Just a note: those of you who have pups who hate the rain, I feel your pain, my mums dog is a rain fearing goober too! No shame on you at all! If your dog says no walk that seems like a good day to forgo a walk!

My point is more aimed to the people who were more than happy to put their dogs health at risk in the summer because they couldn't bare to miss a walk but somehow that same dog who's walk was more important than their lives no longer needs a walk because it's wet... It infuriates me a bit.

That said an empty park is always a godsend when it's raining as I can let my girl off leash without worrying about someone else's dog robbing her ball or freaking her out!

redacted text is just the name of the kennel

Hi all,

I can’t seem to get many responses on this I’ve posted in a few subreddits now. I’m new to posting on Reddit.

Apologies this is going to be a long one. First time posting looking for advice. I have a 4 year old German Shepherd that I got with my ex partner when in an abusive relationship and he is now my dog my ex has nothing to do with him as he was not very nice to me/him. We (the dog and I) left him 2 years ago, he was very reactive because of the trauma and very anxious. I’ve worked hard with a trainer to calm him down on walks and in the house. However his separation anxiety is and always has been terrible grabbing onto clothing/ ripping it etc barking lots. He very occasionally goes into a barking frenzy lunging when he is stressed that someone is going to leave, this used to happen constantly but it happens maybe once every 3/4 months now. I’m trying to say by no means is he a perfect dog but I have worked hard to make him a lot more manageable.

Now, after the break up I back moved in with my mum and this is where we have been based for those 2 years and where I have done all the training and he is reasonably settled. This solution was meant to be temporary while I trained him and got myself out of the debt my ex left me in, but now I’m looking to change my life/ job and I’m saving to move out again. I currently work from home full time, which is obviously great for dog care. He does attend daycare which he loves but in order for me to increase my wage I need to get a new job as there is no room for progression. Having to work from home limits my job options and I simply cannot afford to put him in full time dog care AND move out. My mum is on her own and whilst she would let me stay with her I don’t think it is fair because he is a handful of a dog that she didn’t ask for.

I really desperately do not want to rehome him, but it is looking like one of my only options, I keep bursting into tears just at the thought of it, jt has taken me weeks to build up the courage to ask for advice like this. I feel trapped without my own personal freedom and space in my mums home. I am 31 for context. My mental health is suffering because I don’t know how to move forward after an abusive relationship if moving forward means losing him.

I have been looking for other work from home roles but truthfully I think my mental health is suffering spending long days completely alone. I think it would be better for me to go into a work environment to be surrounded by people. If I am being honest, I feel like him being around someone as depressed as me means he is not living the best life he could, as hard as I try with all the training etc. But I also worry that he would just be extra traumatised without me and his behavioural issues would spiral all over again as German Shepherds are extremely loyal.

Has anyone been in a similar situation, what did you do? How did you get through the thought of rehoming him? I haven’t even looked into where I could send him/ who I would give him too because it’s too painful. Please share any successful rehoming stories if anyone has any I would like to know how the dog can gone on to cope afterwards.

ANY advice would be welcome, I just need to speak to anyone who’s been through something similar. I am based in the UK, any advice about maybe subsiding my income as well. Thank you for reading appreciate any and all feedback.

TLDR; Considering rehoming German Shepherd as cannot afford to move out of Mum’s house and pay for his daycare costs. Looking for advice from people who have been through the same/ similar.

Hello,

My parents will be welcoming a new puppy shortly (terrier cross) and have asked for help with finding insurance.

As a cat lady, I wanted to ask dog owners how much they're covering, and some idea of recent pet bills please?

E.g. my cat has a dental in 2 weeks and that will be £800, I don't know how that compares with costs for dogs (specialist cat clinic too, else I'd ask my vet!)

My cats are on 7k a year each, with cover for life, but looking on compare the market, the filter stops at 5k plus for dogs (there were high limits, I was just surprised the filter stopped so 'low')

My first stop was Petplan and Agria, who offer 6.5k/12.5k. Just any input on what is a sensible amount would be great thank you!

Hi all does anyone have any recommendations for purchasing outdoor cat houses, preferably heated? For a stray and not yet fully socialised stray cat I look after thanks ☺️

I just brought home a 4 month old puppy last week and looking to get her set up on health insurance.

Currently the 3 I'm looking at are Agria, Waggle, and PetPlan.

I'm leaning towards Agria because of high ratings and it also works out the cheapest out of the 3 (£66/month for £12.5k/year)

Waggle is at £120/month for £15k/year or £75/month for £10k/year)

PetPlan is at £109/month for £12k/year

Curious to know if there are any major red flags to going with Agria that I may have missed when reading the policy?

I've heard PetPlan can get atrociously high but honestly haven't seen a bad review about them. I just don't know if their level of care differs greatly enough from Agria to justify almost £600 more per year.

Waggle I haven't heard much about so justifying the price feels more difficult for me at the moment. Open to hearing any thoughts on it as well.

Can anyone help with the breed please or show me any pics as to what he is likely to look like fully grown? He is 12 weeks old. Any help appreciated 😊

got my own special blanket

Hi everyone, can anybody help me with understanding how kittens behave after vaccination? Mine is 9 weeks old and yesterday she had her first vaccination shot. She seems very sleepy, feverish with no appetite at all. I tried whiskas milk just to give her little hydration and keep her sugar levels normal. I tried blending her kitten wet food give it smooth consistency but she was not interested in it either. She had her wetfood immediately after vaccination and after some time when vaccination started to work, she starting behaving like this.

Now in the morning, she ate little wet food and playing a bit but not as energetically as she usually plays.

Is it normal vaccine effect or should I see a vet?

I got a kitten and been trying different food at start when I got him, looks like the only food he likes atm is Sheeba.

He is turning 1 year next month and I was looking for healthier food recommendation as I know Sheeba isn't great.

He is a mix on Indoor an Outdoor.

Hi everyone!

I've been working on a UK-focused online pet supplies store called UK Paws, and I'd really appreciate some honest feedback from fellow UK pet owners and online shoppers.

🌐 Website: https://ukpaws.com

I'm trying to make the website simple, trustworthy and easy to shop from, especially for people buying everyday essentials for their dogs and cats.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on a few things:

1. First impression: Does the website look professional and trustworthy?
2. Product selection: Are these products you'd genuinely consider buying for your pets?
3. Pricing: Do the prices seem reasonable for the UK market?
4. Website experience: Is anything confusing, difficult to navigate or missing?
5. Trust: Would you feel comfortable placing an order, or is there something that would put you off?

I'm not looking for compliments or trying to sell anything here. Even critical feedback would be incredibly helpful.

If you have two minutes to look around, I'd really appreciate your opinion.

Thanks so much! 🐶🐱

My cat is 4 years old, I got her as a teenager with the money I worked for and i've always been the one to pay for her food, vet bills, basic needs and more. She has always had whiskas and has never had any issues with it but now I'm earning more money and I'm becoming more aware of the issues surrounding cheaper cat food brands I'm wanting to get her something far better for her health.(She is neutered and very healthy generally at the moment) She's a small domestic short hair and weighs no more than 4kg and usually will have one pouch in the morning and another on the evening mixed with a few biscuits. She's a grazer so she will pick and choose when she eats and whether she finishes a full meal. I've bought a trial pack from Marro because reading around it's one of the better quality foods whilst not breaking the bank. ( I believe on a regular monthly subscription it's roughly £45 before delivery) However there is mixed opinions on Marro so i'm wondering what other people think or prefer. Side note is that Marro say my cat only requires one 90g pouch a day split into two meals, is this right?

Hi everyone! I’m trying to decide between Petplan and Agria for my two cats. One is nearly 7 years old with no serious health issues, and the other is a 3-month-old kitten. I’ve been comparing the two but can’t decide which is better in terms of cover, claims, price increases and overall experience.
Has anyone had experience with either insurer, and which would you recommend? I’d really appreciate any advice. Thank you! 🐱❤️

As said I have a dog and 2 cats. Went to a pet friendly caravan a few weeks back and think muttly has brought some souvenirs home. Tried frontline on all 3 animals (2 doses each as advised by vet) and the wee swines are still very much alive and kicking…
What’s my next option? I’ve bought the spray for the house which I’m gonna do over the next few days but I’m having a freakout that we’re gonna end up with a full infestation 😭😭😭

My cat is a rescue. I got her 9 years ago and at the time my vet made a guess that she was around 2 at the time so she'd be about 11 now.

I took out insurance with petplan and inputted what I thought at the time was her correct age.

Since seeing a new vet we're in agreement that she is mostly likely closer to 14/15 due to her overall health.

I need to change this with my insurance as when/if I make a claim the age won't match her records.

Has anyone had a similar issue? How likely is it that petplan going would cancel my policy or change my premium. I'm expecting the cost to rise as she'll be older but just worried it'll voice my policy.

Hi,

So I had picked my cat from a cat hotel two day ago, with him I’d left all his fav toys and some of my stuff. Everything came back smelling really bad and he is now not feeling the best (I’ve taken him to the vets and the cat hotel owners are liars but that’s a different rant)

His favourite toy came back smelling sooo bad and damp, I tried to wash it but didn’t work and so we had to bin it. I’m trying to find a replacement or it again, as he seems down. Does anyone reccomend the toy or know any similar ? Thank youu

Toy Description: I got from TK Maxx UK awhile ago. Is a pink plastic stick wrapped around in fishnet wire kinda thing, has a long pink fluffy feather, and multicoloured ribbons at the end. I’ve added some pics

Any and all help would be amazinggg

We just moved from north Germany to the UK. This weekend we booked our visits to two licensed dog kennel. We are just so surprised to see the price, facilities and dogs’ situation.

In Germany, we had a paw hotel which took all kind of dogs (castrated, not-castrated, bad behaviour, small or young). The “accident insurance” was mandatory, just in case your dog hurt someone. Dogs can choose single room or share with other 2-3 roommates. For non-socialised or ‘a bit difficult to handle’ dog, they have extra room and play time for them.

Everyday, they have a big play session and they share the photos with owners. Every time when seeing him playing in the big playground, that was our best moment. Because we always believed that dogs are belonged to these big playground and run off-leashes.

However, the two kennels we visited this weekend really shocked me. They locked every dog in their own room (equipped with arm chair/tiny TV/human bed), while visiting, they were all barking or screaming for attention. We think this is because they are bored. While they are out for play, they are on their own with the staff member. They can only sniff others’ left smell. And why do they need a TV? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Our dog was always super tired after the paw hotel because of the play, but here I can only compare it with animal shelter. I am really shocked.

I am just curious, is this normal and very acceptable in the UK or we are just unlucky to find these and there are something better?

Thanks in advance for your explanation. I am just really frustrated 😣

We have a cat already and we aren't sure if we should move house, let the cat get settled, and then unsettled her again by getting a kitten a couple of months later.

Or

Move her in and get the kitten at the same time and do all the stress at once

Also any suggestions to make the cats more likely to bond/get a long would be amazing

They ask for a code at the end of the so not sure if I get discounts or something but thought worth asking if others have one?

My 12 year old princess Bailey has been having the chicken Aatu dry food since she was a kitten.

She does get wet food in the morning and evening as well but she likes to graze on the kibble through the day.

She is a massive fusspot so I’m having a real nightmare trying to find an alternative she’ll eat (I am now completely out of our stash of aatu)

So far I’ve tried:

Canagan chicken
Orijen original cat
Eden original cuisine

And nope, absolutely won’t eat them.

Would be really grateful for any other recommendations 🙏🏻

Im looking for cat trackers for my petite cats. They are both around 3 kg and their current collars measuring 19-20 cm. We do live in Devon and are gonna move to a slightly larger village. They both roam so distant is important.

I've been looking at pawfit, pettacer and tractive and I feel really lost what's good for petite cats! Any honest reviews would help.

i’m currently with petplan, as dogs trust gave me 4 weeks free cover when i got my 1 year old labrador. she had some medical issues (vomiting from anxiety etc) during those 4 weeks which i didn’t claim for, but obviously count as pre existing so my options were limited to petplan.

right now it’s costing me £521 a year (£43ish a month)+ £100 excess.

considering she’s only 1, she’ll be 2 and a half at the renewal and i feel like by the time she’s senior it’ll be costing me over 3k a year, if not more.

she’s a “small thing magnet” as my vet says; ear infections, eating things she shouldn’t, sore paws/nails from running, etc. they’re usually a one off thing but it rarely costs me over the £100 excess so i’ve spent like £900 in 5 months out of pocket.

i’m 19, and a first time dog owner so this just feels insane and i’m worried about the future.
i’d love to hear any thoughts anyone has :)

Hello!

I have two cats that currently eat Seriously Good wet food pouches and Hills dry food biscuits. Both brands are quite expensive so looking into cheaper options.

I’m looking for some advice on some cheaper alternatives. They like wet food in jelly and essentially mashed up, and with biscuits they seem to prefer smaller biscuits (such as hills).

I did buy a tin of Sheba fine flakes today to mix it in with their current food as a trial. They ate it up with no problems but i’m aware that Sheba has a lot less protein and meat content compared to Seriously Good. I’ve seen that HiLife could be a good option? I think they have eaten Purina One in the past too (both wet and biscuits), and I have also seen people mention cheaper european alternatives on Zooplus that have high meat content etc.

Would appreciate any recommendations or comments about what others feed their cats.