Anything For Animals

posted by admin on Jul 21

You may be helping to kill turtles, sharks and even whales - all for a snack!

As you sit at home reading this, there are dying sea turtles taking their last painful look at the world; a young shark could be struggling to breath in a place it has always lived; or a passing whale wondering why it can’t resurface this time for one last breath…..

All so that you can have that fish lunch you have been promising yourself….

Unfortunately, fish hooks don’t just catch fish and fish nets don’t just catch fish either - infact more species of fish, mammal and crustacean die than the very fish we are trying to catch.

You may be currently aware of the problems of by-catch closer to home - but it is just as important across the World as it is at home with WWF estimating that a marine turtle is killed every few minutes across the Oceans; and they are trying to highlight just one - but very important - area that is currently under threat.

The Coral Triangle:

This is a vast area of the Oceans stretching from South-East Asia out into the Pacific Ocean where some 3000 species of fish ply the reefs - along with 5 of the 7 known species of turtles; plus all sorts of other associated species in tropical waters.

The fishermen here are just fishing - as they have done for centuries - to make a living, however the equipment they are using is old-fashioned and is the root of the issue.

With rising numbers of mouths to feed, and rising costs of living - these fishermen are increasing in numbers and so is the amount of by-catch - ie; turtles and dolphins!

However, with a few new items of fishing equipment and a small amount of training - the number of non-fish species caught and killed by these fishermen can be greatly reduced.  For example a newly designed hook that can reduce turtle deaths by an amazing 90%.

And if turtles do get snared, it is normally only a slight wound that results and with the employment of another great invention, these hooks can be removed simply and with as little damage as possible.

How To Help:

Well, these fishermen still need to make a living - and we still want to eat fish - so the best way you can help is to get in touch with WWF to promote and increase the use of these specialist hooks.  A 90% reduction in turtle deaths is well worth just a small donation.

The fishermen don’t want to catch the turtles as they take up a hook that a fish could have been on, but they weren’t able to move on from their old techniques - however, technology can help - and so can you.

And by donating regularly to WWF, you can help them to investigate more ways to save marine life and improve the livelihood or other people across the globe who rely on the oceans for their food and wages.

We already have quite easy lives - so let’s share that good fortune.

posted by admin on Jul 9

Everyone loves a Donkey - and this registered charity is the best place to see dozens of them!

After becoming a charity in 1973 with 38 donkeys in the care; and then they acquired an extra 204 extra donkeys from another Donkey Rescue Sanctuary that could no longer care for them.

Needless to say, from that point on, there was no turning back - and land was brought to house this growing family of rescue donkeys.  Since their humble beginnings, they have had over 14 and a half thousands donkeys pass through the shelter!

Their main rescue shelter is Slade Farm near Sidmouth in Devon, and is home to around 200 donkeys as well as a great shop, restaurant and plaques of all the doners over the years.   It is also the site of their excellent Training Centre, offering free courses on Donkey care and other equine needs and requirements.

 They also have 7 other sites, covering over 1000 arces and housing more than 500 more donkeys - but these are not open to the public - just for the Donkeys to enjoy!

What They Do:

They don’t just collect old and retired Donkeys from across the UK and leave them in fields - they have a stream of other activities, responsibilities and events to co-ordinate across not just the UK, but they have projects across the entire globe!

You can find them working hard in Cyprus, Egypt, Italy and Spain, as well as Etheopia, Kenya, India and Mexico, as well as smaller projects across those continents too.

As well as offering training and advice to Donkey owners abroad, they also have a host of courses for potential and extisiting Donkey owners in the UK.  So, whether you are in the ‘thinking or owning’ stage or have a small number of resident Donkeys - there will be something for you to learn from the experts.

What You Can Do:

The objects of The Donkey Sanctuary are the provision of care, protection and or permanent security anywhere in the world for donkeys and mules which are in need of attention by reason of sickness, maltreatment, poor circumstances, ill-usage or other like causes and the prevention of cruelty and suffering among donkeys and mules.

And you can help them to achieve that without ever having even stroked a rescue Donkey!

Without money and time - these targets just cannot be achieved in the time scales needed or over such a wide area.  Every voluntary fund-raiser or helping hand at Open Days, Events and on the farms is making sure that valuable funds are being spent where they are most needed - as well as making sure that every Donkey in the UK is still getting the best care and attention.

If the Donkey Sanctuary had to pay all of it’s volunteers - they wouldn’t be able to spend any money on the Donkeys themselves!

And you don’t need to live within a short distance of any of the farms either - you can hold a fund-raising event anywhere in the UK to rasie money and awareness for Donkeys; and you could even nominate this Charity as your own when you take part in a Charity Challenge like ‘Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro’ or ‘Trekking the Inca Trail’ - raising thousands of pounds in one go!

You can buy a gift membership from the Centre, or Adopt a Donkey for a friend or relatives birthday - where they will receive information about their chosen Donkey and other relevant updates.

Go to their Website to find out more about what they do and how you can help.

posted by admin on Jun 2

There are many types of roundworms that could infect mammals; but the 2 most common types found in domestic cats are:

Toxicara felis:
Kittens can be infected after birth by their mothers milk. Towards the end of her pregnancy, hormones trigger any dormant larvae in her muscles to pass into the mammary glands. These larvae migrate through the milk glands and straight into the stomachs of the newborn kittens.

Once ingested, these larvae grow inside the kitten and can become adult worms while the kitten is still young - obviously they will use the nutrition from the milk instead of the kitten itself.

The kittens can also ingest futher larvae from infective eggs in the environment (on their bedding, etc) or more commonly, through the bitches milk until they are weaned. 

Kittens with a heavy burden of worms will have their growth stunted, and very likely have distended, swollen bellies and will often vomit and have diarrhoea.  Severe infections of worms have been known to totally block the intestines.

However, kittens should have naturally expelled all their adult worms by 7 months of age. Any eggs or larvae ingested after this time won’t become adult worms in the gut, but will pass through the intestine wall into the body of the kitten (now an adult cat) and settle as their resting state (as cysts) in the muscle tissues.

Any eggs that were ‘passed’ by these kittens or the queen onto the ground or bedding, usually in faeces, have very protective cases and can survive outside for up to 2 years waiting to be eaten or licked up by an animal or human (not washing their hands before eating).

If these eggs are ingested by any animal other than a dog (their specific host) they will not become adult worms in the body - it is host specific to only cats.

However instead, they will travel through the body to the muscle tissue and remain temporarily inactive in a ‘cyst’. This animal (or person) then becomes their temporary host as the worm larvae are hoping that one day, when this ‘animal’ dies, it will be eaten by a cat (or other animal that is then eaten by a cat) and they can complete their lifecycle.

Basically this worms job is to live in the female cats muscle tissue until she becomes pregnant so it can infect her kittens.

Toxicara leonina:
This roundworm will infect both cats and dogs as part of it’s life cycle, but it is not a zoonosis - it has not been known to pass to humans in it’s live state.

There is no infection before birth from the mother to her unborn young, or through the mothers milk - infection is commonly seen in young adolescent animals as they begin to explore their enviroment and ingest eggs or temporary hosts containing inactive larvae (i.e; a cat eating an infected mouse or beetle, or a dog eating undercooked offal and game).

There are normally no outward clinical signs of light or heavy infestation with this worm, as they are well tolerated by both cats and dogs, so you wouldn’t know that your pet even had them!

A good a reason as any to regularly worm your cats!!!

posted by admin on May 7

Why not create a fun game to teach your kids or friends about dog breeds?

In the same way that wildlife books help you identify random plants by following a simple flow chart - you could split up and identify common - or not so common - dog breeds.  Or cat breeds, rabbit breeds or horse breeds etc…..

Obviously, it is far easier to learn something new when it is simple and you get fast results - so using technical terms is out of the question as well as things that can only be found out through serious study!

This should be fun!

The Key:

Now you need to decide whether this is for the very beginner - or whether they have a certain amount of doggy knowledge as otherwise this could become quite tedious - or just make 2.

The basic one assumes that they know no breeds at all - and the other can be more specific to rare or unusual breeds - after all if they know what a dalmation looks like - they won’t be using your guide anyway!

Now to get started you need to group your dogs in appearance related groups rather than show groups - as people who see a dog in the street might not know whether it is a working breed or toy dog - so go for looks alone - and start with the simple and most obvious breeds to get them out the way.

For example you may want to filter out Dalmation and Komandors straight away as they are unique in their looks and can’t be mistaken for anything else.  You could also look to be filtering out whole colour groups, like the blues, tri-colours and black and tans - as these groups are easy to spot and can then be further reduced to split up your Dobermanns from your Manchester Terriers.

You could also go on coat type early on if you wanted - although this might be better for later stages - however, a Mexican hairless and a Chow are also very easy to spot!

Problem Areas?

Yes, I know a German Shepherd can be white, black, black and tan, sable, long-haired or normal-haired - but you leave these till you need them - rule out the Maltese, Patterdales, Rottweilers, Collies and Shelties first before proceeding to the more variable breeds.

Try out different ways on scrap paper first as there will be more than one way to get to the same answer - and certain breeds may be at the end of several threads depending on your style of filtering.

Here’s a simple one to give you the jist.  Lets take a Rottweiler, GSD, Maltese and a Sheltie.  Now more than one could be black and tan; more than one could be white and more than one could be long-haired - so how do you filter them out?

Well, here are 2 ways:

1) Has it got very short hair - Yes - Rottweiler (leaving GSD, Maltese and Sheltie)
No: Could you pick it up easily? - No - GSD (leaving Maltese and Sheltie)
Yes: Is it White? - Yes - Maltese - No: it’s a Sheltie

2) Is it really fluffy? - Yes - Maltese
No: Could you pick it up easily? Yes - Sheltie
No: Has it got long hair? - Yes - GSD
No: Rottie

I know that this is only a small group and assumes that all the dogs are present - but it gives you an idea of how to avoid lengthy questions or variable breed descriptions.

These keys can also be used for the very basic teaching or breeds even - like how to tell the difference between all the common pet rodents, pet reptiles or caged birds etc.

It doesn’t have to stop at German Shepherds!  

posted by admin on Apr 27

Would you know what to do if an animal in your care collapsed?  Or a member of staff was seriously injured?

We all hope that these things will never happen to us - but they may well do and it is best to be prepared.  If you run a business that leaves animals in your care and you employ staff, work with volunteers or come into contact with the public - you should really get yourself trained up in case of emergencies.

And it isn’t just for work that you should get qualified either - it is for your own friends, family and pets.  Imagine being able to save a life in exchange for 1 day a year taking a First Aid course.

Animals First:
If you are a dog walker, groomer, sitter, owner or work in an animal shelter - you should really know the basics for animal health and safety.  Yes - the trained or experienced staff aren’t that far away and can come to the rescue - but sometimes it is the first few minutes that are the most important - so need you to act fast.

Sometimes - seeing that something is going to happen in advance is even better!  But you can only do this if you know what you are looking out for.

So, find a local course with a veterinary or animal care college and sign up!  You won’t ever regret going on a course - only not going!  And imagine the way you will feel if an animal dies in your care - then the course fee won’t seem that much in exchange for an animals life.

People Too:
It isn’t just your animal customers that might benefit from your help - while out walking or driving or when visiting a clients home - you could find a human in need of emergency assistance.

If you have taken an Emergency First Aid course you will know how to assess the situation in an instant and make sure that that person gets the best first aid that you can offer - and the basic checks only take about 15 seconds.

Such a short amount of your time could actually have saved their life.

Don’t Be A Stranger:
Why do you have to take this for work anyway - you might not even meet any humans in your day to day working hours?  Well, think of your family and friends.  People you know can have accidents too you know - so take the course for them if anything.

You can never know too much about emergency first aid!

posted by admin on Apr 20

There is only 1 species of mink found in the UK - The American Mink.

As you can probably guess, the American Mink is an introduced species and is wreaking havoc across this ‘newly discovered’ landscape and is now a ‘pest species’ - which can be (humanely) trapped and killed.

But how can one species of mink be so destructive when their are other species of mink across Europe?

American Mink:
As their name suggests - these mink have not evolved to live in a European ecology.  They were brought to the UK for their furs and have since escaped or been ’set free’ into un unsuitable environment and in large numbers.

Mink are semi-aquatic mammals and love to eat anything they can fit in their mouths including our much loved and very endangered water voles!  They are very territorial and will not tolerate other minks coming too close - often fighting to the death…..

They will also take birds and eggs and are not liked amongst farmers, wildlife enthusiasts or conservationists to name a few parties.  Although they are a wonderful sight in themselves when seen wild - they are persecuted wherever they go.

They are black in appearance although can be more brown in cases due to inbreeding when farmed - however their tail is always very bushy and can be almost as long as their body - and they have huge whiskers on their face!

Their bodies are much longer than the average cat, but they have very short legs.  As a result, they move about by ‘hopping’ rather than walking like a cat, with their back slightly raised. They will also be seen in or near water - which is also very unlike a cat.

Not An Otter!
Some people get them confused with otters - which can be disastrous - as otters are very rare in most parts of the UK and shouldn’t be disturbed or trapped - and certainly not killed! In the UK they are also a protected species and even getting too close for a picture can be stepping over the ‘legal’ line! 

The easiest way to tell them apart if you can only see one animal on it’s own is that the otter has tiny ears for it’s head!

Other differences include the following but aren’t always so easy to spot with one individual passing by in a flash (however if you see a long mammal in the water or on the ground in daylight infront of you for a long time - it will most likely be a mink as otters are very shy and mainly nocturnal).

Eurasian Otter: (Lutra lutra)
Brown, mainly water-based mammal - nocturnal and very wary of humans and dogs.
Rounded, wide face with tiny ears compared to the size of it’s head!
Pale, creamy colour band from the ears, down the throat and to the front legs.
Around 1 meter long (medium dog sized) - with thick, heavy-looking tapering tail.

American Mink: (Neovison vison)
Black, land and water-based mammal - active any time of day or night and not shy!
More pointy face with larger ears - more like a polecat.
Generally the same colour all over - but commonly with a bright white chin.
Up to 50cm long (large cat sized) - with a long, full, fluffy-looking light tail.

All Change:
Luckily for UK wildlife, mink occupy the same habitat as otters but otters are so much larger that the mink move away.  Eventually as the otters recover their numbers in the UK, mink numbers will drop to a manageable low - and they will stop eating all our precious wildlife!

However, the European Mink (Mustela lutreola) isn’t so lucky and are listed a endangered!  As the American Mink are bigger than them - they are the ones wiping out whole populations in Europe!  Unless trapping and habitat loss are dealt with on the continent, European Mink could be seeing their last few strongholds lost to the Americans!

Unfortunately - introduced species rarely ever settle in naturally to a new environment and will always be classed as pest if their habits badly affect other species.  So the people who ’saved’ a few farmed mink from becoming coats - could possibly have doomed several other species to extinction! 

So, ’save’ one common and hugely widespread domesticated individual from instant painless death - but allow it to painfully kill at least 2 other already restricted and endangered mammal species as well as numerous threatened birds and their eggs. 

Not such a well thought out ‘animal rescue’ after all!

posted by admin on Apr 9

Do you have a rabbit? And want to know more about their needs and requirements?

Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) is just what you are after.  No longer are we happy to leave bunnies in tiny hutches out in the garden with nothing but the odd carrot top to entertain them.

Studies have shown that rabbits are very intelligent animals that thrive on stimulation and enjoy playing games.  We also know a lot more about their dietary requirements and what other rabbits and pets they are most likely to get on with.

However, their behaviour is an area that is only just beginning to be explored by owners.  Apart from the odd foot thumps, digging in the garden and their habit of eating every cable in the house, many rabbit owners know little more.

So, RAW are hoping to shed some light on their peculiar habits and help you see your pets in a new and interesting light!

Housing Requirements:
Rabbits are very social animals - as you can tell from the number of rabbit holes over nearby fields and farmland - so why keep just 1 on it’s own? 

I know that certain breeds of rabbit require very large hutches and runs, so having 2 in there might make a ’small animal’ into a very large pet responsibility - but think of the scale.

If you look at how long an average pet-shop hutch is in ‘rabbits’ (in length) they are around 4 rabbits long and just over 1 rabbit wide - now lay that out for a cat, dog or horse!  It would just be unacceptable.

So why do we think that it is OK for a rabbit to live alone in such a small space?  And to only be handled a few times a week in summer and hardly at all in winter?

Also, rabbits talk ‘rabbit’ not ‘guinea pig’ - so why we ever thought that these 2 animals should live together in a confined space is quite strange?  And with rabbits being so much bigger and having giant thumpy feet - that poor guinea pig could get quite squashed! 

Free Health Checks:
Also as part of the RAW drive - vets across the country are opening their appointment schedule up for free bunny check-ups where you can discuss all sorts of lagomorphic queries (thats things relating to bunnies to you and me!).

Whether you are concerned over their fussy eating, worried about vaccinations or just think your bunny could lose a few pounds - take a few minutes to talk to your local vets and vet nurses about it for not a single penny!

You can also talk about housing requirements, handling, teeth checking, nail clipping and neutering at the same time.

Hop on over to their website for more great tips, a chance to enter your bunny pictures and to find the dates of rabbit-related events in your area.

Happy Bunny Week!

posted by admin on Mar 1

If you want to give your rabbit or guinea pig (or other small animal) a natural treat - head outside!

There are plenty of foods that may well be growing in nearby woodland or large wooded parks that will make a tasty treat to your little fluffy pets! Alongside their normal complete foods - there is no harm in offering a small amount of certain plants that may well already be growing close to your home or out on a walk - and if anything, they will actually do some good!

Don’t worry if you don’t have access to nearby woodland or glades etc, as you could easily grow many from seed yourself either in your garden or in pots. Also have a read through the other relevant Quick Guides to find wild plants and fallen nuts to find other safe natural foods for your rodents and rabbits!

However, also check the Dangerous Plants Quick Guide for things to avoid - and if in doubt about whether you should feed a certain plant, seed, berry or nut you have found - say NO and pick something else instead. There will be plenty of nice things to pick out there so don’t risk it!

Tasty Woodland Plants & Nuts:
Most bunnies and piggies get the freedom of munching on just grasses and lawns through the summer, so won’t get to taste a lot of these treats along the way.  However, there are many plants and trees that often don’t grow in gardens (or aren’t allowed to grow) so they are more likely to be found out on a coutryside walk or close to farmed land.

It is definately worth seeking these out for a bit of a change - and to leave plants and trees in your garden to attract and feed other mammals, insects and birds!

Fruit Trees - These common trees are totally safe for rodents and rabbits to nibble on and can be great for keeping those teeth in trim!  As long as they aren’t ornamental fruit trees or have been treated with unknown chemicals - you can throw a few twigs in with your pet and wash them gnaw away on the bark to get to the tasty insides!

Willow - This may also be found in gardens and often along river banks and is another safe treat for your pets.  They don’t need much of the branch to enjoy the taste - and of course you don’t want to damage the tree! 

Hawthorn Berries - Bright red berries start to form on these spiny bushes around late summer taking the place of the pretty may flowers!  Mind yourself when picking there as the plant tried to protect it’s berries with sharp spikes that can catch finger if you aren’t careful!  Don’t pick too many at a time as your pet may eat more than it should - and they are an important berry for many migrating or winter birds.

Acorns - Squirrels love them so why not offer your rodents a few?  They are tasty and nutritious nuts and fall from the tree when ripe to save you from picking them yourself.  Similarly in spring, you can also pick off a few new oak leaves for your rabbit - but only the really new leaves and only a few!

Hazel - We all know that hazel nuts are tasty - so why not give your gerbil or rat a few from the woods?  They can use their sharp teeth to gnaw their way in - and get a high protein tasty snack as a reward!  They can also chew on the branches of this tree as well - and as the hazel is usually coppiced, you may be able to find some small twigs left over after the landowners have harvested for themselves!

Beech Nuts - As with the Hazel, both the nuts and the tree itself can be eaten safely by your pets - however both the brances and the nuts are harder to come by!  Most beeches are mature and you can’t easily snap off a twig - and the nuts only fall at random times - and most years there won’t be a single nut on the tree! 

But remember - don’t give too much fresh food at a time. Too much will not only upset their tummy, but it will also stop them eating their complete foods with all the vitamins and minerals in!

They only have a small tummy too, so what ever they don’t eat that same day will die overnight and will be wasted - and that could have been eaten or used by wild animals instead - or picked by you at a later date.

posted by admin on Feb 22

If you want to give your rabbit or guinea pig (or other small animal) a natural treat - head outside!

There are plenty of foods that may well be growing in nearby grasslands or large parks that will make a tasty treat to your little fluffy pets! Alongside their normal complete foods - there is no harm in offering a small amount of certain plants that may well already be growing close to your home or out on a walk - and if anything, they will actually do some good!

Don’t worry if you don’t have access to open fields etc, as you could easily grow many from seed yourself either in your garden or in pots. Also have a read through the other relevant Quick Guides to find wild plants and fallen nuts to find other safe natural foods for your rodents and rabbits!

However, also check the Dangerous Plants Quick Guide for things to avoid - and if in doubt about whether you should feed a certain plant, seed, berry or nut you have found - say NO and pick something else instead. There will be plenty of nice things to pick out there so don’t risk it!

Tasty Grassland Plants:
Most bunnies and piggies get the freedom of munching grasses and lawns through the summer, so will get a lot of these treats along the way, but there are many plants that don’t often grow in gardens, they are more likely to be found in larger grassland areas or close to farmed land or woods. 

So, it is worth seeking these out for a bit of a change - and to leave plants in your garden to attract and feed other mammals, insects and birds!

Cow Parsley - This ridiculously messy plant is often found around field edges or all throughout longer grasses.  With its wide spanning but thin stems all tangled together and its profusion of white flowers from April - you will only need to pick 1 plant to keep your rabbit happy all afternoon - and just a few flowers for smaller pets!

Thistle - This might not look too appealing to you with all the spiky bits - but they are very tasty for vegetarians!  So just pick a few stems or flower heads in the summer - as they will be tricky to carry home in your pockets!  Also, these plants can be covered in a wispy material - which is likely to be bugs - so make sure you don’t pick those ones!

Colt’s Foot - These low yellow flowers are very popular for grazing on and can be found in short grass around February to April only.   However, there are a lot of taller yellow-flowered plants that will not be good for your pets - and may well be members of the Ragwort plant family and must be avoided!

Vetch - These delicate little plants are easy to spot in the grasses - although they can look like other such flowers.  They will be either purple, yellow or pink and usually have lots of their flowers all on the same stems and they also have a very distinctive style of leaves. 

Yarrow - These tall plants have a single stem with florets of white flowers on top - usually 4-6 florets per stem.  Their leaves are similar to fine ferns and remain tightly curled until they are mature.  They have similar flowers to the cow parsley above, but the stem is not branched at all and is only half the height a well. 

Hogweed - These plant are similar again to the cow parsley but on a ginormous scale!  These giant plants can grow to 2 metres tall and have over 40 florets of tiny white flowers on top.  They are usually in groups of about 6 seperate stems (plants) and of course you won’t need a whole one!  Just snap off a tasty flower top as you pass in the summer!

But remember - don’t give too much fresh food at a time. Too much will not only upset their tummy, but it will also stop them eating their complete foods with all the vitamins and minerals in!

They only have a small tummy too, so what ever they don’t eat that same day will die overnight and will be wasted - and that could have been eaten or used by wild animals instead - or picked by you at a later date.

posted by admin on Feb 15

If you want to give your rabbit or guinea pig (or other small animal) a natural treat - head outside!

There are plenty of foods that may well be growing on your garden that will make a tasty treat to your little fluffy pets!  Alongside their normal complete foods - there is no harm in offering a small amount of certain plants that may well already be growing in your back garden - and if anything, they will actually do some good!

Don’t worry if your garden isn’t overflowing with the following plants, as you could easily grow them from seed yourself.  Or read through the other relevant Quick Guides to find wild plants and fallen nuts to find other safe natural foods for your rodents and rabbits! 

However, also check the Dangerous Plants Quick Guide for things to avoid - and if in doubt about whether you should feed a certain plant, seed, berry or nut you have found - say NO and pick something else instead.  There will be plenty of nice things to pick out there so don’t risk it!

Tasty Garden Plants:
Most bunnies and piggies get the freedom of munching grasses and lawns through the summer, so will get a lot of these treats along the way, but there may be some that are on uneven ground or around the garden edges that they would love - but can’t reach!

Clovers - Commonly found on most lawns mixed in with the low grasses.  In May to October you can spot their flowers - usually white, pinky or all pink with 3-part leaves across patches of lawn.  The flower and leaves are super tasty!

Daisys - Easy to spot in the garden and flowering from May through the summer.  Common daisys are quite small and low to the ground, but the Oxeye daisy is huge and can grow up to 60cm tall on garden edges and in taller grasses.  Other daisy-looking plants (yellow centre with white leaves) may well be camomiles and are also very welcome!

Dandilion - Everyone’s favourite garden plant as they make the familiar ‘clocks’ when they disperse their seeds!  Many meticulate gardeners call this juicy flower a ‘weed’ but your rabbits and pigs - as well as hamsters and gerbils - will wolf this down given half the chance!  Both the leaves and flowers are edible - but don’t pick these from along the pavement as they may be contaminated.  Stick to those flowering in your garden over the warmer months!

Plantain - These low leaves are around all year in quite a thick group and can be picked all year too - however the tall flowers only pop up in the summer when you can notice them towering above the grass with a heavy head on top.  People usually pick them to tie in a knot and fire the ‘head’ off at a friend!  But feeding them to bunny is better use of nature!

Nettles - Obviously a tricky customer, and not found in very tidy gardens - these plants will not sting you when they are young and can be picked without gloves, but better to be safe than sore!  Your pets won’t feel the effects as much as we do - but other animals depend on flowering nettle plants (as with all other flowers) so don’t clear your garden in 1 sitting - just take a few springs at a time to allow the plant to recover!

Chickweed - These lovely white flowers spring up all over the bare patches in your flower beds and there will be plenty of them too!  However, there are a lot of similar plants, like stitchworts that won’t be as tasty - so make sure you pick the right ones.  Their leaves are large too and can fill a little pigs tummy nicely!

But remember - don’t give too much fresh food at a time.  Too much will not only upset their tummy, but it will also stop them eating their complete foods with all the vitamins and minerals in!

They only have a small tummy too, so what ever they don’t eat that same day will die overnight and will be wasted - and that could have been eaten or used by wild animals instead - or picked by you at a later date.