THE CARE OF PETS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 780, 2 July 1954, Page 19

THE CARE OF PETS

cc HERE is a great deal more to the successful keeping of pets than seems apparent to many people when in the first flush of emotion or enthusiasm they dash off and acquire some hapless animal," says R. W. Roach, Director of the Auckland Zoo. Mr. Roach has recorded six ten-minute talks on The Care‘of Pets, and ‘these will be broadcastfrom: 1¥A on’ Wednesdays in

Feminine Viewpoint, beginning on July 7; and from 2YA on Saturdays, in Business Women’s Session, the first on July 10 at 10.30 am. "At first glance the subject appears to have highly exciting possibilities, dealing with all sorts of exotic . out-of-the-way creatures," Mr. Roach told The Listener. "But in New Zealand there are so many regulations that we are pretty’ well restricted to dogs and cats. Many of the animals regarded as highly fashionable pets overseas, Golden Ham-

sters and Marmoset monkeys, for example. are specifically forbidden here. There are «many pepular misconceptions about the variety of creatures available as pets-and a great many more about the proper way to treat those that are available." Mr. Roach will try to dispel some of these misconcevtions, keeping to fundamental problems. His first talk will be about the scope for pet. keeping here-what you can and can_ not keep in New Zealandand subsequent subjects will be "Choosing Pets," "Feeding," "Training," "Hygiene," ~including housing, grooming and principal diseases, and

finally "A Glimpse of Pets Less Frequently Kept." "Speaking of fundamentals," said Mr. Roach, "it is surprising, and distressing, | to count up the letters received at the Zoo from both adults and children, who bought a pet first, and afterwards set about finding out how to look after it. Then there are the cases one hears about of people who, having acquired a_ pet thoughtlessly, find out what they’ve let themselves in for-and can’t get rid | of it quickly enough: To be happy a | 1 ; pet needs proper care, affection and firmness. It absorbs a good deal of its | owner’s time, and it has a right to re- | sponsible, thoughtful treatment. "Many people believe in having pets to grow up with their children, and it is a very good thing that there should be pets in homes where there are children. But it must be the adult’s pet. The child himself should not have ownership until | he is 10 or more, old enough to be re- | spousible, and capable of attending to | all the animal’s needs. There should be | one person in the house who is clearly and definitely the animal’s master, and | this person should be the one to ‘train, ) feed and reprimand it, at least, in the | early stages of its training. Later other ) members of the family may do their share. i "Tt is important, too, that a pet | should be suitable for the person concerned. There have been cases of people | impressed by a lovely dog, weil trained, | majestic and dignified, saying to themselves, ‘My word. Isn't that magnificent. | We must get a dog like that.’ So they buy themselves a Great Dane puppy. | Then the pup proceeds to get bigger, | and bigger, and bigger, and its owners . more and more scared until the animal has the upper hand. You might think this point of compatibility of pet and owner a very obvious one, but it is often overlooked, with unfortunate results to | both parties." The Care of Pets is intended for adult | listeners, and will include mainly fundamental advice about the more commonly | kept animals.