Pet Sounds

I’m in the park with Cathy Davey and four of her biggest fans. They may love and adore her, but they don’t care that Cathy has released three critically acclaimed albums, been nominated for the Choice Music Prize twice, and has a gong from the Meteor Music Awards to show for her efforts.

Nope! Rex, Daisy, Molly and Victor probably couldn’t even name any of her songs. Instead they are far more impressed with the fact that she has given them a home, takes them for walks and doesn’t get annoyed when they leave hair all over the carpet.
“I don’t care about the carpet!” Cathy laughs. She has a wonderfully bright and vivacious personality: it must be a win-win situation for her brood, given her natural bohemian inclinations. “Some people are much more concerned with things getting into a mess. People abandon dogs for all sorts of ridiculous reasons, like the dog sheds or tracks mud into the house. It’s a dog! You have to accept that. Or you could train them to wipe their feet before they come in.”
She laughs again. The truth is that you can have pets or you can have a perfect house, but it’s very difficult to have both! She’s perfectly happy to accommodate the pets…
Cathy Davey, of course, is one of Ireland’s most popular and highly regarded chanteuses. A fine songwriter and performer, with a natural creative bent, she is a well-known face to music lovers all over the country. But in the War Memorial Gardens, in Inchicore, she is a well-known face to dog lovers too. With four happy pooches, she is bound to stand out.

WONDERFUL KENNELS

As we chat, several dog walkers and the park warden give her a wave to say hello. The dogs go for two walks a day and the War Memorial Gardens is a favourite spot. Molly and Daisy jump into the fountain and splash around with glee. They obviously love it here.
Ireland is a nation of dog lovers. Yes, we like cats as well, but three times as many of us actually have dogs: as pets, as companions, as housemates. It’s not hard to understand why. The conventional view is that, whereas cats are somewhat aloof and self-contained, dogs are loyal, affectionate and always delighted to spend time with you. There’s an old joke that goes — dogs have owners, cats have staff.
Given that she has four of them, you might imagine that Cathy would come down decidedly on Team Dog. But you’d be wrong: she spreads her love evenly.
“I’ve always loved animals in general,” she reveals. “My parents brought me up to respect all living creatures. But dogs were always part of our family. Having a pet teaches you empathy. And learning to care for an animal – one that really relies on you – is important. I learnt a lot from that growing up. I’m not sure how you’d teach a child that if you didn’t have a pet.”
There is work involved in having a dog as a pet. Does having four dogs involve a huge amount of hard labour – particularly when it comes to grooming? Cathy seems to take it all in her stride.
"I groom them myself," she explains. "I bath them when they need it and then I brush them. It’s not difficult. They need to be cleaned to keep them healthy – but I’m not really worried about how pretty a dog looks.”
Many people forgo having pets because work takes them away from home too often. Given that she is a working musician, does Cathy have trouble keeping all four dogs cared for when she is on the road touring?
“Not really,” she says. “There are wonderful kennels and pet sitters out there. But I’m lucky in that I have friends who know and love the dogs and are always happy to take them for a while. Rex always goes to my mother. He loves visiting her.”
Some pets can be fussy eaters, but Cathy’s dogs are happy to chomp on whatever she gives them.
“I use pellets and then supplement their diet with high protein food, such as chicken or fish, because that’s good for them. I am not brand loyal. Though I would be, if someone sponsored me!” she adds with a cheeky grin.

A LEARNING CURVE

Cathy is not just a dog lover; she is involved in animal rescue as well. She actively works with various animal charities, including My Lovely Horse Rescue, Great Hounds In Need and the Greyhound Rescue Association Ireland (GRAI). And it is a commitment that she has embraced in her music. In 2012, Cathy released Oscar The Hypno-Dog (And Other Tails) with Neil Hannon and a clatter of musical friends, including Villagers, Lisa Hannigan and David Gray, who wrote songs inspired by dogs they had known. All proceeds went to Dogs In Distress.
As the name implies, My Lovely Horse Rescue is particularly concerned with the plight of abused or abandoned horses, ponies and donkeys. They work in association with Dogs Aid in Finglas to help abandoned dogs too. Great Hounds and GRAI both find homes, here or abroad, for greyhounds and lurchers. These dogs make fantastic pets, but are often dumped or killed when they can no longer race.
“Animal charities always need adopters or fosterers,” she reflects. “If you can’t have a pet full time, fostering for a few weeks can be a lifeline to an animal in need. They always need donations too. You can donate to My Lovely Horse Rescue through their Facebook page.”
Given that she rescues animals, would she prefer it if everyone made a priority of re-homing abandoned dogs instead of buying puppies?
“I understand why people buy dogs if there is a particular breed they know and like,” she says. “The important thing is to make sure you are getting the dog from a responsible breeder and not from a puppy mill. But all kinds of dogs are abandoned and there is a very good chance you’ll find the dog you want in a rescue centre anyway. That’s always worth checking out, if you are thinking of getting a dog.”
Understanding a particular breed, and what’s involved in caring for it, is important before you adopt a dog, she cautions.
“Some dogs need a lot more exercise and attention than others,” she explains. “Some dogs shed more; some are happier with other dogs and so on. And so it makes a lot of sense to do a bit of research beforehand in order to identify what makes sense for you or your family.”
There are other potentially complicating factors. Animals that are rescued can have emotional problems that make it difficult for them to adjust. That’s why it is essential to discuss with the shelter if they are any issues you need to be aware of and to respond in the appropriate, sensitive way.
“Some dogs have been so badly abused that they never get over it,” Cathy observes. “It’s tragic. But luckily, with time and the right kind of care, most dogs can readjust and make great pets.”
In some ways, having a dog is a lot like being a new parent — you may make mistakes, but if you give your charges plenty of love and attention, you won’t go far wrong. But nothing should be taken for granted. It is, as they say, a learning curve.
“I didn’t know that I was making Rex’s abandonment anxiety worse by making a fuss of him when I came home,” Cathy says. “And when I got a second dog, I didn’t realise you should introduce them on neutral ground. Dogs chew furniture when they are stressed – but you can train them to chew a toy instead. These are all things that you can pick up by reading a bit or by talking to other dog lovers. The longer I have had dogs the more I learn about them.”
Which is what it is all about…

Cathy will be performing at the Galway Arts Festival on Sunday July 27 at Róisín Dubh.

Adrienne Murphy and Cosmo, the Assistance Dog

Ask any dog lover, and they'll tell you what a difference their pet makes to their lives. Some dogs are much more than pets however, and assistance dogs do much more than bring joy to their owners.
Journalist Adrienne Murphy is a single mother with two sons. Her youngest, Caoimh, is autistic. Caoimh’s assistance dog, a German Shepherd/Golden Retriever cross named Cosmo, has made it possible for Caoimh to experience the world.
“Caoimh would probably be in residential care if it wasn’t for Cosmo,” says Adrienne. “By the age of five he was suffering from such chronic anxiety that he could only go to my house, his father’s house, his granny’s house and school. He spent a year where he couldn’t even go to a playground because his behaviour as a result of his anxiety was an extreme fight-or-flight response. He'd run away, screaming his head off. As he got bigger, it got worse and he got more difficult to control. It was impossible to function; I couldn’t even bring him into a shop to get a pint of milk.”
Cosmo was trained by the Irish Guide Dogs Association. The training takes time: not all dogs are suitable as assistance dogs, and Caoimh was on a waiting list for three years before Cosmo was allocated to him.
“It took about a year before Caoimh was able to go to the playground or other people’s houses, or walk down town. He has taught Caoimh to participate in the community. Without Cosmo’s help I wouldn't have been able to teach Caoimh that. He reduced stress levels instantly. He is like a massive security teddy bear.”

Gavin Glass And Danko

Gavin’s furry friend is an Alaskan Shepherd. The breed is a cross between an Alaskan Malamute and a German Shepherd. These are big, strong, smart dogs. Gavin's is named after the bass player in The Band, the late Rick Danko.
“I’d always wanted a dog,” says Gavin. “When we moved into the studio in Inchicore we had the space and that’s when I got Danko.” Danko is a rescue, but Gavin has had him since he was a small pup. “I got him from Cathy Davey. She’s his fairy dog mother!” he laughs.
Dogs, he concedes, are a lot of work, especially puppies. “The training takes time," Gavin says. "You have to be prepared for that. It’s like having a child. But he is a lot of fun too. I wouldn’t be without him.”

Emma Quinlan and her Reptiles

Snakes and lizards aren’t most people’s idea of a pet, but sexy Dublin-based model Emma Quinlan loves them. She has frequently been photographed erotically intertwined with snakes.
At the moment, Emma has six snakes, but the number varies. She rescues them and rehomes them too. She has both venomous snakes and constrictors. But isn’t having a snake that can swallow you potentially dangerous?
“They have no reason to if they have been fed,” she says confidently. “Snakes don’t recognise you or love you the way a dog or cat will. But they are incredible creatures and scientists are doing amazing research into snake venom. I find them fascinating. I always have.”

Jonny Halpin From Gangs and Bella

Jonny has had Bella the boxer since he was 12 years old. “That's eight years!” says Jonny. "I loved having her as a kid. It seems natural to have a dog around the house."
Boxers are large dogs and people can be wary of them, often confusing them with pit bulls. “They look pretty scary," Jonny says, "but they wouldn’t harm you. Especially Bella — she might lick you to death. She’s a great dog.”
Bella will be making her film debut as an extra in Gangs’ video for their new single, 'Daisy'. “She’ll be walking alongside the main character, which is a kid, just looking tough.” They say you shouldn’t work with children or animals. “Yeah!” laughs Jonny. “We don’t go by the rules!”

Jp From The Riptide Movement and Rasmus

When JP isn’t playing guitar with The Riptide Movement, he's the part-time caretaker of a German Spitz he calls Rasmus.
“Anna, my brother’s girlfriend, owns Rasmus," he explains, "But she leaves the dog in my house five days out of seven because they work.” Rasmus isn’t the dog’s proper name. “It’s much longer. Anna would have to tell you. It’s Finnish. She’s Finnish and the dog responds to Finnish commands. He’s really well trained. He can give you a high five or you can get him to do a dance.
“I had cats growing up," JP adds, "But never a dog. The mother wouldn’t allow it. They really like gardening so they didn’t want a dog pulling up the flowers.”
So Team Cat or Team Dog? “Dogs! Dogs all the way! You can’t beat the loyalty!”

Niamh Farrell From Ham sandwich and Mrs Boots

“I’ve had Mrs Boots since Christmas 2012. I got her from the DSPCA. I went up and saw this tiny little black ball of fur. Immediately she caught my eye: she looked like she was saying, ‘Please get me out of here!’
“A lot of people ask ‘Why do you like cats?’ Lots of people are dog people and they’re like, ‘Dogs are so loyal and they love you'. But a dog will love you regardless of what you do. With a cat, you really need to earn their affection. Once you’ve got it, that’s when it feels good.
“My son, Oscar, loves her and gets a great laugh out of her. We have lots of fun watching her doing different things, like chasing bluebottles around the house. I find her very relaxing. She tends to sit down more with me and gives me a little headbump when I come in the door. It’s just so nice — I love having a cat around.”

Niamh’s TOP CAT tips

-Go to the DSPCA or your local animal shelter and adopt a cat. Even if you find you don’t have time to be a full-time pet owner, they need foster-homes for animals.
-Make sure you’re ready to have a house cat for the first couple of months until you get them neutered. It is quite traumatic for a cat to have kittens too young.
-Cats are not difficult. If you show a cat love, they can be just as affectionate as dogs.