General News www. pettradeworld. comPET TRADE WORLD OCTOBER 2009 17 Hedgehog Numbers May Be At Risk From Rat Poison New scientifi c research aided by the RSPCA has for the fi rst time found that rat and mice poison may be having an eff ect on the welfare of hedgehogs. The new study shows that anticoagulants, which are a group of chemicals used to kill rodents by preventing the blood from clotting, have shown up in signifi cant levels in the hedgehogs studied. This could have an impact on their survival, breeding success or mobility. RSPCA's Wildlife Scientifi c Offi cer Sophie Adwick said: " All four of the RSPCA's Wildlife Centres, along with other establishments, supplied scientists at the University of Bristol with the carcasses of 120 hedgehogs that had died or were put to sleep due to illness or injury. The fi ndings of this study are a great surprise and may have a signifi cant impact on how these poisons are used in the future, so I'm pleased that our RSPCA Centres were able to contribute to this important study." Dr Claire Dowding, from the University of Bristol, who carried out the research said: " The number of hedgehogs aff ected is quite worrying. It's diffi cult to tell exactly how these animals are exposed to the chemicals. They may be eating them directly, scavenging on dead rodents that have been killed by the poison or eating their favourite diet of slugs and snails that have fed on the poison bait. Slugs and snails are not aff ected by anticoagulants because their blood is diff erent, but they will retain poisonous residues." Out of the 120 hedgehogs sampled, 80 of them had been exposed to these poisons, Claire said: " This high fi gure really is of concern and might be one of the reasons why the British hedgehog population is thought to be declining". Sophie added " The fi ndings of this study mean that we must ensure these poisons are used with even greater care. Because they are widely available and the most common form of rodent control, we would urge people to bear in mind the wider problems these are now thought to cause, and use them responsibly." ¦ Trixie Distribute Packed NEW Catalogue It's all go in the Trixie warehouse with the launch of the company's new catalogue and the arrival of over 700 additional lines. As there are so many changes to the range, customers are receiving a whole set of new inserts for their binders making a totally new catalogue. The new bumper catalogue is a true bible for any pet accessory buyer - it has almost 500- pages and contains just about every accessory line needed to stock a specialist pet store! The pages of a Trixie catalogue fi t into a ring pull binder, so updates are made by switching old pages for new. Colour coded pages split the substantial ' dog' and ' cat' areas of the catalogue from the ' bird', ' small animal' and ' aquatic' sections. Pets are used throughout the catalogue to model products. Customers will see quite a change to the ' grooming' section and a substantial number of new collars leads and harnesses are included amongst the new lines. Motif refl ective, refl ective stripe, several cheerful splash art and modern art two- ply nylon fabric designs provide additions to the large collar and lead section. Many new toys have become available, including latex, plush and DENTAfun toys for dogs. For dog owners comes a new Dog Activity Training Waistcoat ideal for warmth and for storing training equipment. For the winter there are new designs of Trixie beds, cushions and fl eece covers. For cats, plenty of new collars, scratching posts, toilet products and toys are on off er. The new catalogue shows, once again, the company's ability to stay ahead of the game with modern trendy designs of new coats and adorable pastel pink and blue puppy sets. To request a new Trixie catalogue, for all product enquiries, or place an order, call Trixie UK on 01233 647700 or email sales@ trixieuk. co. uk. ¦

General News 1 8 PET TRADE WORLD OCTOBER 2009www. pettradeworld. com GA Pet Food Partners develops the UK's fi rst Halal Cat Food GA Pet Food Partners has developed the UK's fi rst Halal cat food - Muezza Pure for Halal Pet Products Ltd ( Coventry). Musa Bhayat of Halal Pet Products Ltd commented, '' Muezza Pure is the result of extensive research with Muslim pet owners. Pet ownership for many Muslims is fraught with diffi culties, due to the lack of a Halal pet food on the market. Many pet foods contain beef, chicken and even pork; because Muezza Pure cat food formula is based on Halal chicken, it removes a signifi cant barrier to Muslim pet ownership. '' Approximately 30% of Muslims own cats - and feeding a Halal cat food prevents any cross contamination within the home and ensures that a cat's saliva is clean and free from haram ( unclean) foodstuff s''. Ben Helm, GA's Sales and Marketing Director adds, '' GA thrives on helping brands to deliver complex pet food projects like this to market and has overcome several raw material and production challenges to develop the UK's fi rst Halal dry Cat food. In doing so, GA has helped Halal Pet Products to open a signifi cant potential market for Halal pet food, with considerable export opportunities.'' Halal Pet Products Ltd is due to launch " Muezza Pure" Halal Cat Food in October 2009. For more details contact: info@ halalpetproducts. co. uk ¦ Sound ways to control stress A new programme to help reduce the stress of pets suff ering a reaction to sudden loud noises such as fi reworks and thunderstorms has been launched by the makers of Zylkène. Intervet / Schering- Plough Animal Health, which manufactures Zylkène, a product proven to help manage stress in dogs and cats, has developed the unique programme in association with animal behaviour experts at Bristol University. The Zylkène Sound Desensitisation Programme, to be used in conjunction with Zylkène, features sound tracks, advice, written and verbal instructions and a practice track designed to help pet owners fi nd a long- term solution to a common and distressing problem. The CD features fi reworks, thunder and lightning and gunshots sounds and includes component sound tracks to avoid overwhelming very sensitive pets. One CD will be given away free of charge with every box of Zylkène purchased between 1 September and 30 November, while stocks last. The Zylkène Sound Desensitisation Programme complements an educational waiting room display and owner information sheets which provide owners with practical advice and techniques to help pets cope throughout the fi rework season. Melanie Dass, product manager at Intervet / Schering- Plough Animal Health, said: " The sad fact is that just under half the UK dog population reacts to sudden loud noises, as do many cats. Stress caused by unexpected sounds manifests in many ways from hiding, house soiling or attempts to escape. " Unfortunately, if this problem is not correctly managed, fi rework-related stress reactions can become progressively more severe and can extend to other sounds such as thunder and even everyday noises such as car doors being slammed. Desensitisation is a proven method of changing a pet's response to sudden loud noises. This new Zylkène Sound Desensitisation Programme means we can now off er pet owners short and long term problems to a common and distressing problem." ¦