When you adopt a new cat or kitten, it can take them a little while to adjust to their new home. One way to help with this transition is to set up a “safe room” in your house. This is a place where your new kitty can hang out until it feels more comfortable. Why Your Cat Needs a Safe Room Cats can be shy creatures, even under the best of circumstances....
Meet on Neutral Ground Start With a Fence Meeting Try Parallel Walking Offer Sniffing Opportunities Look for Positive Signs Move to Home Ground Meet in the House Problems & Troubleshooting Before you plan on bringing a puppy home, make plans for how to introduce the new puppy to older dogs that already live there. Adult dogs often welcome a new canine buddy, but it’s important to try to set yourself up for success....
If you’ve never fed your aquarium fish live food before, now is the time to get outside and collect some tasty morsels for your fish. Nothing compares with the variety of live insects, crustaceans, and worms nature provides during the warm months of the year. If you wish to breed fish, live food is the best way to condition breeders prior to spawning. Collecting Tools The first thing you need to do is gather together some simple collection tools....
Barking dogs can be a real nuisance, especially if you live close to your neighbors. It’s possible to train a dog to bark less, but you can improve your odds of having a quiet dog by selecting a breed with a low tendency to bark. Certain dogs were bred to be barking hunting dogs—alerting the hunter to prey. Other dogs keep quiet and remain stealthy, allowing them to catch game....
The term “bird brain” is often used to describe someone who is a little bit less than bright, and yet this commonly used phrase couldn’t be farther from the truth. Birds are some of the most intelligent creatures on Earth, and birds in captivity continue to prove this to us time and time again. If you are interested in owning a pet bird with superior intelligence, then begin your search with these incredibly precocious species....
As with most things, there are right ways and wrong ways to hold a pet bird. Birds are rather fragile creatures both physically and emotionally, and since they are not domesticated, scooping one up into your arms is not quite as simple as it would be with a dog or a cat. However, if you practice the correct techniques, you will find that safely holding your feathered friend can be easier than you might think....
History Temperament Speech and Vocalizations Colors and Markings Care Health Problems Diet and Nutrition Exercise Where to Adopt or Buy Further Research The bronze-winged pionus is a short-tailed, stocky, medium-size parrot with unique color patterns. A gentle bird with a sweet disposition, it is typically an easygoing companion. This parrot can be a good choice for first-time bird owners. And it even can make an excellent family pet, as the species is less likely to bite than many other kinds of parrots....
Peanut butter is a delicious and nutritious snack for us, but can cats eat peanut butter? Cats are often picky eaters and may not like the taste or smell of peanut butter. But if your cat is begging for a lick of your peanut butter, is it safe to indulge them? Peanut butter is not inherently toxic to cats, but there are a few good reasons not to feed it to them....
From cookies to cakes to candy, who doesn’t love sweets? And with summer fast approaching, there’s nobody who wants to dive in to that ice cream cone more than your adorable furry friend. But with sugar being a primary component in a lot of the not-so-good-for-you treats we all love, is it something that can be safely offered to our four-legged family members from time to time? Is Sugar Safe for Dogs?...
Leopard geckos are very popular pet reptiles for both kids and adults. They’re small, quiet, colorful, and easy to handle but like other reptiles, they do require appropriate habitats in order to thrive. By providing your leopard gecko with an appropriately sized enclosure, the correct substrate, lighting, and accessories, you’ll not only give your gecko what it needs, but also what it wants. Leopard Geckos in the Wild Leopard geckos are native to Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Nepal....
Ah, bird poop. It’s one of those necessary evils of bird ownership that you must learn to live with. The good news is that although many claim that there is no way to “housebreak” or “potty train” a bird, there are in fact ways to teach your pet the proper places to relieve itself—sun conures are a perfect example. While it won’t happen overnight and can be a bit more complicated than teaching a cat or dog, many owners find that the benefits of such training are well worth the effort....
Identifying the Genitals Coat Color Behavior If you’re wondering whether you should name your new kitten Max or Luna, you might think the answer is as easy as taking a peek between its legs. But determining kitten gender can be tricky when they are very young. To determine the sex of a kitten look below the tail. If the cat is a female kitten, you’ll see what resembles a lowercase letter “i"If the cat is a male kitten, you’ll see what resembles the colon punctuation mark (:) Along with genital shape and spacing, you can use clues such as coat color to determine whether a kitten is male or female, and at times, there are even behavioral clues that will guide you to the answer....
Trimming or clipping a bird’s nails is a necessary job for a bird owner. If you’ve ever been scratched by a bird’s claws, you know how sharp and painful they can be! There are, however, many other reasons for trimming a bird’s nails than for your own personal comfort. A quick nail trim now and then can help prevent foot injury due to overgrowth, protect your furniture and valuables, and let’s face it—a little bit of extra handling time never hurts!...
What Is Intussusception? Symptoms Causes Diagnosing Treatment Prognosis Prevention Intussusception is a condition affecting a dog’s intestines that can cause both discomfort and a dangerous blockage of intestinal contents. The intestinal tract is supposed to move food from the stomach to the rectum, but intussusception interrupts this process. While it’s not readily obvious from the outside, this problem often causes symptoms of gastrointestinal distress that owners can recognize, and a thorough veterinary exam can help identify intussusception so that it can be surgically repaired if necessary....
Seeds Formulated Diets Vegetables Fruits Other Foods Sprouted Seeds Supplements Foods to Avoid An imbalanced or incomplete diet is a common problem with pet birds and is a relatively common cause of illness. There is a lack of scientific study on avian nutrition, especially as it relates to the different species. While our avian nutrition is still in the early stages, most experts agree that a good diet for parrots begins with a formulated diet with a variety of other foods added as supplements....
Physical Development Behavior Changes Health and Care Food and Nutrition Training During 3-6 months of age, puppies go through some major physical and behavioral changes like growing into its adult size, teething, and being fearful of new places and people. Be prepared to care for your puppy during this crucial development stage. Puppies are typically placed in homes between 8 to 12 weeks of age. If you’re adopting or purchasing a young puppy, there’s a good chance the puppy is nearing 12 weeks of age (three months old)....
Reason for Misbehaving Scratching and Clawing Litter Box Training Chewing and Biting Jumping Nighttime Behavior Attention Seeking Stopping Bad Behavior Kittens, like children, learn how to behave appropriately at a young age—and during this process, they might often misbehave. Kittens are constantly learning about the world around them and acquaint themselves with good behavior through positive and negative enforcement. If you’re training your kitten to stop misbehaving, you’ll have to address and correct the bad behaviors....
Characteristics Breed History Care Health Problems Appearance Diet and Nutrition Where to Adopt or Buy Breed Overview Further Research The Scottish fold cat is a sweet-tempered, short-haired breed with an unusual trait for which it is named: folded ears. The cat’s small ears fold forward and downward, giving it a unique countenance that almost resembles an owl. The trait can be traced back to a barn cat in Scotland that carried the mutated gene that became the basis for the breed....
History and Origins Size Breeding and Uses Colors and Markings Characteristics Diet and Nutrition Health and Behavior Grooming Notable Horses Shire Horse for You How to Adopt or Buy More Horse Breeds The magnificent and rare shire horse is best known for its height and strength, holding records for being the tallest horse in the world. Appearing similar to a Clydesdale, these horses are absolutely massive with large hooves and feathering on their legs....
Cycling a new saltwater aquarium is one of the primary hurdles for any aquarist. Culturing a robust population of nitrifying bacteria helps achieve balance in your tank, as the bacteria convert nitrite and ammonia into chemicals that aren’t toxic to your fish. Unfortunately, many over-the-counter, “instant start” water treatment products are ineffective at establishing beneficial bacteria populations. Yes, they may contain bacteria, and yes, some may even still be alive, but it may not be the right type of bacteria for your tank....
