Stuffed Animals

History
The most striking feature of Sphynx cat is that it has very less or no fur. That is why, it is generally referred to as a ‘hairless cat’. The first breeding session of these cats began in the year 1966 in Canada. A domestic Shorthair cat had given birth to hairless kittens, which were then selectively bred to produce next generation of hairless cats. These cats were called “Canadian Sphynx” or “The Canadian Hairless”. As time passed by, people began referring to them as “Sphynx” which was then considered as their official name. So, every Sphynx cat is a descendant of the same domestic short-haired cat.

Characteristics
Sphynx is a muscular cat with a barrel-shaped chest, round belly and medium body length. It has a flat forehead with a wedge-shaped skull. Cheekbones are extremely prominent on the long skull. A whisker zone can be prominently observed on a Sphynx cat’s face. It has big oval-shaped eyes that extend upwards towards its ears. Its eye color can range from blue, green to hazel. Ears are large with a wide base and a narrow tip. Back legs are longer than front legs with thick oval-shaped paws. It has a thick, flexible tail which tapers towards the end.

Sphynx cat is found in various colors and patterns like cream, chocolate, white, black, cinnamon, spotted, patched, etc. Its color depends on the pigment of the skin. If left in the sun for a long duration, its color tends to darken. Even though the cat is considered hairless, it still has a very fine coat of fur. The skin of body, face and legs is wrinkled as compared to remaining body parts. The whisker zone might be distinct but it lacks their presence.

Behavior
This breed of cats is very friendly and fun-loving. It loves to bond with people and is affectionate towards them. Apart from being social, it loves to be the center of attention. Its loving, playful and lively personality makes it a great companion for children. Not only with humans, this cat can also get along very well with other cats and cat-friendly animals. A comfortable warm place is something this cat looks out for sleeping. So, you should not be surprised if you find your pet cat sleeping under your bed covers! Read the rest of this entry »

One of the advantages of kissing gouramis is that they are easy to care for. However, there are various factors that have to be taken into consideration, while raising them in an aquarium. They include the size of the tank, feeding, compatible tank mates, breeding, etc.
•One of the primary aquarium requirements of kissing fish is sufficient space. As they tend to grow bigger in a very short span, you have to keep them in big fish tanks. A 30-gallon tank or larger ones are suggested for raising this fish. Ensure that the bottom of the tank has a good amount of gravel and stones.
•Even the water conditions must be monitored. You can use soft or moderately hard water with a pH of 6.5 to 8.5. The hardness of water must be between 5 to 30 dGH (use soft water, while they breed). The water must have a temperature of 72 to 82 degree Fahrenheit.
•Make sure that these fish get enough space and lots of natural and artificial vegetation, in the tank. In case of natural plants, go for strong and sturdy ones like Java fern or Java moss (inedible), as tender plants may be consumed by them, in whole. These fish must have access to the water surface, as they take in oxygen from the air (in between).
•One of the important aspects of kissing gourami fish care is the choice of tank mates. As they are sometimes aggressive, it is always better to keep them with slightly larger fish. Kissing gouramis may also feed on smaller fish in the tank. They may also bully other fish and ‘kiss’ them. This may result in loss of protective mucus layer on the skin (of the other fish) that becomes prone to infection, leading to death. Ideal kissing gourami fish tank mates are cichlids, catfish, clown loach, silver dollar fish and barbs.
•As far as kissing gourami diet is concerned, you must understand that they are omnivores that feed on a wide range of foods. They are also algae eaters, who suck in the algae growing on the stones and inner surfaces of the tank. It will be better not to clean the back glass of the fish tank, as these fish can feed on the algae growing on it. Read the rest of this entry »

There are a few things to note, before you start the actual bathing process. Firstly, it is necessary to take lukewarm water and not very hot or cold water because extreme hot or cold water might cause physical harm. Secondly, a shampoo should be pet specific or a mild one which is commonly used for cats and dogs. In case, you cannot find a pet soap, you can use a baby soap, as it is milder than adult soaps. You should strictly avoid use of any detergent or dish soap. Thirdly, do not ever dip your rat into water, though it feels comfortable being partially submerged.

Step 1
Close the bathroom door and keep the lukewarm water ready in a small bucket. Keep the two pans in the bath tub and fill one pan with 2 inches of water. A bath tub is preferred over a sink because a frightened rat can slip out of your hands and go down the drain, hurting itself. Make sure that you keep all the after-bath requirements, like towel and dryer, handy to make things easier for you and your pet.

Step 2
Place the rat gently in the pan and wet it all over only with your hands. Do not pour water on the rat’s face.

Step 3
Now, take a small amount of pet soap and apply it on the rat’s body till it produces enough lather. Be careful while doing this because if the lather goes into the rat’s eyes or mouth it can cause irritation in the eye and upset its stomach. Massage the shampoo into the fur using your fingers.

Step 4
If any area on the rat’s face needs to cleaned, take a cotton swab, dip it in water and wipe the dirt off. Rinse the lather with water.

Step 5
Place the rat in the other pan and have a final rinse with clean lukewarm water. Here you can use your hand to pour water on the rat’s back or a small cup. Make sure that you clear off all the soap residue from the fur of the rat. Read the rest of this entry »

Ravens are considered to be harbingers of ill-omen and death in most Western folklore. They are considered so evil, that their favorite food is said to be the flesh of a dead man.

In Chinese, Egyptian, Greek and Semitic myths, the raven is a messenger of bad or stormy weather. In Sweden, they represent the ghosts of murdered people. In Germany, they are symbols of eternally dammed souls.

Odin, the most powerful of all Norse gods, had 2 pet ravens, Hugin and Munin who saw and heard everything and reported such information to Odin.

In the Bible, the raven was the first animal to fly or leave Noah’s Ark, to see if the flood had died down. Ravens are mentioned in 7 of the Bible’s verses.

The raven is a key mythological figure in North American folklore. It is regarded as the beast that created the Earth, a trickster and sly being and even its black plumage is explained in an ancient Indian story.

In Irish Celtic folklore, ravens were mediators between the gods and the mortals. They would bring prophecies and messages between the realm of the gods and Earth. The Celtic goddess Morrigan takes the form of a raven to visit those who will soon die on the battlefield.

The best raven myth is that of the Welsh/Celtic god, Brân the Blessed. The Welsh word for raven is bran. Brân the Blessed was the King of the Britons and was dying after a vicious battle against the Irish. He was so anxious to protect his people, that he told his followers to cut off his head and bury it under the White Hill, so that his presence would prevent Britain from ever being invaded. This is why the Tower of London (built over White Hill) is populated by ravens and has 6 official raven residents. Legend has it that if the ravens ever leave the Tower, the British empire will fall.

From the above amazing facts about ravens, it just goes to show you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover or in this case, a bird by its color. Whether scavenger, predator or prankster, the raven is a classic example of brains with an eye for mischief.

One thing that Shih Tzu dogs are famous for, and not in a good way, is the terror they are to train. Of course they are exceptionally cute and adorable to look at, but there’s got to be a catch, right? Training the dog is hard enough, so you need to make sure that if you get a puppy, you need to begin his training process as early as a few hours into his entering your home. You will see that these little puppies have a very (very) short attention span. So, you need to be patient and keep repeating yourself when you want to train a Shih Tzu puppy. They’re a little slow on the understanding meter, but will definitely get the hang of what you’re trying to make them do, if you’re patient and hold regular and repetitive training sessions of the same thing.

Be Persistent
When you see that your Shih Tzu is not able to match up to your great expectations of getting trained within a few hours (seriously, why would you think that in the first place??), you may lose hope, get frustrated and give up on the little one. That’s probably not the wisest thing to do, especially when it comes to training a Shih Tzu puppy. With this breed, because of its limited attention span, you need to be extra patient and extra persistent about getting him to do what you want. This goes for simple sit, stand, roll over tricks and also for housebreaking a Shih Tzu. As an owner of a Shih Tzu puppy, you need to be very adamant on getting him house trained as early as possible. You can do this by familiarizing him with the process doing the following things.
•When he does his business at home, you can first give him a firm verbal warning.
•Next step, you can repeatedly take him out to the place where he’s supposed to go whenever he defecates indoors and tell him clearly that this place is meant for pooping. Use whatever word you wish repeatedly to make him aware of the purpose of the place.
•Continue this for about 3 weeks and then reprimand him if he still goes within the home.
•Once he understands that he’s supposed to go out and thus can avoid the shouting, he’ll automatically do it.
•Once again, remember to be patient as this process could take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks.
•Do not yell or beat the puppy even if he makes a mistake once in a while. and don’t forget to applaud him when he does it where he’s supposed to. Read the rest of this entry »