Drop a Little About Your Pet

Posts Tagged ‘Family’

When I was about 9 or 10 years old I had a squirrel monkey, alot of maintenence, and smelly, did’nt last too long.

When I was about 9 or 10 years old I had a squirrel monkey, alot of maintenence, and smelly, did’nt last too long.

Rabbits have been popularly kept as pets in Western nations since the 1800s. Rabbits can adjust well to indoor life, and can even be litter box trained. Like all pets, rabbits need a considerable amount of care and attention.Often people purchase rabbits from a breeder. Many people prefer breeders under suspicion that some pet stores sell cross bred rabbits. Such a breeder who has a litter of young rabbits available for sale can be found in the newspaper classified ads listed under “Pets” or “Livestock.” Some can be found through rabbit breeders’ club publications or through rabbit-related magazines, which often include a breeder listing. With the advent of the Internet, many breeders advertise their stock online.Finding a local rabbit breeder is generally preferred to shipping rabbits for long distances, as it can be stressful for the animal. Many pet shops nearly always carry smaller breeds of rabbit such as the Netherland dwarf, the Holland lop, and the Mini-Rex. These breeds, although smaller than ‘normal’ rabbits, still live long and healthy lives. A point to note is that often smaller breeds of rabbits are prone to tooth problems such as malocclusion.Rabbit rescue organizations or a local humane society are increasingly common places to find adult rabbits, who may already be spayed or neutered and docile from handling. Though most rescued rabbits are healthy, some may require special care for health conditions or behavioral problems resulting from prior abuse.Training and PlayPet rabbits can be trained to urinate and defecate in a litter box or on a newspaper in a specific corner of a room. The litter box may also be placed inside the rabbit’s cage or the rabbit can be trained to treat the cage itself as the litter box. Litter training becomes much easier once a rabbit is spayed or neutered.Rabbits cannot learn voice commands like a dog, but can recognize different patterns of the voice. For instance, If a rabbit is disobeying, for example biting, simply make a high pitched noise, or an extremely bass noise and the message will be conveyed. Rabbits can be taught their names, although they recognize the pattern of the noises more then the words. Rabbits are intelligent, and enjoy games and toys.It is possible to permit a rabbit to run loose in the home if rooms have been rabbit-proofed (i.e. dangerous chewable items such as electric cords are removed from the pet’s reach). Rabbits have a tendency to chew on items in their space, particularly wires, although they can be trained not to chew.It is important that if a rabbit is allowed to roam in a house that it be impossible for the rabbit to chew or get into dangerous or valuable items. They do not possess the same comprehension as a dog or a cat, and often don’t understand if punished physically; rather they will become scared or confused if some kind of punishment is used, as they do not see the damage they have done. If all this is taken into consideration, rabbits make excellent house pets.CompanionshipOther rabbitsUnneutered rabbits frequently fight when paired with another rabbit of the same gender. Generally fighting is a result of sexual mounting, which is engaged in by rabbits of both sexes upon other rabbits of either sex; this behavior stresses the rabbit being mounted and can make it aggressive toward its cagemate. Unneutered rabbits of opposite sexes will breed rapidly, so a pet owner should not leave them together, even if they do not fight.Because of these problems, it used to be preferred to keep rabbits caged individually. However, it is becoming common to spay and neuter pet rabbits allowing male and female rabbits to live together. Fighting can result even from pairing altered rabbits. Keeping rabbits in pairs can limit behavioral problems (such as general aggression, biting or withdrawal) which may arise if rabbits are kept single.Pairs of bonded and desexed rabbits, usually one of each gender to a pair, can often be adopted from animal shelters. These have usually already had all their major expenses taken care of (desexing) and they will rarely fight or harass each other, taking the trouble out of bonding two separate rabbits.Guinea pigsSome books recommend keeping rabbits and guinea pigs together to meet their social needs. While some people have seen success with this technique, the current consensus is that rabbits should never be kept in the same cage with guinea pigs. A rabbit can easily harass or injure a guinea pig; this can lead to severe distress or even death for the guinea pig. It may be unintentional or due to being startled, since the rabbit is larger and stronger so can seriously injure a guinea pig. They also have differing nutritional requirements, so it is therefore preferable that rabbits and guinea pigs are fed separately. Guinea pigs require additional Vitamin C in their diets that rabbits don’t. Lack of Vitamin C may lead to scurvy.Additionally, guinea pigs typically show very little interest in social activities necessary for the rabbit’s well-being, such as grooming; this limits the intended benefit of housing the guinea pig and rabbit together in the first place.Dogs and catsIt is generally recommended that dogs should never be left alone with rabbits as their predatory instincts (or overenthusiastic play) can lead to the dog attacking the rabbit spontaneously. Cats, on the other hand, can become close and safe potential companions if properly introduced to the rabbit and they are of at least roughly equivalent size. In fact, when the cat is introduced in a home with a resident rabbit, the rabbit sometimes will act aggressively to establish his territory and the cat, which does not have such concerns, will typically cede the point to the resident.

hi im looking to buy a exotic pet in the future. I want a big cat like a lion tiger mountain lion excetra. can some one hel pme pick one. I want somithing that does get 2 big and that does not cost to much to feed. i undertsand that its a loot of work but im ready for it thank you

My husband are interested in adding a bird to our family and we were wondering what spieces would be good for someone who has little experience with birds. We would like a bird we can handle safely. Also what would be a good source for learning more about pet bird species?

If you are thinking of getting a Cairn terrier pet dog, then you need to know some information about it first. Why? Well, knowing the right information about anything will help you in the long run. This is especially true when we are talking about a pet ownership. Before you get a Cairn terrier pet dog, you need to be sure that you know what you are getting yourself into. You need to know how to take proper care of your cairn terrier pet dog and you also need to know what to expect when you are getting one. Thankfully, there are a lot of sites on the internet which can provide you the necessary information. To save you some time, however, here are the basics: Originally bred in the Scottish highlands, the Cairn terrier is the smallest of all terrier breeds. You should not let the size deceive you when you are getting a Cairn terrier pet dog, however. The Cairn terrier was first bred because of its working ability. You know what this means? This means energy. A Cairn terrier pet dog has a lot of energy to spare. They can gain a lot from taking brisk walks daily. However, you should know that they do best when they have a fenced-in yard to play in. This way, they get more room when they play. Their high energy also means that they aren’t really suitable for apartment or condo living. If you live in such places, then having a Cairn terrier pet dog is not for you. Their energy may also put them in danger. This is the reason why you need to make sure that a Cairn terrier pet dog stays in one area. Their natural instincts tell them to dig and run and these activities may lead to accidents if unsupervised. There are, however, a lot of positive things that can be said about a Cairn terrier pet dog’s energy. For one thing, it makes the dog fun to play with. It can play for hours on end, giving you the companionship that you want. Another positive with this energy is the fact that this energy can be channeled into good purposes. A Cairn terrier pet dog is naturally inquisitive and is always willing to participate in a new adventure. This means that a Cairn terrier pet dog can be easily taught to do tricks. They learn tricks very fast and thrive in obedience training. You need to make sure that your Cairn terrier pet dog is trained properly since untrained ones have a tendency to be destructive when they are bored. Let us talk about the proper care for a Cairn terrier pet dog. One thing you do not need to worry about is its coat. The Cairn terrier pet dog was not bred for the beauty of its coat. The coat of a Cairn terrier pet dog is weather resistant and sheds little to no fur. Because of this, it can be a great indoor pet. Being the smallest of terrier breeds, however, makes Cairn terrier pet dogs especially vulnerable to various health problems. Care must be taken when feeding it as it can gain weight quite rapidly. A Cairn terrier pet dog is also especially sensitive to fleas. However, you can be sure that this is one of the best breeds around.

As with people, there are things that you need to look for in your cat to recognize if they are sick or not. Below is a list of symptoms that might trigger some concern.• Unexplained weight loss• It’s hard for your cat to breathe• Your cat is constantly throwing up• Really bad diarrhea• The cat doesn’t want to eat or drink• Abnormal inactivity• Lumps on the body• Blood in urine or not urinating at all• Abnormal behaviors• Sneezing and hacking• Abnormal aggressiveness• They aren’t using the litter box If any of these behaviors catch your attention you should take your cat to the veterinarian.No matter how clean you keep your cat there is always the chance that some little parasite is going to call your cat’s body its home. If you are keeping a good eye on the health and well being of your cat, you might be able to determine when one of these pesky parasites are moving in.Listed below are some of these parasites that you need to keep a look out for and how to treat them if they invade your cat’s body.• Ticks or Lice: Ticks and lice can be a very annoying problem for you and your cat. In order to determine if you cat is suffering from ticks and lice; you need to check your cat’s body. You can decipher a tick because you will either see the parasite or will feel it like a bump on your cat’s skin. You can actually remove these yourself if you know what you are doing. You just have to pull the tick out with tweezers, but don’t break the body while doing so.After the tick is removed you should clean the area with an antiseptic. Lice are much easier to remove; you might notice your cat scratching a lot and find that these pests are the cause, just use a spray or powder to send these parasites packing.• Fleas: Fleas are a common problem with cats. Again, you can find these parasites with a quick examination of your cat’s body, this can even be done while grooming your cat. Fleas are not something that you can get rid of on your own; you will need your veterinarian’s assistance for this.You may also need to look over your cat’s environment to see if there is a particular reason they contracted the flea infestation. Make sure that after you have treated your cat that you do a thorough cleaning of your cats thins, wash beds, vacuum, and use other flea killing products to help clear these pests out of your home and away from your cat.• Ear Mites: Ear mites have been mentioned earlier in this article because they are quite common in cats and can lead to many other health problems. This is why it is recommended to clean your cat’s ears on a monthly basis. If your cat’s ears begin to look a bit questionable and are not pink and clean, but waxy and icky smelling, your cat might have ear mites. You should take this concern to your veterinarian and have your cat treated right away.• Mange: Mange can be transmitted by a variety of different mites, but you should be wary because this is something that humans can be affected by as well. If you cat begins to lose fur in patches, bleeds, or has issues around the ears, nose, and ears, you cat might have mange. You need to get your cat to your veterinarian right away if this is a concern for your feline friend.