1^st April to 1^st May is #NationalPetMonth.

It celebrates pet ownership and raises awareness of responsible pet ownership.

It also encourages everyone to raise funds for those animal charities working so hard to help pets – and they’ve really, really need our help at the moment.  Many charities are just absolutely inundated with pets, many of whom were got during lockdown with little thought into training and the time and care pets need. 

Pets have many benefits.   So National Pet Month wants to hear about fundraisers and events supporting the UK’s many pet welfare organisations and charities. 

These fundraisers and events can be individual efforts or larger events, and they can be virtual or in person.

Animal welfare charities, professional bodies, pet businesses, schools, youth groups, pet lovers and pet owners can all get involved and celebrate our wonderful pets, and they can also raise awareness using the resources National Pet Month has on its website!

Find out all about it from National Pet Month

 National Pet Month on Facebook

and on Twitter 

#NPM24

And if you're a dog lover, you could take a look at God made a Dog - a video on You Tube which personally I found very moving!

Would you like to….spend a night in a cage to raise funds for moon and sun bears who’ve been or could be rescued from a life in a cage?

Free the Bears is an amazing charity based in Australia.  And they rescue bears who have been trapped in cages on bear bile farms in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and take them to bear sanctuaries to have the very best bear care for the rest of their lives.  They get veterinary treatment, good food, water, enrichment activities and all the bear necessities a bear could need.

So there are a number of ways you can help out and help Free the Bears care for the bears in their care and continue to rescue bears still trapped in captivity, and enduring painful bile extractions.  They live a life of exceedingly restricted movement, often only having room to sway from one side of the cage to another, minimal water, very little food and no veterinary care.

This costs money, of course, and during lockdown, fundraising activities ground to an abrupt halt.  However the Founder of Free the Bears, an incredible woman called Dr Mary Hutton, was not to be defeated.  Despite being in her 80s herself, she decided to spend a night in a cage to raise funds for the bears, the idea being that it would give people an insight into what it might be like for a bear to spend his or her whole life in a cage.  Mary has now retired, but she is still taking part in Night in a Cage in 2024.  

Help Free the Bears undertake rescues like this, 
and then to care for the bears after the rescue in their sanctuaries.

A Night in a Cage has been running since 2020 and in 2024, it is taking place on the 13^th April or if you want to set up your own "cage", you can during May as well!

You can get involved by:

1. Spending a night in a cage yourself as a fundraiser for Free the Bears!  You can create your cage from anything – a cardboard box, a tent, a shed in the garden…  You could form a team with bear loving friends and spend a night in a cage on the same night, encouraging each other on!
2. Sponsoring Dr Mary Hutton as this amazing woman (in her 80s) spends a night in a cage or sponsoring one of the teams – there is a UK team (take a look at the list of teams on the Night in a Cage page)
3. Sharing information about the fundraiser to encourage other people to sponsor you or others
4. Simply make a donation to Free the Bears – honestly, every single bit helps the bears
5. Share what you’re doing on social media to raise awareness of the incredible work Free the Bears is doing to help moon and sun bears

Visit Free the Bears' Night in a Cage page 

Visit Free the Bears' website

I was on the RSPB's website this morning and they have some very helpful information about wildlife detecting and identifying tracks and signs.   You can become a nature detective, and work out who is living in your area!

The RSPB has an activity for you whether you're in school or as a family, with an activity sheet for you to download.

And they tell you how to make an animal tracker, so that you can see who's been out and about at night.  You can make a cast of the animal prints you find in your garden, and the RSPB tell you what footprints look like for animals such as the fox and hedgehog. 

Whose been visiting your garden?  Find out if it was the shrew!
Image ©RSPB

They've got lots of activities for you to help nature and wildlife, by the way, such as creating nature highways and byways, digging a ditch for garden biodiversity, how to grow sunflowers, how to make a bird bath and make a hedgehog cafe.   Find out more here.

Head to the RSPB's here.

The Mammal Society also has pictures of poo, so that you can work out whoose poo is whoose.   Visit their website here and take a look. 

 
The Nature Tracker's Handbook is available from the RSPB's Shop.
It has extensive photography and detailed diagrams to 
help you find and interpret the evidence the animals leavel in their wake.
£14.99 from the RSPB Shop.

You can get the Poo Bingo for Kids
from Hive.co.uk for £16.49
Featuring 24 animals and their uniquely shaped poos,
this is the bingo game to end all bingo games.

From the 25th July to 1st September 2024, London Zoo have Poo at the Zoo,
a discovery into the fascinating world of animal waste!

At London Zoo this summer, you can become poo-ologists for the day and visit the unique 'pooseum' - you can find out all the vital insights that can be gleaned from a number two!  Challenge the whole family to poo-inspired giant games on the laws or there's live storytelling sessions on selected dates over the summer.  Head to London Zoo for more information. 

PS Please don't forget to put water out for wildlife - they need water, just as we do.    We need to look after them.

For dog owners, Earth Rated Dog Poo Bags, Guaranteed Leak Proof and Extra Thick Waste Bag Refill Rolls For Dogs, Lavender Scented, 270 Count, are available from Amazon

February is Pet Dental Health Month and a chance for you to review your pet’s dental health.  As you’ll know from when you have toothache (ouch!), a painful mouth and teeth can mean a reduced appetite and feeling a bit rotten.  It can also lead to some more serious health conditions.

Fortunately, there’s lots of advice online for pet owners on the subject of pet dental health.

The PDSA has a video on You Tube on how to check your cat’s teeth (!)  They have an 8 point plan, to help you work out the state of your beloved cat’s mouth.  Actually, it doesn’t look intrusive and it does look doable, even if you don’t manage to get all the steps achieved at once.  Often it’s a matter of getting your pet used to you checking their mouths, bit by bit.  The PDSA recommend you check your cat’s teeth every month.  (They’ve also got a video on how to get your cat in a carrier.)

They’ve also got a plan for checking your dog’s teeth – as they say, it’s better to spot problems sooner rather than later.  And they’ve got a plan for bunnies, as well!

There are lots of helpful videos that the PDSA have put together for pet owners which tackle problems pet owners may meet – including how to give your cat/dog a tablet – and these are on their You Tube channel.  It’s worth getting to know the videos they’ve got, because you never know when you might need them, and also when you’re looking through them, you’ll probably see something which you can learn something from.  Get your pet used to being handled, and life may be easier at the vet's.  

Some pets will need far more time than others, so don't forget to go slow, and to  reward them to make the experience a pleasurable one - a bit like dentists giving children something  when they are good to make the visit a more positive one.

I’m off to find out how the PDSA suggest you put your cat in a carrier – out of sight and sound of our moggie, of course!

 Head off to visit their PDSA You Tube  channel here.   And visit their Pet Health Hub here on their website – there’s lots of information there.

There are a number of products on the market, too - and being it Pet Dental Month, there are some great offers charging around.

Save 15% on Orafresh™ Dental Care Range
with Viovet until 23:59 on 27th February 2024
Applicable for the entire range. Offer can be changed or withdrawn at any time. 

Save 10% on Lily’s Kitchen Woofbrush Natural Dental Chews for Dogs
with Viovet until 23:59 on 27th February 2024.
Applicable for Large, Medium and Small Dog variations. Packs of 7 chews only.
Offer can be changed or withdrawn at any time.

Save 28% on Dentalife Daily Oral Care Cat Treats
with Viovet until 23:59 on 27th February 2024.
Chicken 140g bags only.
Offer can be changed or withdrawn at any time

Brrrr!  Now it’s getting very much colder, we need to look out for our furry friends and other animals!

Viovet have put a blog together full of advice on how to care for your pets, dogs particularly, and the blog cover things like skin, the loss of body heat, snow in your dog’s fur, arthritis and osteoarthritis in dogs, snow and ice dangers, salt and chemicals.  There are lots of tips on how to keep your dog warm and dry and visible to keep them safe, too.

When we go outside, it can be quite a shock to the system.  Viovet points out that our fingers, ears, noses and toes can suffer the worst of the cold.  Our pets need extra care too.

Take a look at the blog here – Viovet has lots of great special offers, too for dogs, cats, horses, small pets, and you.

The RSPCA also has seasonal advice for pets, livestock and wildlife - click here to find out more! 

Online pet retailer Viovet  have lots of offers for dogs, cats, horses and small pets.   They've got prescription and non-prescription medications, food, toys and equipment and they have many leading market brands,and their own-branded products and supplements. We've used Viovet, and found them to be great!  

Viovet have dog toys, bowls, dishes, feeders, placemats, dog bdding, dog treats and dental.

 
The Felix Goody Bag Treats Original Mix is on offer 
until 31.12.23

Small pets are catered for too!  Chinchillas, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, mice, rats, gerbils and ferrets... there's food, bedding, catch and hutch cleaners, grooming and toys. 

Lily's Kitchen Festive Christmas Turkey Jerky for Dogs
is also on offer until 31 Dec 2023.

And if you've got a horse or pony, take a look at the range for both horses and riders.  

Viovet also have prescription medicine and it can be so much cheaper to get this online rather than directly from your vet.  

Head off to Viovet here to find out more.

Will you sign the Big Shark Pledge with the Shark Trust?

The Shark Trust say that many of our best known sharks make their home on the high seas, beyond any national borders. 

But these sharks and rays are threatened by an enormous international fleet of fishing vessels.  

Back in early 2021, research was published which confirmed that over 75% of oceanic sharks and rays are at risk of extinction because of the impact of overfishing. 

So will you add your voice to the Big Shark Pledge and put pressure on governments and fisheries Will you help make the changes that these sharks need humans to make to keep them safe?

The Shark Trust says that this will be a long term, international effort which will demand collaboration.   It will be important to put science at the heart of shark conservation and fisheries management. 

The Shark Trust asks us all to sign their pledge now and agree to (and I quote):

S – Stand up for shark conservation

H – Have faith that change will happen

A – Act when called upon

R – React to and share our campaign

K – Know that I’m making a difference

Together we can call for stronger conservation and fisheries management.

 #BigSharkPledge

Please sign the Big Shark Pledge here.

It's National Marine Week in North Wales (the 19th July to 6th August, and yes, that's longer than a week!). 

They are championing the lesser-known Welsh species – the gannet, the Roseate Tern, the oystercatcher, for instance - and hoping to inspire lots of young marine conservationists!

Plenty to keep the kids busy over the summer holidays!

The North Wales Wildlife Trust has 60 fun seaside activities in one pack for you to give into – run your own eggcase hunt, or explore the shores by locating and recording highly threatened seagrass meadows. 

There are so things to do from home, because not everyone can get to the coast so there are sheets you can learn your marine species ID with a colouring in sheet. You can bake your own Berffro biscuits, and write your own sea shanty!

Sign up here to download your 60 Seaside Shore-nanigans!

The oceans matter!

This is a really good chance to discover why the ocean is important – why does it matter?  It’s a great chance to dive deep and do some research, not just into why the ocean matters but how you can help

Find out how you can help the North Wales Wildlife Trust work towards their vision for a marine environment where all marine life thrive.  Here’s their strategy to 2030

They have three goals:

1. Nature in recovery
2. Meaningful action 
3. Nature based solutions
   
   

Our oceans are precious and we need to look after them. 
Get involved with the North Wales Wildlife Trust's Living Seas 

Find out about the Living Seas campaign

• Seagrass ocean rescue – discover all about these mighty meadows and how you can get involved in seagrass restoration in North Wales
• Become a citizen scientist by joining in with the Trust’s Shoresearch Rocky Shore Surveys
• Find out more about the Wales’ super sharks and how you can become a shark scientist!
• Volunteer for the Living Seas Team

You could also become a volunteer, become a member, write to your MP, join a beach clean, join in events…

The more we can all connect with nature, the more we can appreciate it and how beautiful it is;  this will help strengthen our wish to protect and nurture nature. 

Visit the North Wales Wildlife Trust here.

Images on this blog ©North Wales Wildlife Trust

This summer, if you’re looking for family activities to do, it’s worth taking a look at your local wildlife reserves and animal sanctuaries!

Many of them have lots of family fun organised, with events, trails to walk along, quizzes to do, fun arty activities and lovely days out, where the whole family can get outdoors and really enjoy being together in beautiful surroundings with wildlife all around them!

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust have a number of different centres around the UK, and they all have lots of activities during the summer to get stuck into.  If you're not hear any of them, they still have ideas of things you can do at home!

As an example, the WWT centre at Llanelli in stunning South Wales has lots going on.

There’s a free Quentin Blake illustrated guide to have, so that you can discover the wonder of woodlands on the Drawn to Water trail.  If you’re inspired by that, there are super-fun art workshops for families, or maybe you’d prefer to hire a canoe and go for a paddle?  (They’ve also got a new canoe taxi service, too!) 

You can flock to see the stunning flamingos every day, and there’s story time too plus Feeding Frenzy. 

Visit the WWT here

There's also the RSPB, who have lots of reserves all around the country with places to explore.   Why not get your family involved in their Wild Challenge, which you can do at home?  Find out all about it here!

Find out about the RSPB's Wild Challenge here

Please bear in mind that many centres are taking precautions to keep the animals safe from things such as bird flu, and respect these

Please also remember to take your rubbish home with you so that the wildlife don’t think it’s something yummy to eat and tuck in.  Rubbish can kill wildlife and we need to keep them safe.  

Well, it’s that time of year again for everyone who wants to get involved in a nature project – today (14th July) sees the launch of the 2023 Big Butterfly Count!  (It finishes on 6th August 2023.)

It’s the biggest survey of butterflies in the world.

In 202, over 64,760 people took part and submitted 96,257 counts.  The information people submit is invaluable – it helps Butterfly Conservation understand how these delicate and beautiful insects are coping, given the climate and nature crisis we face.  Scientists can look at the results and put conservation measures in place.  The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch (January every year) does a similar thing.  These counts help conservation charities identify species in trouble and then take steps to help them.

Help change the fortunes of butterflies!

The State of Butterflies 2022 reported earlier this year that 80% of butterfly species have decreased since the 1980s. In recent years, Butterfly Conservation has helped change the fortunes of a number of species such as the Chequered Skipper and Duke of Burgundy.  It’s also stopped the decline of many others.

So taking part is a really easy and helpful thing to do.   And it only takes 15 minutes of your time!

 How to take part in the Big Butterfly Count 2023

1. Download the mobile app or sign up to the website
2. Find a sunny spot
3. Spend 15 minutes spotting butterflies & moths
4. Record how many & what species you see

Flutter off to the Big Butterfly Count’s website here.

The website tells you all you need to know!