Your Pet Dogs, and Pet Cats, have a tendency to want to "Explore" once our lights go out and our heads hit the pillow!!! Don't think for a second that, just because the look like they are asleep....they'll stay that way!!!
But little do they know, or understand, once they work out how to leave the safety of their yard, their life is at risk......And this risk is high!
There are a number of reasons your pets want to "explore" beyond their boundaries. The main ones are below:
- Bored.
- Prey Driven.
- Looking for Romance.
- Lonely.
- Excess Energy just wanting to explode!
Now this might seem like a simple issue, but lets just take a look from another angle shall we???
Twenty eight percent of dog owners have two dogs and fifty two percent of cat owners own more than one cat.
Dog owners spend an average of $248 a year on veterinary visits while cat owners spend slightly less than $219 a year.
Add in an estimated $400-$500 a year in food for the pets and the sizeable veterinary investment coupled with other expenses and that comes close to $1000 a year.
That doesn't begin to count the amount of money that people spend on boarding, grooming, training and other expenses.
With that amount of money spent on a pet, maybe then you can see why pet safety is such a huge issue.
The real reason that people become so attached to their pets is because they've become part of the family.
They provide companionship especially to elderly people. As the saying goes, dogs are often considered man's best friend. People will do anything for their pets.
But when it comes to pet safety they get a little careless. Some people let their dogs and cats run around loose and that's when accidents happen.
To put this into perspective, according to "The Pets Tech" website in the US, "approximately 1.2 million dogs are killed on the roads each year. The number of cats killed on the roads in the US every year is much higher at an approximation of 5.4 million."
The exact number of dogs and cats that get killed at night by cars in Australia is unknown, however one would suspect that the ratios in the US would be similar in Australia per pet population!
Sooooo, that means there are an awful lot of pet deaths which don't need to be.....
Not only that, both Pet Cats, and Pet Dogs, can wreak havoc upon native wildlife when left outside to roam beyond the limits of your yard!!!
And that means loads of unnecessary native animal deaths as well!!!!!
OK.... So now that we can understand the scale of the problem, how can we help (The below is the same for both Cats and Dogs)???
Bored -
Make sure you give them some entertainment such as long lasting Pet Treats.
Alternatively, give them a toy which dispenses Pet Treats as well??? Or, simply give them a toy to play with.
Cats Treats as well as Dog Treats.
Prey Driven -
Hide some tasty Gourmet Pet Treats around the garden for them. They will spend their time sniffing out the goodies rather than hunting for native animals in your yard or trying to get out of your yard to go hunting elsewhere.....
Alternatively, they could be simply hungry and that's why they are on the hunt! Treats will help with this as well!
Looking for Romance -
You can either get your pet de-sexed by a Vet. Or keep them locked inside or chained up at night.
Lonely -
Allow them to sleep inside with you so they are aware that they are not alone....... OR, as is what tends to happen in our house, it's the perfect excuse to "get another pet daddy so they are lonely!!!"
Excess Energy -
Perhaps you need to change your exercise habits and either do more exercise with your pet or change the time. Maybe afternoon instead of morning so they enter the evening with less energy?
Or change the amount, or type, of food you are feeding them.
The next part of the solution is to think about what happens if you do all this and they still end up getting out! Because lets face, accidents happen and no one is to blame.
But......if it does happen, how can we mitigate the risk to them?
One of the best ways that you can prevent a tragedy, and keep your pet safe at night is with a Pet Safety Light.
It clips to a collar, leash or harness and runs on three lithium cell batteries. Pet safety lights are waterproof and weatherproof so can be used in any type of weather conditions.
As a side note, they can be used on children too as a safety tool....... I've done it when camping with the little ones.....if they wander off into the bush, easy to see the little ratbags!!!
You could also try placing a small bell on the collar of your cat, or dog, as another option.
This way, unsuspecting wildlife, or prey, gets a heads up and a sporting chance of survival but you can also here them in the dark if they happen to get out!!!
So you get to find them a lot quicker to prevent a road accident or something else untoward.
Or better yet........Ensure they are tied up securely at night or locked inside with you!
Don't let your pet become a statistic. If you love your pet, take some precautions with it at night and keep it safe.
Hope this gives you something to ponder over. At Huds and Toke, we hate the thought that anything bad can happen to your fur babies.
Remember, we have the pet treats that can help...... And not all treats are the same. So feel free to ask for advice.
Keep those pets safe and all the best from the team @ Huds and Toke.
#hudsandtokefamily
www.hudsandtoke.com
