Pets In The City- New Info Guide

[lappiemum]

From the Ageonline today

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/homesty...0817-1289c.html

It does focus more on pedigree breeds, but also talks about cross breeds more positively than I would personally agree with.

Cat in a flat? It's a purrrfect idea August 18, 2010

If you've ever wanted to keep a cat in a flat, but thought the unit a whisker too small, think again.

A new study says keeping pets in city apartments is a purrrfect idea. It also advises how to get your paws on a building which is pet friendly.

And in a move which will set posh pooches tails wagging and get yuppie moggies purring with delight, developers of upmarket new buildings are said to be increasingly willing to accommodate animals.

One in four Australian households are now based in apartment blocks, says the Petcare Information and Advisory Service (PIAS), which is attempting to bust the myth that pets can't live in small units.

"There is absolutely a perception out there that cats and dogs can't live in units because they are too small ... but it's really not true," PIAS spokeswoman Susie Willis said.

"Traditionally, people think you need a quarter-acre backyard for a dog to run about in, but most are just as happy in an apartment as long as you take the right steps."

And developers and real estate agents that were traditionally "anti-pet" are now changing their ways, Ms Willis added.

"We know city dwellers want to keep pets and some developers are now cottoning on to that fact," she said.

"They've realised there is money to be made from allowing pets."

She said Sydney's upmarket Jacksons Landing development and parts of Melbourne's Docklands residential development, among others, are now pet-friendly.

PIAS's research is based on a 2008 study involving 800 respondents and has been turned into a new guide, called Pets In The City.

It aims to advise people which pets are most suitable for apartments, such as those which shed less hair.

And it offers advice on how to find pet friendly buildings, negotiate with anti-pet real estate agents other potential obstacles to pet ownership.

It has won the backing of Sydney mayor Clover Moore.

"In a society in which people often live on their own, pets give pleasure, they teach responsibility, they provide security, and they love and are loved in return," Ms Moore said in a statement.

For more information visit www.petsinthecity.net.au

AAP

[mita]

There's also a good book written by 2 US dog trainers, called Metro Dog: A Guide to Raising Your Dog in the City.

It's aimed at the lots of people who own dogs and live in apartments in cities like New York.

Contains heaps of good tips.

http://www.ofspirit.com/tw-metrodog.htm

[Odin-Genie]

Good initiative. However, all buildings have governing bodies who regulate the building policies. What happens if a building defined as pet friendly by the developer later changes its rules? All those who bought units thinking they could keep pets would either have to sell and buy another place or rehome/abandon the pets. Can these pet friendly rules be made permanent?