1. Digby and Alo

278,604 followers
Hail from: Wellington, New Zealand
http://instagram.com/digbyvanwinkle
Digby and Aloysius Van Winkle are two very patient little Griffons. Between them they have endured more costume changes than most fashion models in an entire career.

2. Biddy

481,741 followers
Hails from: Fairview, US
http://instagram.com/biddythehedgehog
This palm-sized African Pygmy hedgehog loves to travel. His Instagram feed is filled with beautiful vistas, taken during his adventures across America.

3. Lil Bub

478,490 followers
Hails from: Bloomington, US
http://instagram.com/iamlilbub
Lil Bub’s bizarre facial expression might be the result of genetic abnormalities, but it has worked out well for her. Adopted as a feral cat, Lil Bub has gone on to worldwide fame, raised over $100,000 USD for animal causes and even has her own stuffed toy incarnation.

4. Pierre Brando

25,236 followers
Hails from: Perth, Australia
http://instagram.com/pierrebrando
Although he might look a little glum, Pierre Brando is one content pup. This French Bulldog likes nothing more than to take long walks along the beach with his loving owners before curling up on the sofa.

5. Mr Bagel the Chinchilla

66,222 followers
Hails from: San Francisco, US
http://instagram.com/chinnybuddy
It is likely that many people had never encountered a chinchilla before stumbling upon Mr Bagel. This endangered South American rodent is quite the activist, using his fame to protest against the use of fur in clothing and promote animal adoption.

6. Nala the cat

1,330,672 followers
Hails from: Los Angeles, US
http://instagram.com/nala_cat
This Siamese-Tabby cross has enough followers to populate a small country. Nala is currently starring in a Friskies video with fellow celebrity cats that promises to donate a million tins of food to shelters if they reach a million views.

7. Eddy and Rambo

561,153 followers
Hail from: Vancouver, Canada
http://instagram.com/bunnymama
This floppy-eared pair has the run of the house. Along with new additions Marbles and Olives, these adopted bunnies feature on a line of T-shirts raising funds for animal shelters.

8. Momo the dog

233,888 followers
Hails from: Sudbury, Ontario
http://instagram.com/andrewknapp
Momo is a wonderful muse for his owner, professional photographer Andrew Knapp. This Border Collie also excels at hide and seek, and now has his own coffee table book Find Momo.

9. Jamon the pig

58,562 followers
Hails from: Sao Paulo, Brazil
http://instagram.com/Jamonthepig
Jamon, whose name means bacon in Spanish, is a well-housetrained miniature pig. Jamon and his new companion Nero love soaking up the sun together on the balcony.

10. Snoopy the cat

266,381 followers
Hails from: Chengdu, China
http://instagram.com/snoopybabe
This exotic shorthair has a cult following in his home country. His huge eyes and compact face have earned him the nickname of ‘the cutest cat on the internet’.

The post 10 Of The Cutest Pets On Instagram appeared first on Spot On Pet Enclosures Blog.

Going to the local pet store and picking out the cutest animal may not be the best way to go about it, as these pets often come from animal mills or irresponsible breeders. When you’re on the lookout for a dog or cat, consider adopting from an animal shelter.

Source: Flickr.com

Read below to explore why rescuing an animal is better for you, and your pet.

1. Less Training Required

Often animals in shelters have been lost or estranged from their original owners. A family most likely loved and cared for these animals, meaning someone has spent time and effort teaching the pet how to behave. Choosing an animal from a shelter is a great option for those who are unable to put in the time and effort of training a pet from scratch, or may not be well acquainted with pet training techniques.

2. A Better Match

Most rescue pets have already matured into their adult character. By being able to observe the animal’s behaviour at a shelter, you can choose a pet with a personality type that’s best for you. In addition, adopting from a shelter gives you more information about your prospective pet. Some animals taken to a shelter could require special attention or care, which may or may not be right for you at the time. For this reason, adopting from a shelter can be a great advantage – you are given the ability to make informed choices relating to breed, size, age, colour, needs and temperament.

3. Great Family Companions

Source: Flickr.com

As mentioned, at a shelter you’ll find a range of animal personalities, needs and ages to choose from. Pre-loved pets from a rescue group are excellent additions to a family home. Rambunctious puppies or fragile kittens may not be suitable for a busy, hectic, household with children. However, animals that have been socialised may be exactly what you’re after.

4. A Cost-Effective Solution

Adoption isn’t free, but when you consider what’s included in your rescue fee, the value is apparent. For example, an average adoption fee for a dog from a shelter its between $200 and $800 dollars. This price includes general wellness fees like a veterinarian check-up, vaccination, micro-chipping, and de-sexing. If you were to buy an animal from a pet shop, expect to pay $600 to $1200 dollars just to take your furry friend home – health costs not included.

5. Access To Advice

The generous and caring individuals who run animal shelters and rescue groups are involved with the cause because they truly love animals. You can be sure that the employees and volunteers have the pet’s best interest at heart, so they will work with you to find the right pet for your home and lifestyle. Rescue groups have multiple resources and counsellors on hand to assist should you need advice, whether it be for both choosing your pet or once you’re back at home. Follow-up services and support from the shelter is a huge benefit of adopting also.

6. Your Actions Saves Lives

By adopting a pet, you’re giving a homeless animal a new beginning. The ethical choice of rescuing an animal benefits all parties involved. Saving an animal helps eradicate overpopulation and irresponsible breeding practices.

7. Pay It Forward

Your good deed of rescuing an otherwise unwanted and helpless shelter animal may inspire others around you to do the same.

Spot on Pet Enclosures can help create a comfortable home for your new pet. Contact them today at 1300 322 892.

The post 7 Reasons Why You Should Adopt A Rescue Pet Today! appeared first on Spot On Pet Enclosures Blog.

Everything from, I will never drink again to I’ll travel the world this year but how many of us involve our fur babies in our resolutions? For those now considering it, here are some sound ideas for a great start to the New Year for you and your pets.

Quality Time

During the holiday break we don’t always spend as much time with our pets as we should, it’s understandably a busy time and in a lot of cases the only time during the year when people go on holiday. This generally results in our pets being cared for by others while we are away. Of course when we get back the holiday hang over kicks in, then back to work and school and normal life and rushing around and…. In the meantime we have managed to inadvertently forget about the fur baby’s needs. Resolve to consistently spend quality time with your animals, especially after the holiday break when they have missed you the most.

Proper Exercise

Another common resolution is to exercise more. Incorporating your pet into that regime can be a great way to motivate you to make your exercise a regular part of your daily routine. Apart from the exercise, you couldn’t ask for better company on your walk or jog. The interaction is magical and a great way to reconnect with your little mate. Maybe even add a little boot camp into the mix and make your local walk track or leash free park into an obstacle course for the both of you to run, you can even time it and use the time as a bench mark to beat.

Dietary Review

Most of us over indulge during the holidays and spend most of January resolved to detoxing and getting back to healthy eating and lifestyle, this should be the WHOLE family, including pets! The amount of rich food and treats our pets consume tends to run in line with what we consume so it’s only natural that they may need to detox and get back into a routine as well. Look at your pet’s requirements, age and level of exercise and determine their diet based on those factors. And review again after a few months to make sure they are getting what they need for optimum health.

Grooming

Maintaining your personal hygiene is uppermost on the list for most people. Good grooming helps to promote a healthy lifestyle and it should be the same for our pets! Maintaining claws, bathing rituals, trims and brushing teeth and coats should be as much a part of pet’s routine as bathing, brushing hair and teeth or getting a haircut is for us. Resolve to bath your pet, even in winter, mobile grooming services are very easy to find and for a healthy lifestyle, your pet deserves, at least, a good regular bath and flea treatment.

Vet Checks

For most people a regular health check up with our GP is standard procedure every year or so. Maintenance is important, preventative checks and vaccines are part of our normal lives so why wouldn’t it be for pets…  A surprising number of people don’t realise that vaccines and worming should be a part of an animal’s standard up keep, no different from we humans getting a flu shot or a work health check.  Resolve to ensure your pets vaccinations and worming is all up to date!

Registration, Micro Chipping and Contact Details.

http://www.petregister.com.au

The process of moving can be the most tedious experience, there is so much to consider and to do and the move follows you for months afterwards. Redirecting mail, disconnecting and reconnecting services, changing your contact details on bank accounts and subscriptions… It’s all very tiresome and not a pleasant part of the process. Moving can be a very frightening time for your pets too, the upheaval of a new environment that doesn’t smell or look like their own can cause our animals to become disoriented and go on the hunt for somewhere that smells and looks like home. If your contact details are not up to date when your animal’s microchip is scanned, you run the risk of not being able to find your pet which for most of us would be devastating. Resolve to start the New Year with a review of the contact information and registration of your pets; this gives you a better chance of finding your fur babies if anything were to happen and takes some of the stress out of process.

So there you have it, some simple ideas for making your pets part of your New Year’s resolutions; they are after all part of the family!

Feel free to check out range of pet enclosures for dogs, cats, chickens and other animals.

The post Top New Years Resolutions Involving Your Pet appeared first on Spot On Pet Enclosures Blog.

So what to choose?

With so many enclosures out there, the decision can be difficult, especially when you are buying for a growing pet. What would suit a kitten or puppy may not suit an adult dog or cat and vice versa. Then there are materials and environment to consider. So many questions!

It doesn’t have to be difficult if you follow some simple guide lines.

Small puppies can still make large dogs!

Generally small puppies make for small dogs but this isn’t always the case. Mixed breed dogs don’t always give an accurate view especially when you have large and small breeds mixing.  The idea is to overestimate when it comes to play room, dogs regardless of any age should have plenty of roaming room to stretch their legs and more so if they aren’t able to be walked daily. Exercise is a key component to any beings health and wellbeing and dogs love a good run!

Close quarters

Sleeping enclosures can be a very different thing, most baby animals especially enjoy close confines and warmth when sleeping, no different to swaddling a baby really. When they are with their mother and siblings, animals huddle together for feeding and warmth so sleeping enclosures such as breeding boxes for chickens or birds or dog or cat kennels/beds should be more enclosed and allow  room for easy movement but not too much.

Make it yours

Good pet runs can become open form structures that adapt to yours and your pets growing needs. It may be that you put in a veggie garden or increase your family to include another pet; runs can expand or change to meet your needs. Pet runs are also handy for keeping contained a pet that likes to wander the neighbourhood or jump fences, giving your pet lots of room and still keeping them secure.  A good pet run will have accessories such as single panels, entry gates and rooves so you can create areas especially suited to your environment.

In the long run, your pet’s environment must be safe from hazards, secure and comfortable for them. Appropriate shelter from the elements, lots of clean fresh water and good food, plenty of space of their own and of course an abundance of love will keep your pets feeling happy and healthy. Future proofing their environment now means many years of happy pet ownership for you.

We have a range of pet enclosures for small, large and multiple animals.

The post How Do I Choose the Best Size Pet Enclosure? appeared first on Spot On Pet Enclosures Blog.