Pet Word

Should You Get A Rabbit As A Pet?

January 25, 2010 Comments off

Rabbits have been popularly kept as pets in Western nations since the 1800s. Rabbits can adjust well to indoor life, and can even be litter box trained. Like all pets, rabbits need a considerable amount of care and attention.

Often people purchase rabbits from a breeder. Many people prefer breeders under suspicion that some pet stores sell cross bred rabbits. Such a breeder who has a litter of young rabbits available for sale can be found in the newspaper classified ads listed under “Pets” or “Livestock.” Some can be found through rabbit breeders’ club publications or through rabbit-related magazines, which often include a breeder listing. With the advent of the Internet, many breeders advertise their stock online.

Finding a local rabbit breeder is generally preferred to shipping rabbits for long distances, as it can be stressful for the animal. Many pet shops nearly always carry smaller breeds of rabbit such as the Netherland dwarf, the Holland lop, and the Mini-Rex. These breeds, although smaller than ‘normal’ rabbits, still live long and healthy lives. A point to note is that often smaller breeds of rabbits are prone to tooth problems such as malocclusion.

Rabbit rescue organizations or a local humane society are increasingly common places to find adult rabbits, who may already be spayed or neutered and docile from handling. Though most rescued rabbits are healthy, some may require special care for health conditions or behavioral problems resulting from prior abuse.

Training and Play

Pet rabbits can be trained to urinate and defecate in a litter box or on a newspaper in a specific corner of a room. The litter box may also be placed inside the rabbit’s cage or the rabbit can be trained to treat the cage itself as the litter box. Litter training becomes much easier once a rabbit is spayed or neutered.

Rabbits cannot learn voice commands like a dog, but can recognize different patterns of the voice. For instance, If a rabbit is disobeying, for example biting, simply make a high pitched noise, or an extremely bass noise and the message will be conveyed. Rabbits can be taught their names, although they recognize the pattern of the noises more then the words. Rabbits are intelligent, and enjoy games and toys.

It is possible to permit a rabbit to run loose in the home if rooms have been rabbit-proofed (i.e. dangerous chewable items such as electric cords are removed from the pet’s reach). Rabbits have a tendency to chew on items in their space, particularly wires, although they can be trained not to chew.

It is important that if a rabbit is allowed to roam in a house that it be impossible for the rabbit to chew or get into dangerous or valuable items. They do not possess the same comprehension as a dog or a cat, and often don’t understand if punished physically; rather they will become scared or confused if some kind of punishment is used, as they do not see the damage they have done. If all this is taken into consideration, rabbits make excellent house pets.

Companionship

Other rabbits

Unneutered rabbits frequently fight when paired with another rabbit of the same gender. Generally fighting is a result of sexual mounting, which is engaged in by rabbits of both sexes upon other rabbits of either sex; this behavior stresses the rabbit being mounted and can make it aggressive toward its cagemate. Unneutered rabbits of opposite sexes will breed rapidly, so a pet owner should not leave them together, even if they do not fight.

Because of these problems, it used to be preferred to keep rabbits caged individually. However, it is becoming common to spay and neuter pet rabbits allowing male and female rabbits to live together. Fighting can result even from pairing altered rabbits. Keeping rabbits in pairs can limit behavioral problems (such as general aggression, biting or withdrawal) which may arise if rabbits are kept single.

Pairs of bonded and desexed rabbits, usually one of each gender to a pair, can often be adopted from animal shelters. These have usually already had all their major expenses taken care of (desexing) and they will rarely fight or harass each other, taking the trouble out of bonding two separate rabbits.

Guinea pigs

Some books recommend keeping rabbits and guinea pigs together to meet their social needs. While some people have seen success with this technique, the current consensus is that rabbits should never be kept in the same cage with guinea pigs. A rabbit can easily harass or injure a guinea pig; this can lead to severe distress or even death for the guinea pig. It may be unintentional or due to being startled, since the rabbit is larger and stronger so can seriously injure a guinea pig. They also have differing nutritional requirements, so it is therefore preferable that rabbits and guinea pigs are fed separately. Guinea pigs require additional Vitamin C in their diets that rabbits don’t. Lack of Vitamin C may lead to scurvy.

Additionally, guinea pigs typically show very little interest in social activities necessary for the rabbit’s well-being, such as grooming; this limits the intended benefit of housing the guinea pig and rabbit together in the first place.

Dogs and cats

It is generally recommended that dogs should never be left alone with rabbits as their predatory instincts (or overenthusiastic play) can lead to the dog attacking the rabbit spontaneously. Cats, on the other hand, can become close and safe potential companions if properly introduced to the rabbit and they are of at least roughly equivalent size. In fact, when the cat is introduced in a home with a resident rabbit, the rabbit sometimes will act aggressively to establish his territory and the cat, which does not have such concerns, will typically cede the point to the resident.

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The Basics of Bird Watching

January 23, 2010 Comments off

Bird watching or birding is a very popular hobby that includes the observation and study of birds.Because visual observation of birds is complemented with auditory observation, the term “birding” is more accurate.Birding is the second most popular outdoor activity in America, second only to gardening as the number-one recreation.

For many people bird watching is an opportunity to feel close to nature.They also enjoy the relaxation and peacefulness by watching birds.Some birders,however,will travel long distances just to see a rare bird.These birders are known as twitchers.Twitching is popular in Britain and several other European countries.

Most birders start out by watching and attracting birds to their own backyards.Bird feeding can benefit birds and also provide great bird watching.You can attract a variety of interesting birds to your yard by selecting and offering the right kinds of food. The common types of food offered in bird feeding are seeds,nectar,suet and fruit.Early morning is the best time for bird watching since many birds are then searching most actively for food.

Once you start feeding birds, you’ll probably want to identify who is coming to visit.Equipment used for birding includes binoculars,a blank notebook, and one or more good field guides.

Field guides are books with pictures and descriptions of the birds.A field guide shows birds of just one country, or one region of a country, or one habitat.

Binoculars are described by two numbers: 8×32 for example.The first number tells you the magnification power of the binoculars.The second tells you the size of the objective lens at the end of the binoculars in millimeters.Most bird watchers think that 7 or 8 power is about right for most birding.

The next step is to broaden your birding experience beyond your own backyard.Plan a trip to a bird sanctuary, national park and other locations where you can see birds in large numbers.Wherever you go,never harm the birds and always respect other birders.

And don’t forget to join a local birding club.Clubs organize field trips,show films of good bird watching destinations and some of them are involved in local environmental projects. Also visit your local library and check out books on birds and ornithology.

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Birding or Bird Watching?

January 11, 2010 Comments off

Bird watching is a hobby which involves watching and tracking birds for pleasure or fun. The official term for this hobby is ornithology, although it is more commonly known as bird watching, or birding, depending on your location. However, I am lead to believe that there is more to this distinction than just geography.

The use of the shortened term birding was most commonly used originally in America, whereas in the UK it was referred to as bird watching. But in the UK a third term is also widely recognised to distinguish someone as a person who watches birds and that is twitching. However, there are now three different definitions widely accepted for the three different terms, those being that birding refers to someone who watches wild birds for pleasure, bird watching is for those amateurs who study birds but who do so for their own purposes and who are not professionals in the field, and that twitching is undertaken to compile a long list of all the wild birds which have ever been seen in a particular geographic location. For those among you who participate in this hobby, you should now be able to work out which specific type of bird watcher you are!

Typically speaking, the hobby of bird watching has not had a very good press. Often seen to be the hobby of the geek, it is little known that there are actually some celebrity fans who don their binoculars to look at birds of the feathered variety. Former US president Jimmy Carter enjoyed relaxing with nature while bird watching, as did former UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson. It is also a little known fact that Ian Fleming’s most famous creation, James Bond, was named after a famous ornithologist of the same name. Suddenly the hobby seems much cooler…..!

Amateur bird watchers have also been responsible for some impressive finds over the years. The spotting of a rare species has been known to cause many professionals to descend on an area and conservational work has been undertaken as a result of the discoveries.

Bird watching is incredibly popular and it is a great way for people to get out and explore nature first hand. The best time of day for bird watching is thought to be for the first few hours after the sun rises as it is when the birds are at their most hungry and so are more visible and slightly less wary. Bird watchers often situate themselves in a hide, which is usually an enclosed hut with small spaces to view outside, so they have a good view of the surrounding area but they are largely hidden from the birds, preventing them from scaring them off.

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Thinking Of Getting A Collie?

January 3, 2010 Comments off

The Collie dog makes an excellent sporting dog, and can be taught to do the work of the Pointer and the Setter, as well as that of the Water Spaniel and the Retriever. He can be trained to perform the duties of other breeds. He is clever at hunting, having an excellent nose, is a good vermin-killer, and a most faithful watch, guard, and companion.

Little is known with certainty of the origin of the Collie, but his cunning and his outward appearance would seem to indicate a relationship with the wild dog. Buffon was of opinion that he was the true dog of nature, the stock and model of the whole canine species. He considered the Sheepdog superior in instinct and intelligence to all other breeds, and that, with a character in which education has comparatively little share, he is the only animal born perfectly trained for the service of man.

At the shows this type of dog is invariably at the top of the class. He is considered the most tractable, and is certainly the most agile. Second to this type in favour is the smooth-coated variety, a very hard, useful dog, well adapted for hill work and usually very fleet of foot. He is not so sweet in temper as the black and white, and is slow to make friends. There is not a more graceful and physically beautiful dog to be seen than the show Collie of the present period. Produced from the old working type, he is now practically a distinct breed.

The skull should be flat, moderately wide between the ears, and gradually tapering towards the eyes. There should only be a slight depression at stop. The width of skull necessarily depends upon combined length of skull and muzzle; and the whole must be considered in connection with the size of the dog. The cheek should not be full or prominent.

The muzzle should be of fair length, tapering to the nose, and must not show weakness or be snipy or lippy. Whatever the colour of the dog may be, the nose must be black. The teeth should be of good size, sound and level; very slight unevenness is permissible. The jaws Clean cut and powerful. The eyes are a very important feature, and give expression to the dog; they should be of medium size, set somewhat obliquely, of almond shape, and of a brown colour except in the case of merles, when the eyes are frequently (one or both) blue and white or china; expression full of intelligence, with a quick alert look when listening. The ears should be small and moderately wide at the base, and placed not too close together but on the top of the skull and not on the side of the head. When in repose they should be usually carried thrown back, but when on the alert brought forward and carried semi-erect, with tips slightly drooping in attitude of listening.

The neck should be muscular, powerful and of fair length, and somewhat arched. The body should be strong, with well sprung ribs, chest deep, fairly broad behind the shoulders, which should be sloped, loins very powerful. The dog should be straight in front. The fore-legs should be straight and muscular, neither in nor out at elbows, with a fair amount of bone; the forearm somewhat fleshy, the pasterns showing flexibility without weakness. The hind-legs should be muscular at the thighs, clean and sinewy below the hocks, with well bent stifles. The feet should be oval in shape, soles well padded, and the toes arched and close together.

In general character he is a lithe active dog, his deep chest showing lung power, his neck strength, his sloping shoulders and well bent hocks indicating speed, and his expression high intelligence. He should be a fair length on the leg, giving him more of a racy than a cloddy appearance. In a few words, a Collie should show endurance, activity, and intelligence, with free and true action. In height dogs should be 22 ins. to 24 ins. at the shoulders, bitches 20 ins. to 22 ins. The weight for dogs is 45 to 65 lbs., bitches 40 to 55 lbs. The smooth collie only differs from the rough in its coat, which should be hard, dense and quite smooth.

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Newfoundland – An Aristocratic Dog?

December 15, 2009 Comments off

The dogs which take their name from the island of Newfoundland appeal to all lovers of animals.There are now two established varieties, the black and the white and black. There are also bronze-coloured dogs, but they are rare. The black variety of the Newfoundland is essentially black in colour; but this does not mean that there may be no other colour, for most black Newfoundlands have some white marks. In fact, a white marking on the chest is said to be typical of the true breed. Any white on the head or body would place the dog in the other than black variety. The black colour should preferably be of a dull jet appearance which approximates to brown. In the other than black class, there may be black and tan, bronze, and white and black. The latter predominates, and in this colour, beauty of marking is very important. The head should be black with a white muzzle and blaze, and the body and legs should be white with large patches of black on the saddle and quarters, with possibly other small black spots on the body and legs.

Apart from colour, the varieties should conform to the same standard. The head should be broad and massive, but in no sense heavy in appearance. The muzzle should be short, square, and clean cut, eyes rather wide apart, deep set, dark and small, not showing any haw; ears small, with close side carriage, covered with fine short hair (there should be no fringe to the ears), expression full of intelligence, dignity, and kindness.

The body should be long, square, and massive, loins strong and well filled; chest deep and broad; legs quite straight, somewhat short in proportion to the length of the body, and powerful, with round bone well covered with muscle; feet large, round, and close. The tail should be only long enough to reach just below the hocks, free from kink, and never curled over the back. The quality of the coat is very important; the coat should be very dense, with plenty of undercoat; the outer coat somewhat harsh and quite straight.

The appearance generally should indicate a dog of great strength, and very active for his build and size, moving freely with the body swung loosely between the legs, which gives a slight roll in gait. As regards size, the Newfoundland Club standard gives 140 lbs. to 120 lbs. weight for a dog, and 110 lbs. to 120 lbs. for a bitch, with an average height at the shoulder of 27 inches and 25 inches respectively; but it is doubtful whether dogs in proper condition do conform to both requirements.

When rearing puppies give them soft food, such as well-boiled rice and milk, as soon as they will lap, and, shortly afterwards, scraped lean meat. Newfoundland puppies require plenty of meat to induce proper growth. The puppies should increase in weight at the rate of 3 lbs. a week, and this necessitates plenty of flesh, bone and muscle-forming food, plenty of meat, both raw and cooked. Milk is also good, but it requires to be strengthened with casein. The secret of growing full-sized dogs with plenty of bone and substance is to get a good start from birth, good feeding, warm, dry quarters, and freedom for the puppies to move about and exercise themselves as they wish. Forced exercise may make them go wrong on their legs. Medicine should not be required except for worms, and the puppies should be physicked for these soon after they are weaned, and again when three or four months old, or before that if they are not thriving. If free from worms, Newfoundland puppies will be found quite hardy, and, under proper conditions of food and quarters, they are easy to rear.