Gundeli Pet Paradise!

Many of us probably have a pet at home, some of us may have cats... I have three moggies and I am glad that Gundeli offers a wide range of Pet Services in close proximity.

PET SHOPS

In Gundeli there are actually (at least) 4 Pet Shops where you can buy everything for your animal friend.

• Small Pet Shop "Zum Goldfisch" at Güterstrasse 199 (Tellplatz) specializes in Reptiles and Rodents, but you can also find all neccessities for Cats and Dogs there, as well as Canary Birds, Hamsters and Gerbils.
• Zoo Bahnhof of the Qualipet chain at the train station passage (where Interdiscount, FCB Fanstore and the Tamil shops are) is a very big pet store. You can not only get pet supply of all price ranges there, but also can buy all sorts of animals ranging from many sorts of parrots to stingrays (which are only for show and not for sale!). In Switzerland it's prohibited by law to sell dogs and cats in shops, so please don't expect to find a cardboard box with kittens in the back room.
  
• Goldenway Cat & Dog Store at Reinacherstrasse 123 targets primarily owners of Dogs and Cats, so if you want to buy a real big bone or organic breakfast flakes for your doggie, that's the place to go.
• Finally we have Fressnapf (attn. very annoying sounds on website...) also a big chain of Pet Supply Stores, which can be found at Dornacherstrasse 393. They got everything for Cats and Dogs, though their variety for rodents, birds and reptiles is not as impressive as Zoo Bahnhof.

VETERINARIAN

• If your moggie, your turtle or your puppy are sick, you can go to Dres. Vögtli & Eugster at Pfeffingerstrasse 41. Great Vets, great practice, also open in some evenings and on Saturdays.

HOLIDAYS

• If you're off to holidays and need a place to stay for your cats I can recommend the CatShelter and Holiday home at Schillerstrasse 30. A beautiful old art nouveau building, completely refurbished for the needs of pampered cats, two big rooms for holiday cats with secure outdoor facilities. Dr. Vögtli is the doctor on call, several animal keepers with a diploma in animal keeping tend to the cats during the day.

WHERE TO GET A CAT OR A DOG

• You want a pet that you can't get in the common pet store and we're not talking Comodo Varans, but dogs and cats?
  
• Cats: You can go to the local Animal Shelter or to the above mentioned Cat Shelter to get a cat. The fee for a cat is 200 Francs. Most of the cats are used to go outdoors and not suitable to live in closed apartments. If there are indoors cats, they are rare and sought after. Indoor cats will only be given out as a pair or if you already have a resident cat.
• Dogs: You can go to the Basel Animal shelter who have many dogs waiting for a new home. Keep in mind that dogs need to pay dog tax, tram fees and that dog waste needs to be picked up! If you work all day, keeping a dog is not suitable (not even a teenie-tiny teacup Chihuahua... sob...well, I have a soft spot for tiny or very big dogs)
• If you want to get a purebred cat or dog you'll find many breeders on the internet

TIP: You love dogs, but don't have time to keep a dog permanently? Go to the Basel Pet Shelter and borrow a dog for a walk on a Saturday or weekday afternoon! Almost as good as having an own dog!

Please be considerate when buying a pet that it's a living being, which needs a lot of attention and time and also money. It is sad to see that especially now during the holiday season many pet shelters are overcrowded with unwanted cats and dogs which were "abandoned". Also spay and neuter your pet, as it is much more humane than drowning unwanted puppies or kittens.