Recent visits to the wilds of Dartford Heath and the marshes of Higham and Cliffe prove without a shadow of a doubt that there is enough cover in the county of Kent to hide a handful of elusive animals. When one considers the amount of forest still left, especially in places such as Ashford, Canterbury, and neighbouring Sussex, I'm rather surprised how many people seem to think that there's nowhere in county for a large cat to conceal itself. Paw prints and scat (faeces) are relatively easy to find on remote pathways. Paw prints can of course be distorted in snow and ruined on bridle paths by dogs, horses, people, bikes, but they can be found. In most cases the paw print of a leopard or puma will be bereft of claw marks - cats retract their claws but dogs do not - dog prints are symmetrical in shape and the claws will be blunt. When a cat does throw its claws out, usually to grip, they'll often show as tiny pin pricks around the toes. The main pad is often 'away' from the toes whereas you'll find a dog pad seems to be pushed up behind the toes. The images show a sketch of a print and also an actual 'big cat' print found near Tonbridge, and cast.

Left - sketch of cougar print. Note three lobes on base of pad. Also, prints can be distorted as the rear paw of the cat comes forward to step in the front impression.

 Left, leopard prints cast in Penshurst.

With regards to other prints it's always worth getting used to the marks made by native species - badger, fox, deer. It's amazing how many photographs I get sent when we've had a heavy snow fall. As snow thaws prints distort as they melt and one animal that often leaves a fist-sized impression in the snow is a rabbit! Although the print would be bereft of a main pad, when a rabbit sits on its haunches it leaves seemingly four toe marks, this is caused by the front two feet and the hind feet. If you are unfamilar with animal tracks and signs it's worth looking on the internet or buying a book to guide you and then you'll know what to eliminate when looking for a cat. Other evidence left by large cats would be scratch marks on trees. Badgers marks trees up to a couple of feet, and deer often mark bark with their antlers, but a cat such as a leopard will often reach several feet up a bark not only to sharpen its claws but a male leopard sweats from his feet, excreting a scent from a gland as a marker. Bark will often be peeled back or there will be deep score marks. In some cases it will be worth looking around the base of the tree in case the cat had shed a claw.

Hair samples are also worth taking - a couple of years ago hair found in woods in Devon were analysed and proven to belong to a melanistic leopard. Hair can often be found on game trails in England where deer, foxes etc, travel through wiry bushes or under barbed wire fences etc. Hair can also be found on the carcass of prey.

Finally, we have scat. Leopard, puma, lynx, like any animal drop scat. Their scat reflects what they've eaten - when dry ,the scat of a leopard, which can reach lengths of 8 or so inches, will appear in chain formation and be greysih in complexion and it'll be full of hair and bone. Usually deer and rabbit fur is evident. The image below was photographed by a James Mitson who has proven to be a vital contact in the heavily wooded areas of Tunbridge Wells. James has photographed deer, fox and rabbit kills and numerous scat. It's always worth looking on countryside pathways, especially near to where dogs have desposited. cats mark their territory. On one occasion a huge piece of scat found has actually be trodden on by a dog walker!

Left, leopard scat - photo by James Mitson - sample is full of deer fur. Three separate zoologists agreed this scat was from a large cat species.

There is often news of dog on dog’s attacks in the local press; a recent one in this very publication about a Rottweiler attacking another dog has led me to make a few observations.

 I can only remark on the facts given but several things made me very concerned both from comments made and the way that the situation was handled.

 Firstly dogs are not supposed to be off lead in a public place so both owners were not in command of their dogs. If they had been on leads to situation would not have occurred.

 The comment by the Kennel Club’s Caroline Kisko is very sensible. In my many years around dogs I have found that  Rottweiler’s in general are not a dangerous breed and are the most gentlest of canines..

The comment that it could have been a child who was attacked is not the right thing to say as it is inferring the dog is dangerous. Dogs do not as a rule naturally attack people, young or old unless provoked.

When out with a dog always be aware of dangers to you and your dog. Be considerate ot other people who may not like dogs and above all do not let your dog wander up to other dogs off lead as you are not in control of any situation that may arise.

Elaine Everest is a journalist and author specialising in canine topics.

Dogs do fight other dogs, the little dog came off worse because it was little, and this is natural. The smaller dog did go over to the larger dog, why did the owner of the smaller dog not restrain it at that point?  Both owners were in the wrong as they were not in control of their dogs.

Kicking out at a dog is not only cruel but downright dangerous. The dog could have turned on the person kicking it and bitten them. It is an offence to harm another dog and the RSPCA now have written evidence that the owner of the smaller dog intentionally attacked a dog intending to harm it. All this large dog knew was that it was being hurt and this would have fuelled the situation with the larger dog most likely fighting back even more.

Yes, the owner of the Rottweiler should have given their personal details and offered more help but we do need both sides of the story before passing judgement.

Above all we do not need scaremongering stories pointing the finger at a breed and saying children could have been hurt when this was simply two owners in the wrong as their dogs were off lead that led to  a fight.

SAD TIMES

It's been very gloomy in our house this week. One of the dogs died. We all expect to lose our four legged friends at some time bur this death came as a shock. In our household we are at the stage of every dog being over the age of ten. In the last year we have lost three (two sisters and a brother) who made the ages of 14 and 15 before setting off for The Rainbow Bridge. That was upsetting, but expected.

Nelson (our Nellie) was a fit and happy Old English Sheepdog aged 11 and three quarters. He was an undemanding dog, loved to have his tummy tickled and to sit next to me by the Rayburn before settling under the dining room table on his furry rug. He simply died, collapsing by the patio door as I opened it to let out all four of them to do their 'business.' Such was the shock I thought he had tripped, but no, as I held him he gasped for air and passed away. His sister sat watching, almost as though she knew something was wrong. She did the same when her older sister, Peggy died. Keeping calm so as not to frighten him I pulled a rug around him and cuddled him as he took his last breaths. I dare not cry as I wasn't sure if he would feel my fear. I spoke to him about how we loved him, and how he would soon be with his mum and dad and all his doggy friends at The Rainbow Bridge. Only when he was still did I shed a tear then they wouldn't stop.

I'll miss his little ways, our home is now missing our guardian dog who would not rest until he knew where we were - he would have made a good herding dog. What is very strange is that he died on the exact spot upon which he was conceived on 30th December 1998. I recall it well as it was a very cold day and his mother and father took 20 minutes to perform 'the deed' while I stood bare footed on the cold floor supervising the match!

The next day we took Nelson to the pet crematorium near Cambridge. We do this for all our dogs not wanting to leave them with the vet or have them collected. It is the least we can do for the years of faithfullness they have given us. Wrapped securely in a blanket he was handed over to caring staff and we waited to take home his ashes in an ash casket where he now sits safe and free from harm with seven more of our much missed dogs.

I’ve just returned from Cornwall where I spent a lovely week with my husband and two of my dogs. Buster (11 ½) and Molly (10) are Old English Sheepdogs so not the smallest of dogs to fit into a car as they too need their luggage and have their needs. Also being elderly they are not as nimble as they once were so long walks and cliff climbing was out for us – thank goodness!

Here are some helpful hints on what to plan for when travelling with a dog:

Pit Stops

Don’t expect to drive from A to B in one hit without a stop. Your bladder may be able to cope with a six hour journey but your dog’s will not. We set off from Swanley at 5 am so as to avoid the M25 during morning commute time. We headed down the M3 and then took the A303 to the West Country. Stopping every 90 minutes the dogs were able to stretch their legs and do their business without becoming stressed.

Seat Covers and Safety

We have a Citroen C3 which is quite a small vehicle but the fuel consumption and running costs are excellent. In our dog showing days we ran an estate car or a van that was more suited to carrying dogs and humans. For this trip the dogs travelled on the rear seat of the car which meant that the bespoke waterproof cover came into its own. With dog fleece bedding on top and spare bedding in the seat well we were ready for the week. Our dogs are good travellers but being mindful of their safety should there be an accident both wear Clix dog harnesses that fit snugly around the chest area and click easily into the seat belt fixtures. I’ve found these to be invaluable and being adjustable we were able to use them on our other two dogs when they travelled to the kennels.

These harnesses are available from The Company of Animals and range from £10.49 to £18.49 depending on the size of your dog.

www.companyofanimals.co.uk

Food and Drink

Never feed your dog before you set off on a long journey. We find that carrying hard dog biscuits such as Bonio’s means that when you make a stop at a service area the dog can have a small snack whilst you eat your packed lunch. Do not assume that water will be available when you stop over. Keep a bottle of tap water and a dog bowl handy in the car will save the expense of buying bottled water or queuing in the ladies, dog bowl in hand when your dog is thirsty. Mentioning stopovers, please please, please, never leave your dog alone in a car even for a few minutes. Dogs die in hot cars and even if the sky is overcast and you park in the shade your car can become an oven within minutes.

Journeys End

We tend to stay in self catering cottages when holidaying with our dogs. To ensure that the cottage is free of dog hairs at the end of our stay we take a few bed sheets and lay these over any chairs or furniture that the dog is liable to brush past. Scented wet wipes are ideal for wiping and little marks on carpets and furnishings. Before we leave the property we use a product such as Shake and Vac on all the floors and go through the cottage with a vacuum cleaner or stiff broom so there are no reminders that our dogs stayed the week.

Next time I’ll tell you about visiting dog friendly and some not so dog friendly places with Molly and Buster.