Things You Need to Know About Pet Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs are very docile and gentle in nature and make ideal starter pets for older responsible children. They rarely bite or scratch, but are easily stressed, so they require careful handling. They are very timid and shy by nature. They are generally sociable animals and are most content when kept with other guinea pigs.

These animals come in several breeds. The most common are the English short hair (also known as the American) and the Abyssinian. The American guinea pig has a short smooth coat as opposed to the ruffled coat of the Abyssinian.

They're not particularly agile and do not climb well, rarely attempting to escape from their cages. They have poor eyesight, but well-developed senses of hearing and smell. They are also surprisingly good swimmers. They are nosey, friendly characters that are easily frightened and always rummaging around for something to chew on.

They often will whistle as an expression of excitement when their owner approaches or feeding is expected. They will also purr when being held or petted.

Cage:
Aquariums are not recommended, as they provide poor ventilation, and wire-flooring in cages irritate their feet. A solid-bottom cage is best. For the health and welfare of your pet provide as spacious a living area as you can manage. Bigger is better.
Recommended cage sizes:
One guinea pig: 7.5 sq ft...30"x36"
Two: 7.5 sq ft to 10.5 sq ft...30"x50"
Three: 10.5 sq ft to 13 sq ft...30"x62"
Four: 13 sq ft...30"x72"
Clean the cage completely once a week by replacing dirty bedding and scrubbing the bottom of the cage with warm water.

Diet:
Timothy Hay (or a grass hay) is the animal's natural diet. Alfalfa hay is also recommended for the younger ones 4 months and younger. Guinea pigs are herbivores ( unlike hamsters who are omnivores ) and like primates are unable to produce their own vitamin C. Without enough vitamin C in their diets, they can become very ill with scurvy. It is recommended that 1 teaspoon of vitamin C be added to 12oz of water daily. Broccoli and cauliflower are very high in vitamin C.

Bedding:
Bedding should be relatively dust-free shavings (Aspen, Hemp, Kiln-Dried Pine) woodchips, hardwood pellets, grass hay, etc. Cedar is toxic to these animals and should never be used. Bedding should never be allowed to get damp. Be sure everything's dry before adding fresh bedding. Change the bedding once or twice a week.

Weight:
Adults weigh between 1.5 - 2.5 pounds (700 - 1200gms) and measure between 8" - 10" (20 -25cm) in length.

Life span:
They will usually live an average of four to five years.

Unlike many rodents, these animals are born with fur and their eyes open.

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Pet Parrots

So you want a pet parrot but have you thought it through? Yes parrots look like wonderful pets and Polly looks really cool sitting on pirate Long John Silver's shoulder or Johnny Depp's for that matter. The thing is, parrots are not pets you should get involved with either lightly or on impulse. There are some far reaching factors to consider and I have listed some of these pitfalls below. Parrots are fast becoming the world's number one unwanted pet so serious consideration of the following pitfalls to parrot ownership would make sense.


Parrots, depending on which type you get, can live for a very long time. Some live for up to 70 years. Will you still be around or is your parrot to become an heirloom bequeathed to one of your nearest and dearest?
Noise. Parrots can make an awful lot of noise. What about your neighbours? Do you live in a detached house or an apartment block? What about you, will you be able to handle the noise? At dawn and dusk your parrot will call out to his flock. He will also probably do a fair bit of calling in between times as well!
Mess. Parrots can make a whole lot of mess. Anything chewable can and will be chewed. Your furniture will be fair game and believe me the damage inflicted by a parrot can be great.
Behavior Training. Believe it or not your parrot needs to learn social graces. They need to learn how to behave, not just with you the owner, but also in the company of strangers. Are you prepared to do this? This is not something you can delegate and if you don't do it you WILL end up with a juvenile delinquent for a pet. That won't be fun!
Food. Feeding your parrot properly takes effort. You won't get away with just seed. Your parrot needs more than that. Fruit and veggies and occasionally some meat. My African Grey Parrot really enjoys his chicken bones. But not all food is suitable or even safe, so are you prepared to learn what is and is not suitable and are you prepared to prepare food each day for your bird?
I would not want to put you off having a parrot as a pet. Parrots make fantastic pets BUT they do take a lot of time and effort and it is better to go in to owning a parrot with your eyes wide open, rather than blinkered and then end up having to find another home for your parrot because you are unable to cope.

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Pet Gerbil

Things You Need to Know About Pet Gerbils

Gerbils are friendly, adorable, active, and curious creatures that make excellent pets for children. Gerbils are a pleasure to care for and will provide lots of entertainment. They are incredibly pleasant, and social animals and prefer to be kept in groups. Gerbils love to play, so provide it with an exercise wheel that does not have any openings in which their tails can get caught. They are excellent pets for apartment residents and people who do not have the time to care for a more demanding pet. Birds also make good pets for apartment dwellers.

Gerbils are part of the rodent family. They are native to many parts of the world, but the type of gerbil commonly kept as a pet is the Mongolian Gerbil which is a desert species, and lives in underground tunnels. Pet gerbils are available in a variety of colors. The most common colors are dove, white, all-black and golden. A typical gerbil measures between six and twelve inches long, including the tail which makes up approximately one half of their total length. The average adult gerbil weighs roughly 2 1/2 ounces, which is just a little larger than a hamster. Gerbils generally live to be 2 to 4 years old. Some have been known to live five or six years.

Feeding Habits:

Pet gerbils are usually fed a mixture of seeds, grains, and nuts, high in fatty oils, and will happily eat food from the dinner table such as lettuce, kale, bananas, apples, carrots, spinach, cooked sweet potato or broccoli.

Cage and Bedding:

Any secure container which allows air and light in, has an attachable water bottle with drinking tube and lots of bedding is sufficient for pet gerbils. Examples would be an aquarium (10-gallon minimum) covered with small-holed wire or any wire cage made for rodent pets. Aquariums are easier to clean and the bedding will remain inside as opposed to a cage with openings. Any cage should have a solid floor. Paper covered in a layer of sawdust is a perfect cover for the bottom of the cage. Gerbils like to use cardboard tubes to shred into nesting material then they will turn this into finely shredded bedding material to sleep in. Gerbils love to chew and dig, so make sure to have plenty of cardboard or paper bedding. Corn Cob, Aspen or hardwood shavings and shredded paper towels also make good bedding. Don't use Pine or Cedar wood shavings they can be harmful to gerbils. The cage should be cleaned once a week by replacing the bedding and washing the bottom of the cage with warm water and a liquid soap that's safe for animals. Additionally, provide some kind of untreated piece of wood block or sterilized bone for them to use to keep their teeth short and sharp.

Care:

Gerbils require minimal care and are almost odor free but gerbils do have specific needs. Pet gerbils like to hide and sleep inside enclosed spaces, so it's a good idea to place a small box or broken cup for this purpose. You should never pick a gerbil up by the tail. Gerbils have fragile tails that break off when grabbed or pulled. This is a defense tool in the wild. If the tail breaks off, it never grows back.

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Pet Stain Removal Tips

Pet stain removal can be quite an arduous job. A lot of us do not want to see any stains on our rugs and couches. Luckily, for us there are now enzyme cleaning products that are tough on stains. This product is a much better option compared to its chemical counterparts.

The enzymes work naturally and this is done by acting up on the stain itself. The process may not look great to look at but it gets the job done. The best thing about it is that it does not leave any chemical residue. It has become a popular alternative when it comes to pet stain removal.

Here are some tips on how to effectively remove the stains from your rug or carpet. It is a natural reaction to rub out stain but it only makes everything worse. Furious rubbing will only make the stain get more embedded. To successfully get the stain out, one should start rubbing on the outside and make their way in. This will help lessen the spreading of the stain itself.

I assure you that rubbing back and forth can only make it worse. The best way to attack this kind of situation is to stay calm. You do not want to worsen the problem by making the stain affect a larger area. Another way to remove the stain is to get a towel and soak it in hot water. Then cover the stain with the soaked towel for a few minutes. Try to apply pressure on it several times. This process will help soften the stain and remove it successfully. This may take a few repetitions before you can successfully clean the whole area.

Then you can dry out the area by using an electric fan or a blow dryer. Once the wet patch is dried you will notice that stain has been removed. You can master the whole process in due time. These are just a few of the process of pet stain removal which has been used by a lot of women in maintaining cleanliness in their household. Why not try it some time and you will be amazed of how much you can save from buying chemical cleaning agents.

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