hour specialised emergency telephone service in the UK dedicated to helping pet owners worried their pet may have been exposed to something harmful or poisonous.

See our blog on the website for more details. If you're a pet owner it's definitely worth knowing about the VPIS.

Should you need it their number is 01202 509 000 and they're open 24 hours including bank holidays.

https://www.happyathomepetcare.gg/blog

https://www.animalpoisonline.co.uk/
http://wix.to/9K8ppXJ

04/12/2022

𝐍𝐨 𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫❄️

Remember RWAF’s ‘Bunny Buddy Bodies’ this winter🐰🐰

Making sure your rabbit has a companion is essential all year round, but in winter they will use their companion as a source of heat to stay warm all night long💛

For more information on keeping your rabbits safe in winter head to https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/rabbit-housing/outdoor-rabbits-in-cold-weather/

27/11/2022

I've become a Hedgehog Champion! Through the British Hedgehog Preservation Society I came across Hedgehog Street, a registered charity working to make sure the hedgehog, the UK's only spiny mammal, remains a common and familiar part of British life.

Other Guernsey residents have obviously found Hedgehog Street before me because when I marked ours on the map I saw many more sightings all round the island.

We're very lucky to have hedgehogs here because across the UK their numbers are declining rapidly. According to Hedgehog Street, in 1995 there were estimated to be around 1,550,000 in Great Britain (1,100,000 in England, 310,000 in Scotland and only 140,000 in Wales) but over the past 22 years more than half appear to have been lost from the countryside and a third from towns and cities, though the decline in urban areas seems to be slowing.

As this winter hasn't been very cold yet hedgehogs are still out and about, stocking up on beetles and bugs before they find somewhere warm (and dry!) to hibernate. If you see one, think about logging it on the Hedgehog Street map and if you have a hog-sized hole in your garden fence you can map that too.

There's also hedgehog information and many free resources on the Hedgehog Street website, ready for Spring. Great for getting kids involved too :)

https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/about-our-hedgehog-street-campaign/

http://wix.to/0Lmfxuf

27/11/2022

Check out this AMAZING space display by D&T Veterinary Centre in support of our campaign to demonstrate how much space rabbits actually need.

A lot of rabbit owners are sadly unaware that rabbits need a lot more space than a commercially sold rabbit hutch has to offer.

We always recommend a space of at least 2m x 3m x 1m high. This will provide two buns with the sufficient space they need to hop around and rear on their hind legs.

A hutch can be used as an indoor shelter but never as their sole housing! Ideally, outdoor rabbits should have constant access to safe and secure outdoor space.

For more tips and guidance on rabbit housing, please visit our website: https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/rabbit-housing/outdoor-rabbit-housing/ 🐰🏡🐰

20/11/2022

It was love at first sight, a tiny bundle of furry craziness came to live next door and Weeby was smitten! Barney's always hated her, but Weebs adored her.

He'd let her pounce on him and bite his tail, she'd dash out of bushes and from under our parked cars to leap over his back, her tummy just brushing his fur. She'd wait outside our front door for him to come out to play. He'd wait outside her kitchen door, though admittedly sometimes he would sneak in through her cat flap, eat her food and lie on her sofa, but Minou didn't mind.

Suddenly it's all turned sour.

Now Weeby avoids her. He no longer goes outside to find her, instead he skulks away up the lane and if she does find him he doesn't stay around long. Poor Minou is very sad, she sits in the driveway looking lost and lonely. When I go outside she runs over saying 'Excuse me lady, is Weeby coming out to play?'. Breaks my heart.

We've asked Weebs what's up but he's tight-lipped. We think perhaps what was cute as a tiny kitten is too much now she's grown. I've told Minou not to pounce on him anymore, but she's so happy when she sees him that she just can't help herself!

Maybe one day if she calms down he'll come back to her.

Poor little Minou.

http://wix.to/SmkpUdL

15/11/2022

As we head into winter it's easy to become complacent and ease up on the expensive monthly flea treatment but with the combination of our milder weather and central heating, fleas are an all year round problem.

Plus their eggs can stay dormant for up to 18 months, so they're able to sit in pet bedding, carpets and comfy sofas waiting for a warm blooded host to pass by. They're not picky either, as long as they're undisturbed they don't mind whether the environment is dirty or clean.

Each female can consume up to 15 times her body weight in blood every day, so if an animal is infested and left untreated it could become anaemic and have an allergic reaction to the fleas' saliva. It's only right then that we treat our pets all year round and it'll stop us humans becoming a tasty host too!

Last night we administered the monthly flea, tick and wormer treatment to the backs of our cats' necks, so obviously they hate us now.

Eli (aka Weeby, to whom my husband's sole role is slave) went straight to where my clothes were hanging, buried himself between a couple of dresses and began rubbing himself against them in a clear attempt to get the flea stuff off his neck and onto my clothes. At least I won't be getting fleas this month then...
http://wix.to/W1rruXV

13/11/2022

Feline Petting Chart 🖤🐾🐈‍⬛