A guide to - Pets on the Net

A guide to
fINDING PETS
What do you do if your
furry friend is missing?
A
missing pet can be upsetting
and very stressful, but being
proactive immediately after you
notice your pet’s disappearance will
increase the odds of finding your
beloved pooch or feline friend.
Of course, there are simple solutions
to increase your chance of success when
animals go wandering, including getting
your pet microchipped. Remember that
microchipping won’t work if you haven’t
kept your address and full phone numbers
up-to-date on the microchip database. If
your pet is microchipped and you don’t
know what database they are registered
on, call your vet or Animal Control to
double-check your contact details.
Sadly, no matter how many fences you
erect, bells, collars and microchips you
attach to your pet, they do go missing.
Pets on the Net is a fantastic website that
can help minimise stress with advice, free
notices and much more (see below right).
© Pets on the Net
Don
your pe ’t put
t’s
their co name on
makes llar, as it
it
petnap easier for
pers to
your pe coax
t to
them.
62
YOUR FAMILY
KIDS • PETS • family holidays
Find Your Pet
Strategy Plan
As soon as you realise your animal has
disappeared launch into stage One:
1. Search your house, garden and your immediate
neighbours’ property. Pets can sometimes hide in
a neighbour’s garage or garden shed.
If your pet still hasn’t turned up
after several days kick into action
with Stage Two:
2. Enter an instant and free lost pet notice on
1. Continue to check the ‘Found Pets’ section
www.petsonthenet.co.nz. Add a picture to your
ad as soon as you can. The site recommends
a picture as statistics show it increases your
chances of success by 450 per cent.
on the Pets on the Net website.
2. Continue to call SPCA/Animal Control
4. Ring Animal Control, the SPCA and all local
regularly – preferably daily, but definitely at least
once within any seven-day period. This is because
if a shelter such as the pound or SPCA receives
your pet, they have to hold them for only seven
days. After seven days, they can re-home your
pet, or even euthanise them.
vets in your area, including after-hours vets to see
if your pet has been turned in to them.
3. Continue your free ad on petsonthenet.co.nz.
5. Create a mailbox flyer with a photo of the
4. Continue ads in local papers.
missing animal and distribute to neighbours in
your street and surrounding areas. Pets on the
Net have a sample flyer and checklist online.
5. Continue to drop flyers in your street and
3. Search the ‘Found Pets’ section now. Continue
searching the site as often as you like.
6. Put a lost pet sign up on your fence.
7. Put up flyers at local shops, dairies, schools
and supermarkets. Your pet will be far easier to
identify if they have a colour photograph.
8. Place an advertisement in your community
newspaper, and don’t lose hope. Pets on the Net
publishes many stories about pets being found
weeks, sometimes months, after going missing.
widen out the area you drop flyers into and place
posters in.
6. Consider hiring a humane cat trap for missing
cats. You may catch a lot of neighbours’ cats, but
eventually you could hit the jackpot and catch
your own, especially if you have a strong feeling
they are hanging around in an area (for example,
if you moved, or your cat is timid and unlikely to
come when called). Tell your neighbours why you
are setting the trap, so they understand it is not
cruel. Check the trap daily.
What is Pets on the Net?
Pets on the Net is a nationwide database for lost and
found pets and pets for adoption. Launched in
March 2002, the website is fed information
from many SPCA animal shelters, vets
and members of the public. People
looking to adopt a pet can also check
out the site. The beauty of Pets on
the Net is there is no compulsory
membership, no product or
services to buy, and no fees
to pay to use any part of the
service. For more information
check out the website at
www.petsonthenet.co.nz.
Q
How does an empty-nester cope
with not being needed anymore?
I’m a divorced mum of two – one child
has moved to another city and the
other has moved in with her boyfriend.
A
Empty-nest syndrome is a common
response to not feeling needed by
your children anymore. Most mums have
been the primary carers for their children
for at least 20 years when their youngest
child leaves home, and it can leave a very
deep void in your everyday life.
While it makes sense that a mum
(or dad) can feel lost without a clear role in
their life, it’s amazing how little sympathy
they can get from friends and family.
To make it even harder, the empty-nest
syndrome can coincide with menopause,
retirement or redundancy, or losing a
spouse through death or divorce.
When children move in with their
boyfriend or girlfriend, it can be particularly
difficult to realise that you are not your
child’s main nurturer anymore.
There are things you can do to make
it easier to cope with these feelings:
■ Give yourself time to adjust – don’t make
any decisions in the first few months.
■ Consider training or further education.
■ Consider volunteer work or new hobbies.
■ Talk to friends in the same situation.
■ Pamper yourself, exercise and eat well.
■ Develop a new, adult relationship with
your children.
■ Call only once or twice a week and make
use of SMS and emails to stay connected.
■ Take any opportunity to meet new
people, such as travel and blind dates.
Generally it takes a year or two to adjust
to life after full-time motherhood, whether
you’ve been working outside the home or
not. If you’re continuing to feel tearful and
socially withdrawn and are unable to eat or
sleep, think about getting professional help
as you might be suffering from depression.
63