The post Recent Instagram posts appeared first on Kilkenny SPCA.

Sandra Blanchfield
Mary Hickey
Dan Leo
Geraldine Walsh
Bridget Mansfield
Vicki O’Donoghue
Audrey Dowling
Cait Mackey
Mick Minogue
Dominika Stoppa
Thanks to our generous sponsors, every cent of proceeds from calendar sales goes directly into helping animals in need. Each purchase supports Kilkenny SPCA’s vital work while highlighting the creativity and heart of our community. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy this beautiful calendar and make a difference—grab yours today!

https://www.kilkennyspca.ie/product/2025-kilkenny-spca-calendar/

The post Kilkenny SPCA 2025 Calendar is here! appeared first on Kilkenny SPCA.

Whilst we are unlikely to solve any wars in our daily lives here there are ways that we can prevent water wastage

1. Dogs generally drink one ounce of water per pound of weigh per day. Cats need much less depending on their size, age, type of food they eat and their level of activity

Consider a water fountain for your pets. These are especially handy for cats as it ensures a supply of clean filtered water and there is no leakage

2. Try not to place the water bowl or fountain near to your pets food or litter box as our pets (specifically cats ) are programmed not to eat food which is close to their toilet/water bowl

3 Whilst we as humans, are actively encouraged to drink as much water as we can it is different for pets. If you pets starts drinking more than usual it could be a sign that they are unwell

4. Amphibians and more “wet” pets do not drink water, but absorb it. Frogs, salamanders, and others in this category need water to absorb through their skin, and the higher that quality, the longer they will live

5. If you chose to bathe your dog ensure the temperate of the water is correct. This may prevent your dog trying to escape the bath and splashing water over the edge thereby wasting it. Also let the water run down the drain so it doesn’t get too high and frighten the doggo

However we use water this week consider how we can avoid wastage and help support water for peace. To make a donation go to our donation page

Donation Page

The post WORLD WATER DAY appeared first on Kilkenny SPCA.

• You know the way your dog gets all excited when you haven’t seen him in like, 10 minutes? The reason that our doggos jump up on us and kiss and lick our face is to tell us that they love us and miss us when we leave. That crazy tail wag? Yip. That’s him telling us that we’re loved and appreciated.

• Does your dog and/or cat want to share your bed? This is another way our pets show us affection. Wanting to sleep close to or on us means that our pets want to protect us from predators.  In the case of a dog it means that he loves and trusts you and considers you part of the ‘pack’. You are the most important person in your dog’s life. He looks to you for guidance, approval, companionship and love. Animals feel the most vulnerable when they are sleeping (and going to the toilet. An interesting side fact!) so if they chose to sleep alongside you consider yourself the chosen one.

• Does your cat often leave you little 4 legged (sometimes 8 legged ‘gifts’)? Your cat knows that you cannot hunt and they don’t want you to starve. Sure, who would feed them if you died of starvation?!!  They are making sure that you get dinner!

• When your cat or dog rolls over and shows you their belly they are showing you that they love you by exposing their most vulnerable parts of their bodies.  Like sleeping beside you, they are trusting you when they are most vulnerable.

• Cats head bop to show affection to their ‘person’.  As well as used as an affectionate greeting it is used by cats to put their scent on you and to mark you as owned. I thoroughly enjoy being owned by a 6kg tuxedo diva!

This National Love Your Pet Day show a little extra love by making a donation to KSPCA KKSPCA Donation – Kilkenny SPCA .  Your donation will ensure that the pets in our care receive all the love and protection that they deserve

The post National Love Your Pet Day appeared first on Kilkenny SPCA.

The perfect stocking filler for the animal lover in your life.

https://www.kilkennyspca.ie/shop/

The post Our 2024 Calendars and Christmas Cards are available appeared first on Kilkenny SPCA.

Read on. We will take you through the best and most accessible gadgets to help you connect and keep your best friend safe in the year ahead.  We have everything for the super tech pet owner to the person who just wants to stay in contact with their pet during the day

Glow Track Light Up Collar for Cats

 This reflective tracking collar for cats glows or blinks with an LED built-in light, for simple visual tracking of your kitty. You can also pimp this little gadget up by adding a tiny lightweight camera. This will give you a cat’s-eye view of your cats world.

Self-Cleaning Litterbox

 What cat parent would not love this? These self-cleaning litter boxes rotate each time your cat uses it and disposes the used litter in a removable drawer. Magic! These little babies aren’t cheap through. They average between 630-700 euro.

Treat Dispenser Camera

You know that feeling when you’ve had a long day at the office and you can’t wait to go home to see your pet? Now, you don’t have to wait until you get home to see your pet. Treat dispenser cams allow you to talk to your pet at home on your phone! You can even give them a treat at the press of a button!!  The camera also releases calming scent to keep your pet relaxed until you get home.

Pet Camera Smart Ball

If you love the idea of seeing your pet on camera but don’t necessarily need all the bells and whistles that come with the treat dispenser camera this could be the gadget for your pet!  This little wonder allows you to connect a ball to your smart phone so that you can enjoy a play date with your pet, even when you aren’t at home!

Smart Drinking Fountain

After all of that playing and running around our pets can get thirsty. Most cats and dogs prefer running to stagnant water. This Smart drinking fountain filters the water to remove any chemicals present. It is so smart that it turns itself off when it’s not being used.

Tick Repellent Collar

This rechargeable device will keep your doggo tick free. It is chemical and scent free

Slow Feeding Bowls

Does your dog wolf down their meals causing indigestion and other problems? Then a slow feeding bowl could be the answer. These bowls help slow down your pets eating whilst providing stimulation for his brain.

Dog Cooling Collar

This nifty little bandana keeps your pet cool in warm weather. Just wet it and wrap it around your dog’s neck. The special fabric stays cool for hours.

Remember that no matter how expensive or high tech the gadgetry your pet will always prefer time spent with you, but these are a good alternative in today’s busy world especially as we hope to return to the office sometime in 2022!!Please consider giving a donation to the KSPCA so that we can continue our work in 2022

The post Pets and Technology appeared first on Kilkenny SPCA.

Ideal Weight for cats

An indoor/ outdoor cat should ideally weigh between 8- 10 pounds.  This is, of course dependent on cat breed and frame. If your cat weighs more than it should it might be a good idea to look at its diet and lifestyle.

If your cat is indoor only it is easy to manage their weight because it is only you or your family feeding it. You can control the diet a lot more than an indoor/outdoor cat.  If your cat is an outdoor cat and is overweight, chances are that it is being getting fed by several kindly neighbours. There are ways to prevent your cat becoming overweight due to neighbours feeding him/her. You could firstly try talking to your neighbours and request that they don’t feed the cat. If you don’t want to speak directly to our neighbours you can also buy a customized pendant that you can hang from your cat’s collar asking people not to feed the cat.

Make your Cat work for her treats!!

If you want to reward your cat try hiding treats around the kitchen or house. You could also try hiding treats in a paper bag. This will also help satisfy the cats instinct to hunt . Make your kitty work off the treats before she enjoys them!!!

Also try feeding your cat two smaller portions rather than all of their food together.

Ideal weight for dogs

The best way to find out the healthiest weight for your dog is to visit your vet. Your vet will be able to tell you the appropriate weight for your dog based on size, breed and gender.

However you can also check your dog’s weight yourself by checking his  ribs. If your dog’s ribs aren’t extremely prominent and you can easily feel them without having to press hard, then the dog is a healthy weight.  However if you cannot feel your dog’s ribs it could be a sign that he is overweight.

Try swapping treats for wet food ( from their daily allowance)

Another way to keep your dog’s weight down is to feed him in the morning

Establish an eating schedule-if you free-feed, offer meals on a set schedule. Put the food down for a certain time and take up any food that the dog does not eat.

Limit snacks-dogs get a lot of calories in addition to their regular kibble.

Also try replacing biscuits, cheese, and other high-fat treats with fresh chopped carrots, apples, or green beans

Dangers of Your Pet being Overweight

Carrying excess weight makes both cats and dogs much more likely to develop diabetes, urinary disease, arthritis, and to have a decreased life expectancy.

By following these simple tips you can help ensure that your furbaby is a healthy weight with a good life expectancy.  Your pet relies on you to look after him and make reasonable decisions about their life

The post Is Your Pet a Healthy Weight? appeared first on Kilkenny SPCA.

Christmas Trees-

The pines and needles from a real pine tree can be harmful and toxic to pets. They can be dangerous if swallowed by your pet. Real Christmas trees also release an oil which can cause excessive drooling in dogs

• Try putting tinfoil or citrus fruits around the tree to prevent your pet investigating under it!
• Ensure that you regularly sweep up around your tree
• Cats and dogs are instantly attracted to Christmas baubles. Try hanging pet-safe decorations from your tree such as plushies, alternatively make your own safe and sustainable decorations from pet safe materials such as paper and card
• Try holding off putting anything under the tree until the last minute. Your dog is bound to smell the cake meant for Aunt Mary and may tear it to shreds!

Festive Plants-

As well as our Christmas tree there are other plants such as holly that can be harmful to pet at Christmas. Holy berries and leaves are toxic to pets and can lead to salivation, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

• Place plants out of pets reach if possible

Christmas Tree Lights

Although lovely to us, Christmas tree lights represent a safety hazard where cats and dogs are concerned.  Your pet is likely to be attracted to the sparkling lights but they may pose an electrical or choking hazard.

• Try to hang lights on higher branches.
• If you really want to hang fairy lights try putting some Vaseline on the cord. Pets do not like the taste of Vaseline!

Maintain some type of routine with your pet

Whilst humans love the hustle and bustle of a full house at Christmas, your pet might not.

• Try to keep a quite calm corner for your pet that they can retreat to if they get stressed by strange sounds or smells (or people!)
• Remember to make time for your pet even though you might be very busy. Your pet will still want some pets, attention (and a walk)
• If your cat is particularly stressed out at this time of year you might consider using an electrical diffuser such as Felliway

Make some Christmas treats for your pet

One way of showing your pet you love them is to bake some home-made treats. You can cut them out in silly shapes for your pet.

Our Christmas dinner is not good for cats or dogs. Things like gravy, turkey, chocolate, alcohol and mince pies are very harmful to pets and can make your pet very sick.  Instead invest some time with your pet and make some festive fun treats. Your pets will thank you for it.

 Easy Christmas Cat Cookies

Ingredients

Salmon

Egg

Flour

Place the canned salmon, undrained, in a food processor.

Pulse the salmon to chop finely.

Combine the chopped salmon, egg, and flour in a mixer until it forms a dough.

Roll out 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface and cut into shapes.

Bake until lightly browned and crispy: about 20 minutes.

Christmas Dog Biscuits

Ingredients

whole wheat flour

1 egg

cup peanut butter

1cup water

2 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl combine flour and the egg. Add peanut butter, water, honey and stir until you have stiff dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough about 1/2 inch thick and use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden.

We hope that you and your pet have a wonderful Christmas. We hope that these tips will help keep your furry friends safe

The post Keeping Your Pets Safe at Christmas appeared first on Kilkenny SPCA.

Dogs and Cats

Ideally, you should bring your animals inside at this time of the year to reduce the noise they are exposed to. If you need to leave your animal outside, make sure they are in a secure and safe location they can’t escape from. They must have a secure place to hide indoors if they are frightened by the noises of fireworks and trick-or-treaters calling to the door.

Leaving the lights low and playing the radio or television can help drown out some of the sounds as it can be a stressful time for them. Pet owners can help train their dogs and cats to become accustomed to the sounds of Halloween fireworks by playing similar sounds at low volumes. It is also important our pets are kept safe in a secure room where they cannot dart out an open door. 

Make sure your pet is wearing an ID tag and is microchipped. If they escape it will make it easier for you to be reunited. Microchipping is a legal requirement for all dogs and puppies.

Walk your dogs during the day and earlier evening, when fireworks are less likely. 

As difficult as it may be, try not to react to your pet showing signs of fear. Reacting can reinforce your pets fear. Licking objects such as toys filled with treats can help ease your pet’s stress. Playing with your pet is a great way to distract them, if they are not too frightened.

Keep sweets and Halloween decorations out of reach of your pets. Chocolate and raisins are highly toxic to pets, as are any sweets containing the sugar substitute xylitol. Ingesting foil or plastic wrappers can also lead to digestive problems and may require surgery. If your pet does ingest something toxic, contact your vet immediately.

Not all pets will tolerate wearing costumes and it may cause them undue stress. Only dress up your pet for Halloween if you know they enjoy it. If you do choose to put your pet in a costume, make sure it does not limit your pets movement, vision, ability to breathe or behave normally. Remember that costumes can be very warm, and can prevent your pet from regulating their body temperature. Don’t use costumes with any small, chewable pieces or toxic paints or dyes and don’t leave your pet unsupervised while wearing a costume. 

Small Animals and Birds

Bring your outdoor pets, including small mammals or birds, indoors into a secure garage or shed where they are protected from any loud noise or fireworks. You can also cover hutches or cages with blankets to act as soundproofing.

Wildlife

Hedgehogs go into hibernation this time of year and often sleep in woodpiles or heavy scrub and leaves. Be sure to check under all woodpiles before lighting any bonfires to ensure there is no wildlife hibernating. Some outdoor decorations such a fake spider webs or string lights can trap wild animals. Be careful about where you hang them and remove them quickly after the festivities.

Horses

Horses, ponies and donkeys should also be microchipped. You should stable your animals if you live in an area with a lot of Halloween related noises or fireworks. Securely stabled horses are less likely to escape or injure themselves when spooked.

Unfortunately, stray animals can fall victim to abuse or cruel Halloween pranks. If you witness animal cruelty:

Contact your local Garda station immediately 

Contact KSPCA: 

                       Monday-Friday 9:00 – 17:00

                       Telephone: 056 777 1635

                       For emergencies: 086 817 2167

The post Keeping your animals safe at Halloween appeared first on Kilkenny SPCA.