Is a Guinea Pig the Right Pet for You?

Guinea Pigs, also called cavies, are lovable furry critters that will bring you a lot of joy. In addition, Guinea Pigs can be a perfect first pet for children because they are easy to care for and more cuddly than a hamster or fish. Following is information to help you determine whether a Guinea Pig is the right pet for you.

If you are thinking about getting a pet for your home, you may at first consider a dog or cat. These animals are perfect for homes if you have a lot of time to dedicate to owning a pet. Dogs and cats need a lot of attention and a lot of space. Guinea Pigs on the other hand are just as cute as dogs and cats, but they do not require near as much space or care. Many people love the idea of Guinea Pigs as first pets for children because they live a lot longer than hamsters or gerbils. In fact, a well cared for Guinea Pig can live up to eight or nine years. Once you own a Guinea Pig, you will be hooked by these cute, sweet natured animals.

When you go to the store to get a Guinea Pig, it is always a good idea to look at them carefully and choose them for their personality. Each Guinea Pig has his or her own personality. Some are more reserved in nature, while others are more outgoing. If you are choosing a Guinea Pig for your child, you want to make sure that your Guinea pig can tolerate being held and petted. Guinea pigs are not known to be aggressive or to bite, but your child will have no fun with a shy Guinea Pig.

Guinea Pigs are social animals and they enjoy the company of other Guinea Pigs. If you are planning to get a Guinea Pig, you might want to consider getting two Guinea Pigs at the same time. Male Guinea Pigs get along quite well with each other if you get them when they are both babies. Male Guinea Pigs will fight with each other if you introduce them after they are grown. Female Guinea Pigs also get along well with each other. It is not recommended that you get a male and a female, unless you want to breed Guinea Pigs.

When looking at Guinea Pig cages, you need to find one that will allow enough room for movement and play. Make sure that your cage has an exercise wheel, to keep your Guinea Pig healthy and active. Guinea Pigs like to stay hidden when they sleep, so make sure that your cage has a place where they can hide. A plastic or wooden structure inside the cage is always a good idea. You will want to add some sort of lining to the bottom of your Guinea Pig cage for easy cleanup. Cedar chips are not recommended, however pine wood chips, newspaper, ground up corn cobs or kitty litter are all fine. You also want to include a large water bottle for your Guinea Pig. If you have two Guinea Pigs consider getting two water bottles. Guinea Pigs love to drink water, so make sure that you give them plenty of fresh water EVERY day.

Some experts recommend adding vitamin C drops to their water. This works well for some Guinea Pigs. However, some Guinea Pigs do not like the taste and will not drink the water. If you do decide to add vitamin C drops to their water, make sure they are staying hydrated throughout the day. If you choose not to include vitamin C drops with their water, you can supplement their diet with fresh fruit and vegetables. Guinea Pigs love fresh vegetables and fruit of all kinds. Just make sure that you do not overfeed your Guinea Pigs and use fruits and vegetables as treats. As far as food is concerned, you will need to feed your Guinea Pigs specially formulated Guinea Pig pellets available at pet stores. Guinea Pigs also needed a daily supply of Timothy hay, available in some pet stores and most farm supply stores, to help aid their digestion.

Guinea Pigs are great pets for all types of homes. When you get a young Guinea Pig, you and your child or children will have to work with it to socialize it. All family members are sure to enjoy these adorable pets for many years to come.

Until next time,

Teia

Choosing The Right Pet For You

Most individuals have an idea just what type of pet they want; however, the maintenance of a pet can cause some concern. Knowing how to choose the pet you want may be easy. You may have had several pets as a child and know you need a companion for your own home, or you may have always wanted a pet but been told you could not have one. Whatever the case, you need to take into consideration some key points about pet care when deciding what pet is right for you.

First, some pets take more care than others. Dogs are very needy animals. They are very sensitive toward their owners. You have probably heard of dogs tearing up a house when left alone all day. Dogs can get bored even when they have other dog companions and toys. They need human interaction. Most dog owners take their dogs out for a walk before work and after work for exercise and play time. Other owners, who work outside, will often let their dogs come to work with them to keep the dog(s) out of trouble. Cats, on the other hand, can amuse themselves and as long as you put your valuables on a shelf they cannot reach and keep a clean house, they will sleep, look out windows and play with toys while you are away. Fish are another type of pet that is typically low maintenance except for cleaning the fish tank, which can be quite a job if it hasn‘t been done for a while.

Pet care is very important when you own a pet. They need attention from their owners, positive reinforcement, training and love. Fish are usually excluded from this statement, as they just need food, proper tank maintenance and a few plants to sustain life. However, contrary to popular belief, fish if made a fuss of on a regular basis, also enjoy human interaction. Of course they don’t need training or being taken for a walk, but they do enjoy being talked to and having their owner peer through the glass at them and wiggle their fingers along the tank front. The point is, proper pet care is required when you own ANY pet. The decision will be yours to make in choosing what the right pet is for you. Above I mentioned three types of pets and a little about their care. Now we are going to look at it in a little more depth.

While dogs are high maintenance and require the most training, they are also one of the best pets to own. They can alert you to danger, alert you to someone at the door and give unconditional love to you. A dog only asks, in return, for proper care and a great deal of attention. If you cannot be home all the time, you will want to make sure the dog has a roof over its head in case of inclement weather and a huge yard to play in. Some dogs can jump six foot fences so it may be best to erect a dog run with a roof so it can move about, but not escape. Also remember that some dogs, if left alone in a yard, bark or howl incessantly, which will make the neighbours unhappy and could lead to you being charged with an offence under a noise bylaw. You may also find that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) begins to visit frequently. And, if they are active in your area, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which don’t always obey the law, could make your life a living hell. I’m not trying to scare you, but you should know all the possible things that must be considered when determining whether you want a pet and if you do, which one is best for you and your lifestyle.

Cats on the other hand can be high or low maintenance depending on the breed as well as their personality. Some cats require hours of people attention while others shirk attention. Some cats belong in a one pet household. They do not like to share their owner’s affections and will become upset and possibly mean toward a perceived invader. Others need a playmate’s attention to live happily. It will be hard to determine just which type of cat you own when you first obtain it as a kitten, because its personality is just developing.

Pet care is the most important factor to consider when you are deciding which pet is right for you and your home. For example, if you have very expensive furniture and carpet throughout your home, you may want to avoid dogs or cats as accidents or scratching or chewing of furniture will happen. Therefore, you will want to consider all the pet care needs of the animals you are looking at, as well as the breed you are looking at, to determine if they will have a happy place in your home and in your heart.

Until next time,

Teia

PS. Remember that getting a pet is a commitment to keeping them for their whole life. The Humane Societies in most towns and cities are overwhelmed by abandoned pets and frequently have to euthanize them to make room for new arrivals. I also recommend that you have your cat or dog, if you choose them as a pet, spayed or neutered. There are too many unwanted puppies and kittens being abandoned or taken to the Humane Society. Don’t think that you will be able to make a few dollars selling any kittens or puppies that your pet(s) may produce because by the time you pay for food, veterinarian bills, vaccinations, etc. the costs will be greater than the income. Being a profitable breeder is a full time job, not a sideline.

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

Simple Tips for Taking Care of Fish in a Home Aquarium

Mom used to have a lot of aquariums, and at one point she had ten of them. However, she began eliminating them about 5 years ago. She got rid of the last few when auntie moved home a couple of years ago. Watching the fish swimming around in their aquariums was fun.

An aquarium in your home can add beauty as well as fun to your living area. Psychologists claim that watching fish swim in an aquarium is one of the greatest stress relievers there is. That is probably why so many doctors’ offices now have aquariums. If you are going to install an aquarium in your home, there are a few simple tips you need to keep in mind if you're going to be successful at this intriguing endeavor.

1. Choose an appropriate aquarium for your home.

Don't purchase an aquarium that is extremely deep unless you're prepared to do a lot of extra work. If you own a deep aquarium and one or more of your fish dies, the water may become polluted before you even notice any dead fish.

In a deep aquarium it's difficult to get the plants you may wish to introduce to grow properly since the light has to go all the way down to the bottom. If you want an extra large aquarium, you need to purchase a 48-gallon aquarium that is 48 inches long by 12 inches wide by 12 inches deep. Get one that comes with a flourescent light canopy as this will be capable of illuminating the large aquarium's bottom. Because the aquarium is only a foot deep, your plants will get adequate light and you will have no difficulty seeing all parts of your aquarium. If you get a 48-gallon aquarium, make sure that you get a filter that will be large enough to adequately filter that volume of water.

2. It's best if you purchase all needed aquarium supplies before you set up your aquarium. Let the aquarium sit for at least one week full of water with the filters going before putting any fish into it. Then only put one or two in at a time with at least a three day to one week interval between each group of fish. In this way you won’t upset the biological balance in your aquarium.

Here are some supplies you're going to need:

* aquarium
* aquarium cover with a flourescent light bar
* heater
* aquarium filter
* gravel
* 5 gallon bucket
* strainer
* glass scrubber
* fish food
* replacement filter media
* chemical test kits
* plants -- natural or artificial
* decorations
* fish net
* aquarium vacuum
* aquarium stand - if you don’t have a piece of furniture capable of supporting over 500 pounds (480 pounds of water plus the weight of the aquarium, gravel, fish, filter, and decorations) you should consider getting an aquarium stand to put your aquarium on.

3. It's essential that you keep a close watch over your aquarium. Be sure to check the water in your aquarium for fungus infections, parasites and bacteria. There are parasites that can enter your aquarium through infected fish. Before you notice anything wrong, your entire aquarium could be totally infested. Therefore, be sure to keep close watch to see if any of your fish show signs of being infected and put them in a separate tank away from your healthy fish.

Before adding new fish to your aquarium, you should keep them in a separate tank for at least a week before introducing them to your other fish. You only need an inexpensive plastic tank with no gravel or plants to keep your new fish in to make sure they're healthy. Then add fish gradually so you don't get so many fish in your aquarium that ammonia problems arise, which can result in some or all of your fish dying. A good rule for the number of fish, is to have a maximum of one inch of fish for every gallon of water. Therefore, a 48-gallon tank could handle up to 48 inches of fish. Note! Fish grow. Before purchasing fish, check with the pet store you are buying them from to find out how big they will be when full grown. Overcrowding your tank will cause a lot of problems and spoil the fun of having an aquarium.

4. Take care of your fish by choosing them wisely. Not every fish is compatible with every other fish; so don't purchase fish that won't get along well together just because they're attractive. You'll be sorry if you do. A friend of mom’s did this. Three days later he only had his new attractive fish in the tank. It had eaten all the rest. Pet store staff should be able to tell you if the fish you are looking at is a candidate for a community tank (one with a variety of different fish in it). If they can’t, then go to a different store to buy your fish.

Educate yourself about fish at your local pet store before you make your purchases. You will want to learn what your new fish is like and what its habits are so you'll know how to take care of it. You'll also need to learn if it is compatible with your other fish. Check with the pet store to see if there is an aquarium club in the area. If there is, join it. You will meet a lot of knowledgeable fish enthusiasts at the club. They will gladly help you out and answer all your questions. Aquarium club members frequently have fish to sell or give away, so you can frequently get some good quality fish at very reasonable prices. Also, having someone you can call when you have a problem is invaluable.

5. Be sure that you don't give your fish too much to eat. One of the most common causes of fish dying prematurely in aquariums is overfeeding them. A good rule is to only put enough food in the tank so that your fish can eat it all in two minutes, with none settling on the bottom of the tank. It is much better to under feed your fish than overfeeding them. Provide a little variety in the diet of your fish. Just like you, your fish won’t be happy eating the same food every day of the week. Pet store clerks should be able to help you out in this regard. If they can’t, members of the aquarium club certainly will.

Now that you've read these five simple tips to help you successfully raise fish in your home, be sure to put these tips into practice. Then have fun as these marvelous creatures entertain you.

Until next time,

Teia

PS. The tank shown above is too deep. Mom had a lot of trouble getting the water to circulate properly and as a result, polutants from fish waste built up regularly causing the fish to become ill. She finally solved the problem by putting extensions on the intake tubes to the filters. In this way she drew in the water to be filtered from the bottom of the tank and emptied the filtered water into the top. Once she did this, her fish remained healthy and the tank ended up being in biological balance. She never had this sort of problem with her 48 gallon tanks.

PPS. When buying a tank over 10 gallons, always buy a tank with thick walls. The glass should be one-quarter of an inch thick or thicker. There is much less chance of the glass breaking and spilling a large volume of water onto your floor. Also, the pressure of the water will not make the sides of your tank bulge out. If this happens, your tank cover will not fit properly and your glass will always be under stress.