Search Results for: hamsters
Hamsters, Rabbits and Guinea Pigs. Oh my.
I am well aware that many people associate the Ottawa Humane Society solely with dogs and cats. Though our Mission embraces all animals, admittedly a very large portion of our day-to-day work is with and about cats and dogs. Perhaps this is why even long time OHS supporters are sometimes surprised when I mention the little critters that we have for adoption: the gerbils, hamsters, mice, guinea pigs and rabbits in our care needing a forever home.
In fact a year or so ago, a good friend bought a rabbit for her children and when I asked why she didn’t adopt from the OHS, she said, “You guys have rabbits??” Yikes! I’m not doing a very good job at spreading the news about the delightful critters in our adoption centre. My friend would have been much happier to adopt, rather than buy, a rabbit. She would have also been much happier to have adopted a sterilized rabbit at the OHS, than the unsterilized one she bought.
So this week, I’m going to try to make up for my poor marketing of the little ones by introducing you to some of them. And please help my atonement by spreading the word.
Bruce Roney
President and CEO
Is a Small Animal the Pet for You?
Phoenix, one of the many small animals waiting for her forever home at the OHS |
Manager: Admissions and Rehoming
The Little Ones: Not Forgotten
Over the years, the Ottawa Humane Society has increasingly invested in the behaviour and emotional well-being of the animals in its care. The introduction of hide and perch boxes for cats was one milestone. Daily, rotating, enrichment activities for dogs was another. Enrichment is roughly defined as, “enhancing animals’ environments by providing them with opportunities that stimulate their natural behaviours.” Planned, systematic enrichment is one of the keys to maintain animal health and well-being, and moreover ensures that we live up to our name as a humane society.
Sadly, as so often is the case, we turn our attention to the littlest of our residents last: the hamsters, the mice, the gerbils, and all the other small critters in our care. With the hiring of a manager to oversee the behaviour and emotional well-being of all the animals at the OHS, we finally have a qualified person with the time to extend our planning to the little ones.
Not to say that these animals had no enrichment until now. All the cages have had at least one species-appropriate activity for their resident. It’s just that the enrichment never changed. It wasn’t planned, that is, put into standard practice, and rotated regularly, and so not as effective and not as humane.
This is all changing this month with the introduction of a full small animal enrichment program at the OHS. Henceforth, the little ones will have the same access to the same positive health and well-being benefits of enrichment that their cat and dog big brothers and sisters do.
Bruce Roney
President & CEO
Animal Tips
We all love our animal companions but sometimes we need information on their behaviour. Our pet care information will help you develop and maintain a long and rewarding relationship with your furry or feathered friends.
Note: Some of the tip topics below are available as web pages on our website, some link to information on other websites, and others are PDFs.
General Animal Tips
- Avoid Pet Peeves
- Cold Weather FAQs
- Coping with Pet Allergies
- Common Household Poisons to Avoid
- Dogs Die in Hot Cars
- Don’t Litter – Spay or Neuter
- End of Life Care for your Pet
- Explaining Pet Death to Children
- Fire Prevention Tips for You and Your Pet
- Flea Control
- Grieving the Loss of a Pet
- How Much Will My Pet Really Cost?
- Holidays and Pets
- Microchipping
- The Multi-pet Household
- Pediatric Spay and Neuter from the ASPCA
- Pets and Babies
- From the HSUS: Pets at College: Not a Prerequisite
- Preparing an Emergency Plan for Disasters
- Prevent a Lost Pet: 5 Things That Will Help You Protect Your Pets
- Summer Safety for Pets
- From the AAHA: Toxic House and Garden Plants
- Twelve Pet Tips for Christmas
- Vaccinating Your Pet
2017 Media Releases
- Ottawa Humane Society Pleads to Thief: Stolen Kitten Needs Medical Attention (December 20, 2017)
- Protect Pets From Dangerously Cold Temperatures Forecast to Hit Ottawa Tonight (December 13, 2017)
- Keep Your Furry Friends Safe This Holiday Season With the 12 Pet Safety Tips of Christmas (December, 12, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, Dec. 10 (December 6, 2017)
- Sadie Mae is Expected to Recover After Life-saving Surgery at the Ottawa Humane Society (November 30, 2017)
- Celebrate the Season With the Animals and Santa Paws at the Ottawa Humane Society! (November 24, 2017)
- Surprise Your Kids This Holiday Season With a Pet and Make a Homeless Animal’s Dreams Come True (November 21, 2017)
- Beagle Receiving Life-saving Care at the Ottawa Humane Society After Being Shot in the Head (November 17, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, Nov. 12 (November 7, 2017)
- Keep Pets Safe This Halloween With Six Tips From the Ottawa Humane Society (October 31, 2017)
- Howl for Halloween at the Ottawa Humane Society this Saturday! (October 26, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, Oct. 15 (October 10, 2017)
- Important Animal Welfare Update: Statement From the Ottawa Humane Society (October 4, 2017)
- Surprisingly Hot Fall Temperatures Mean Dogs Still in Danger if Left Alone in Cars: Ottawa Humane Society (September 22, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society Honours Community’s Contributions at its Annual General Meeting (September 20, 2017)
- Join the Ottawa Humane Society at Lansdowne Park This Saturday and Wiggle, Waggle, Walk or Run to Save Animal Lives (September 8, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society Throwing Party to Cheer Up Two Cats Who’ve Spent a Year Waiting to Be Adopted (August 31, 2017)
- ALERT: Ottawa Humane Society in Desperate Need of Foster Homes to Help With Summer Population Spike (August 9, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, Aug. 13 (August 8, 2017)
- Keep Pets Safe This Long Weekend by Not Leaving Them in a Hot Car: Ottawa Humane Society (August 2, 2017)
- Increased Danger to Pets Left Alone in Cars as High Temperatures Hit the City: Ottawa Humane Society (July 12, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society Makes First FIV-Positive Cats Available for Adoption (July 4, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, July 9 (July 4, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society Nearly Full in Advance of Busiest Weekend of the Year, Needs Community’s Help to Avert a Crisis (June 30, 2017)
- Annual Influx of Spooked, Lost Pets the Dark Side to Canada Day Festivities: Ottawa Humane Society (June 28, 2017)
- The Ottawa Humane Society is Throwing a Kitten Shower This Sunday and Everyone’s Invited! (June 23, 2017)
- Cute Overload as Kittens in Need of a Second Chance Overtake the Ottawa Humane Society (June 15, 2017)
- Deadly Summer Danger: Ottawa Humane Society Treating Two Cats for High Rise Syndrome (June 12, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society Asking Community to Boycott Friday Bull Riding Event at TD Place (June 7, 2017)
- Found A Baby Animal? Check With The Experts For How To Help (May 18, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, May 7 (May 2, 2017)
- Celebrate A Hoppy Easter With the Animals This Sunday at the Ottawa Humane Society! (April 6, 2017
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, April 9 (April 5, 2017)
- Be on the Lookout for Lost, Scared Pets After Fire at Baseline and Merivale Row Houses: Ottawa Humane Society (March 13, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, March 12 (March 7, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, Feb. 12 (February 7, 2017)
- Protect Pets From Dangerously Cold Temperatures Forecast to Hit Ottawa Tonight (January 13, 2017)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, Jan. 8 (January 3, 2017)
2018 Media Releases
- Plan Your Visit to the Ottawa Humane Society This Season by First Checking Holiday Hours (December 18, 2018)
- Keep Your Furry Friends Safe This Holiday Season With the 12 Pet Safety Tips of Christmas (December 12, 2018)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, Dec. 9 (December 4, 2018)
- Santa Paws is Coming to Town! (November 26, 2018)
- Protect Pets From Dangerously Cold Temperatures Forecast to Hit Ottawa Tonight (November, 21, 2018
- Surprise Your Kids This Holiday Season With a Pet and Make a Homeless Animal’s Dreams Come True (November 19, 2018)
- Owners of Injured Young Dog Found (November 14, 2018)
- Humane Society Seeking Owners of Injured Young Dog (November 13, 2018)
- Get ready to howl for Howl-O-Ween at the OHS! (October 25, 2018)
- Pet-Adoptathon Weekend at Pet Valu Merivale (September 27, 2018)
- Hill’s and OHS Help Families Feed Pets after Tornado Tragedy (September 26, 2018)
- Ottawa Humane Society Tornado Aftermath (September 24, 2018)
- Northern Pets Need Community Support (September 20, 2018)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, Sept. 16 (September 11, 2018)
- OHS Kitty Crisis Stabilized: Now Helping with Crisis in Windsor (August 24, 2018)
- Ottawa Humane Society Kitty Crisis Continues (August 15, 2018)
- OHS to benefit from Nissan’s Dog Days of Summer Campaign (August 10, 2018)
- Canada Day 2018: the perfect pet storm (June 28, 2018)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, June 10 (June 5, 2018)
- Update on 30 Cats and Kittens Abandoned at Pest Control Company (May 25, 2018)
- 30 Cats and Kittens Abandoned at Pest Control Company (May 25, 2018)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, April 8 (April 3, 2018)
- Celebrate A Hoppy Easter With the Animals This Sunday at the Ottawa Humane Society! (March 19, 2019)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, March 11 (March 6, 2018)
- Join us for National Cupcake Day 2018 and really bake a difference for Ottawa’s animals! (February, 23, 2018)
- The Temperature May Be Rising, But Danger Still Awaits Cats Left Out In The Cold (February 22, 2018)
- This February, There’s Love in the Air at the Ottawa Humane Society (February 5, 2018)
- Ottawa Humane Society to Hold Microchip Clinic Sunday, Jan. 14 (January 9, 2018)
- Important Animal Welfare Update: Statement From the Ottawa Humane Society (January 2, 2018)