Stuffed Animals

     Now, let’s get back to the topic of having lemurs as pets. Since, lemurs already fall in the class of endangered species, so you must have already understood that getting a lemur from its native island, will definitely be something illegal. Besides, the United States government has some strict laws against importing of foreign animals. These laws are there to prevent the occurrence of any foreign disease or epidemic. So, the only way that remains open to you is that you need to search for a pet shop on the Internet, that breeds lemurs. If you happen to find one, take into consideration that you choose a male lemur. Lemurs fall in the class of those primates, where the male is more submissive than the female. A male lemur can hence, be trained more easily as compared to a female lemur. Another point that you need to take into consideration is that you should verify that the lemur was born and bred in captivity.

     Another important point that needs to be taken into consideration are the different species of lemurs to choose from. There are about 30 species of lemurs. Many species of lemurs are already in the list of extinct animals. Some researchers who have studied lemurs also say that there was one species of lemurs that was as large as a gorilla. Lemurs are basically classified according to their weight. The smallest one is the tiny pygmy mouse lemur and the largest as mentioned in the lemurs facts is the Indri lemur, which weighs 15 pounds. Let us take a look at the two most interesting types of lemurs that you can have as pets.

     Mouse Lemurs as Pets Read the rest of this entry »

     Ferrets have gained great popularity as pets, especially for people who don’t have room for larger or more vocal animals but want something that’s both cuddly and vivacious as well as endlessly entertaining. Ferrets take their tomfoolery quite seriously, every bit as seriously as they take their down time, when you will find your lap is likely to be a choice spot for your ferret – or ferrets to snuggle down and recharge.

     There are special responsibilities and unique care taking demands for ferrets, but that is true of any companion animal and part of the reason we love our animals; the need to care for something other than ourselves is one of the finer traits of humankind, almost as well developed as it is in other species, like dogs.

     One of the most important peculiarities about ferrets is that the females, if they are not to be bred, need to be spayed. Sexed females that are not bred almost invariably develop a painful and fatal condition called aplastic anemia, so one of the first rules of order for your ferret – at least your female – should be a spay. Most people have them de-scented at the same time, but this practice is coming into question. The musk glands that give the ferret their distinctive smell aren’t part of the scent glands that are surgically removed, and since ferrets don’t spray from those scent glands like their cousins, the polecats, but merely let them discharge in a puddle that’s easily wiped up with no lingering odor, the standard operating procedure of automatically removing those organs is being looked at as an unnecessarily invasive procedure.

     For your ferret to inhabit a Ferretopia, you should make sure it has (or they have – ferrets are notoriously social creatures) a safe place to live and play when you aren’t there to supervise. Since they are possessed of insatiable curiosity and have precious little sense when it comes to their own safety, leaving a ferret (or worse, ferrets) to roam your living space at large, unsupervised, is just not a good idea. Think in terms of a two year old with the physical capability to go anywhere it wishes and get into anything it sees. A friend of mine lost one of his ferrets to an unauthorized ride in the clothes dryer. Read the rest of this entry »

     To take proper care of a baby bird, a few things need to be kept in mind. If one has knowledge about the behavior and needs of different types of birds, it is well and good, however, one should try and find as much information about them as possible. Let us understand how to care for a baby bird that fell out of its nest and the precautions that need to be taken.

     Immediate Measures: The immediate steps/measure for abandoned baby bird care is to first keep it in a warm place. It has been observed that many of the abandoned baby birds suffer from pneumonia. One shouldn’t try and force anything in the bird’s beak even if appears to be hungry/thirsty. A wildlife rehabilitator would provide the right kind of advice/assistance on to how these birds should be treated. Read more on how to treat injured birds.

     Aftercare: For the period that a baby bird is in one’s care, one needs to keep the following points in mind.

     Habitation: To house an abandoned bird, one should first arrange for a suitable shelter for it. A shoe box lined with soft tissues makes for a nice and cozy bird nest in the house. One should try and avoid using materials, like, straw, paper or cotton. It is advisable to use a heating pad in order to keep the nest warm. The nest shouldn’t be placed in direct sunlight. Read the rest of this entry »

     For goldfish care for kids, the kids have to know what the goldfish needs. Here is a list of things which are a must regarding goldfish care for kids:

     Aquarium: Though goldfishes are small animals, they need lots of space, which is mainly because they are great swimmers! Goldfishes also tend to hide, as if playing hide and seek! We also tend to forget that the goldfish won’t remain of the same size, and it is going to grow. So the point is, bring a big aquarium for your goldfish, as a small one could impede normal growth of the goldfish and could lead to stunted growth. The aquarium should have a water holding capacity of at least ten gallons. So, preferably, a fish tank is required for one goldfish. Do not buy a bowl, because normally bowls are too small even for one goldfish. And a ten gallon bowl will take so much space in the house that it will make goldfish care in a bowl very difficult.

     Food: It is important to remind the kids when they are feeding the goldfishes, that they are small pets, so you can’t give them a handful of food! It has to be a pinch of fish food, which consists of flakes, vegetables, pellets, chopped earthworms etc. Goldfishes love pellets, just like children love chocolates! But it is advisable to feed the goldfish pellets in the end, because the pellets contain air, and the goldfish gobbles the pellets without letting the air sink in. So it is necessary to feed them pellets after flakes or veggies, especially in cases of baby goldfish care. Too many pellets can cause a goldfish disease called air bladder disease. Also, remove the leftover food to avoid production of ammonia. Thus, feeding the goldfish properly is very essential for goldfish care for kids. Read the rest of this entry »

     So, now that you are familiar with chipmunks, let’s see if it is possible to keep chipmunks as pets, and what are the things that need to be kept in mind if you have them as pets.

     Housing: Chipmunks can be kept in cages, but their cages have to be huge! These pets are very active, just like squirrels. They like to play and run throughout the day, and they also like to hide. In fact, hiding is a very important part of their life, as they hibernate, and also hide (store) their food. So, the cage should be spacious enough, and it should have a hiding place for their food. If it is not big, chipmunks may start feeling claustrophobic! The ideal size of the cage is 6 feet by 6 feet by 4 feet. Or you could even make a spacious outdoor run. Pine shedding or wood flakes can be put in the cage as bedding. More on pet shelters.

     Food: I bet you will have a great time feeding chipmunks! Whatever you feed them, they will keep it in their cheek pockets, and start searching for a place to hide it! Nuts are their favorite food. The chipmunks literally hog on nuts, but nuts contain fat, so it is not advisable to give them too many nuts, but you can give them a nut if they behave themselves really well! Besides nuts, other pet foods for chipmunks as pets include veggies like turnip and carrots, meat pieces, worms, berries, sunflower seeds, apples and other fruits. Be careful with sunflower seeds though, as they also contain fat, so too much of sunflower seeds shouldn’t be fed to them. Buy a rodent drip bottle for feeding water to your pet chipmunk. More on what do chipmunks eat. Read the rest of this entry »