Small animals can bring so much joy to the people who know them! Whether you have a small pet of your own or you know someone who does, it’s important to consider their needs and feelings when you interact with them. The BC SPCA’s small animal expert, Meghann Cant, recently shared some advice. Here are some of her top tips:

• Take greetings slowly and offer the animal food rewards to build trust.

• Use two hands to pick up a small animal and support their body properly. Sitting on the floor can encourage them to approach you and even hop into your lap.

• If the small animal struggles, be careful not to squeeze them tighter!

• Never hold rats, mice or gerbils by their tails, or rabbits by their ears. Avoid picking up an animal by the “scruff” too.

• Never hold small animals on their backs like a baby – as prey animals, this frightens them!

• Be careful returning an animal to their enclosure; place them gently so they don’t fall.

For all the details to encourage a happy meeting with a small pet, read the full article here.

Meetings between pets and wildlife can be scary and dangerous, for the animals as well as the people who care about them. There are things we can do, though, to help keep everyone safe.

• Leash up. Off-leash dogs can chase and harm wild animals. Keeping dogs on-leash in wildlife areas can save lives. If dogs are walked off-leash, they should never be allowed to chase wildlife, and should be trained to answer an emergency recall.

• Keep the lights on. Many wild animals are active at night. To keep everyone safe, when dogs are taken out at night, they should be on leash and kept to well-lit areas.

• Watch for wild babies. Animals who makes nests on the ground – like mallard ducks and cottontail rabbits – are extra vulnerable to pets. Make sure you know where your pets are exploring to prevent injury to wild families.

• Don’t forget the felines. Sadly, cats can be injured or killed by wildlife when allowed outside unsupervised. Outdoor cats also kill hundreds of millions of wild birds and mammals each year. Solutions for families to consider that can protect both cats and wildlife include transitioning to indoors-only, providing safe outdoor access and leash training.

You can read the full article on the BC SPCA website for more information and helpful links.

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