Pet World

Hamster Care Tips

When I was about 13 years old, my mom let me have two hamsters. They were so cute and never nibbled or tried to bite like some other hamsters do. Although hamsters are an easy pet to own, you’ll want to make sure you are doing all you can to keep your hamsters as healthy and happy as possible.

1. The Cage: Make sure the cage you purchase is big enough for your hamsters to play. I preferred to use an aquarium cage with a wire top, but you can use a wire cage. The thing I don’t like about wire cages is that your pet can easily kick the bedding out all over the floor. It’s no fun having to vacuum around the cage twice a day.

2. The Food: Hamster food purchased in a pet supply store will be the main course for your hamsters, but you can also give your pet fresh food from your kitchen every couple of days. Carrot slices, apple chunks, and lettuce are all good choices. You can also give your hamster Timothy Hay and Alfalfa from the pet store as a treat.

3. The Bedding: Hamsters like to burrow, and they can’t do that without some soft bedding on the bottom of their cage. There are many choices that you can use when it comes to hamster bedding. Your pet store will have wood shavings, eco bedding, litter-type bedding, and even fuzzy bedding made from cotton fibers. I preferred the wood shavings myself.

4. The Toys: It is important that you supply your hamster with an exercise wheel so that it can stay healthy. The only downside to owning one is that your hamster will most likely use it at night. If you are a light sleeper, this might keep you up. I never purchased any other toys besides the exercise wheel because I just saved toilet paper rolls for my hamsters. Hamsters need to chew on these, but they will also play with them as well.

Free Beneful Baked Delights Dog Snacks

Do you own a dog that loves to eat treats? Then you have to take advantage of Purina’s new Beneful Baked Delights Dog Snacks free sample offer. This new line comes in four different shapes and textures, although all four are baked to perfection. I don’t currently own a dog, but I’m getting this sample for my sister’s pup named Lucky!

First, you have the stars snack that is simply a shortbread cookie with bacon and cheese inside. Second, you have the hugs snack. Hugs are crunchy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. These also feature both beef and cheese. Third, you have the snackers snack. Just like the hugs snack, this treat has a soft middle. Flavors include peanut butter and cheese. The last snack is the quackers snack. It is crispy like a cracker and full of cheese flavor.

In order to get your free sample of the Beneful Baked Delights Dog Snacks, you’ll need to fill out the free sample request form found on the Wal-Mart website. You will need to include your full name and mailing address. Also on the form is a spot for your email address and your year of birth. They just have to make sure you are old enough to request the sample. A three question survey follows. You’ll need to check all of the snacks that you have given your dog in the last three months, how often you give your dog snacks, and the motive behind why you give your dog snacks. Finally, you have the option of checking the box to subscribe to Purina’s email updates, and whether you are willing to review the product after trying it.

Expect your free sample to arrive between four and six weeks, which is the norm.

Pet Sitting

I have a friend that makes a part time income from pet sitting. She has a full time county job, so she uses this job to save money for the future. I thought it would be a great topic for a blog post, since many individuals haven’t considered it as a way to earn some extra money.

The most important thing is that you have a love of animals. If you don’t, you won’t get very far. Not only can people tell if you don’t like animals, but so can the pets. Passion shines and is what will get you repeat customers and new referrals. That is the only way to grow your pet sitting business.

Next, you’ll have to set your rates. My friend charges different amounts depending on whether the pet owners want her to stay in their home to care for the pets, or whether they just expect her to stop by the house two or three times a day to tend to the pets. If you are just starting out, however, you can expect to make at least $25 a day.

Keep in mind that you can have several pet sitting jobs going at the same time as long as you are not required to remain in the pet owner’s home. My sister is pet sitting this week, but she doesn’t have any other jobs to worry about. The dog she’s watching is also staying in her home until the owner returns. That means she could also take on one or two more pets that just required she stop by a few times a day to be fed, given attention, and take out for a walk.

I would caution anyone who wanted to pet sit in their own home to make sure you know the pet and the owner very well before you agree to do it. The pet may not be house trained, and may cause damage to your furniture. It can be quite difficult to get some pet owners to pay for any damages caused by their animals.

When to Consider Adopting Another Pet

Recently, my daughter has been begging me to adopt another cat. We already have one cat named Anita. We got Anita from our county animal shelter five years ago. She had a severe anxiety disorder and it took her quite a while to get use to us. Fortunately, we have an old house that provides the cat with plenty of rooms to explore.

Last year we had a stray cat come to the kitchen door day after day for a month. Finally, I made an appointment with a veterinarian to have the cat checked out. I spent $200 getting the cat shots and an exam. My daughter called the cat Dakota. I began to allow the cat in the house for an hour at a time, but my cat and Dakota did nothing but hiss and bat at each other. After about two weeks, we stopped trying and Dakota moved on to another neighbors house.

I have come to the decision that as long as we have Anita, we will not be able to adopt another cat. This doesn’t mean, however, that we can’t look into adopting another animal. We could get an aquarium of fish, an iguana, or even a hamster. That is because these pets live in a cage that protects them from my cat.

So when you are considering adopting another pet, take some time to examine the pets you have. If their personalities are easy going, most likely they will get along with a new addition. If they have some anxiety issues, however, like my cat, you may be somewhat limited in which pets you can add to your family.

Requirements to Adopt a Pet

If you plan on adopting a pet from your local animal shelter, you may not be aware that there are actually requirements you must meet first. I certainly was not aware of this the first time I adopted a cat.

First, you must fill out an application. This application will ask you such questions as “What will you do if your pet chews on furniture?” and “What will you do if your cat claws on the furniture?” The shelter wants to make sure that you are ready for the good and the bad that comes with adopting a pet. It is best if you have a plan of action on how you will handle your pet when it exhibits unpleasant behaviors.

Second, the shelter will want to know whether you have a veterinarian or not. If you are a first time pet owner, the shelter will not expect you to have one. Past pet owners, however, will need to provide the name and telephone number of their vet. The shelter will check with the vet to make sure that you were/are a responsible pet owner.

Third, you will need to present a valid driver’s license with your application. In addition, you must show proof of ownership for your home. If you rent, the shelter will want to see a lease that states pets are allowed. The shelter doesn’t want to take any chances that you’ll have to return the adopted pet if a landlord objects.

Lastly, there is always a fee to adopt a pet, even from an animal shelter. The fee depends on the health and age of the pet. For example, kittens are more desirable and carry a higher adoption fee than senior cats. A deposit may be required at the time you submit the application with the full fee due on the day the adoption is final.

A Summer With Dora

A few years ago my daughter found a small turtle in the lake of my sister’s campground. It was the beginning of the summer so I thought it would be good to let her keep it for the summer to learn a lesson on caring for pets.

Fortunately, my father is an avid lover of turtles, mostly because he is allergic to just about every other animal on the planet. He had a turtle cage that was just right for the baby turtle. The cage even had steps for the turtle to climb up so that it could get out of the water at any time.

My daughter decided to name the turtle Dora after Dora the Explorer, a children’s cartoon character, because the turtle had been out exploring the campground. One adjustment we quickly had to make was putting a screen over the top of the turtle cage. It seems our cat thought that Dora would make a great play toy.

My father also had plenty of turtle food and we were sure to supplement that with the occasional pieces of lettuce. The only thing I wasn’t expecting was how often my daughter and I would have to clean the turtle cage. The water smelled horrible after just one day.

Once summer was about to be over, we decided to set Dora free back in the lake. This would give her time to finding a hiding place before winter comes. She seemed to know exactly where to go, and the kids stood by wishing her well. I think this was a great experience for my daughter, and taught her a lot about caring for turtles. For now, however, I think we will just stick with our cat.

Costs of Owning a Horse

My daughter has been riding horses for the past 3 years. She began with a new trainer at the beginning of the summer, and this trainer lets her participate in all aspects of caring for a horse. She cleans the stalls, watches the farrier in action, brushes down the horses, and is even helping to train one of the horses to pull a cart.

I began researching the costs of owning a horse to see if it would be a possibility to get her one. The first aspect is the cost of the horse itself, which is perhaps the cheapest part of owning a horse. I found a gorgeous horse that would have been exactly what we were looking for at a price of $2,000. This was because the owner was injured and could no longer take care of the horse. I found costs can reach as high as $15,000.

Next, the largest cost associated with horse ownership is the boarding fees. Of course, if you own enough land you can construct your own barn with stall and grazing area. Typically, boarding costs start out at $200 per month and rise from there. Feed and bedding for the horse is another $100 per month added to the budget.

Horses require medical attention from both a vet and a farrier. You’ll want to save between $200 and $1000 per year just for this expense. You may even want to look into health insurance for the horse.

Finally, you’ll need supplies and equipment to use with your horse. For example, you’ll need a saddle for riding, brushes for grooming, and even your own riding clothes. Depending on what you intend to do with the horse, your costs can be as little as $1,000 per year, or as high as $5,000.

As you can see, owning a horse is extremely expensive. Making sure you can afford the horse before you actually purchase it is the wisest thing you can do.

How to Kill Fleas with Salt or Diatomaceous Earth

Fleas are inevitable if you own either a cat or a dog. The best way to prevent the fleas is to use a vet prescribed once-per-month flea medication, but that can quickly become expensive, especially if you have more than one pet to treat each month. Instead, you can use good old table salt, or all-natural diatomaceous earth to get rid of the fleas.

How does the salt and diatomaceous earth work? Although these products are harmless to humans and pets, they are deadly to fleas. This is because both items are made up of tiny pieces that are sharp enough to pierce through a flea’s exoskeleton (although they won’t hurt you in any way if you touch them with your skin). Without an intact exoskeleton, the fleas cannot retain any water. They begin to dehydrate, and ultimately die within a period of three days.

When fleas become present in your home, simply sprinkle the salt over your carpets. You can even sprinkle it over your pets fur. Let the salt sit overnight before vacuuming it up. Be sure to place the vacuum bag immediately in a trash bag. Discard the trash bag outside in a garbage can with a lid. You may want to repeat this for a total of three nights to make sure you got all of the fleas.

Sprinkle the diatomaceous earth around the perimeter of your home, or in the backyard where your pet plays. This will kill any fleas that are in the yard, and prevent your pet from becoming infected all over again.

Note: The best way to get the fleas off of your pet is to give it a bath with dish detergent. The fleas will drown after 5 minutes.

Homemade Dog Treats

My sister’s dog will eat anything, but I have to say that homemade foods and treats are still healthier than store-bought products. They also cost a lot less to make yourself. If you have time, you can make a batch to last the week. Busy individuals can multiply the recipe and make one month’s worth of dog treats at a time.
To prepare:

Place 2 cups of whole-wheat flour in a large mixing bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon of baking powder,

½ teaspoon of butter,

¼ cup of sesame seeds,

1 cup of chunky peanut butter,

and 1 cup of milk to the flour and stir until completely combined.

Roll the dough out on a sheet of wax paper. You could also flour your workspace area and use that if you need to. Cut out dog biscuit shapes with a cookie cutter. You can use one in the shape of a dog bone, or simply make the biscuit’s a circle shape by turning a cup upside down.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. After the oven has been preheated, place the homemade dog treats on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. The treats should be a light brown color when they are done baking. If they haven’t turned slightly brown after 10 minutes, wait another 2 to 3 minutes until they do.

Once the dog treats cool down to room temperature, you can give them to your dog. Of course, if you want to store some for later, you can do so in an airtight container. A plastic zipper bag is also a good option if you don’t have any extra containers on hand.

Bedding Options for Guinea Pigs

My sister has since adopted our two female guinea pigs, however, we went through almost every bedding option while we had the guinea pigs. Each one had its benefits and drawbacks.

First, we used the wood pulp/wood shavings. They absorbed the guinea pig urine well, but were quickly tossed out of the cage whenever the guinea pigs would run around. This made it necessary to vacuum twice per day just to keep my daughter’s bedroom looking clean. It is important to note that when you purchase this type of bedding you want to look for a bag that does not contain pine or cedar oils.

Next, we bought the eco-friendly bedding. I really liked this bedding because it didn’t come flying out of the guinea pig cage as easily as the wood shavings. That made it easy to pick-up, and vacuuming time was cut in half. The bad part about the eco-friendly bedding was that it didn’t absorb the urine very well. I couldn’t just scoop the bedding out, I had to clean the entire cage.

Finally, we resorted to using sheets of newspaper. Newspaper is very absorbent and when laid flat in the cage, it couldn’t be kicked out on to the surrounding carpet. The best part was that the newspapers were free so I didn’t have to pay for bedding when I utilized this option. My sister continues to use newspaper, but cuts hers up into strips so that it resembles the eco-friendly bedding. It is important that you don’t use newspapers with colored ink. Stick with the black and white pages.

Pages