What to do if...

Sometimes we can all feel uncertain what to do when it comes to the best care of an animal or what to do if we lose a pet, or even find someone elses. The following advice is to try and help you with these types of queries.

Bonfire Night

Many animals are frightened by fireworks. If your pet is frightened by loud noises, please seek advice from your vet.

Keeping cats and dogs safe and secure

Walk your dog during daylight hours and secure the cat flap, so your cat does not run away. At night, close all windows and curtains and turn on the radio or TV to try and drown out the sounds from outside. If your pet shows any signs of fear - try to ignore their behaviour, unless they become a danger to themselves. Do not show anger towards your pet, or reassure them - ignore the fireworks yourself - show them there is nothing to be afraid of.

Fledglings

If you find a fledgling, please do not touch it! These are very young birds and although they may not be able to fly, their mother is never too far away!

If you are worried that your cat will get to the fledgling, please keep your cat indoors for a few hours to give the bird the opportunity to move first.

If the fledgling is injured, or your concern for the animal grows, please log on to www.rspca.org.uk for further advice.

Hedgehogs

We all find hedgehogs in our gardens from time to time. If you want to leave food out for your garden visitors, please leave out meat based food like dog or cat food. Please do not leave out milk and bread as this can make hedgehogs very ill.

To hibernate successfully a hedgehog should weigh 600g. If you see a small hedgehog still wondering around once the whether starts to turn cold, especially if this is during the day, please log on to www.rspca.org.uk  for further advice.

Injured Animals

Contact the RSPCA Cruelty Emergency Line immediately on 0300 1234 999

Lost and Found Animals

If you lose your animal, please contact The Paws Centre on 01603 766001, and any other animal charities in your community to inform them and to check whether your pet has been handed in.

It is a good idea to have your pet microchipped as this makes it easier to re-unite lost pets with their owners. If your animal is microchipped, contact the company that logs the microchip information to ensure that the information held is correct.

The animal centres you contact will get in touch if an animal meeting your pets description comes in.

If you find a dog that you believe to be lost or a stray, please contact your council's Dog Warden.

If you find cat that you believe to be lost or a stray, make a paper collar with your telephone number on it asking for the owner to contact you. If someone calls, you can then be sure that the cat has a home.

Please do not feed the animal as it may be on a special diet.

The chances of a cat actually being a stray are quite slim as cats will go anywhere they can find a good meal and a fuss!

If you are particularly concerned that the animal is injured, or in a very bad condition, please contact the RSPCA Cruelty Line on 0300 1234 999 in an emergency.

For more help and information, please log on to www.rspca.org.uk or call the advice line on 0300 1234 555