Who Takes Care of Your Pets When You're Away?

Can your dog wait 10 hours to go for a walk? Will the cat have enough food and a clean litter box if you are away for a week? What if you can't come home Wednesday nights because of a prior commitment? Anytime a pet owner needs to go away on vacation, stay long hours at work or has regular scheduled activities that take them away from home they must consider how their pet will be cared for.

Pets provide entertainment and companionship but are also a huge responsibility. You show respect for your pet by taking its needs into consideration and planning accordingly. Fortunately there are many services available to assist you in caring for your pet during times when you can't personally give them the attention and care they need. What are they? Which is best for your pet?

DAY CARE.

Social animals, like dogs, can suffer emotionally from a lack of attention. If your dog has access to the outdoors they will be able to relieve themselves when necessary but a house-bound dog will physically require a walk or you will come home to an accident on your rug and a frustrated animal. Day care centers provide the needed social stimulation most dogs crave. At the day care your dog will spend time with other dogs and have people looking after its physical needs. If you have a young dog this can be especially important as your dog may become destructive with a lack of supervision and an abundance of unused energy.

BOARDING KENNELS.

If you plan to be away overnight or for longer, your dog or cat may be placed in a boarding kennel. This can be expensive but will ensure your pet is cared for daily and overnight.

IN-HOME CARE.

If you are comfortable leaving your dog at home all day you may find the in-home services of a visitor or dog walker to be sufficient and less costly while still providing personal attention. Cats and other animals may not need daily visits if you come home in the evening but will need some attention if you are away overnight or for several days. Cats prefer their own homes rather than the highly social aspect of day cares or boarding kennels. Other pets, such as birds and reptiles, will most likely do better with in-home care as well. In-home care can be as basic as someone taking your dog for a walk in the middle of the day or as inclusive as having a sitter stay in your home with your pet. Examine your situation and budget when choosing a method of care. Keep your pet's best interests in mind. If you are having someone come to your home be sure they are reputable. Licensed businesses should be insured and bonded when employees are entrusted with entering and locking up your home. See “Ten Steps to Finding the Perfect Sitter for Your Pet” dated March 24, 2009 about things to check when considering this option and also an experience with an in home sitter that was a personal disaster for my mom and dad.

Until next time,

Teia

Unusual Pets: The Serval

Servals are wild African cats which are also known as Leptailurus Serval. Their most distinctive features are the tall oval ears which are placed very closely to each other. They are found in African countries which have water such as Ethiopia, Benin, Tanzania, Mozambique, Congo, Angola, Togo, Uganda, Transvaal, and Algeria.

The average length of the body of a serval is about thirty-four inches and the tail is about sixteen inches long. It can live from twelve years to twenty years. A Serval’s weight can range from twenty to forty four pounds. Its tawny fur has a pattern of round black spots. The servaline or female form, which is much smaller in size, has freckled spots. Servals have melanin in their skin which sometimes gives them the appearance of a black panther. Servals with white fur and grayish silver spots have shown up in captive born animals, but this is not very common.

Servals with the highest melanin content are found in mountainous areas, while the rest live in savannas, bush lands, marshlands, grasslands, reed bed marshes, bamboo forests and open woodlands. The serval is not able to live in desert or semi-desert areas because its habitat must have a body of water and the odd tree. Since its environment contains water and trees it has the ability to swim and climb trees, although it seldom does. Servals have the longest legs among wild cats when the body to leg ratio is considered. In addition to having long ears and legs, it also has a long neck which helps it to see its prey when it is hiding in tall grass. The hearing of a Serval is so sensitive that it can detect and track rodents which are moving underground. Servals increase their concentration while listening, by closing their eyes.

Before pursing its prey, a Serval pauses for a few minutes and listens to the animal’s movements. Servals rely on their hearing more than their visual capabilities. Servals have a characteristic hop which makes it easier for them to catch birds. They have terrific leaping and pouncing abilities. They can jump as high as sixteen feet and can make a horizontal jump of up to twenty feet with precise accuracy. They can even dig burrows and look for rodents deep in the ground. With all these abilities, Servals are very good hunters. In fact Servals have the highest success rate of all wild cats in catching their prey. Their average is 50% of attempts while most cats average near ten percent. Servals feed mainly on rodents, but also eat birds, fish, frogs, insects, rabbits, reptiles and hyraxes. Servals eat their catch really fast and sometimes when the prey is big, it will get caught in their throat, so they will have to cough it out and then eat it again. They do a lot of their hunting at night when their success rate increases to approximately 67%.

When kept in captivity, they need to be served one to three pounds of raw meat with bones every day. Their meat should never be cooked. In addition to their raw meat diet, which can be beef, turkey, or chicken, they can also be given premium natural cat food, canned tuna and canned salmon. Most Servals can be trained to use the litter box, but the occasional one never seems to master it properly. Owners who don’t have time to devote to training a Serval, shouldn’t consider getting one. Even after thorough training, the pet Serval sometimes has accidents and goes to the bathroom where it shouldn’t. Because Servals have a fascination with water, it’s better if the toilet lid is closed at all times.

The pregnancy period of the female Serval lasts from 66 to 77 days. When it is birthing time, the female will give birth to one to three kittens, although on very rare occasions as many as five kittens have been born. Servals usually use abandoned burrows as a den for giving birth, but if no burrow is available they will give birth behind a dense bush.

Because of human interference with the natural habitats of Servals, they are decreasing in numbers. They are also diminishing in numbers because of large scale hunting for their fur. As a result, they have been given a flag in the endangered species register as being threatened. Therefore, they are now being protected in many nations. If hunting them is not brought to an end, they could very well become extinct. They have now become rare north of the Sahara and extinct in the South African Cape. Some African nations will still allow them to be captured for the pet trade, but even that is diminishing because their numbers are becoming so low. The severe drought in many parts of Africa is also causing havoc with not only the Servals, but also many other species of wildlife.

Until next time,

Teia

Whelping Puppies

Preparing Your Bitch for Mating.

It is important to feed your brood bitch a balanced diet. She needs adequate protein and carbohydrates and you should include all the vitamins and minerals needed to supply a balanced diet. You can prepare her meals yourself using fresh meat and whole meal bread with fine minced veggies, or buy a high quality dry food such as Eukanuba, Medi-Cal or Science Diet. After mating continue feeding her as before until about 2 weeks before whelping, at which time you should increase the amount of food by 25%, and split her food into two feeds daily. This is because there's not much room inside her for a large meal and a belly full of rapidly growing puppies.

When your brood bitch comes into season, worm her with a good quality broad spectrum worming preparation. Also take her to the veterinarian for a culture and sensitivity test, to guard against any possible vaginal infections. You should take her to the stud dog by about the 8th or 9th day of bleeding so that the “stud master” can monitor her progress and ensure she is mated on the correct day. Generally they will mate at the 14th day, but they can be ready as early as the 8th or as late as the 24th day. You can get progesterone tests done to get it exactly right if you wish, especially if using frozen semen.

Preparing Your Bitch for Whelping.

She should be wormed at 4 weeks after mating and again 2 weeks before whelping. She should also be vaccinated either prior to mating or about 2 weeks before whelping. This will protect the puppies from viruses while they are suckling on her. The anti-bodies will pass from her to the puppies in her milk. She will stop eating about 12 to 20 hours before whelping. At this time you should phone your veterinarian and let him or her know that your bitch will whelp in the next 24 hours. Ask the vet if it's OK to call at any time of the day or night if she has any problems. Make sure you have plenty of clean newspapers on hand as whelping can be quite messy. She will start panting, pacing and tearing up her bedding (newspapers) a few hours before the contractions start. The first pup should be born within an hour or two of the start of the contractions. If she goes 3 hours and there's no pup, call your veterinarian.

The Whelping.

As soon as the first pup is born, your bitch will settle down to birthing the puppies and cleaning them up. The pups can be born in their sac or out of it. They can be born head first or tail first, it doesn't matter. Generally they will be born head first and still in their sac. If you have a problem with a pup getting stuck, try and help her by gently pulling the pup as she pushes. Don't try and pull a pup if she's not contracting though. If in doubt call your vet. All the puppies should be born in 8 to 15 hours, but they could take as long as 24 hours in some cases. When she's done, take her for a walk to empty her bladder. You may have to lift her or put a collar and lead on and force her to leave her puppies so she can urinate. Give her a drink of milk with some electrolytes, but don't try and make her eat right away. She will be very tired after whelping. Her appetite should return about 12 hours after she whelps.

After Whelping.

Clean the whelping box up, removing wet and bloodied paper. Replace it with a piece of carpet that you tack to the whelping box floor. Carpet will keep the puppies warm underneath and give them a good surface to grip on while suckling. Make sure the whelping area is warm, but not hot, and certainly not cold. For the next 2 weeks all you need do is feed her. She will begin to eat a lot after about 3 days, so be prepared. By the end of the second week, she'll be eating 4 to 5 times her normal diet. Keep plenty of fresh clean water available for her at all times. You should start feeding the puppies some food from about 4 weeks of age. With a big litter you may need to start feeding from as early as 3 weeks. You can feed them the same food as their mother eats, but be sure it is minced fine, as you don't want them choking. Feed them 2 to 3 times a day to 3 months of age, then twice a day.

Care of Puppies.

Worm them with a worming paste at 2 weeks old, then again at 4 weeks. Use tablet wormers from 6 weeks onwards. Change worming formula's to prevent the worms from building up immunity to the preparations. Trim their nails and dew claws on their front feet each time you worm them to prevent them scratching their mother while suckling. If you don't trim their nails, she will probably wean them early. Give the puppies some meaty bones to chew on and fight over from about 6 to 8 weeks of age. This helps prevent stomach upsets at the critical weaning age. If you follow this advice, you should have very few problems whelping and rearing a healthy litter of puppies. And remember, if you have any doubts or concerns at any time, do not hesitate to call your veterinarian.

Until next time,

Teia

Metabolic Bone Diseases in Exotic Animals

Other than diseases which result from bacteria and viruses, diseases can also be caused by an inadequate supply of proper nutrients in the diet. Metabolic bone disease is caused when there is a deficiency of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus. The condition is especially aggravated when the problem is not treated for a long period of time. The major cause of this disease is improper care in the dietary needs of animals. According to some veterinarians, the disease can also be caused by a very high consumption of proteins.

Metabolic bone disease is also known by other names, such as osteoporosis, cage paralysis, nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, rickets and paper bone disease. If the ratio between calcium and phosphorous is disturbed, the disease is impending. A well balanced diet and close monitoring can result in the proper absorption and retention of calcium in the bones.

As long as a young animal is totally dependant on its mother’s milk, it has a very rare chance of developing this disease. But, once it starts eating other food and completely stops drinking its mother’s milk, it can face the risk of catching this disease. Also, animals which live in the wild have a lower chance of developing metabolic bone disease. These animals are able to eat their prey as a whole and the meat is combined with skin, fat, fur, bones, feathers, intestines, etc. Different parts of the prey provide different nutrients and the animal feeding on it gets a balanced diet by eating it.

The major cause of this disease is the unbalancing of calcium. Chunks of muscle meat which are provided to animals in captivity contain minute traces of calcium and high levels of phosphorous. This high level of phosphorous decreases the capacity of the body to absorb the available calcium. Calcium deficiency can also occur when the animal is not fed fully grown animals and only gets neonatal prey. The actual ratio of calcium and phosphorous that has to be consumed is 20:1. And this ratio is reversed when only meat is given to the captive pet, which results in nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism. Even worse, captive animals which are frequently fed only organs such as heart, kidney and liver will have calcium and phosphorus in the ratio of 1:44 which is not only alarming, but will usually result in premature death.

When vitamin A is taken in excess, it suppresses the absorption capacity of vitamin D and even of calcium. The rate of vitamin A consumption increases when liver is fed in large quantities. When the required quantity of vitamin D is not available, it causes rickets disease. In this disease, the bone density is reduced at joints and they become weak and brittle. The bones become more prone to pathological fractures. In addition, neuromuscular abnormalities and poor motor reflexes can also result from lack of adequate quantities of vitamin D.

Calcium is not only required for proper bone growth but also for the proper functioning of muscles. It also enables blood clotting and activation of enzymes. Another function of vitamin D is to maintain the proper ratio of calcium and phosphorous in the blood stream.

The diet should be well balanced. Twice a week, the animal should be given raw bones which have scanty meat on them like ribs, necks, thigh bones, etc. A more simple way is to give the animal a whole prey to feed on. Commercially designed diets already have the required composition of nutrients, but they can be quite expensive. So, if you have an exotic pet, find out the proper type of food that should be provided for it so that it will not suffer nutritional deficiencies, illness and premature death.

Until next time,

Teia

Declawing Cats

Declawing or onychectomy is a surgical procedure involving removal of claws and should not be confused with a pedicure. Declawing puts the pet in great pain not only during the surgery but also after it. Although it is widely practiced in many countries, it is still considered as an unnecessary mutilation and is illegal in some countries. Another drawback is that this surgical procedure is not reversible.

Before having this surgery performed on your cat, you should understand as many aspects of it as you can learn. The claw is very different from a toenail as it is attached to the toe bone. The last toe bone and the joint are removed along with the claw, during declawing. Nature designed the cat’s body in such a way that everything is used to balance its movement, agility and grace. The main purpose of claws is to defend against an enemy and to get proper grip while walking. By amputating the joint, the whole walk is altered. Besides walking, other behaviours like eating, hunting, gripping, etc. also get changed. Cats that have had their claws removed can no longer enjoy climbing trees and tall objects which also means that they cannot jump from heights. Declawing changes the life of a cat. Some people who have had this procedure performed on their cat even claim that the whole personality of the animal is changed after the procedure. Although medical science hasn’t reported any side effects, many owners have reported physical and emotional complications in their cat after having this procedure done. The recovery is also full of pain and the pet can aggravate the situation by walking too soon after the operation and by scratching in the litter box.

Unlike other animals that walk on their paws, cats step on their toes. And when the last bone and joint are amputated, the animal frequently slips and loses its balance. The shift of weight can also affect the front quarter muscles. The imbalance can be very disturbing for the cat. Some cats even develop secondary contracture of the tendons. Claws are the primary defence for cats. When they loose their claws, they should not go outside, because they are unable to defend themselves. They may also develop a case of insecurity and lose their desire to do a lot of things that they enjoyed before they were declawed. Some cats even develop a tendency to bite, not only strangers but also familiar people and even their owners.

As a natural instinct, cats have a tendency to scratch after they urinate or have a bowel movement. When the claws are missing, some cats develop an uneasy feeling and they start wetting and soiling on rugs, carpets and soft furniture which fills the house with odour. Another thing which actually contributes to this habit is the fact that the cat experiences pain when it scratches the litter in the litter box, so it will choose to do its bodily elimination on a softer surface.

There are many options to declawing. First of all, you should understand that scratching is a natural instinct for cats. The act of scratching is exercise for the animal. It exercises the front quarter muscles and cats also gain pleasure out of the whole act. Nail caps are available to cover the claws. To use them, you will have to fill each cap with adhesive and slip one on each claw. The structure of these nail caps is very soft and the cat can scarcely feel the foreign object. The use of nail caps will save home furniture from further cat scratches. The claws can also be trimmed, but it should be done very carefully. Only the tips should be clipped and not the whole claw, especially the opaque part as that part of the nail contains blood vessels and tissue. As a result of cutting the nail too short, the cat can suffer a lot of pain and there will be a lot of blood loss. If while cutting your cat’s nails you accidentally cut them back too far and bleeding starts, dip the bleeding nail into a container of sulphur. The sulphur will stop the bleeding and act as an antiseptic to prevent infection. Note, if the sulphur does not stop the bleeding, get your cat to a veterinarian as quickly as possible, because too much blood loss could be fatal. When buying a nail clipper for your cat, make sure that you buy one designed for cats. A nail clipper designed for a dog will crush a cat’s claw instead of cutting it cleanly. Before trimming the claws, the cat must be made comfortable by massaging its paws so that it will get used to having its toes and feet held. If you are uneasy about clipping your cat’s nails you can file the ends down, or take your cat to a veterinarian or to a pet groomer to get its nails cut. If you use nail trimming as a method of reducing pet damage, make sure that you have them trimmed frequently as cat’s nails grow quite quickly.

Also, you should provide your cat with a scratching post. If it does not want to use this post to scratch on, put a little cat nip on the scratching post and this should encourage the cat to use it. There are many other options available at your local pet store. You should also train your cat, from an early age, that scratching anything but its scratching post is not acceptable. When you see your cat starting to scratch furniture, carpets, drapes, etc. immediately say “No” firmly and move the cat to the scratching post. Until the cat is trained not to scratch household goods, put the cat into a cat enclosure when you are not home.

In conclusion, declawing a cat should not be considered when there are many other ways to stop your cat from scratching things you do not want damaged. As mentioned above, it is irreversible, painful and will change the personality of your cat, usually not for the better. There are many other options that can solve the problem and none of them lead to disfigurement of your cat. You can even consult an animal behaviour modification specialist. Very few of the people who had their cats declawed that mom and dad talked to were satisfied with the results. Of the many mom and dad talked to, only two said that they would do it again. The rest stated they would find other options.

Until next time,

Teia

A Memorial Tribute to KOKO

Dad and I were sitting together in the plant/computer room of our house just a few days after the beginning of 2008. The holiday guests had all left and we were looking back over the holiday season. Dad mentioned that it hadn’t been the same without “Koko” and that maybe he should write a memorial tribute to him. We tossed some ideas back and forth, but nothing really came of it other than a few notes that were filed in the computer desk. The other day, when the technician came to try and fix the problem we were having with our Internet connection, we found those notes and decided that the time had come to complete that tribute. This posting is the result.

If you look at the picture accompanying this posting you will notice that it is an apricot Poodle; that was “KOKO.” He was born on November 10, 1992 and had to be euthanized on December 19, 2007. He was partially blind, nearly deaf and during the last few months of his life, he lost control of his bladder and was urinating all over the place. Frequently when mom and dad tried to get him to eat moistened dog food, he would take a few bites and then his bladder would let go and a big puddle would end up on the floor. He was embarrassed and ashamed of this and he would run away and wouldn’t finish his meal. In addition to all of this, he began to pace the floor in confusion, so mom and dad felt that it was time.

It is very difficult to euthanize a pet, but it is particularly hard when you have had your pet for a long time and it is only days away from Christmas when you should be celebrating, not having to put a long time friend down.

Mom and dad got Koko in January of 1992 as a companion for their Bichon Frise, “Brandy.” The breeder was an elderly lady who was hospitalized in early December. As a result, Koko had little interaction with humans as there was no one in the home. The breeder’s son went to the house twice a day to feed the dogs and let them out to go to the bathroom. This created two problems. The dogs were not socialized and the larger dogs got most of the food and the rest fought over the leftovers.

For the first few months Koko would not let anyone touch him, but with a lot of patience and coaxing mom and dad eventually could touch him, but only with one hand. If anyone tried to touch him with two hands he would panic. He watched Brandy all the time and then mimicked whatever she did. If someone came to the door and Brandy jumped up and down and barked, then after watching what she did, Koko would do the same thing. It was interesting watching him learn what he should do.

One day when Koko was about six years old, mom and dad’s granddaughter came over with her new “Beauty Set.” All the adults were sitting having coffee in the kitchen and she was playing in the nearby family room. She then called everyone and asked them to come and see what she had done. Everybody went to look and there was Koko, the dog that you couldn’t put two hands on, sitting quietly beside her with hair curlers all over his head.

Koko was always afraid of going hungry, so whenever the food bowl was empty, he would drag it to wherever mom and dad happened to be in the house to show them that it was empty. The bowl was a ceramic food bowl and it weighed about one and one-half pounds, so dragging it around was quite a chore for a ten pound dog.

In 2001 the family moved from Regina, Saskatchewan to Creighton, Saskatchewan where we currently live. After the move, Koko would allow mom and dad to pet him with two hands or hold him and pet him. I think that the move probably made him feel insecure and as a result he wanted more contact with mom and dad.

At Creighton, Koko was introduced to walks in the bush. He thoroughly enjoyed these walks which usually involved our family’s dogs plus a neighbour and his three dogs. The bigger dogs frequently jumped into the ponds along our walking route and swam around. Koko would stand on the edge of the pond and watch the others, but he would not go into the water himself. Then one fall day a few years ago, the other dogs were in the water and Koko was standing on the bank of the pond watching when suddenly he made a massive leap and landed in the deep water about five feet from shore. He went right under the water and when he came back up coughing, he quickly swam to shore and climbed out. No one has any idea what made him jump in, but it was the one and only time mom and dad ever got him to go swimming. A couple of years later, in the spring when it was warm enough to take him out again, he was too stiff from arthritis to go on long walks, so mom and dad left him home when we went. It wasn’t the same without him, so mom and dad stopped taking all of us for walks in the bush.

As Koko got older, he enjoyed curling up beside mom on the loveseat while she watched television and he would curl up beside her in bed at night. Mom and dad miss his welcome bark when they come home from up town and his wagging tail letting them know he was happy to see them.

Mom, dad, and their younger daughter were all present when the veterinarian gave Koko his needle. Moments later the vet checked his heart with a stethoscope and pronounced him dead. Everyone said their goodbyes and mom left the room. Dad and his daughter were still in the room talking to the vet when dad noticed that Koko’s tail was wagging. The vet saw dad staring at the wagging tail and said that it was just muscle spasms. It might have been, but dad is sure that it was Koko’s spirit letting everyone know that everything was alright. I’m sure from his wagging tail that he has gone to a great place, but we all miss him.

Until next time,

Teia

PS from Dad. I’m glad that Teia pushed me into helping her with this memorial tribute. Koko went from a dog with a lot of social problems to a loving and faithful companion to all members of the family. We still miss him and his joyful welcome home greetings, but we know that he is no longer in pain and that he is in a place where he is happy. His wagging tail told me so!

Unusual Pets: Raccoons

Raccoons are sometimes called masked bandits because of the black fur near their eyes, which resembles a bandit’s mask. Their fur is usually white, black, grey and brown. They can be found in major parts of North America and Europe. Their native habitats are deciduous and mixed forests. Ever adaptable, they have also learned to live very well in big cities. When mom and dad lived in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, they were awakened one night by a noise in the back yard. Quietly looking out the upstairs bedroom window, they discovered a mother Raccoon showing her three kits how to open a garbage can and sort through the garbage for tasty tidbits.

Raccoons have five long fingers on each limb, which help them in easily opening latches, boxes and jars. They can even open trash cans and turn knobs on doors. Their prints have a close resemblance to a human baby’s handprints. In the wild, Raccoon tracks are found mostly in mud near water, where they usually wander when searching for food. Their body weight can vary from six to thirty-five pounds and the length of their body can vary from twenty-four to thirty-six inches. Their bushy tail measures up to ten inches in length and has an alternate coloring of white and black. The black circle around their eyes makes them look mischievous and gives them the image of a thief. That is substantiated by the fact that they are often sighted in urban areas stealing human garbage or eating some pet animal’s food.

Raccoons are omnivorous and apart from eating nuts, berries, corn, mice and human garbage, they also eat fish, shellfish, salamanders, eggs, birds, frogs, insects and amphibians. They have a habit of appearing to wash their food before consuming it, but these same actions are seen when they do not have any water. The actions are believed to be a way of feeling the food, although no one has yet determined why the motions look like washing something. However, if water is available, they will soak their food in it, especially those who live in captivity. Pet Raccoons can also be fed cat food, as they enjoy it very much. A female Raccoon gives birth to two to five offspring at a time. Raccoons mate in January or February, followed by giving birth in April or May. They don’t hibernate in winter, but do become much less active.

Besides rabies, Raccoons can also be the carriers of parvovirus, canine distemper and roundworm. Nearly thirty-eight percent of cases of rabies, in the United States, are the result of Raccoon bites. However, only one human death has been recorded in the United States from rabies contracted from a rabid Raccoon. If any Raccoon is spotted in your neighbourhood during the day, contact the local health department or the SPCA immediately as you definitely do not want to take the chance that it is rabid. Raccoons seldom show signs of rabies, but their body fluids will have the virus if they are infected.

It is illegal to keep Raccoons as pets in the majority of states in the United States because they could be a carrier of rabies which could risk human life. In states where they are permitted, a special exotic pet permit should be obtained before getting a Raccoon as a pet. Orphan Raccoons which are rescued from the wild have a higher risk of being rabies carriers, and because they are wild animals they will be very difficult to tame. If you get a Raccoon as a pet, it should be vaccinated. Raccoons can be bought from special breeders who will make sure that the animal has its first vaccination and that it has been tamed.

Raccoons have a natural tendency to bite so be careful when handling them. When dad was a teenager, his father cut down a tree for firewood. They discovered a baby Racoon in a nest in a hole in the tree. The baby Raccoon was small enough to sit on the palm of dad’s hand, but full of snarling, biting fury. Dad wore heavy leather gloves to feed the little fellow. He kept him about two weeks, but instead of getting more friendly, the baby Racoon became more vicious. It was decided that the baby Raccoon should be taken out to the forest behind dad’s home and released. When the little fellow was let out of the box he had been kept in he stalked away snarling. Every few feet it would stop, turn around and glare at dad and snarl ferociously. Finally after the baby Raccoon had gone about 50 feet, it climbed a tree, snarling all the way until it disappeared in the heavy boughs. This experience made dad realize that wild Raccoons, even baby ones, would make very poor pets. They also may contaminate the food of other animals you have by urinating on it. Raccoons are nocturnal by nature, so they require a lot of time and hard work. With training, they can be made to sleep at night and stay awake during the day.

Raccoons held in captivity face health problems like obesity because they do not get enough exercise and they have a ready source of food. Because Raccoons are omnivorous, they should be fed a diet consisting of vegetables, raw eggs, raw meat and fruit. If you decide that you want a Raccoon as a pet, it is a lifelong commitment because captive Raccoons cannot be released into the wild. Once they have become domestic pets, they cannot survive in the wild. Dad was able to release the Raccoon he found into the wild because it had never been domesticated.

Until next time,

Teia

If You Like Birds, Then Put a Bird Bath in Your Backyard

The picture to the left shows the three level fountain that mom and dad installed in our yard. Each level from the top down is deeper than the one above. This allows small birds to use the top shallow level and larger birds to use the bottom deeper level. The netting in the foreground covers the front windows to break up the reflection and to protect the birds from hitting the window. They tried using UV reflective images that were supposed to keep the birds from hitting the windows, but they didn’t work. So, they put berry netting over the windows and that has helped a lot. As well as acting as a warning to birds, it also acts as a cushion if a bird accidentally crashes into the window. With hundreds of birds flaring in every direction at the first sign of danger, there is a lot of activity in our yard. Locally our home is known as the “bird house”.

A bird bath is one of the easiest ways to attract birds to your yard or garden. Not only will you attract a greater number of birds if you install a bird bath, you'll also attract a greater variety of species. A bird feeder in your garden will attract species based on the kind of foods you provide, while a bird bath will attract just about every species.

You can buy commercial bird baths at most gardening and home improvement stores but they are not that difficult to make and can be made from a large variety of materials readily found in the average home. The only essential is that your bird bath is a receptacle that can contain clean water. The best type of bird baths are shallow ones, maximum depth no greater than three inches. Mom and dad have a large plastic drip tray from a large plant pot as one of their bird baths. They placed some stones in it because the lip of the tray is quite narrow. Not only do the birds love it for getting a drink, but they also bathe in it regularly. There is constant activity around it with some birds getting a refreshing drink and others splashing merrily as they have their daily bath. Some birds are very sedate when bathing, just squatting down and getting a little water on their back and wings, while others splash joyfully sending water spraying in every direction. Needless to say, dad has to clean and refill this “bird bath” frequently. He doesn’t mind because it is fun watching all the birds enjoying themselves.

A lot of commercially available bird baths are too deep. If you already have a commercial bird bath and you find that it's too deep, you can make it shallower by putting some stones in it. Mom and dad did this with one they bought when they found that it was too deep and that small birds kept slipping into the water. By placing stones of various sizes in the bird bath, they not only provided extra places for the birds to stand when they were drinking, but they made it easier for them to get close to the water whether the bird bath was full or only had a little water in it. After putting the stones in the birdbath, mom and dad did not have any birds drown by falling into the water and not being able to get back out.

If you really want to go the extra mile in attracting birds into your garden with your bird bath you should consider adding a fountain. The sound of falling or dripping water is an attraction for birds. You should make sure that your bird bath has a non-slip bottom so that the birds that use it aren't in danger of losing their footing. Cement, rough surfaced plastic, or a rough surfaced rubber mat are all ideal surfaces for the bottom of a bird bath. It's a good idea to place your bird bath on some kind of stand or hang it from a tree to make it difficult for predators to reach it or the birds using it. If birds don't feel safe, they are unlikely to use the bird bath.

It's important that you change the water in the bird bath frequently, every few days or even every day in hot weather. If you're an ardent bird watcher, it won't just be for the bird's comfort that you install a bird bath in your garden, you'll also be doing it for your own pleasure. With that end in mind, you should ensure that you place the bird bath somewhere that allows you to view it from a place of comfort through your window or from your deck. Putting a bird bath in your garden following the guidelines above will ensure that you get hours of enjoyment watching all the many and varied species of birds that will be attracted to your garden.

Until next time,

Teia

Unusual Pets: Macaws

Macaws belong to the family of New World Parrots. They are extremely colourful and are the largest in the Parrot family. These birds inhabit the rainforests in Central America, tropical South America and Mexico. Some of them even live in savannas and woodlands. They are very intelligent birds. Macaws are known to live up to one hundred years, but on an average they live from fifty to seventy-five years. Mini Macaws live up to thirty years. The lifespan of a captive Macaw totally depends on the nutrition and care provided to it.

Although there are many species of Macaws, the most popular in the pet trade are Scarlet Macaws, Military Macaws, Blue and Gold Macaws and Hyacinth Macaws. Their size can vary from twenty inches to forty-two inches, which includes their long tail.

Macaws feed on fruits and nuts. In the wild they also eat clay, which neutralizes the effect of poisonous nuts and seeds, which they accidentally eat. In captivity, the bird can be fed vegetables, fruits, grains, dry fruits, nuts, ice cream, cheese, etc. Care should be taken that the total fat shouldn’t exceed ten percent, as that can be harmful for the bird. They are also known to chew on objects. Because of their intelligence and curiosity, they should be monitored constantly. Macaws make partners for life but the ones that are kept in captivity and don’t have a mate, usually bond with their owner. They feel the need of communication and hence, the owner should talk to the bird constantly. This is also a technique used for bonding with the bird. Macaws that aren’t interacted with suffer mentally and physically. They are not shy to new people. If a stranger is accompanying the owner, they do not hesitate to accept the new face and be friends with them. Macaws normally only bond with one person at a time. If for some reason the person they have bonded with is no longer available, they will bond with a new person. If at a later time the person they had previously bonded with returns, the bird will not have anything to do with that person. It is not known if this is “holding a grudge” or if it is just that they are only capable of bonding with one person at a time.

Sometimes, Macaws have some behavioural problems when kept in captivity. Because of stress development they start to pluck their feathers, bite and even scream. They also have a large beak, which they sometimes use to harm people around them. Their voices are quite loud and when they screech it can be heard over a mile away. Sometimes, when they get excited, even their vocalizations can be quite loud. Macaws can be taught to talk. “Bucko” mom and dad’s Blue and Gold Macaw had a large vocabulary. He even learned “Yabba-Dabba-Doo and a few other terms from watching the “Flinstones” cartoons on television. The best talking birds are the African Grey Parrots, closely followed by Amazon Parrots. However, some Macaws are very good talkers and so are some Cockatoos and some Cockatiels. Mom and dad have a Cockatiel that is more than twenty-eight years old and he can talk very well.

Macaws are extremely playful and active. For this reason their cage needs to be very big and strong as well. It should be big so that the bird can move around freely and it should be strong because the bird is very intelligent and stands a chance of escaping. They have a very strong beak and can snap a metal “Hot Wheels” toy car in half with one bite. The material used to make the cage should be stainless steel and the dimensions should be at least forty by forty-eight by sixty inches high. A cage of this size will cost from $500 to $800 depending upon where you live. The bird is very fond of chewing things, so the cage should have a number of wood pieces or toys, which the Macaw can chew on. Hanging toys and toys on which the bird can climb are also a good choice.

Macaws are considered an endangered species and five of the species have become totally extinct. The problem is deforestation, killing them as farming pests and illegal capture for the pet trade. Therefore, in some states in the United States it is only legal to sell Macaws which have been born in captivity. In other states, they are banned completely. In Canada, you can only have Macaws which have been born domestically. Macaws are great pets, but they require a lot of attention and a lot of work. It is like having a hyperactive one and one-half year old child. Mom and dad eventually had to find a new home for “Bucko” because as they got older, he was just too much for them to handle.

Until next time,

Teia

How To Change Your Dog's Diet

As more and more new findings about diets for dogs come to light, many dog owners will begin to consider changing their dog’s diet to the best one available so that their dog will have good health and live to a ripe old age. However, it‘s very important for any dog owner to take precautions when trying to change their dog’s diet. The following steps are suggested as a way that it can be done without throwing the dog’s digestive system out of balance.

Step 1: When changing your dog’s diet, it should be done in stages by replacing 25% of the old food with the new. Most dogs will not notice any difference if the old and the new are mixed well enough. They should eat the new mixture the same way that they did the old diet. Although a small percentage may notice the difference and not be as enthusiastic about eating it, patience should be exercised to allow the break-in period to be completed. Once the dog has accepted the new mixture, for about a week and has shown no sign of an upset stomach, or any other adverse reaction to the new diet, then you can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Mix and replace 50% of the old diet with the new diet and don’t be as careful to ensure that the mixture is completely blended. In this way the dog will get the odd bite of the new food without any of the old food mixed in. Do this for about a week, keeping an eye on the dog for adverse reactions to the new food. If the dog shows no sign of stomach upset or adverse reactions you can then proceed to the next step.

Step 3: This time mix 75% of the new food with 25% of the old one. Again, make an even lesser effort to hide the new food from the dog. Watch for upset stomach or adverse reaction. Also make sure that the dog likes the new mixture. Feed your dog this new mixture for a week and if everything is OK then you can switch completely to the new food. Keep an eye on your dog for a few days to ensure that there are no adverse reactions.

At this stage, your dog should accept this new diet without any fuss. If, however, the dog shows some reluctance to eating the new diet you can continue to mix a little of the old food in the diet and slowly decrease it or you can just use patience and see if the dog will take to the new diet in a week or so. The new diet should contain more nutrition than the old diet, so your dog may not need as much food to fill him up. A change of diet is a stressful thing for some dogs to go through and a lot of patience will be needed. In other cases you will find dogs that have no problems changing diets regularly. However, mom and dad have found that sudden changes in diet usually result in upset stomachs, diarrhoea and loss of appetite if the switch from one type of diet to another is done too quickly. Just like humans, dogs are uniquely different and some are bound to require more patience and attention than others. Therefore, don't become discouraged too easily when the dog is not fitting into the new diet in the beginning. After all, changing a dog's diet is often a time consuming process that should be done with care and understanding.

If the dog is changing from one owner to another such as when you purchase a dog from someone else or you buy a new dog from a pet store or the local SPCA, make sure that you do not change the dog’s diet for at least a month. The change of ownership is stressful enough, without messing with the poor animal’s diet too. Let the dog settle comfortably into its new environment and then after he or she is fully settled and happily enjoying the new family, you can start at step one and change to a more healthy diet to ensure that your new family member remains a healthy and happy member of your household.

Until next time,

Teia