Christmas & Easter Holidays

Now is the time to book or confirm your holidays at the kennels or cattery. See CATMANDU  www.petdoc.co.nz/cattery  .

At the same time ensure you check all vaccinations are up to date as many kennels have differing requirements . As Xmas is the busiest time at the kennels , with most animals in together , contagious disease can spread easier so most kennels demand recent vaccinations within the last 6-8 months for this busy period to give your animals the highest immunity cover possible . This is especially important for cat flu (cats) and kennel cough in dogs. Other Core vaccinations are important but less so as far as kennels are concerned. All young dogs and cats should have received at least 2 vaccination visits when younger and another full vaccination at 15 months of age . The core vaccinations are important and you can discuss the other vaccinations with us at the time.

Kennel costs range from $20to $65 a day depending on animal type, temperament and size, and newness of the establishment. Kennels and catteries are booked out by October for Xmas so think ahead and ring in with tentative dates to be confirmed closer to the date.

Kitten  & Puppies

If you are thinking of buying a pet just remember to budget for their costs . It costs $500 a year to feed a cat or small dog plus vet fees of about the same amount , and more if accidents and illnesses occur . Pet insurance is available to help cover these unexpected occurrances from $150-400 premium per year. A Large dog can cost upto 4-5 times that amount for food and maintenance and is often not suited to our smaller estates in the city. They also require a lot more exercise and time spent with them, otherwise larger dogs get bored and destructive behaviours can occur.

August is the start of the kitten (birthing) season that runs until easter , there will be a large number available from December to March , so if you have a month away in January planned, maybe it is better to look for a new animal after you get back home for the work year. The healthiest kitten or pup to acquire will be found in a home somewhere , aged between 6-8-10 weeks old , that has had a vaccination and all parasite treatments and eating a high quality food , whilst interacting with their siblings and owners’ children in the household. Buy healthy outgoing youngsters as they will have less problems in the near future.

There are huge benefits from owning pets, obvious pitfalls but then it is my job to identify those and help you learn to prevent these from occuring .