Choice Blog

Clocking up Autumn Activities

As the clocks go back, remember to lighten up

The reflective toggles in the middle of the road are universally known as cat's eyes, yet as the clocks go back, it's important to remember that real cats need more than reflective eyes to protect them.

Putting a hi-vis collar on your cat can really help protect them while thy're out and about. Reflective clothing, collars and leads are also available for dogs and owners. making life safer when you are out and about on an autumnal evening.

When the chips are down

Pets go missing for a variety of reasons- the most common is that they stray away from home. Unfortunately, in another scenario, they are subjects of pet thieves.

In both cases, one simple precautions will significantly improve the chances of being reunited with them. That is to ensure your pet is microchipped and, if possible, put a contact number on its collar. It is now a legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped by the time they are 8 weeks old and for the chip to be registered on a government approved database. However, owners are increasingly seeing the value of microchipping cats, horses and even alpaca and llamas. This means vets, rescue centres and the police can ensure stray pets that have been found can be returned, or stolen animals can be identified and reunited with their rightful owners.

Things that go bang in the night

Halloween and Bonfire Night now make the early autumn one of the biggest celebratory seasons, but for household pets and farm livestock, there's less to celebrate.

Bonfire flashes and bangs and Halloween visitors can cause stress to household pets. Discarded sweet wrappers and spent rockets can cause serious problems for wildlife, farm animals and domestic pets. Simple preventative measures can help.

Clear up after firework displays and ensure they are held away from livestock. Keep pets safely indoors and insulate small pets' cages or hutches where possible. Stressed animals get dehydrated so check fresh water is easily available.

Finally, encourage Halloween revellers to be scrupulous about holding on to their litter.