1 2 – A ll A b o u t P e ts B y M e tro N e w s K itte n s a n d p u p p ie s g ro w u p fa st. O n e


m in u te th e y’re sm a ll, flu ffy b a lls o f fu r, a n d th e n e xt m in u te th e y’re ta k in g u p yo u r e n tire so fa . Y o u n g a n im a ls a re fu ll o f se e m in g ly


b o u n d le ss e n e rg y. Y o u n g p e ts m a y sp rin t fro m ro o m to ro o m a s th e y e xp lo re th e w o rld a ro u n d th e m , sn iffin g , scra tch in g a n d ch e w in g a lo n g th e w a y. A ll o f th is ca n b e a d o ra b le fo r th e first fe w m o n th s, b u t m a n y p e t o w n e rs a re le ft scra tch in g th e ir h e a d s w o n d e rin g w h e n th e ir p e ts a re g o in g to “ g ro w u p ” a n d b e le ss o f a fu ll-tim e jo b . Th e p e t re so u rce R o ve r.co m sa ys th a t p u p p ie s


a re g e n e ra lly co n sid e re d a d u lts b y th e tim e th e y re a ch th e ir first b irth d a y. Th is m a y va ry d e p e n d in g o n th e b re e d . Th e h o m e life g u id e Th e N e st.co m sa ys th a t k itte n s ta ke a b o u t a ye a r to re a ch a d u lth o o d . Ju st b e ca u se a ca t o r d o g is co n sid e re d a n


a d u lt d o e s n o t m e a n h e o r sh e w ill b e h a ve m o re m a tu re ly. In fa ct, a d u lth o o d o fte n m e a n s th e p e t sim p ly w o n ’t g ro w a n y m o re. M a n y b e h a vio ra l issu e s a sso cia te d w ith yo u n g a n im a ls m a y


co n tin u e in to a d u lth o o d . A p e t’s jo u rn e y to


e m o tio n a l m a tu rity ca n ta ke q u ite a w h ile, b u t it w ill co m e. H o rm o n a l su rg e s w ill e ve n o u t, a n d th e a n im a l w ill b e g in to se ttle d o w n . O n ly w h e n th a t p o in t is re a ch e d w ill p e t o w n e rs g e t a n id e a o f w h a t th e ir a n im a ls w ill b e like o ve r th e lo n g h a u l. It ca n ta ke a ca t u p to fo u r ye a rs to re a ch


e m o tio n a l m a tu rity. D o g s’ jo u rn e ys to m a tu rity w ill va ry d e p e n d in g o n th e b re e d a n d th e size o f th e a n im a l. Th e p e t fo o d co m p a n y P e d ig re e sa ys a la rg e d o g b re e d w ill m a tu re in to a n a d u lt b e tw e e n 1 5 m o n th s a n d tw o ye a rs, w h ile sm a lle r b re e d s m a y o n ly a ct like p u p p ie s fo r n in e m o n th s. S in ce e m o tio n a l m a tu rity va rie s fro m p e t to


p e t, th e se sig n s m a y in d ica te it h a s h a p p e n e d o r is ju st a b o u t th e re :


WE


L e th b rid g e H e ra ld W h e n a r e p e t s c o n s id e r e d a d u lt s ?


• S e ttle s d o w n m o re re a d ily a n d h a s fe w e r e p is o d e s o f “ th e z o o m ie s.”


• L is te n s b e tte r. • R e s p o n d s to s o c ia l c u e s fro m o th e r a n im a ls.


• O ld e r a n im a ls tre a t th e a n im a l lik e a n a d u lt.


• R e s p o n d s a p p ro p ria te ly to tra in in g . • D o e s n ’t g e t in to th e s a m e le v e l o f p u p p y o r k itty tro u b le a ro u n d th e h o u s e .


E ve n a s ca ts a n d d o g s m a tu re p h ysica lly a n d e m o tio n a lly, th e y m a y still h a ve so m e b o u ts o f yo u n g ste r b e h a vio r. B u t in g e n e ra l, a fte r a ye a r o r tw o p e ts sta rt to sh o w th e ir tru e co lo rs a n d b e h a ve m o re m a tu re ly.


BE V A E HR


F O R BE S O E R NV Bl o o d


G ol d E x oti E m er Di git a


2 4 H O U R IG T T AFF! SH


C h e cc k- U p s/ V a c ci n e s D e nt al al


rg e n c y


i c M e di ci n e e


R a di o gr a p h y C ar


St a n d ar d C at Pr a cti c e


T r a n sf u si o n a n d H y gi e n e


St or a g e


M e di c al B o ar G o o mi n g


r


N utriti o n & P et F o o d di n g


S ur R o ot C a n al s


r gi c al S er vi c e s gi c al S er vi c e s


O N O R E D TO O TE D # 1


V E TE R T O


OF T HE BE ST IN A R IA N.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16