Keeping and Caring for Pet Rats

Rats are intelligent and social animals that can make wonderful pets. They are also easily tamed, making rats especially great for someone who likes to handle their pets.

To learn how to care for them, click here: Keeping and Caring for Pet Rats

Never Keep Livestock as Pets … Except When You Do

When raising livestock for meat, farmers must follow one hard and fast rule: You can’t care about the animals you care for. Which isn’t to say you can’t respect and honor the creatures you’re tasked with raising. I believe you should, in fact, play and talk with your feeder hogs to make their life as good as possible. But you can’t love them, or else you’ll depart the processor in tears every time.

It’s simple pragmatism, but to the outsider looking in, this attitude can seem callous, especially when coupled with the livestock farmer’s other rule against keeping animals who don’t pull their weight. When budgets get tight—and farm budgets are, by nature, very tight—it doesn’t make dollars and sense to keep an old animal around just because.

Which is exactly what we’re doing with George Clooney, the 700-plus-pound Berkshire boar.

To read more on this story, click here: Never Keep Livestock as Pets … Except When You Do

 

Scientists Discover 400-Year-Old Greenland Shark Likely Born Around 1620

Greenland sharks are now the longest-living vertebrates known on Earth, according to scientists.

Researchers used radiocarbon dating of eye proteins to determine the ages of 28 Greenland sharks, and estimated that one female was about 400 years old. The former vertebrate record-holder was a bowhead whale estimated to be 211 years old.

To read more on this story, click here: Scientists Discover 400-Year-Old Greenland Shark Likely Born Around 1620

Ticks on Dogs: Know What to Look For

We all know that spring and summer are seasons to be on high alert for ticks. Dogs are particularly susceptible to tick bites and can also carry them into the house. Tick-borne diseases, including Lyme Disease, Canine Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Canine Anaplasmosis, and several others affect both humans and dogs.

And although ticks are common throughout the country, people in some states are more at risk than others. For example, Pennsylvania and Virginia are among the 14 states with the highest rate of confirmed Lyme Disease cases in the country. If you live in either of these states, you should be extra vigilant, take preventative measure and check your dog for ticks frequently.

To read more on this story, click here: Ticks on Dogs: Know What to Look For

19 Cats That Should Be Supermodels

These beautiful cats are the reason fashion shows call it a catwalk. Nobody struts their stuff like a cat.

To see these beautiful cats, click here: 19 Cats That Should Be Supermodels

The Blanket Octopus Looks Like a Rainbow Ghost Alien

Honestly, how are any of us supposed to get anything done when there are animals like this cruising above in the ocean like it’s no big deal?

WE’VE GOT technicolour ghosts down there doing… whatever technicolour ghosts do, and we’re just out here living our lives. Blast that thing into space so it can finally be with its people.

Okay, fine, it can stay, but let’s take a moment to truly appreciate how bonkers this creature is.

Meet the blanket octopus (Tremoctopus violaceus), a bizarre, impressive, gorgeous feat of evolution that might actually be even weirder than it looks.

To read more on this story, click here: The Blanket Octopus Looks Like a Rainbow Ghost Alien 

Senior Cat Problems: What You Should Know About Aging Cats

You and your kitty have been together through thick and thin. As the years stretch into a decade, it can be easy to forget that your faithful companion isn't the spry kitten she once was. She may not show any obvious signs of slowing down, but perhaps her last health check has you facing the fact that you love an aging cat that needs to be handled with extra care. Senior cat problems aren't always easy to spot if you don't know what to look for. Read on to learn how to recognize aging cat issues and how to best care for your senior cat.

To read more on this story, click here: Senior Cat Problems: What You Should Know About Aging Cats

6 Most Common Eye Problems in Dogs

It’s never easy when your dog starts having health problems, but recognizing signs early can significantly reduce the chances of it advancing to something serious. It’s not just older dogs that experience eye problems - a number of conditions that can occur at all ages across all breeds. Here are the most common eye problems to look out for in your dog.

1. Pink Eye

Many dog owners don’t know that their furry friends can get pink eye or conjunctivitis. Similar to humans, symptoms include:

• Eye redness

• Inflammation

• Gooey discharge

If your dog has pink eye caused by a bacterial infection, he will need to see a vet and receive an antibiotic eye drop solution. In some occasions, pink eye can be brought on by an allergic reaction to pollen or cigarette smoke and will require a solution to flush the irritants out of your dog’s eyes.

To read more on this story, click here: 6 Most Common Eye Problems in Dogs

Cat Grooming Basics

Cats are neat freaks. In fact, if you’re a cat owner, you know firsthand that your cat is a fastidious groomer. After all, it seems to spend most of its life either sleeping or grooming!

But as gung-ho as your cat is about keeping itself groomed and clean, the truth is that it could still use a bit of help from you.

Grooming is about more than just keeping your cat looking good. Grooming your cat on a regular basis will also help you to keep an eye on its health. And grooming your cat can even help to prevent feline health issues such as digestive problems caused by hairballs. Regular grooming can also help to improve the health of your cat’s skin and coat.

To read more on this story, click here: Cat Grooming Basics

Pet Snail – Are Snails Easy And Interesting Pets To Keep?

A pet snail is a great low maintenance house guest.

It costs very little to set up a simple snail habitat so you can observe these cute gastropods at close quarters.

Many people are surprised to discover how endearing a pet snail is!

But some regions, including the U.S. have strict regulations about keeping non-native snail species as pets.

So it’s important to be clued up before you get started!

To read more on this story, click here: Pet Snail – Are Snails Easy And Interesting Pets To Keep?

Male vs Female Chinchilla: Which One Should You Get? (With Pictures)

Chinchillas may be one of the softest, cutest rodents on the planet. When you finally decide to get a plush chinchilla—you have a big decision right off the rip. Should you get a male or female? Even at the pet store, do they really know the difference? Sometimes, trained professionals can get it wrong, too.

Chinchillas should stay in pairs or trios because they are social creatures. So, especially if you’re getting multiple, you might not want to get a little surprise birth of babies—no matter how cute they might be. Let’s go over the differences you can expect between the two genders and learn how you can tell yourself.

To read more on this story, click here: Male vs Female Chinchilla: Which One Should You Get? (With Pictures)

Dingoes: How dangerous are they?

 

A new inquest is being launched into the death of a baby who disappeared in 1980 from an Australian camping site. Her parents insist she was killed by a dingo, but polls show some Australians are unconvinced. So how dangerous are the animals?

It is the fourth inquest into the world-famous case of nine-week-old Azaria Chamberlain, which has haunted Australia for 31 years, and her parents hope it will be the last.

Lindy Chamberlain was convicted of murdering her daughter in 1982. Michael, her now former husband, was convicted of being an accessory. Both were later cleared after new evidence emerged supporting their story.

To read more on this story, click here: Dingoes: How dangerous are they?

How to Groom a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s medium-long luscious coat and silky, feathery ears signal royalty. Keeping this breed at their elegant, tangle-free best calls for a little time and some routine upkeep.

But there’s no need to worry. At 13–18 pounds, this toy dog is easy to lift and portable enough to bathe in most kitchen sinks or home bathtubs. You can also forget about heavy-duty clipping, trimming, and fluffing.

“Cavaliers are a natural breed with a single coat,” says Cindy Huggins, judges’ education chairperson for the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club. “Few Cavaliers have unmanageable coats.”

To read more on this story, click here: How to Groom a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

FASCINATING HUMMINGBIRD FACTS

Many hummingbirds will soon be heading south! Learn some fun facts about hummingbirds—how much these tiny birds weigh, whether they can really see red, and what types you’ll see where you live. Did you know that hummers do not flap their wings? Enjoy these fascinating hummingbird facts.

WHAT IS A HUMMINGBIRD’S SIZE?

These diminutive birds weigh only about 4 grams—or .141 ounce! That’s tiny! For comparison, a U.S. penny weighs 2.5 grams. The egg of a hummingbird weighs just 0.4 gram to 2.4 grams. A newly hatched bird is just 0.62 gram. However, when it’s time to migrate, hummers pack on the grams for the long trip—sometimes doubling their weight.

They are among the smallest birds, too, with most species measuring 3 to 5 inches long. The smallest bird, the bee hummingbird, is only 2 inches long—and weighs less than 2 grams.

To read more on this story, click here: FASCINATING HUMMINGBIRD FACTS