Unusual Pets: The Red Fox

The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is native to North America, Eurasia and northern Africa and it was introduced into Australia in the mid 1800's. At one time foxes were confined to the the wilds, however, the expansion of cities and towns into former wilderness areas has seen the fox become more bold in recent years. It is now possible to observe them wandering the streets like stray dogs.

This small canid is most commonly an orange-red colour, with black lower legs, black ear tips and top of the tail and white underbelly and tip of the tail. However, some morphs are black or black with a white tip on the tail and some are predominately red, ranging in shades from orange-red to dark red. They range in weight from 3.6 to 7.6 Kg (7.9 - 17 pounds) depending on where they live, with the largest ones found in Canada and Alaska. Some in these locales can weigh up to 14 Kg (31 pounds). Head and body length ranges from 46 to 90 cm (18 – 35 inches) with a tail of 30 to 55 cm (12 – 22 inches). Males tend to be about 15 percent heavier than females. Foxes generally live 3 to 5 years in the wild and 12 to 15 years in captivity. Foxes are extremely fast and can reach speeds up to 72 Km per hour (45 mph). This speed aids in catching prey and evading predators.

A few years ago, a female Red Fox with a black face, ears, back and legs showed up in Creighton, Saskatchewan, where I live. It was an offspring of a dark red male fox and a black female fox that used to hang around the mine site in nearby Flin Flon, Manitoba. This little fox was very friendly and an elderly neighbour used to feed it table scraps by hand. Even though foxes are usually crepuscular and even nocturnal, this fox, which Mom and Dad called “Pretty Lady,” patrolled our town all hours of the day and night. Mom and Dad found out that she liked wieners, so they always had a big bag of bulk wieners in the fridge. This fox would frequently jump up onto our front deck and “knock” on the front door with a paw. Mom or Dad would then peel the cellophane wrapper off a couple of wieners, cut them into pieces on a paper plate and put the paper plate on the front deck. She would eat her fill and then take any leftover pieces across the street and bury them on the edge of a vacant lot. If she didn't show up by the time we had finished supper, Dad would take a plate of wiener pieces and put it on the front deck and then whistle for the fox (similar to whistling for a dog). If she was within hearing distance, she would come running down the street and jump up onto the deck for her “supper.”

One night she was a little slow showing up and when she got to our house, she began to cry like a baby. Mom and Dad went to see what the problem was and discovered that a neighbour's cat was eating the wiener pieces. Dad chased the cat away and the fox jumped up onto the deck beside him and began eating.

I guess the Natural Resources officer felt that the fox was getting too tame, because when spring arrived, he caught her in a live trap and took her 300 Kilometres out into the northern forest.

Last fall an older Red Fox showed up on our back deck one day. She had a big scar on her face starting near her left nostril and curving up over her nose and ending at the top of the right eye socket which was empty and badly scarred. Mom and Dad began feeding her and she became a nearly daily visitor. She wasn't quite as tame as “Pretty Lady,” but she was bold enough to climb through our gate and come onto the deck for food. She also liked wieners, but she would eat any meat or fish scraps we had on hand. She kept coming until March, when she went back into the forest. We all hope she comes back in the fall.

If captured at a young age, Red Foxes will make good domestic pets, however, in many areas, it is against the law to own a wild animal as a pet, so before considering getting a fox as a pet, check with your local authorities so that you don't find yourself in court.

Until next time,

Teia

Cat Breeds: The Burmese Cat

Originally only sable (brown) in colour, selective breeding has produced a wide variety of colours, however, only sable, champagne, blue and platinum are recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA). This cat is longer-lived than most purebred cats, with an average lifespan of 16 to 18 years. It is small to medium sized, but much heavier than it appears, weighing 4 to 6 Kg (8 ¾ to 13 ¼ pounds).

The Burmese cat has eyes which are either yellow or gold in colour, and which are large and very expressive. They use these eyes to hypnotize their human family into loving them for a lifetime. They are very intelligent animals and as they mature, they take over running the household. They use their large eyes and velvet paws to aid them in this endeavour. Female Burmese cats take a very active role in managing the house, getting involved in everything that is going on. They frequently voice their opinions on the way things are being done. The males are more laid back in nature and prefer to supervise, occasionally vocally, but more quietly than the females. They like to do their supervision from a laying position, preferably from someone's lap.

The Burmese cat has a short-haired coat which is glossy, with a satin like finish. The only grooming required is a daily petting.

Burmese cats are very affectionate and love human company, often following family members around like a dog. They will “talk” but are not as vocal as Siamese cats and they have a softer and sweeter “meow.”

Because they enjoy human company, these cats are not suited for being left alone for long periods of time. As kittens they are quite clumsy, often landing on their backside with a thump. The usually maintain kitten energy and interests throughout their life. They can be taught to play fetch and tag, again demonstrating some dog-like characteristics. If introduced to vehicle rides as a kitten, they are comfortable travelling in vehicles. They are seldom aggressive, but if attacked by another cat they will vigorously defend themselves. They get along well with children and dogs.

If you would like an intelligent, affectionate cat that displays some dog-like characteristics, then a Burmese cat would be a very good choice.

Until next time,

Teia

Dog Breeds: The Airedale Terrier

The largest of all Terriers, the Airedale Terrier hails from Yorkshire, England and the first recorded breed classes took place at the Airedale Agricultural Society show in 1864. Also called the Waterside Terrier, this dog is a powerful swimmer. It is also referred to as the “King of Terriers” because it is 22 to 24 inches ( 55-61 cm) tall at the shoulders and weighs 44 to 50 pounds (20-23 Kg). The Airedale Terrier is a muscular, active dog, readily joining in children's games. It is outgoing and friendly and is a wonderful family dog, a companion for the country or the city. Its life expectancy is 13 years, although individual dogs have lived for shorter or longer periods.

The Airedale has small dark eyes and a keen expression. Combined with its quickness of movement, the Airedale always appears to be expecting something to happen. It is alert and fearless, but not aggressive. The Airedale tail is set high on the body and it is carried proudly erect when it has been docked (cut short shortly after birth). Because of current laws in some countries, the custom of docking dog's tails in now almost a thing of the past.

The Airedale Terrier has a hard, dense, wiry double coat which is waterproof. It sheds twice yearly and in between shedding periods, its coat needs occasional stripping to alleviate tangles and mattes. The body saddle, top of the neck and surface of the tail are black and the rest of the dog is tan. No other colour combinations are acceptable.

The Airedale Terrier, like all Terrier breeds, is a great vermin hunter, but today, it is mainly used as a great family dog, although it is occasionally used as a guard dog or police dog.

Its ears are “V” shaped, the forelegs are straight and thickly boned. It has small, round, compact feet with well cushioned pads and arched toes. Thighs are muscular and powerful and the stifles are well bent. Its beard covers very powerful jaws which operate in a scissor like manner.

The Airedale Terrier is believed to have originated from the crossing of an Old English Rough-Coated Black and Tan Terrier with an Otterhound. This dog has a tendency to be stubborn and also to get involved in street brawls with other dogs. It likes activity and daily walks should be provided.

If you are interested in an active, outgoing friendly dog, then you may want to consider and Airedale Terrier as a pet for your family.

Until next time,

Teia

Cat Breeds: The Abyssinian

The origin of this cat is unknown, although many stories exist about it. Unfortunately, none of them have any hard evidence to back them up, so they just remain stories. In fact, one story has it originating in Egypt, but DNA testing has revealed that it likely originated near the Indian Ocean.

The Abyssinian cat has a very distinctive ticked coat as exhibited in the above picture. The Abyssinian is one of the most popular short-haired cats in the United States. This cat's body is medium in length and lithe, with well developed muscles. Its tail is broad at the base and slowly tapers almost to a point. The legs are slender and fine boned; the paws small and oval shaped. Its eyes are nearly almond shaped and can be green, gold, copper or hazel in colour. The head is broad and wedge shaped. If you view a profile of this cat, you will see that the nose and chin form a vertical line. The Abyssinian's ears are broad and cupped at the base, tapering to a rounded point at the tips. Most Abyssinians have hair tufts on their ears, a must have feature for show animals. A “M” shaped marking often appears in the forehead hair, above the cat's eyes, which has led to it being referred to as “frown lines.”

All Abyssinians have a darker shade on the backs of their hind legs and the pads of their paws. The original Abyssinian's coat was a warm, reddish-brown with black ticking, however, over the years, other colours have been developed. New colours are Sorrel, which is a cinnamon (yellowish-brown) base with chocolate brown ticking, paw pads and the back of hind legs. Fawn Abyssinians have a light-cream base with darker cream ticking, pads and backs of hind legs. Blue Abyssinians have a light-beige base colour with blue ticking, paw pads and backs of hind legs.

A separate group among Abyssinians is the Silver Abyssinian, which is not recognized by the Cat Fancier's Association, even though this colour has be around for a long time. Silver Abyssinians have a silvery-white base colour, with tickings of black, blue, warm dark cream or cinnamon.

Rare colours include Red, Cream, Tortoiseshell, Lilac and Chocolate, which are bred on a small scale in Great Britain and Holland.

Abyssinians are very active and playful. They can become depressed without daily activity and attention. As a result, Abyssinian cats should not be considered as “lap cats,” because they have to be doing things. If allowed outside, they are great hunters as they are physically capable and intelligent animals.

If you are interested in a cat that is active, good looking and loves to play games, then an Abyssinian is a cat that you should consider.

Until next time,

Teia

Dog Breeds: The Affenpinscher

The exact origin of this dog is unknown, but it is believed to have originated in Germany about 1600 AD. It is suspected that it was created as the result of crossing local Pinschers with Pug-like dogs from Asia. There is also speculation that the Affenpinscher may be the parent of Belgian Griffons and a relative of miniature Schnauzers.

The German word “Affe” means monkey, so this dog is also called Monkey Dog. If you examine its features and watch its actions and mischievous nature, it will remind you of a monkey. The Affenpinscher is one of the oldest toy breeds in existence.

The Affenpinscher has a height of 9.5 to 12 inches (24 – 30 cm) and a weight of 7 to 9 pounds (3 – 4 Kg). It has a life expectancy of 14-15 years, although a recent study in Britain involving a significant number of Affenpinscher owners and breeders revealed that the mean lifespan there appears to be about 11.4 years. No explanation has yet been revealed regarding this lifespan discrepancy.

This dog was originally used as a vermin hunter and even today, if it is given a chance, an Affenpinscher will prove it is a formidable rat catcher. However, its current role is that of companion dog. It is fiercely loyal to its human family and very protective of its members. It is watchful of strangers and fearless toward aggressors.

The Affenpinscher is very lively and self confident. It is often described as a “Big Dog” in a little dog body.

This dog has a rough, harsh coat which is short and dense in some areas and shaggy in others. It comes in black, grey, silver, red and tan and belge (mixture of red, black and white hairs). Some may have Badger pied markings on the head and ears. The hair on the head stands away from the skull. It has well feathered feet, which are short and round. Its eyes are large, dark and sparkling, surrounded by bushy eyebrows, an abundant moustache and a bushy beard. The Affenpinscher has medium length legs, straight and well boned. Its tail, which is covered in short hair, is carried high which is another sign of its self confidence.

Some owners advise that the Affenpinscher is difficult to house break and train, while others say it is a very intelligent dog which takes very well to all sorts of training. The discrepancy here may be attributed to either differences in individual dogs, or the competency of the trainers.

The Affenpinscher is very territorial about its toys and food and displays a tendency to snap at interlopers. In view of this, it is suggested that this breed should be kept away from small children and other small pets.

Like all toy dogs, the Affenpinscher is prone to hip dysplasia and a collapsing trachea. Try to keep the dog from jumping and climbing up and down stairs during its first year of life. When taking it for a walk, use a harness instead of a collar to attach the leash to the dog.

The Affenpinscher needs to be groomed two to three times a week. This will remove loose hair, so shedding will be very minimal. (Some claim that this dog is a non shedding dog, but that is not true because it has hair in follicles. Over time all this type of hair dies, is shed and regrows.) Grooming will also reduce tangles and matting of the dense fur.

It you are looking for a self confident, active, fiercely loyal companion dog, then an Affenpinscher may be the dog for you.

Until next time,

Teia

PS. http://www.canadasguidetodogs.com/affenpinscher.htm can provide more information

Dog Breeds: The Greyhound

The first documentation mentioning this speedy canine occurred in 1016 when they were included in the Forest Laws made by King Canute. Interestingly, dogs with a similar appearance were carved into Egyptian tombs, dating back 4000 years, which leads one to believe that their origin may have been the middle east, and that they were brought to Great Britain by the Celts who picked them up during their wide ranging travels.

Greyhounds, which can run at speeds up to 37 miles per hour (60 Kilometres per hour), were originally used for large game coursing. In more modern times, this gentle, affectionate, kindly canine has been used in coursing, racing and as companion dogs. They enjoy interacting with children, so can be considered as family pets. Because of their coursing background, it is advisable to keep greyhounds away from rabbits, cats and small dogs.

Greyhounds weigh from 60 to 70 pounds (27-32 Kg) and stand 27 to 30 inches (68 – 76 cm) in height. Their life expectancy is 10 to 12 years.

Greyhounds that have been rescued or retired from racing establishments make great companion dogs, but they chase anything that moves. Because they seldom bark and are used to spending long periods of time in relatively small spaces (being carted from race track to race track in small dog crates or vehicle mounted kennels) they make excellent dogs for apartment dwellers.

Greyhounds have a long relatively wide face and a flat skull. They have a capacious chest which provides ample space for their heart and lungs. Their forelegs are long, straight and well boned. They have fine close hair coloured white, fawn, red, red-brindle, black-brindle and black, plus combinations of the aforementioned colours. Their neck is long, arched and muscular. Their ears are small, fine textured and rose shaped at the base.

Greyhounds enjoy going for walks and if turned loose in a field they will run about. If you want an affectionate companion dog, then you may want to consider getting a greyhound.

Until next time,

Teia

Dog Facts

I decided to do something a little different today. Over the past while I've come across some tidbits about dogs and I thought you might find them interesting.

Even though a human stands upright and a dog walks on four feet, the two have very similar skeletons. The only real difference is that a dog does not have a collar bone.

The Rhodesian Ridgeback has an unusual ridge of hair which grows along the middle of its back. This ridge of hair grows in the opposite direction to all the other hair on its back.

Dogs have an incredible sense of smell. They can detect one part of urine in 60 million parts of water.

Trained blood hounds have phenomenal scenting ability. If they are following a trail and they lose it at the edge of a body of water, they can often regain the lost trail after they cross the body of water.

The first living creatures to return from space alive, were the dogs Belka and Strelka along with a grey rabbit, 42 mice, 2 rats, flies and a number of plants and fungi on August 19, 1960.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II has a daily walk around the grounds of Buckingham Palace. She is accompanied, a few steps behind, by her two Corgis, on leashes held by the dog handler.

A lonely dog, deprived of canine or human companionship for long periods each day can easily become destructive. Therefore, they should have someone or something to keep them occupied. Many people leave either a radio or television on to “entertain” their dogs.

Many dogs respond favourably to music and some will even provide vocal accompaniment. A few dogs have even learned to “play” an instrument such as a piano or a mouth organ.

Some dogs, trained to aid the disabled, can load and unload washing machines. Others can “answer” the phone by picking up the receiver and holding it for their disabled companion to talk to the caller.

Dogs have now been trained to detect impending heart attacks or epileptic seizures and can then warn their owners, so appropriate action can be taken.

The Newfoundland dog has webbed feet which enables it to swim exceptionally well, in spite of being a large dog with a heavy coat. As well as the Newfoundland, many “water dogs” such as retrievers also have strong webs between their toes to assist them in swimming. Many arctic breeds, like huskies, also have webbed feet which keep them from sinking too deeply into snow

Any breed of Tibetan origin that has tan markings above its eyes is called “four eyes.” Many Tibetans believe that these dogs can see evil up to three days in advance.

Dogs that have been rescued should be seen by a veterinarian before being put up for adoption so that any potential new owner will know the needs of the dog and can then make an informed decision regarding getting it for a pet.

Greyhounds that have retired from racing or been rescued from racing establishments make great dogs for apartment dwellers. They are affectionate, quiet (they seldom bark), and they are used to small places because in the racing world they frequently had to stay in small crates when being transported from place to place.

Diarrhoea in dogs is frequently caused by a rapid change in diet or a slight chill. It can usually be rectified by withholding food from the dog for 24 hours and then feeding the dog a light diet for the next few days. Fresh water should be available at all times. If you notice blood in the diarrhoea or if vomiting and diarrhoea occur together or if other unusual symptoms accompany the diarrhoea, get your dog to the veterinarian as quickly as possible.

For hundreds of years, dogs were expected to work in return for food and shelter, but in modern times they are more valued for their companionship. One duty they performed was pulling dog carts, which carried all manner of things, including people, parcels, milk containers, fruit and vegetables, wood, meat, bread and coal.

“Lassie,” one of the most famous canine movie stars, was in actual fact a male dog by the name of “Pal.”

Until next time,

Teia

A Great Pet: Budgerigars

Usually called a Budgie, this small parrot originated in the harsh inland part of Australia where it has lived for more than five million years. It became popular as a pet cage bird and is now bred domestically in most countries.

In the wild, this bird is a small long-tailed green and yellow bird with scalloped black marking on the wings and shoulders. However, aviary bred birds also come in blue and white, all white, all yellow and various combinations of these colours. Their beaks are olive grey and their legs bluish-grey. Two of their toes face forward. The male budgie has a blue cere (the area containing the nostrils) and non breeding females have a pale brown or whitish cere. A breeding female will usually have a brown cere.

Male budgies are usually cheerful, extroverted, flirtatious, peacefully social and very vocal. They can frequently be taught to talk, sing and do tricks. The amount of their vocabulary depends on the bird and the amount of time you spend teaching it. Most will learn 20 to 30 words, however, some have learned up to several hundred words. Female budgies are usually dominant and socially intolerant birds. They can also be taught to talk, sing and do tricks, but their vocabulary is usually quite limited.

All budgies like to chew, particularly females, and they will chew anything that they can get their beaks on. Therefore, it is wise to ensure that they have cuttlebone, mineral block (iodine enriched) and soft wooden pieces to both satisfy their need to chew and to keep their beaks properly trimmed.

Budgies are relatively small, but very active birds. The minimum cage size for a single bird is 18 by 18 inches (46 by 46 cm). However, to keep your bird happy and healthy, a cage 18 inches wide by 30 inches long (46 by 76 cm) is recommended. The spacing between the cage bars should be ½ inch (1.25 cm) or less.

Several male budgies can be placed in a cage, which should be appropriately larger in size, but be very careful about putting more than one female in a cage, as they frequently fight viciously doing serious and sometimes fatal injuries to each other.

Budgies should have a daily supply of seeds and fresh water, but that can be supplemented with fruit, vegetables and nuts. DO NOT FEED THEM AVOCADOS AS THEY ARE TOXIC TO Budgerigars.

Budgies typically live from 5 to 8 years, but if well cared for and provided healthy diets and exercise, some will live 15 to 20 years.

If you want an inexpensive, entertaining pet cage bird, then a Budgerigar or Budgie is a great choice.

Until next time,

Teia