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Small Petz -
Rabbits, Hamsters, Lizards and More!
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Make Mine Chocolate
By Kaj Kirkman - Volunteer
Coordinator at House Rabbit Society,
North Georgia Chapter
Spring has
sprung again. Days are
getting longer. Daffodils
and tulips are blooming. A
pink and white haze of
flowers covers the trees.
And in pet stores across the
country chicks, ducklings
and baby bunnies appear.
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The kids beg, and they seem
so fluffy and harmless that
a live bunny often ends up
in the Easter basket. Pet
stores assure you that the
rabbit will remain small and
easy to care for. They sell
you a tiny “starter cage”
complete with supplies. They
coach you on basic rabbit
care. What they don’t tell
you is what to do when a
rabbit reaches puberty, or
that a rabbit rarely
tolerates being cuddled and
carried around like a
stuffed toy, or that rabbits
will bite and scratch to
defend themselves. It
turns out that rabbits are
not easy to care for. While
most rabbits are bought as
pets for children, an adult
should be the primary
caregiver. Rabbits require
daily maintenance including
fresh food, hay, greens and
water as well as regular
exercise and socialization.
Rabbits should be kept
indoors for their health and
safety. They should be
litterbox trained and spayed
or neutered by a
knowledgeable veterinarian.
Pet stores won’t tell you
the nitty gritty because
they want to make a sale.
But soon Easter is over and
the novelty of having a
bunny wears off. By this
time your rabbit has
outgrown the “starter cage”
and is becoming more
difficult to handle. Rabbits
may become aggressive and
destructive when they reach
puberty. And nobody ever
told you there would be so
much poop!
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About three months after
Easter, when baby bunnies
stop being cute and start
growing up, a flood of
unwanted rabbits hit
shelters and rescue groups.
Those are the lucky ones.
Thousands more are
unceremoniously dumped
outside to fend for
themselves against summer
heat, disease, and
predators. They don’t last
long. What can you do to
help the plight of pet
rabbits? First of all, do
not buy a pet on the spur of
the moment. If you think a
rabbit is right for your
family, do some research to
make sure. Consult with all
family members and come to
an agreement that taking
care of a pet rabbit
requires everyone’s
commitment. Take into
consideration the reactions
of other pets you currently
own. If a rabbit is wanted
by the whole family for the
duration of it’s life,
consider adopting one from a
shelter or rescue group.
Do not buy a fluffy baby
bunny because it is cute, or
because the kids want one,
or because it just wouldn’t
be Easter without one. In
the long run a chocolate
rabbit or a plush toy is
cheaper, much easier to care
for, and looks just as good
in an Easter basket. This
year I am going to make mine
chocolate, and I hope you
will too!
For more information on
rabbit care and adoption
please visit the North
Georgia Chapter of the House
Rabbit Society at
www.houserabbitga.org. For
more information on helping
pet rabbits during Easter
please visit the Make Mine
Chocolate campaign at
www.makeminechocolate.org. |
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Twenty-One Weird
and Amazing Facts about Reptiles and
Amphibians
- By Darcy Logan
Do you know
that a rattlesnake can still
bite after it is dead? How
about why you will never see
a crocodile stick its tongue
out at you, or why turtles
do not need to see a
dentist? You can find the
answer below as well as some
other amazing facts that you
might not have known about
reptiles and amphibians.
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Antarctica is the only
continent that has no
reptiles or snakes.
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Wasps and Bees kill
approximately four times
as many people in the
United States each year
than snakes.
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A snake living at the
London Zoo was once
fitted with a glass eye.
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Anacondas are not only
the world’s largest
snake, they are also one
of the few species that
give birth live. Females
give birth to four to
eighty young every year.
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A rattlesnake is capable
of striking for up to an
hour after its death.
Studies done by the
California Academy
Sciences in San
Francisco have proven
that the reflexes,
possibly triggered by
infrared sensors in the
snake, are still active
in the snake. Numerous
cases have occurred
where people have been
bitten after
decapitating or shooting
the snake numerous
times.
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A Basilisk lizard is
very crafty about
protecting itself from
predators while it is
sleeping. It usually
chooses to sleep at the
far end of a small
branch that is hanging
over a pond or lake. If
a snake tries to crawl
down the branch to grab
it, the additional
weight will cause the
branch to move and shake
the Basilisk safely off
into the water.
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A chameleon’s color
change is caused by its
emotion, as well as
light and temperature,
and not by its
background.
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Chameleons are capable
of moving and focusing
their eyes separately.
This gives the ability
to look in two different
directions at the same
time and focus on two
separate objects.
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A chameleon’s tongue is
at least as long as its
body and capable of
stretching to a length
more than three times
its body length to
capture food. When it
sees its prey, the
chameleon’s tongue is
catapulted out of its
mouth at super speed and
caught with the sticky
tip of its tongue.
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Crocodiles swallow large
stones that remain in
the stomachs. The stones
are used to help them
digest their food as
well as used as a
ballast to help them
dive deeper.
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Both alligators and
crocodiles will regrow
new teeth to replace
ones that are lost.
During its lifetime, a
crocodile will usually
replace its teeth more
than forty times.
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The tongue of a
crocodile is attached to
the roof of his mouth,
making him incapable of
sticking his tongue out.
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While hosting Lorne
Greene’s Wild Kingdom,
Greene was bitten by an
alligator and lost one
of his nipples.
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The most poisonous
reptile in the world is
not a snake, but a frog.
One golden poison arrow
frog has enough poison
in its system to kill
ten to twenty humans.
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The deadliest snake is
not the most poisonous
snake. Although the
black mamba is far more
poisonous, the Asian
Cobra kills more people
on average.
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Although frogs are known
for their jumping
skills, some frogs have
also developed the
ability to fly. In
actuality, these
Southeast Asian frogs
have flaps of skin
between their toes that
enable them to glide.
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The North American wood
frog survives winters by
freezing. When the
temperature drops, the
frog is capable of
surrounding its organs
with water that freezes.
During this time, its
heart stops beating, it
stops breathing, and its
kidneys shut down. The
frog can stay in this
suspended animation for
months. When spring
comes, the frog begins
to thaw and is fully
functional within ten
hours.
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During breeding, a male
Surinam toad attaches
the eggs to the back of
the female. The eggs are
then absorbed by the
spongy dorsal skin. Each
egg is embedded into its
own honeycomb-like
chamber on the toad’s
back. They remain there
for up to twenty weeks
before they emerge by
pushing through their
mother’s skin and
emerging fully
metamorphosed frogs.
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Turtles, toads, and
tortoises do not have
teeth. Some frogs are
also toothless, but most
have small cone teeth
called maxillary teeth.
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The “horned toad” is not
a toad. It is not even a
frog, it is a lizard. It
is important to get it
right, since some horned
lizards are capable of
squirting blood from its
eyes when it is angry.
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The bullfrog is believed
to be the only animal
that never sleeps or
even profoundly rests.
If you have ever tried
to sleep next to a pond,
this fact does not seem
that unbelievable.
So, now you know why it
is safer to hang around
toads than rattlesnakes—even
dead rattlesnakes. Just make
sure you stay away from
frogs. |
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Unique Pet Ideas
– Consider the Rat
| When one
thinks of bringing a new pet
home, the lowly rat may not
be the first thing that
leaps to mind. After all,
many people consider rats to
be vermin, and many have
dedicated lots of time and
effort to getting rid of
them. The idea of actually
bringing one into the home
may seen like a strange idea
indeed. |
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rats may indeed cause many
problems, these negative
qualities are not reflected
in their domestic
counterparts. Domestic rats
have been carefully bred
over the years to be docile,
quiet and affectionate, and
they can make truly
wonderful pets. Many first
time rat owners are
surprised at just how
friendly and engaging their
new friends are, and many
professed rat haters have
been won over by their
charm. Rats are in fact
one of the best possible
choices in the world of
pocket pets. While hamsters
and gerbils seem to get all
the glory, in fact pet rats
are far less likely to bite
than these more popular
choices. When handled
properly, a pet rat will
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aggressive toward its owner,
and a quick snap on the nose
is usually sufficient to nip
any unwanted biting in the
bud. Rats can even be
trained to do tricks, and
many rat owners have created
very entertaining pets in
this way.
When choosing a pet rat,
it is important to keep in
mind that the females are
usually more high energy,
while the males are quieter
and more laid back. Those
who want a playful pet
should consider a female
rat, while those who want a
couch potato slash shoulder
ornament may want to opt for
a male instead. And of
course it is important to
avoid mixing the two, as
rabbits have nothing on rats
when it comes to
reproductive abilities. |
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Bunny
Love... - by
Caryn Swark
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As long as I can remember, I’ve
had a dog. Little dogs with
puffy tails. Big, slobbering
mutts. Nice dogs, mean dogs,
sweet dogs, sick dogs, I’ve had
them all. I’m what you’d call a
dog girl. I never thought of
other pets as pets. There were
cats, of course, but I’m
allergic to them. I’m afraid of
birds, and rodents hardly seemed
worthwhile. No, I’m a dog girl
through and through.
That is, until the Hamster King.
He was born on January 1, 2005,
a surprise to us all —
especially my brother, who had
purchased his mother less than
two weeks before. I followed the
squeaking and found a mass of
writhing, wriggling bodies in a
corner of the cage. My first
thought was, gross.
My second was, I hope she
won’t eat them. And yet when
they were big enough, I took
one. I don’t know why — I guess
because I lived in an apartment
so I couldn’t have a dog, and
being pet-free for the first
time ever was getting me down.
So I took the little rodent, a
grey furred dwarf hamster with a
pink nose and beady black eyes.
And I fell in love.
But unfortunately hamsters are
short-lived. Earlier this year
the Hamster King passed away,
and I printed the following
eulogy:
It is with great sorrow that we
announce the passing of Hamtaro
the Hamster King, who died
peacefully sometime today in his
cage. The Hamster King was two
years, one month, and 12 days
old, a good age for a hamster.
He was a solid grey dwarf with
dark eyes and a pink nose, and
he made squeaking noises when he
was happy. |
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The Hamster King was born in
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on
January 1st 2005. He lived most
of his life in Alberta and
enjoyed foraging, running, and
hoarding. He was known for never
biting anyone, no matter what
the provocation. Unlike many
hamsters, he was both cuddly and
affectionate, and would often
curl up and go to sleep on your
lap while you stroked his head.
He enjoyed interacting with
people and would come running
when his cage was opened, often
scampering up the bars and into
your hand. He disliked the
company of other hamsters but
sometimes tried to climb the
cage when the Savage Bunny
perched on top of it. He
particularly enjoyed children
and would allow any number of
eight year olds to handle him
without complaint. |
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During the last week of his life The
Hamster King displayed increasing signs
of illness, but seemed to experience
little pain. He was eating, digging, and
running on his wheel until the night
before his death. He was unique among
hamsters, with a gleam of intelligence
behind those beady black eyes. He was
the kindest, gentlest, most affectionate
hamster ever known, and he will be
sorely missed. A private service will be
held in his memory on Wednesday,
February 14th when he will be laid to
rest in the backyard. I still miss
him, but I find solace in Skunkzilla the
Savage Bunny. She was a present, and I
still haven’t forgiven the kid who gave
her to me. Oh, she looked cute at first
— so tiny she fit into the palm of my
hand, black and white with a little
goatee that gave her a rather devilish
look.
I later found out this was because
she had a devil in her.
No one bothered to tell me that her
mother ruled the rabbit warren. Even the
male bunny obeyed her. She chased the
other rabbits around, yanked food right
out of their mouths, and even attacked
the cats when they came too close (have
you ever heard a bunny growl? A cross
between a grunt and a snort). And
Skunkzilla definitely took after her
mother.
By the age of two months, she had
figured out how to open cupboard doors.
She would slip her head underneath and
back up, pulling the door with her.
Then, before I could catch her, she’d
hop inside and run around while I
shouted and yanked boxes of food out of
the way trying to get her.
She ate carpets. She ate wires. She
scratched. She bit. She was just about
the worst pet I’d ever had.
Nonetheless, I went to the trouble of
litter training her, which took about a
week. Simple instructions: put litter
box in cage. Wait until bunny likes it.
Remove bunny and litter box from cage.
Gradually expand area bunny is allowed
to play in.
A few weeks later she bit through my
computer cord, which wound up costing
over two hundred dollars to replace. And
when I started dating a new guy, she
decided he was challenging her
authority. She would stand in the
doorway and try to head butt him out of
the house. If we watched TV on the
couch, she came flying out of nowhere to
bite his ankles. She’d jump on top of
him and leave puddles and pellets.
I’m amazed the relationship lasted
past the first week.
But I had a dirty little secret: I loved
this evil rabbit. She was incredibly
smart. She had personality, and besides,
she was just a baby. A few weeks later I
had her spayed, and that took care of
most of the aggression (at least where
my boyfriend was concerned). Now, years
later, Skunky is my best friend and
trusted companion. She hasn’t been
locked in her cage in over a year. When
I’m away, I leave her in the bedroom;
when I’m home, she has the run of the
house. She sleeps under my bed, but
usually joins me on it until I turn off
the light. Often she wakes me up by
pouncing on my pillow at first light.
She’s accustomed to a bedtime snack, and
when she sees me getting ready for bed
she stands outside the washroom waiting
for me, then races me back the bedroom
where she hops around until she’s fed.
Yes, she’s ornery, belligerent, and
perhaps a little crazy. But I love my
bunny.
I never thought of myself as a bunny
person, which probably has something to
do with how they’re portrayed on TV:
cute, cuddly, harmless little creatures,
as dumb as stumps and as useless
besides. Actually there are such bunnies
— traditional wisdom has it the dumber
the bunny, the more sweet-tempered it
will turn out. In Skunky’s case, she
certainly has intelligence to balance
her aggression. This rabbit reacts to
her name, knows the instant I try to
catch her for traveling, and brings me
her dish when she’s hungry. She might
not be the sweetest thing around, but
she’s just about the cutest, and smarter
than some dogs I’ve known.
All of this got me thinking: how many
other wonderful pets am I missing out
on? What about iguanas? Tarantulas?
Pythons? Are they all hiding
personalities as unique and amusing as
my bunny’s?
Maybe they are. I don’t think I’ll be
finding out anytime soon. But then I
never thought I’d have a rodent, either…
so you
never know. |
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Adapting Pet Gear for Rabbits -
by J. A. Young
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Face it—rabbit supplies are
often confined to a couple
shelves in the bigger chain pet
stores. Smaller pet stores may
offer a single rack. In the
world of pets—cats and dogs seem
to get all the attention, and
yet, as any rabbit owner will
tell you—these furry friends
have needs too!
Owning a rabbit means applying
some creative thought when it
comes to choosing gear. Rabbits
make charming pets when they are
well-kept, comfortable and
enthusiastic about their worlds.
For this reason, housing is a
big consideration. If you are
not comfortable about the two or
three rabbit hutches you find at
the store, look at small dog
kennels and ferret housing; you
can often adapt these items into
the bunny penthouse of your
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Rabbits also require water bottles, food
bowls (a tray may be necessary for
boisterous bunnies who constantly tip
theirs over), hay bale (for timothy hay
and alfalfa), salt licks, bedding, potty
tray (yes—they can be trained), and
brush. Often these items can be adapted
from other areas of the pet store.
But rabbits can also do well with other
items geared towards activity. Cats are
not the only climbers. Cat-climbing
apparatus will greatly please your
curious house rabbit. Rabbits will also
adore little nooks and caves you create
as well as balls, bells, and a variety
of other cat and dog toys.
When shopping the pet store be sure to
walk through all the aisles to see what
you can adapt for your rabbit’s life.
The more your bunny gets out of its
cage, the more it can explore and become
part of the home in a more enriching way
for all. Naturally, training must be
involved (as with all pets). Watch your
bunny’s chewing habits (especially
electric cords). A rabbit needs room to
play. If you have space, set up a play
area for your rabbit filled with boxes,
balls—even old children’s toys; you’ll
be amazed at that rabbit brain and its
joyful ingenuity. |
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Pocket
Pet Accessories
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Must Have Accessories for the
Pocket Pet Set
Pocket pets are among the most
popular of all pets, and these
tiny creatures certainly have a
number of important advantages.
Mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils
and other pocket sized pets are
easy to care for, inexpensive to
buy, friendly and require little
room for their cage. It is no
wonder so many parents look to
these wonderful pets for their
children.
Even though buying a pocket pet
is generally an inexpensive
proposition, there are a number
of accessories that can make
life a lot more pleasant, both
for the new pet and for the
family. Keeping those pocket
pets happy is not hard, but it
is important to give them what
they need. Listed below are some
of those must have pocket pet
accessories. |
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- A sturdy, well built, roomy, and
escape proof cage. I can’t stress
this last part strongly enough.
Unless you want to spend the night
tracking down an errant hamster,
gerbil, mouse or other pocket pet,
make sure that the cage latches
securely, and that little hands can
operate it properly.
- An exercise wheel – mice, rats,
hamster, gerbils and other small
creatures love to play with these
wheels. Though it may seem pointless
to those of us with two legs, they
love it. Every well equipped hamster
cage should have an exercise wheel.
An exercise ball – the exercise ball
is an ingenious way for pocket pets
to explore the great outdoors, or at
least the interior of the home.
These exercise balls are designed in
a number of sizes, from small mouse
sized ones to large ferret sized
monsters. Just place the pet inside,
close the door securely, and watch
the fun.
- A carrying case – these are
essentially miniature versions of
those carrying bags designed for
cats and dogs. Chances are your son
or daughter will want to show off
his or her new addition to friends
or classmates, and a carrying case
protects the pet from getting lost.
- Chew sticks – one thing most
pocket pets have in common is the
fact that they are rodents, and as
rodents they are blessed with some
of the finest teeth in the animal
kingdom. Keeping those choppers in
tip top shape can be quite a
challenge, and chew sticks help get
the job done. These chew sticks are
available at virtually every pet
store, so be sure to stock up.
Having a pocket pet around is lots of
fun, and these handy accessories can
make it even more so. So sit back and
enjoy the fun. |
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Home
Herp Habitats -
by Ken Panse
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Reptiles, as pets, have a unique
way of creating happiness.
People who keep snakes, lizards,
turtles, frogs, newts, or
salamanders often are rewarded
with a true sense of
satisfaction when their pets
raise their head or move toward
them with interest. As with
any pet, there are two areas of
support a person must provide
for their animal. The first is
physical health and safety and
the second is a positive
interactive relationship.
Providing a safe and clean
habitat is a must. When
assembling your critter’s living
environment, several criteria
must be considered. For example,
we will use a 30-gallon long
aquarium with escape proof
screen top. The aquarium is
glass or Plexiglas measuring 36”
long x 12” deep and 18” high. We
imagine the tank to have areas
1/3 left, 1/3 middle, 1/3 right
for visualizing structural
placements. Areas can be
reversed. |
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Heat
In most cases two kinds of heat
are provided. Place a heat rock
or an under-the-tank heat mat on
the bottom left side of your
vivarium, the center area is
heat free. The mat or heat rock
is on all the time,
Light
The right side has an outside
heat lamp with a special heat
bulb and or UVB bulb over the
top of the lid. The light bulbs
are often plugged into a timer
and set for 8-12 hours a day
depending on the critter
contained. Use an electric
multi-plug strip if needed. |
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Through his Exotic Reptile shows, Ken
Panse combines the excitement of
presenting tropical reptiles along with
hands on educational experiences kids
love. Find out more at
www.ReptileWrangler.net. |
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Chinchillas: Challenging but Cute
Companions - by
Jane Grimshaw
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Chinchillas have become very
popular as pets over the years,
with their rabbit-like features,
rounded ears and thick bushy
tails. There was unfortunately a
time when they nearly faced
extinction in the wild, as they
were continually hunted and
trapped for their high quality
fur. They are members of the
chinchillidae family and live in
rock crevices or burrows in the
Andes mountain range of South
America. Chinchillas can make
excellent pets, but they are
nocturnal and rather
highly-strung by nature. To get
the best out of them and gain
their trust, it is best to
obtain them from an early age
and handle them regularly.
Although they cannot be house
trained they can, with patience,
be taught to perform a few
simple tricks and they are
extremely adept jumpers.
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Chinchillas can be kept alone or in
pairs of the same sex, and require a
large cage with plenty of height and a
selection of ledges for them to climb on
to. It is very important to place the
cage in a temperature-controlled room
too, as chinchillas are unable to
perspire and could otherwise die from
heat stroke. The thickness of their fur
does, however, appear to prevent the
possible infestation of fleas and other
parasites, but needs to be bathed daily
in chinchilla bathing sand to keep it
clean and in peak condition. If the fur
is bathed in water, moisture can
permeate the coat and lead to fungi and
ringworm problems. |
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My Petz
Magazine - 1735 Buford Highway, Suite 215 - Cumming,
GA 30041
Phone:
678-341-6868 Fax:
770-844-8303Inquiry@MyPetzMagazine.com |
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Copyright
© 2010 |
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