posted by Marita on Feb 25
A pet mostly goes missing from its own homes or owners cars.
Dogs, in most instances, can be kept safe by ensuring that you have adequate fencing around your property.
Cats are more difficult, as they can easily scale any standard domestic fence. If you can afford it, have a cat wire installed along the top of your fence. This gives of a mild shock and teaches the cat that it is not a good idea to cross the fence. In most of the major cities, some electric fencing companies will install the wire at a very reasonable cost and hire the transformer to you. You only need to hire the transformer until the cat no longer shows interest in trying to get over the fence.
If you are moving to a new home, keep your cat indoors until it is settled.
Spayed and neutered cats are less inclined to roam.
Get a decent fitting pet collar with a pet tag. Have your name and your phone number inscribed on the tag. Alternatively use the contact details of a tracking company instead of your own information.
Always replace collars with tags immediately after a bath. You pet should never be without it. Most dogs goes a bit hyper after a bath and may make a dash through an open gate.
Have you pet micro chipped and/or tattooed.
Update your detail with the chipping and/or tattooing companies at least once a year.
Take clear photographs of the pet from the front, back, both sides from a standing position and frontal shot in a sitting position.
Keep notes of any unusual markings. In times of stress, one tends to forget these things.
Teach children, gardeners, domestic servants to keep gates and doors that open out into the street, closed at all times.
Pets often get lost when builders or gardening services are working on your premises. Take special precautions at times like these to protect your pet.
Your dog should be taken for regular walks (on a leash), to familiarize them with their area. It would then be possible for them to find their own way home, should they accidentally get out into the street.
Never walk your dog in an area that is unfamiliar to them, without a leash. Even in secluded areas where there is no risk of them getting run over by a car. If they bolt for any reason, they would not know how to find you. A squirrel or something equally tempting may suddenly appear.
If driving with pets in the car, take care every time you stop somewhere, to make sure all pets are secure and will not jump out and run the minute you open the door. They can be run over or lost very easily if that happens. Ideally, they should get in the car with the leash already hooked onto the collar or harness.
That way you can make a quick grab if one of them tries to take a change at charging at someone in the street or gets frightened by noisy traffic.
Loosing a pet is an extremely traumatic experience. Unfortunately as pet owners it is inevitable that we would have to go through this once. Being a pet owner for as long as I can remember, I thought I would share with you my advice when looking for a lost cat or dog.
I often observe a person calling a dog, who ignores them completely.
If you can find the time and can afford to, it is a great idea to get formal training for the pet and the family. It does not make much sense if one person takes the pet to training and the rest of the family does not know anything about the training. They then behave and instruct the pet with incorrect commands and signs, resulting in confusion and wasted training.
In fact, all members of the family should decide what words to use for which instruction and then everyone should use only those words to the pet.
