Get stuffed

The burgeoning pet bereavement industry has seen an increase in that most sensitive of procedures - pet taxidermy. Dogs, cats, rodents and even fish are increasingly being seen as part of the family, and owners who cannot contemplate parting with their beloved pet or ''animal companion'' are realising they don't have to.

For anyone considering having their pet ''set up'' after death, the decision must be made quickly. An animal's suitability for taxidermy depends upon its condition at death and it must be presented within 24 hours of dying.

Some taxidermists place the pet in frozen storage for several weeks to enable a final, considered decision to be made by its owners (part of the deliberation will be over the cost - taxidermy can be very expensive, with the size of the animal being no guide to the final bill).

Once a decision has been made to go ahead, the position the pet will be set up in must be chosen. Its favourite resting position is often recommended for dogs, cats and small animals, while budgies or fish tend to be mounted.

Tree rescue

In an amusing role-reversal, a man recently found himself stuck up a tree. Catalin Pavel, 25, had climbed up the tree to rescue his cat but, once 50 feet up, discovered a latent fear of heights. Pavel was rescued nearly 24 hours later, after firemen were called to his house in Mangalia, Romania. The cat, it is believed, made its own way down.

Testing times

Allergy tests for humans are a common place, so it should come as no surprise they're also available for pets. YorkTest Veterinary Services provide allergy tests for food (through analysis of the main constituents in a pet's diet, including beef, wheat and milk) and the environment.

Dog-specific tests are available for the detection of malassezia, a type of common yeast organism, and sarcoptes, a common transmissible disease. YorkTest itself is a diagnostic laboratory and allergy research centre,

but the tests are available through veterinary practices.