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: Tigers

Every time dad thinks of Tigers, he recalls attending the Clyde Beatty Circus as a child. The biggest feature at the show was the animal trainer. He was an older man dressed in a fancy gold uniform and he carried a large whip and had a revolver strapped to his hip. The cage in which he performed was about 30 feet in diameter. There were seven pedestals lined up across the middle of the cage. Leading from the outside of the tent and connected to the cage was a heavy steel tunnel. The announcer introduced the animal trainer, whose name dad can’t recall, and then said, “He will be working with six Lions and one Bengal Tiger. The Bengal Tiger is the largest of all Tigers and the most fierce. You will notice that the trainer is an older man. Very few trainers live to be his age. He learned early in his career never to turn his back on a Tiger because even if they appear tame, they never really get tamed. They will always remain a wild beast and very unpredictable.” The show was very good and the trainer got the animals to do many neat tricks. Near the end of the show, one of the Lions started to act up. The trainer was standing near the Tiger at the time. He turned slightly toward the Lion and in the blink of an eye the Tiger lunged for him. He dropped to the ground and the Tiger sailed over top of him. He quickly got back to his feet and cracked his whip near the Tiger’s back end. The Tiger became quite unruly, so one of the employees standing near the tunnel opened the gate and the trainer used his whip to chase the Tiger into the tunnel which was then closed. The trainer got the Lions back to their places and finished the show. After the trainer got out of the animal cage, he went to the announcers booth and got the microphone (this was in the days before remote mikes were invented) and told the crowd that the incident with the Tiger was not part of the show. He advised that the big cat was becoming too hard to handle and that it would no longer be part of the show. Arrangements would be made for it to be sent to a zoo or wild animal park in the United States.

Tigers are felines which are extremely popular among pet lovers who have immense passion for exotic animals. At the same time they are also the most dangerous of all the exotic pets. In the first place, it is really difficult to get a permit to keep them as pets. And even if you get the permit, you have to face other issues like finance, responsibility, threats and regulatory issues so much so that even the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals inspector drops by every now and then to inspect the animal and the living conditions you provide for your Tiger. And, you mustn’t forget about PETA, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals group which will be a constant thorn in your side with constant harassment, rallies and legal challenges to your right to own a Tiger. Although owing a Tiger sounds impressive, it is more like trying to build a castle on sand, everything is always sliding around, with public opinion and legal requirements frequently changing. A good example of this is the current uproar concerning the place that an aging elephant at the Edmonton zoo should spend her remaining years of life. PETA, celebrities and special interest groups feel she should be sent to a wild animal park in the United States where there are other elephants while the zoo staff feel she should remain where she has spent most of her life.

You should understand the challenges you will have to undergo during the whole process. First, you should work as a volunteer at a zoo which has adult Tigers to understand what you are letting yourself in for. Cubs may be cute and cuddly, but a full grown Tiger is another thing all together.

Cubs usually like to cuddle and sleep with humans around. They can be fed with milk bottles like a human baby. They need to be taken out for a walk, frequently. They won’t complain if you keep other pets along with them. Tigers like to play wild games around the house. They attack a piece of furniture multiple times and drag it from one corner to another because of their wild hunting instincts. They will get companionship from your other pets and will enjoy playing both inside the house as well as outside. Problems arise when the Tiger outgrows your other pets, as it will start biting and attacking the weaker ones. At this point, your growing Tiger should be moved out of the house and into a bigger cage. The expense for building a larger cage will be huge. When full grown, your Tiger will need a cage which is at least eighty-seven feet long, fifty feet wide and thirty feet tall. A small swimming pool, shade trees and a warm comfortable “den” should also be built for it.

Another thing that you must consider is that when they are full grown they become very heavy and you will find it difficult to take it outside for a walk. At 13 feet in length and weighing around 600 pounds you will find it impossible to manage it on a leash. The animal will then begin to miss its freedom and will probably get aggressive and start roaring a lot. To keep your Tiger occupied, you can place things strategically, so that the animal gets involved in the activity of sniffing for new things and for its food. Your Tiger can be given toys to play with, but the toys won’t last for long and should be replaced by new ones frequently. The Tiger may even throw the toys outside its cage. You should get the toys and give them back so it can play again. When you leave the house, even for a while, the Tiger should be securely locked within the cage. You don’t want to take any chances that it can break out and attack humans in the neighbourhood.

Around 18 months of age, your Tiger will shed its baby teeth and grow four inch canines. That’s when most owners freak. Up until that point it is usually still thought of as a tamed animal, but when you see those huge teeth you know that the wild predator will always dwell in the animal. At this point most owners no longer go inside the cage to feed the animal and even if they do, they carry pepper spray along with them. Special protective measures should be taken to ensure the safety of not only people in the area, but your own family as well.

One of the most hectic parts of keeping a Tiger is cage cleaning. There are chances of algae growth in damp areas which requires a lot of scrubbing. The old hay bedding should be changed weekly, which will start to make a large pile of hay that must be disposed of and then there is smelly animal droppings which must be removed from the cage daily and disposed of. In addition, the water in the swimming pool should be replaced often. Because Tigers are fed with whole animals, the remains have to be removed frequently as they will begin to decay fairly rapidly, especially during the summer.

So, as you can see, keeping a Tiger as a pet is a big responsibility, expensive and dangerous. In my opinion, if you are really interested in Tigers, you should apply for a part time job at a zoo that has proper facilities to look after Tigers. In that way you can interact with them, but you won’t have the problems associated with owning one.

Until next time,

Teia

Unusual Pets: Chinchillas

Chinchillas are small sized crepuscular rodents belonging to the Chinchillidae family. They are almost the size of a rabbit. They originated in the Andes Mountains of South America. There are two different species of Chinchilla, Chinchilla Lanigera and Chinchilla Brevicaudata. Although they look almost similar, the tail and ears of Chinchilla Brevicaudata are shorter, its shoulders and neck are broader and it is found in the wild. The Chinchilla Lanigera species can be kept as pets. Their standard colour is grey and they can also be found in ebony, beige and other colours.

Wild Chinchillas are an endangered species. Chinchillas can be kept as domestic pets, but are very shy animals and are not good with small children. Because of their fragile bone structure, they should be handled with care and that might be the reason why Chinchillas don’t like it when people hold them in their hands.

The life span of Chinchillas is about fifteen years, when kept in captivity, although some live for twenty or more years. Chinchillas are nocturnal animals and they are quite noisy. They make squeaks, barks and chirps. They make these noises to express their moods. They use a sweet chirping sound to attract another Chinchilla for mating. They bark loudly when they get aggressive or scared. Chinchillas are social animals and can be kept together. When keeping Chinchillas of the opposite sex, they should be neutered. A group of same sex Chinchillas will do well if they are introduced to each other when young. Older Chinchillas can be added to the group, but it has to be done very slowly or there is a chance of them fighting.

Chinchillas are very playful animals. If they cannot have a room of their own, then their cage should be very large and should contain an arrangement of shelves, which they will jump and play on. Toys like large wheels measuring more than eight inches in radius, hanging wooden toys, and paper towel cylinders can also be placed in the cage. Care should be taken that none of the objects they are given should be of mesh construction as there is a possibility of Chinchillas getting their feet or toes stuck in the mesh. When they are given wooden toys or wooden chew sticks the material shouldn’t be conifer wood because it contains resins which are poisonous to Chinchillas. Plastic should never be placed in their cage because their sharp teeth will quickly shred it and the plastic pieces or shavings could block their intestines if swallowed. The cage should be very airy and the bedding shouldn’t be cedar wood. Birch, apple tree, willow, and Manzanita are good options for wooden toys, chew sticks and bedding.

Temperatures should be maintained below seventy-seven degrees Fahrenheit, because Chinchillas don’t have sweat glands. When the temperatures get too high, they get overheated and get heat stroke. Since the animals are hyper active, they should be made to spend at least half an hour outside their cage to exercise, with supervision. They clean their fur many times a week by taking dust baths. A container filled with special Chinchilla dust, made from sand and fine pumice, should be kept in their cage for bathing purposes. Chinchillas shouldn’t be given wet baths because their fur has the ability to retain moisture and this could result in a fungal growth. If, in an emergency, it is necessary to give a chinchilla a wet bath, they should be dried very fast with the help of a blow dryer on a LOW setting. (Remember their susceptibility to heat strokes.)

Chinchillas shouldn’t be given a sweet or fatty diet, like nuts and fruits, as their digestive system is very delicate. Their main diet should be a hay-based pellet and loose hay. On very rare occasions, they can be given small pieces of papaya or raisins. If they are fed sugar or other sweet products, they have a tendency to develop either diabetes or diarrhoea, both of which could be fatal. Even fresh vegetables could block their digestive system which would be very dangerous.

The original cause of the extinction of some types of Chinchillas and the near decimation of others is that they were killed in huge numbers for their superb soft feeling fur. Although the nearly extinct wild species are no longer hunted for fur, the domestic species are especially bred for this purpose. There are many fur farms where Chinchillas are bred in large numbers. Some of these fur farms keep their Chinchillas in terrible conditions and do not humanely kill them. This has resulted in confrontations with the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Over that past few years, Chinchillas have become very popular as pets, so quite a few pet stores have one or more on hand. If you are interested in getting one, make sure that you do proper research and talk to knowledgeable pet store staff.

Until next time,

Teia