Never underestimating the strength of that human-animal bond is one of the biggest lessons you learn as a young veterinarian (long long ago now). As technology leaps ahead pet lovers are becoming increasingly net savvy. People’s pets are now making their way onto the web.

Hundreds of thousands of pets have their own webpages on Myspace or Facebook, and pet-only sites such as Dogster and Catster are amazingly home to more than 500,000 members worldwide.

Ted Rheingold, founder of Dogster realised there was nowhere to share photos and stories about your dog. “You could see photos online, but you couldn’t see their names. Who’s this dog? What’s this dog’s favourite treat, or what’s this dog’s character.” He created the website in January 2004, and since then it has grown phenomenally.

In just May alone the US based company made more than $400,000 had over 22 million views, and now employs 15 full-time and three part-time workers. Aside from the usual blog features such as message-boards and pet details, the site now has a new feature which allows people to find local pet services.

Quite an amazing trend but thinking back 10 years ago to a house call in Southern England I guess I should have seen all this coming. I was attempting to take “Blue Boy” the Budgie from his home into our hospital for a G.A. and tumour removal. The mass was by this time so large he kept falling off his perch because of the shear weight. As I was carrying his cage one of the owners physically attacked me, tackling me metres short of the front door, in fear of him not surviving the operation. Quite a feat for a pensioner! Needless to say I wasn’t laying down my life for the Blue little guy and left him with them.

The following day he was tearily delivered to our clinic and yes, the surgery was a total success. Both of us lived to see the sun rise the following morning. As yet, there is no ratster or fishter, but knowing pet lovers as I do I wouldn’t rule it out.