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I'm looking into making a herb garden for the dogs in work (Rescue kennels) for some enrichment for them. I need some ideas for some easily grown herbs that have various aromas but that are safe if the dogs happen to have a little nibble.

If they have medicinal properties then even better! (especially if they have a calming effect!)

Some things I was thinking was Mint, rosemary, Lavendar that kind of thing :)

Thanks for any ideas :)

Hi, My sister an I have just bought a shed for her rabbits. Just looking for some ideas for insulating it and bringing extra warmth in there for the winter?

Looking for anything low cost if possible but will spend money if absolutely needed.

Any ideas? thanks!

Seem to be having issues with fleas at the moment :O gave all animals frontline around the 15th August but they've all got fleas again!! Gonna boil everything 2moro but just wondering if anyone has had success with the household flea bombs if so what make/brand? If not what did work for you? Thanks

I work for a rescue centre and we have had a couple or rabbits in for coming up to a year and I think we need to 're-invent' them and change their image. This involves new pictures, info and names (suprising whats in a name).

I think Cashmere would suite one of them but I wanted a pair of names that could be linked up (u know like Jack & Jill kinda thing). Any ideas for a black female rabbit? that would go with the name cashmere? (was thinking another expensive fabric but can't think of many)

Any help appreciated.

Thanks :)

My dad and my step mum have a female terrier and a male collie (both un-neutered). for the terrier's last 4 seasons they have let her get pregnant - even though my step mum has told me 3 times that the dog has been spayed - she even took money from the sale of the last litter and told me it was 'all booked and paid for'. Any way, she is pregnant again now and apparantly she is absolutely HUGE. she is so big, she can't even lie down. I have told them time and time again to get one of them neutered and they keep lying to me saying its been done and then 3 months later she's pregnant again.

I have had enough of them lying to me and I can't contact my dad to tell him to sort himself out as his phones were confiscated a few weeks back (another of my step mum's lies caused this too!). Do I report them and get an RSPCA officer round there to shake em up a bit? or do I try and get his phone number and tell him sort his wife out and get the dog done (again!) ?

I really think its past just talking to them but at the end of the day, he's my dad even though I've all but dis-owned him!

I was looking on ebay earlier and came across a hutch being sold as a rabbit, guinea pig or ferret hutch. I just want your opinion on whether you think this person has any moral conscience at all to be telling people that it is suitable for any animal.

Here is a link to the hutch:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rabbit-guinea-pig-hutch-...

And before anyone accuses me of being and 'animal rights nut' or anything, please don't because I am not. thank you!

And obviously people have to use their own common sense when deciding what to put in there but should they be advertising it as suitable for any animal as I would only put a hamster in there.

I have an 8 month old neutered male Labradoodle and a 4 1/2 month old German Shepherd female. In the last couple of days Drifter (the male) has started humping Delta my GSD like crazy. He had only started humping (which was every now and again and wasn't constant!) when we got him neutered and he seemed to calm down.

Then we temporarily took in a 4 1/2 month old male springer and they were both humping Delta for a few weeks and then calmed down. We returned the springer to his owner on monday and now Drifter is constantly humping Delta to the point where she is running around playing ball and he's hanging on for dear life!

I know that he could possibly be re-claiming her now that the springer has gone. I was wondering if anyone has had similar problems or if they have any other ideas as to why he's doing this. We have been wondering if maybe she's having her first season early and is emitting pheremones that are attractive to him but I haven't come across this and her vulva isn't swollen or bleeding.

Any ideas you have are welcomed!! Thanks x

Now this is probably going to get me shouted at in several different languages but my response to the woman who suggest dogs should be muzzled at all time around children is:

Lets handcuff all adults just incase they turn out to be paedofiles!!

While I casn't imagine what she went through losing her son and I can sort of see where she coming from but muzzling all dogs when outside AND inside the home if they are around children is along the same mentality as handcuffing adults just in case. a sever breach of human/animal rights and its not right!!

I don't really have a question here but just want to get a feel for people's responses to this woman's demands of the prime minister.

I have had 2 pet rats for 2 years. Last winter I started showing a slight allergic reaction to my rats and any other pet rats I handled. and then i was fine over the summer nut It has started happening again this winter.

I was just wondering if any one has any ideas about why this is only happening in winter??

The reaction is just small raised red lumps on the skin where the rats have been in contact with

I have had 2 pet rats for 2 years. Last winter I started showing a slight allergic reaction to my rats and any other pet rats I handled. and then i was fine over the summer nut It has started happening again this winter.

I was just wondering if any one has any ideas about why this is only happening in winter??

The reaction is just small raised red lumps on the skin where the rats have been in contact with.

and I am a student of Llysfasi College (part of Deeside College) studying towards a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Animal Management. As part of my course I have to complete and ‘investigative project’ where I research a topic of my own choosing. For my project I have decided to research boarding kennels, their design and the legislation affecting the running of boarding kennels. Before looking into kennel design I would like to know what pet owners look for in a boarding kennel. I would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes just to fill out this questionnaire about what you would look for if choosing a boarding kennels. If you have never used a boarding kennel before please answer with what you would choose if you were to use one, thank you.

1. What breed/size of dog do you own?

2. How old is your dog? (please circle)

0-2 years □ 2-4 years □ 4-6 years □ 6-8 years □ 8+ years □

3. Have you used a boarding kennel before?

Yes □ No □

4. How many walks a day would you want your dog to have?

1□ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ specified by you on arrival □

5. Would you prefer your dog to be fed its normal food during its stay in a kennels?

Yes □ No □

6. Which kennel type would you prefer your dog to stay in?

(A) 'traditional' kennel design of 1 or 2 rows of kennels with outruns

(B) 'Dogs trust kennel design' where dogs have spacious rooms, with outdoor runs.

7. Of the two kennel types above, which do you think you would be able to afford?

a. A b. B

8. How much would you be willing to pay for kennel type A?

£0-£10 per night □ £11 - £20 per night □ £21-30 per night □ £31 + □

9. How much would you be willing to pay for kennel type B?

£0-£10 per night □ £11 - £20 per night □ £21-30 per night □ £31 + □

10. What services would you like to see offered by your boarding kennel?

Outdoor playpens □ Training services □ Medication □

Online access to CCTV in each kennel □

Activity packages (i.e. agility, country walks etc) □

Heated kennels □ Text/email updates □ Grooming service □

Pet Taxi □ Pet Supplies □ Hydrotherapy □

Other (please specify)

11. Any other comments about what you would look for in a boarding kennel for your dog(s):

either copy and paste the questionnaire into the answers box and bold or caps lock the answer. Thank you!!

Two persian cats came into work today (I work in a rescue centre). I've never had much to do with cats before i started there let alone persians! On their initial health check we noticed one of them had funny canines. The top ones protruded almost vertically from her gums!! I've never seen this and booked her in to see the vet. I just wondered if there are any experienced persian owners who have seen this before???

The other day i noticed my female bearded dragon had a pea sized lump under her front leg (arm pit area). I checked it again today, its not got any bigger but the area around it feels a little fluidy. I'm calling into the vets tomorrow but just wondered if any experts had any ideas??

any help appreciated thanks

Trying to find insurance for my cat. best quote i've found is pet-insurance.co.uk. its cheap and the cover is brilliant. i'm a little nervous to take up cover though as i've never known anyone to use these. I'm all for using pet plan but my mum wants to find a cheaper one or one with lower excess. this is the cheapest one i've found but has the highest excess.

anyway, just wondering if anyone on here have used this company and what your experiences are with them. Any feedback appreciated thanks x

I've got a bengal kitten about 4 months old now. apart from being a little crazy she's totally healthy. but she loves to eat tobacco. We don't let her but sometimes when my mum rolls a cig she forgets to close it and the cat is straight up and she actually eats it not just sniffs it or plays with it. I've never actually had a cat before so just wondering if anyone else has a cat that does this and why she does it? any suggestions please :) thanks

I got a Kitten the other day she's a bengal cross and she's about 9-10 weeks old. She is wonderful but when she climbs on us she will wave her bottom in our faces. I was just wondering why this is? i have done a little bit of reaseach on cat behaviours but i've not found anything on this. any thoughts appreciated. thanks

i volunteer at the R.S.P.C.A and we got to discussing how we could improve the image of the bull terrier type breeds as it seem that a lot of people now see them as 'viscious' and 'hard' dogs that should be feared and banned.

I know that they are brilliant dogs and deserve the best owners but it would help if we knew the general attitude towards them.

What is it that people really think about them?

Do you think it is the dog or owner that has a problem?

please any and all thought would be helpful. thanks :)

Locally to me two police officers have been recorded on camera punching and kicking their two dogs, one of which is a puppy. two police officers!! supposedly pillars of the community?!? all it said on the BBC news website was that they got community service. is any one else appalled by this? if a normal citizen had done it they would be banned from keeping any animals for life and probably would have got a sentence!! (well ... maybe not a sentence our animal protection laws suck!)

apparently obama said to his daughters that they can have a puppy as a reward. what breed do you think he'll get??

personally i think a labrador.

just a daft question, bit of fun really!?!

we bought a female gsd aged 2 about a yr ago now. she showed aggression towards other dogs at the time (especially in the car and when they passed the garden) we took her to a training class but since the a**hole kicked her when she was barking once she has started barking at ppl as well. i know that this stems from her being protective of the car and house. she shows no respect to my grandad and 'goes' for him quite regularly. she has never bitten him but i'm worried one day she might. recently however she has started going for me and normally she respects me. it sounds harsh but i think it'd be better to get rid of her before she goes for my mum as well (at which point there will be no one in the house she properly respects) or bites someone and i'd rather not have to have her put to sleep but i also know that no one would take her on. what should i do?