At Sheringham town community newspaper. North Norfolk England UK.

Dougal's Pet Corner

The place for your pet stories and pictures, let me have them

STICK INSECTS
Stick insects are relatively easy to keep and can be interesting to look at. Before getting any pet, you should think very hard about whether you can provide everything it needs. What do stick insects need? Companionship - to be with other stick insects (but kept apart from other insect types). A diet of fresh leaves. Most types of stick insect will live on bramble, but the Indian stick insect also eats privet, hawthorn and rose. These leaves should be kept on the twig and stood in a pot of water, with a cover to prevent the insects drowning. Avoid any leaves that may have been sprayed with pesticide. Spray the leaves with water daily and change them once a week. The floor of their home to be lined with paper, which should be changed once a week. Be carful to keep an eye on the stick insects while cleaning out the home, so that they are not thrown out with old plants. A large, well-ventilated home, that is kept indoors in a warm place out of direct sunlight. They should have plenty of room to climb out of their skins. To be allowed out to fly occasionally if they have wings.
	To be left alone just before they shed their skins and for a few days afterwards. To be looked after when you are away on holiday. Stick insects live for about 12 months. Stick insects should be kept with other stick insects but must not be overcrowded. They may fight and even eat each other if they are not given enough water, are fed incorrectly or do not have sufficient space. Stick insects are very delicate and should be handled with great care. It is best to pick them up with an artist's paintbrush.

If a stick insect loses a leg, this is not fatal as it will grow another one after its next skin change. A stick insect that is twitching has probably eaten leaves that have been treated with pesticide and it is likely to die. If a stick insect has problems shedding its skin, you can help. When the stick insect looks fat, gently moisten the old skin and carefully peel it away. Stick insects may suffer from mites if their home is not kept clean and well ventilated.

If a tortoise loses its shell, is it naked or homeless?

Binocular Basics:
Compacts or Full size?

Many people who come to Cley-Spy for their first pair of binoculars very often ask for the impossible! They ask for something with a good quality image that is light in weight and can fit in a pocket, with magnification that is in fact comparable to a large telescope. Such models appear to exist, on the basis of adverts in national newspapers. However, many who are understandably attracted by the extravagant claims of such instruments are thoroughly and justifiably disappointed with the dull, blurred image of their mail-order acquisition. Compact binoculars do have their place and are popular with casual users, people who walk their dogs in the countryside, sports watchers and with birdwatchers who like to have an inexpensive second pair, perhaps to have in the car. Compact, or pocket binoculars, usually have a front lens diameter between 20 and 25 mm, an inch or less, and often consist of two parallel tubes joined by 2 hinges for extra compactness when folded up. Slightly bulkier are those based on a Porro prism design, where the 'step' in the binocular places the front lenses closer together. This type benefits from better optical quality, at a given price, a single hinge, and a more accessible focussing wheel. The drawbacks to compacts are that, typically, they have a fairly narrow field of view, a less bright image than a full-sized pair and can be harder to use because of their small exit pupil (front lens diameter divided by magnification). Our advice would be always to compare a compact with a full-sized pair of the same magnification, to make sure that you are happy that the convenience of a 'pocketable' pair outweighs the brighter, wider-field image of the bigger ones. Cley-Spy

Kow-towing to the vandals yet again! The decision was recently made not to name a road after a local family called Hunt, who have given years of service to this town. Why? Because vandals could change the name into a very rude word. Why not move one of the CCTV cameras to overlook the sign, catch the hooligan, prosecute them and when they get community service, make them clean all the graffiti in town. Problem solved. B Jones

Did you know the North Walsham and District Branch of Cats Protection helped cats in the Sheringham Area? The branch is self-funding and complies with the aims laid down by the charity, which are:

Rescue stray and unwanted cats and kittens, rehabilitate and re-home them where possible. Encourage owners to have cats and kittens not required for breeding neutured. Inform the public on the cat care.

To assist with these aims, we offer vouchers (Ł20 for females, Ł15 for males) to help towards the neutering costs and have leaflets available on a wide range of cat care topics. At present we have 28 cats/kittens in care whose ages range from 7 weeks to 7 years, some of which are waiting to leave for their new homes. Among those waiting for new homes are:
Domino (black/white) and Pepsie (tabby), sisters 14 months old. It has taken some time for them to learn to trust us. They are now ready to be re-homed, preferably with people who will give them plenty of time to adapt to their new surroundings.
Katie (black) 4-5 months old. Lovely little cat with a coat like a moleskin. Hard to believe she came to us from a farm.

If you are interested in giving a cat or kitten a new home, please call Stephanie on 01692 535858 to find out what is available. Alternatively, you can visit www.north-walsham.biz/cats to view cats before calling. If you require more information about us, would like to help in any way or need a voucher to help with neutering costs, again, please give Stephanie a call.