]]> http://www.petopia.sg/blog/2013/05/epicmovie/feed/ 0 http://www.petopia.sg/blog/2013/05/3rd-birthday/ http://www.petopia.sg/blog/2013/05/3rd-birthday/#comments Sun, 05 May 2013 11:11:12 +0000 petopia http://www.petopia.sg/blog/2013/05/its-our-3rd-anniversary-and-we-have-a-great-deal-for-your-furbie/

Is your four-legged friend down in the dumps? Maybe a cruise, a bubble bath at the spa or some yoga could help? Those are just some of the luxury pet treats offered in Singapore.

In a country where one in six people are millionaires it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn just how pampered Singapore pets are.

But with bespoke cruises for sea-loving dogs, pet obituaries and wellness centres for depressed pooches, the level of luxury can still raise a few well-manicured eyebrows.

Nestled alongside the Porsches, Ferraris and yachts in the city state that boasts one of the world’s highest standards of living are a growing number of businesses catering for the pets of the rich.

One such venture is Pet Cruises, launched by boat owner Joe Howe last summer. His 26-foot catamaran is a pet’s paradise with its swimming deck, fully-stocked cleaning station and life jackets for dogs.

He said: “I am a dog owner and a sailor myself so this made a lot of sense. I could see this being an enjoyable activity for both owners and their pets who have a love of the sea.”

Mr Howe is not surprised that the concept of pet cruises has taken off. He added: “Young couples are having pets before they have children, sometimes as a stand-in but also as a replacement, so it’s natural they treat them so well.”

On weekends, a basic five kilometre cruise lasting two hours costs around S$40 (£20) per guest, regardless of whether you’re a two-legged or four-legged passenger. Pet Cruises has even had an owner and their tortoise come aboard.

A chance to sail on the open seas is very tempting given that Singapore is a densely populated island of more than 5 million people. Despite the lack of land, pets are very popular among Singaporeans, who have one of the lowest birth rates in the world.

Fewer babies and higher incomes are leading to the some very privileged pets. While you can still pick up a hamster for just S$10 (£5) many prefer pure breed dogs costing thousands of dollars.

Business is booming at Petopia, a high-end wellness centre for pets helping them cope with depression and the signs of ageing courtesy of massages and aromatherapy.

The spa, hotel and daycare centre is the perfect environment for an anxious pet owner stressed out at leaving their four-legged friend alone.

Concerned pet parents can even monitor their pooch’s activities remotely via a round-the-clock webcam service.

Richard Wee, marketing director at Petopia, said: “Although Singapore is considered a first-world country, the level of pet care services is very much third world and we felt that it was timely for us to make a change and offer something that animal owners like ourselves would have peace of mind, confidence and trust in.”

A 20-minute microbubble bath treatment for an odour-free coat costs up to S$119 (£60) depending on the breed and size of the dog.

Also catching on fast in Singapore is dog yoga – or doga – after becoming popular in neighbouring Hong Kong and Taiwan. Rosalind Ow, owner of dog grooming service Super Cuddles Clubhouse, said: “By nature, dogs are good at stretching and we can learn a lot from them. However, unlike yoga which can be quite strict, doga is more of an exercise where owners spend quality time with their pampered pooches and have fun.”

And when that dreaded day comes when your four-legged friend leaves for pet heaven, you can pay tribute to them with a classified ad in the city state’s main daily newspaper, The Straits Times.

A 30-word tribute is free while a longer goodbye message and an accompanying photograph will set you back S$50 (£25) in the paper’s Pets Corner section.

In a recent report on Singapore’s pet care market, research firm Euromonitor said: “Many pet owners are increasingly treating their pets as household members, and are therefore pampering their pets with luxurious food, products and services, just as they would dote on their family.”

“I was skeptical when I first heard about the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) that Petopia offers even after listening to the benefits.

There were some websites which mentioned about the harm it can do to those with cataracts. With Reeko aging, he has slight cataracts on both eyes, so I didn’t want to put him on any risk. I decided to consult a vet about the therapy and to arrange a cataract surgery for Reeko. I was informed by the vet that the therapy will be able to slow down the growth of cataracts if done on a regular basis.

(Reeko asleep in Hyperbaric Oxygen Healing Chamber)

It has been almost a year, and his eyesight remains sharp though still slightly cloudy. I have no plans of letting him undergo the surgery as I believe that the therapy can keep him healthy and strong.

He is turning 11 this year, but still managed to bark non-stop for 30minutes throughout the therapy and run a whole hour with me every weekend morning.

Although I can’t pinpoint exactly how the therapy has benefitted him, his new set of strong wiry coat has given me enough confidence to continue the therapy and I’m sure all his inner organs have all benefitted as well.”

Yan Shiting & Reeko

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Birds of a feather must flock together as Tai Tai, a moluccan cockatoo, learnt. Fraternising with his feathered friends saved him from self destruction four years ago.

The bird was so stressed and depressed about being left alone, it plucked its own feathers and screeched horribly until someone paid attention. This went on for years, until his owner Kathy Favati, 49, placed him in the care of Ms Pauline Chin, 57, in 2009.

At Ms Chin’s pet shop-cum-animal shelter, E Pet Shop at Farmart Centre in Chua Chu Kang, Tai Tai was able to interact and socialise with other birds. In time, his feathers started growing back.

“Cockatoos are very lovable, very social. They need that social aspect of having other birds around or they are prone to depression,” says Ms Favati, a gym owner and part-time English teacher.

Now back at home, eight-year-old Tai Tai is much happier and well-adjusted, with no signs of feather plucking.

Still, Ms Favati is doing what she can to prevent a relapse of the bird’s depression. This includes playing Indian music for the bird, as Ms Chin did at the shelter she co-owned, and adopting two of Ms Chin’s macaws, Tai Tai’s closest friends at the shelter, to keep the bird company.

Pet experts say birds are not the only pets prone to psychological issues such as separation anxiety, grief and depression. Dogs, cats and even rabbits can experience these problems too.

When Ms Michelle Tan’s rabbit Coco died of old age in January, she noticed an immediate change in her other rabbit, Panda.

She adopted the roughly 10-year-old pair from the House Rabbit Society Singapore eight years ago, after they were found abandoned at a coffee shop.

Extremely close throughout their lives, they liked to lie next to and groom each other.

“When we came back from the vet without Coco, something went wrong. Panda did not act like her normal, active self. She just went to the corner, would not interact and stopped eating, not even hay, her favourite food,” says the 36-year- old IT programme manager.

Lack of appetite is especially worrisome in rabbits which are prone to gastrointestinal stasis. “They’re meant to eat around the clock. If they stop eating, their system shuts down, gas fills up in the gut. It’s very painful and they can die quite quickly,” she says.

Ms Tan immediately took Panda to the vet. Though she was put on medication and Ms Tan force-fed her, Panda kept deteriorating, never regained her appetite and her kidneys started to fail.

Panda died around Chinese New Year, about a month after her companion.

“She was already old and frail. If she were younger, maybe I could have introduced another rabbit but I think she felt like there was nothing else to hold on to,” says Ms Tan.

According to Dr Vanessa Lin, a 28-year-old vet at My Family Vet Clinic and Surgery in Bukit Batok East, animals can grieve and will display symptoms similar to humans when depressed. These include changes in appetite resulting in weight loss gain, a change in sleeping habits or becoming withdrawn and inactive.

If an animal becomes disinterested in activities or foods it used to enjoy, moves slower, wanders around aimlessly, sheds excessively and becomes aggressive, it may also be displaying signs of depression.

Treatment of depression varies by species but generally involves keeping the animal active, such as taking it on walks or engaging in its favourite activity. Giving it positive attention also helps, especially when the animal shows signs of activity or playfulness. Medicine is also available to regulate the symptoms of chronic depression, according to Dr Lin.

However, she warns that symptoms of depression may be due to illness. Animals, particularly dogs, can exhibit symptoms of depression when there is something physically wrong with them. It is therefore important to seek veterinary care if depression symptoms do not seem to be triggered by a specific event or if they persist.

Yet some experts, such as Action for Singapore Dogs president Ricky Yeo, 44, caution about personifying an animal’s depression or grief.

In the case of canine depression, he feels that it is often a manifestation of insecurities rather than sadness.

“Our definition of depression and grief, and a dog’s perspective of it is different.

“The ‘depression’ comes when the dog loses his sense of position within the pack – when he is removed from his familiar environment or pack or when the pack dynamics change, as with the loss or addition of a pack member. It is not sure of its position so it keeps very quiet so as not to draw attention to itself,” says Mr Yeo.

Such was the case with Hope, a black mongrel left at the Mutts & Mittens animal shelter about two years ago.

According to Ms Jaclyn Liew, 37, manager for operations and adoptions at the shelter, Hope, who suffers from a painful, chronic skin condition, was not mingling with other dogs and seemed to be in her own world.

She says: “A normal dog would be very curious about the new environment. When people come to visit, it would go and greet them. But a dog that is grieving would be on its own, in a favourite corner, and hardly moves around.”

So, in December last year, the Mutts & Mittens team decided to try daily aromatherapy treatments with body rubs of oils such as lavender and ylang ylang on Hope.

They also moved her into the shelter’s air-conditioned office during the day.

Ms Liew says: “Perhaps it was the oils or the intensive physical contact, but Hope has changed. She’s more interactive, she wags her tail. Whoever knew Hope then would be surprised by what she’s like now.”

Aromatherapy is also used at Petopia’s pet spa and boarding house to help their guests relax.

Spas and boarding houses, where pets are separated from their owners, are often a source of intense stress for pets.

Not so at Petopia. It provides spa treatments, such as massages and far infra-red therapy and air-conditioned rooms.

(Piggy, a short-haired miniature dachshund, is seen enjoying a Clay-Pack Far Infrared Therapy session)

It also allows owners to bring their dog’s favourite toys, food bowl and bed to make them feel more at home.

(Petopia's suites can be flexibly configured to accomodate bigger guests)

It is an extra touch pet owner Theresa Tan, 40, appreciates.

She travels with her husband and two young daughters a few times a year, sometimes for two or three weeks at a time, and struggled to find a place to house their 10-year-old miniature schnauzer Ralph.

She tried three different boarding houses and each time he would come home depressed and angry.

She says: “He would hide under the bed, refuse to eat, ignore our calls, and pee and poo around the house even though he was toilet trained.”

Whenever the family would bring out the suitcases for their next trip, Ralph would howl and pee and poo in the suitcases.

“He was trying to stop us from leaving,” she says.

Since sending Ralph to Petopia in 2011, Ms Tan has seen a change in Ralph. “Now he sniffs our luggage and does not bother. He wags his tail when he sees Raj, a staff member who picks up the dogs for Petopia, and he always comes back happy,” she says.

(Petopia director Richard Wee (above) and the guests in the playroom)

She attributes Ralph’s happiness to the extra care, comfort, and attention the dogs receive at Petopia.

She adds: “Dogs are very sensitive creatures, even if they cannot always voice their opinions”.

Photo courtesy of DIOS VINCOY JR for the Straits Times

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SINGAPORE: Pet hotels are becoming a hit with owners who want to ensure that their furry friends are in good hands while they are away.

Some hotels said demand went up by about 30 per cent last year, compared with 2011 while occupancy rates are almost always full during the year-end holidays.

From massages to soothe aching joints to customised spa sessions that come with a clay pack wrap of nutrients and minerals, the pets are enjoying a break of their own at pet-wellness centres, such as pet hotel, Petopia, while their owners are away.

Petopia’s marketing director Richard Wee said: “They find this place more like a playroom. We have one case of a customer’s dog that after they left the hotel and came back for grooming one day, the dog ran all the way back to the playroom to just look for his friends to spend time with during the hotel stay.”

Petopia can take in up to 50 animals and rooms are usually booked a few months in advance.

Pet owners fork out between S$75 and S$158 for a night’s stay.

“We are looking at three different crowds. The year-end holiday goers, they clear their annual leave. We have families who bring the children overseas during school holidays and a large number of expatriates who return home for the year-end season,” said Mr Wee.

Safety and security are the top concerns of owners, along with separation pangs.

Mr Wee said: “We have customers who choose not to go away for many years because they are afraid of not having someone to look after their pets well.”

To allay such concerns, the hotel installed webcams in the building for owners to track their pets’ movements.

Er Yanshan, a pet owner, said: “It’s better than just leaving your pet at home with no one to look after it, so it’s a good idea.”

What’s more alarming is when owners abandon their pets.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said more than 100 animals were given up at the centre in December 2012 by owners who wanted to go away.

That is twice the number, compared with the other months of the same year.

Mr Lee Yao Huang, who is animal care officer at SPCA, said: “Some of them might decide to give it to SPCA, or they just abandoned it at their HDB area or grass patch near their place.

“We actually give them some help by advising them to put it on our re-homing notice on our SPCA website or they can put up brochures and notices on the vet’s clinics or supermarkets on their notice boards.”

And for those who don’t want to fork out too much at the pet hotel, another way is to get friends or relatives to play pet-sitter.

- CNA/fa

Here are great tips about having a healthy and safe cat-friendly holiday!

Tip 1
Remember that ribbons and tinsel are tempting toys for a curious feline. But if your cat swallows these objects, they can cause serious problems if they get “stuck” in the intestinal tract or wrapped around your cat’s tongue. Keep these types of decorations out of the reach of your cat.

Tip 2
If you put up a Christmas tree for the holidays, your cat may be tempted to taste the water at its base. Unfortunately, that same water may be stagnant or filled with fertilizers, preservatives, or other chemicals which are unsafe for your cat.

Tip 3
Many of the holiday plants that are popular this time of year are dangerous for our cats. Though poinsettias are generally over-rated in terms of their potential for toxicity, they can still cause mild intestinal upset for your cat. More importantly, holly can be very toxic, as can some types of mistletoe. In addition, lilies can be deadly for your cat and are often found in holiday flower arrangements. Do not leave these plants where your cat can chew on them.

Tip 4
Be careful about sharing your favorite holiday treats with your cat. Chocolate and many other types of foods can be dangerous.

Tip 5
Scented candles and potpourri are popular holiday decorations as well. Though they make our homes smell wonderful, they may be dangerous for curious cats. Even worse, an open flame can easily become a fire hazard if knocked over by your cat.

Tip 6
Many of the decorations we enjoy during the holidays are electric, and the cords can become a target for a playful cat. Biting into an electrical cord can pose an electrocution threat for your cat. Be cautious of dangling cords and place them where your cat cannot access them.

Tip 7
Be sure to spend a little extra time with your feline friend during the holidays. A little extra attention from you may help ease some of the tension of the holidays for your cat.

Tip 8
Make certain your cat has a place to retreat when company arrives if he feels the need. Your cat’s safe place should have a litter box, a food and water station, and a soft comfortable place to rest. It should be a private area where guests are not allowed.

Paying attention to small details can make a big difference in keeping your cat safe and healthy during the holidays, and will help both you and your cat weather the holiday season and start the new year on a happy note.