How to Care for a Pet Mouse

Pet mice are entertaining to watch, are easy to care for, and make very few demands on their owners. They are a bit skittish and harder to handle than some larger rodents, such as rats, but they can learn to be comfortable with handling, especially if tamed from a young age. Pet mice come in a wide array of colors with fairly short fur. Their rounded ears and long tail have minimal fur. As nocturnal animals, mice will generally be most active at night and sleep through the day. In terms of their care, they require a quality rodent food and regular habitat cleanings.

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How to Identify Whether a Dog Is Dangerous or Not

A dog behavior expert has revealed the signs which indicate an animal is dangerous, and unable to be safely adopted.

Gia Savocchi, based in New York, regularly shares her animal expertise on TikTok, uploading clips on restraint, control, collar grabbing, and aggression tests.

Savocchi is the founder of Thinking Canine, which specializes in rescue animals, particularly one displaying anxiety and aggression.

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The Internet’s Exotic Pets, and the People Who Love Them

The stars of Pet Tube are modeling the radical caretaking of strange animals. But they are only human.

Tomas Pasiecznik lives in New Jersey with his parents, his dog and 26 other species of animals, including a reticulated python, a Chilean rose hair tarantula, a colony of Central American giant cave cockroaches and an African pygmy hedgehog named Chloe. That count does not include all the animals that Pasiecznik acquires to feed to his other animals. When we spoke on a recent afternoon, over Zoom, Pasiecznik dipped out of view for a moment and returned with two electric blue hornworms wriggling in his palm — dinner for his scorpions and tarantulas. “They’re super cool,” he said. “I have a hard time feeding these. I’d rather just, like, watch them turn into moths and stuff.”

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Dog Breeds Banned By Home Insurance Companies

Aside from natural disasters and water, the three things that give home insurance companies agita are dogs, pools and trampolines. Basically anything fun.

The problem with dogs is the expensive liability claims against the dog owners. Homeowners insurance pays out for dog bites or other dog-related injuries—such as a fall when a dog jumps on someone or runs at them. The average dog bite claim has been around $44,760, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

To rein in costs, many home insurance companies have lists of banned dogs—cases where the insurer won’t provide coverage if a customer owns the breed. Not all home insurers have strict lists of banned dog breeds. Some take dog bite problems on a case by case in deciding whether to offer insurance to the owner.

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8 Pets You Don't Want to Bring Home

Turtles, and tigers, and kinkajous, oh my! Find out which animals should go back to where they came from — the wild.

There are dog people. There are cat people. And then there is another breed of pet owner entirely — exotic-pet people.

Under the right circumstances (and with the right kind of animal), owning an exotic pet might be okay — but more often than not it’s bad for the animal, not to mention downright dangerous and unhealthy for the human. “Just because a certain animal is sold as a pet does not mean it should be,” says Gene Pavlovsky, DVM, chief of staff at Banfield Pet Hospital in Champaign, Ill.

Here are eight types of pets you shouldn’t get.

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The living dead: Wood frogs across Alaska will soon be frozen solid

Their bodies cooling with the October air, wood frogs are now snug in leafy blankets all over Alaska.

Down there inside those thumb-size frogs, even smaller creatures are hitching a ride. These tiny parasites have the power to make frogs develop up to a dozen extra legs, or no legs at all.

Don Larson just defended his University of Alaska Ph.D. thesis on the fate of wood frogs that are at this moment becoming camouflage ice cubes. While taking a course in physiology of northern creatures, he became fascinated with the parasites attached to some wood frogs. How could a creature that leeches off another organism endure that animal freezing solid?

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Four fascinating ways animals survive the winter

There are a lot of things humans can do to make the colder months more comfortable, thanks to technology. But wild animals don't have access to boots, or scarves, or fireplaces to keep them cozy at night.

They have, however, evolved fascinating characteristics that allow them to get through the harsh winter months -- when food is scarce and the temperatures are frigid.

Here are four fascinating tricks animals use to survive the winter.

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10 Best Small Rodents to Keep as Pets

There is a range of small rodents commonly kept as pets. Some are fairly easy to tame and enjoy human interaction while others are more timid. Several tend to be more active at night, which might not fit with some people's lifestyles. Still, they are fairly low-maintenance pets if you provide them with the appropriate housing, exercise, and diet. If you're looking for a small, furry companion, here are 10 of the best small rodents to choose from.

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The 15 Most Expensive Cat Breeds (That Are Worth Every Penny)

Owning pets isn’t cheap. Cats will cost you roughly $630 per year, according to the ASPCA. Two cats? Twice the money (roughly). Bigger cats? Bigger bills. The first year of cat ownership will usually cost more than the average, too, depending on how fancy you get with food and gear, and whether you have to pay for spay/neuter surgery or vaccinations. On top of these routine annual costs, some cat breeds require you to dig very deeply into your pockets, just to take them home. We’re talking thousands of dollars for the world’s most expensive cat breeds! Intrigued? Keep reading.

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Rare snowy owl seen flying over Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON — A rare owl has been spotted touring the iconic monuments of Washington, D.C. for the last week, bringing out bird enthusiasts anxious to get a glimpse of the animal.

The snowy owl was first spotted on Jan. 3, and has since been seen at Union Station, the National Postal Museum, Senate buildings, and Capitol Police headquarters, The Associated Press reported.

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Your Cat Knows Where You Are Even When They Can't See You

Pet cats have been found to "mentally map" the whereabouts of their owners when they are out-of-sight, scientists have found. Researchers found that cats track their owners' movements by creating mental representations linked to vocal signals.

The researchers, led by Saho Takagi from the Department of Psychology at Kyoto University, Japan, conducted a series of experiments on cats, using vocal cues from either their owners or strangers.

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Six Fascinating Facts About Rabbits

Rabbits are wonderful creatures, with adorable ears, faces, and paws. Many people assume rabbits are all the same, but they are unique, complex, and enchanting animals. Beyond the twitchy nose and soft fur, there are many delightful and interesting secrets to uncover about rabbits. Here are six fascinating facts:

They have distinct personalities

Gentle and cuddly, or feisty and opinionated, bunnies each have their own unique and individual personality. For example, some rabbits like to be patted, while others are very independent. Long-time rabbit owners know that each domestic rabbit has its own personality that shapes the way they interact with their owners.

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Betty White fans hatch plan to celebrate her 100th birthday by giving back to animals

In loving animals, she’s just unstoppable.

Before we moved into 2022, tragic news spread across the internet. The iconic television personality Betty White died just on the eve of the new year.

But even so, she left a legacy of kindness, joy, and generosity. And as fans celebrated her life and work, they put to the spotlight a side of White that people always cherished – her love for animals.

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10 of the World’s Most Dangerous Fish

Many people around the world depend on fishes or products made from fishes for their food and economic livelihood. More than 30,000 different species ply Earth’s oceans and bodies of fresh water. The beauty of many fish species is highlighted in fish stores, aquariums, and in home collections. Some species, however, have darker, more terrifying aspects. A select few of these may attack human beings, while others might deliver a dose of poison when handled carelessly or not properly prepared for consumption. Some species are maligned due to their shocking appearance or by their ferocious reputation in folklore and myth; however, one species, though cute and tiny, threatens bathers in a very, shall we say, personal way.

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