Using the most advanced Pet Facial Recognition Technology ‘PiP’, NZCAR is revolutionising the process for finding lost pets. Photos of found pets uploaded to NZCAR’s ‘PiP’ facial recognition application are analysed and matched with photos of pets identified as lost. When your pet’s photo and unique identifying features are registered in our system, NZCAR can quickly determine a match between your lost pet and any found pet in the area.

The key services ‘PiP’ Facial Recognition offers are:

• Any member of the public can submit a photo of a found pet for free on www.pip.animalregister.co.nz
• Any user can flag their pet as missing so that it is then highlighted on the NZCAR admiistration panel. Our staff check each day for new listings and the system is always looking for matches.
• The ‘PiP’ system sends a missing pet alert to any of the NZCAR agents within a 10km radius of where the pet goes missing. For rural users, if there is no agent within 10km it sends to the nearest three.
• The ‘PiP’ system allows the NZCAR staff to monitor lost and found facebook sites and import photos for facial comparison if the site owners have given permission.
• You can auto-create a lost pet listing on your own facebook page using your stored pet data.
• Activation of a ‘PiP’ lost pet alert also updates the NZCAR and can autogenerate a LostPet.co.nz alert as well as Neighbourly notification.

‘PiP’ Facial Recognition offers a huge step forward in the identification of missing pets. While it does not replace the uniqueness of the microchip identification, facial can quickly narrow the possible options from thousands of animals to only a few possibilities.

It also has the huge advantange that it is a mobile capable technology – without the need for a microchip reader to work. This puts the technology in the hands of many more people, who can all act as a “Good Samaritan” when they find a lost pet.

What does it cost?

Registrations for the NZCAR “PiP” Facial Recognition in New Zealand opened in December 2017. The NZCAR costs is broken down as follows:

$15.00 – standard NZCAR microchip only registration
$25.00 – Upgrade existing NZCAR registration to “PiP” (until 31 March 2018)
$45.00 – New NZCAR microchip registration combined with “PiP” facial recognition.

These costs are one-off fees for the life of the animal. There are no other hidden costs, no annual charges and, more importantly, the cost does not suddenly increase to a much higher cost if you want to register after your pet has gone missing.

If you do not wish to microchip your pet, but do want to register for facial recognition the cost is a one-off fee of $45 for the life of the animal.

Special offer for existing NZCAR clients

As an introductory promotion any owner with a pet already on the NZCAR can add facial recognition for just $25 until 31 March 2018. This is a saving of $5 on the standard cost.

Add a photo to your pet’s existing microchip registration here
Report a missing pet here
Report a found pet here

http://www.spcaotago.org.nz/index.php/animal-care/stray-cat-advice/

The SPCA Otago Animal Centre is frequently filled to capacity with stray cats.  It is often the first thought of a caring citizen to pick up a stray cat and bring it directly to us for care. However we have found from experience that most “stray” cats do actually have a home to go to; they merely appear to be lost because they are wandering far from home. Please remember that some cats have large home ranges so it is natural for them to roam around the neighbourhood.

If you have found a cat:

• Do not feed it, especially if it has just arrived on your property. Just ignore it and do not let it inside. Cats wander long distances and have a very good sense of direction. They will usually find their way home, but if they think your home is a nice holiday house, they may prefer to stay!
• Please click here for paper collars which you can print, fill in your contact details and put on the cat you suspect is a stray.
• Please click here for a Found Pet form, which you can print, fill in and distribute around your neighbourhood.
• If the cat is still hanging around after a few days and you are sure it has been there the entire time i.e. it has not been going home to sleep at night or during the day when you are at work, then perhaps it is disorientated. Please try the following options:
• Ask your neighbours directly if the cat belongs to them of if they know where it may be from.
• Go door-knocking with a photo as far and wide as possible around your area to ask people if they recognise the cat. Ask your neighbours to help with this if you are short on time or have issues with mobility.
• Put a notice up in your local vet clinic and shop or supermarket.
• Advertise the cat in the Otago Daily Times (the ODT does not currently charge for advertising a found animal).
• Call the SPCA on 03 473 8252 and leave a full description of the cat, for example: short haired or long haired, colour, breed (if known), sex, age, street and suburb where the cat was found and any other distinctive things that may help such as the colour of the collar he/she is wearing, whether it has one blue eye and one green eye, or any unusual markings.
• Advertise the cat on Trade Me.  It is currently free to advertise a found cat under the Pets and Animals (lost and found) section.
• Post a photo and description on Facebook. You can post to SPCA Otago’s timeline. Please include full description as mentioned above, as well as full contact details for yourself.
• If you have no luck in finding the cat’s owner then please contact us again.

We love to reunite cats with their owners, however a cat must be truly lost before we need to step in. Please remember our limited resources and always telephone first on (03) 473 8252 before bringing a stray cat directly to us. You can help us by using the above process first, then only as a last resort should the animal come to our centre.

If a cat is injured or sick, as well as disorientated or lost, please phone us immediately for advice.

Click image to enlarge for printing.

 

The special scent that Feliway utilises (odourless to people and other animals) is a replication of the pheromone that cats leave naturally when they are feeling comfortable in their environment.

Every time a cat rubs its cheeks against objects in the home, it leaves behind this pheromone to mark its territory.

Even small changes in your home can upset your cat and prevent them from leaving this pheromone, which in turn makes them feel less secure, and increases their stress. Activities such as redecorating, moving the furniture, having guests, going to the cattery and moving home will remove these natural pheromones for your cat, causing it stress.

Your cat may also be affected by any change in your home organisation and schedule: new family member such as a baby or a new partner, a new job making you more absent from the home, etc. Cats are very sensitive to a routine and stable environment.

Stress can lead to unhappy behaviour such as less interaction with you, hiding away, general mischief or even scratching or spraying.

Using Feliway will help maintain the scent that gives your cat the feeling of peace and calm and reduce the stress that your cat experiences.

Usage Information
It’s important to continue treatment for at least 30 days, even if the unwanted behaviour has ceased within that time. In extreme cases, ‘reminder’ maintenance sprays may be necessary every 2 to 3 days. If the cat is over 10 years old, spray areas once daily for 45 days or use the Feliway Diffuser for constant coverage.

If you believe a change in the home may initiate marking, you can prevent it by spraying Feliway on furniture, doors and in the corners of rooms as you would if the cat were marking.

To prevent scratching, Feliway should be sprayed once per day on areas of surfaces that could be attractive to the cat (typically surfaces that are fully visible and vertical.)

Feliway can also be used to calm cats in stressful situations. Depending on the problem you want to solve you can use the Feliway Diffuser or Feliway Spray or both

1. Having a cat keeps you physically and mentally healthy. Cat companionship has been proven to lower stress, blood pressure and cholesterol in humans.  Cat owners have fewer heart attacks and strokes.  Patting a cat can help to relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression because it increases levels of oxytocin. Oxytocin is known as the “love hormone” because it is released by touch and increases feelings of happiness.
2. They don’t judge. Cats don’t care what you’re wearing or if your hair is a mess. They don’t mind if you spend the whole day in your pajamas and they could care less if you’re wearing mascara or not. They just want to love you for who you are. You know how sometimes you come home and you’re sad and you don’t want to talk about it, but you just want someone to sit there and be with you? Cats are good at that.
3. They don’t try to control the remote. Sure, they might sleep on the remote and make it completely useless, but they’ll never demand that you change the channel or complain that you want to watch a chick flick or yet another rugby match.
4. You’ll never be late for work. Having a cat means you won’t need an alarm clock ever again.  If you miss breakfast time – they’ll be sure to let you know.
5. Cats are great entertainment value. Why bother going out on a Friday night when you can be at home laughing at your cat’s silly antics?  Cat ownership is soo much better than watching funny cat videos on Youtube, because you have your own real, live, funny cat video.
6. They give you a sense of accomplishment. It sometimes takes work to make them love you – but when they do, they’ll love you like no one else will.

Using a spray bottle to punish your cat is not only ineffective, but could also damaging the relationship you have with your companion.

Why do people use spray bottles?
Spray bottles are typically used to prevent or interrupt behaviours that we consider to be undesirable.  Historically, cat owners were taught that this is a safe and effective way to teach cats that certain unwanted behaviours have negative consequences. Squirt the cat – cat gets wet – cat doesn’t like it and learns to stop doing the undesirable behaviour.

What really happens when you use a spray bottle
I hear this statement often – “but it worked for us…..we sprayed our cat with water and the behaviour has stopped”.

It is important to be aware that it was not the bottle itself or the threat of getting wet that the cat reacted to, it’s the person behind the bottle!  Take counter-surfing for example – a cat that has been punished for jumping up on kitchen counters or table tops has been shown to continue the behaviour when there is no-one around to punish it.  Put a spray bottle on the table and they will simply walk around it, but as soon as a person enters the room they’re off the table and out of there in a matter of seconds. What has this cat learned? Only that people are unpredictable and should be avoided.

Punishments don’t work
Cat’s always perform actions to fulfill a purpose, even if we don’t always understand what that purpose is. Cat’s do not do things because they are spiteful or angry with you or a family member.  Instead of punishing your cat for behaviours you don’t like, try positively reinforcing behaviours that you do like using rewards. If a cat has a positive experience they are more likely to repeat the behaviour again.

What is a Deterrent?
A deterrent is very different to a punishment, and is an effective tool you can use to teach your cat in combination with reward based training.

The key things to remember about deterrents are:

1. they activate within 3 seconds of the undesirable behaviour occurring or it will have no effect
2. the resulting action must be consistent, i.e. delivered in the same way every time
3. the deterrent must happen each time the behaviour occurs – 24 hours a day / 7 days a week
4. the deterrent cannot be associated with human involvement
5. an appropriate alternative must be offered to allow the cat to carry out the original behaviour

Take the counter-surfing cat – putting tinfoil on benchtops can be an effective deterrent as cats typically do not enjoy the feel of the tinfoil under their paws.  They get the same unpleasant feeling every time they jump on the counter surface, day or night, and it happens with or without you in the room.  Eventually, the cat learns not to jump on counters and the tin foil can be removed. Importantly, consideration must be given as to why your cat wants up on the counter. Is it near a window facing a garden?, Does your cat enjoy spending time with you while you make dinner?, Is it the sunniest spot in the house? Offering a suitable alternative like a perch or seat nearby (and rewarding its use) will allow your cat to satisfy it’s motivations for the original behaviour.