Cavy Care

Is A Guinea Pig Right For You ? If you are thinking about getting a pet for your home, you might want to consider a guinea pig. Guinea pigs, also called cavies, are lovable furry little critters that will bring you a lot of joy. In addition, guinea pigs can be a perfect first pet for children because they are easy to care for and more cuddly than a hamster and or fish. Here is some more information to help you determine whether a guinea pig is the right pet for you. If you are thinking about getting a pet for your home, you may a first consider a dog or cat. These animals are perfect for homes if you have a lot of time to dedicate to owning a pet. Dogs and cats need a lot of attention and a lot of space. Guinea pigs on the other hand are just as cute as dog, cats, and they do not require near as much space or care. Many people love the idea of guinea pigs as first pets for children because they live a lot longer than hamsters or gerbils. In fact, a well cared for guinea pig can live up to eight or nine years. Once you own a guinea pig, you will be hooked by these cute, sweet natured critters. When you go to the store to get a guinea pig, it is always a good idea to look at them carefully and choose them by their personality. Each guinea pig has his or her own personality. Some are more reserved in nature, while others are more outgoing. If you are choosing a guinea pig for your child, you want to make sure that your guinea pig can tolerate being held and petted. Guinea pigs are not known to be aggressive or to bite, but your child will have no fun with a shy guinea pig. Guinea pigs are also should social animals, and they enjoy the company of other guinea pigs. If you are planning to get a guinea pig, you might want to consider getting two guinea pigs at the same time. Male guinea pigs get along quite well with each other when you get them when they are babies. Male guinea pigs will fight with each other. If you introduce them after they are grown. Female guinea pigs can also get along well with each other. It is not recommended that you get a male and a female, unless you want to breed guinea pigs. When looking at guinea pig cages, you need to find one that will allow enough room for movement and play. Guinea pigs like to stay hidden when they sleep, so make sure that your cage has a place where they can hide. A plastic or wooden structure inside the cage is always a good idea. You will also want to add some sort of betting to the bottom of your guinea pig cage for easy cleanup. Cedar chips are not recommended. You also want to include a large water bottle for your guinea pig. If you have, two guinea pigs consider getting two water bottles. Guinea pigs love to drink water, so make sure that you give them plenty of fresh water every day. Some experts recommend adding vitamin C drops to their water. This works well for some guinea pigs. However, some guinea pigs do not like the taste and will not drink the water. If you do decide to add vitamin C drops to their water, make sure they are staying hydrated throughout the day. If you choose not to include vitamin C drops with their water. You can supplement their diet with fresh fruits and vegetables. Guinea pigs love fresh vegetables and fruits of all kinds. Just make sure that you are not overfeeding your guinea pigs and use fruits and vegetables as treats. As far as food is concerned, you will want to feed your guinea pigs specially formulated guinea pig pellets available at pet stores. Guinea pigs also needed daily supply of Timothy hay to help aid in digestion. Guinea pigs are great pets for all types of homes. When you get your guinea pig young, you can work with it to social it. You and your children will enjoy these adorable pets for many years to come.

Caring For Your Diabetic Cat

If your cat has just been diagnosed with diabetes, you might be afraid of what the future holds for your beloved pet. The good news is that cats can live long, healthy lives after being diagnosed with diabetes. The trick is that you, as a pet owner, must be dedicated to care for your cat during his or her illness. Diabetes is not a death sentence for pets. Here is some information to help you understand what you need to do to help your diabetic cat. Regular Medical Care: After your cat has been diagnosed with diabetes, it is imperative that you visit your veterinarian on a regular basis. Your cat will need regular checkups to check the blood sugar levels and to make sure that he or she is receiving the right amount of insulin. When your cat goes in for a check up, the vet will ask that you do not feed your cat twelve hours part to the checkup. While your cat is at the check up, your veterinarian will draw blood and check blood sugar levels. People that have diabetes are able to check their blood sugar at home. However, this is not possible with cats unless you buy a glucose monitoring system. Your will probably ask that you bring your cat in every three months for this type of checkup. Getting your Cat Insulin: When your cat has diabetes, it is your responsibility to make sure that your cat receives the proper dose of insulin twice a day. The amount of insulin that your cat will need will vary according to your cat's individual condition. Most cats will receive between three and five units of insulin to times per day. It is important that you establish a routine for your cat. Your cat needs to receive insulin 12 hours apart. Most people that have diabetic cats will give their cat and insulin shot at the same time every morning and at the same time every evening. It is not difficult to learn to give your cat insulin injections. Your veterinarian will walk you through the process, and then you can repeat this at home. Usually your veterinarian will recommend that you give your cat injections between the shoulder blades in the scruff of the neck. With patience and practice, your cat will barely feel the injections. In fact, most diabetic cats know when it is time to get their injection and they may actually remind you by meowing. Stocking the Right Supplies: It is important that you have the right supplies on hand to help treat your diabetic cat. You will need a vial of insulin as prescribed by your veterinarian, syringes and alcohol swabs. It is always a good idea to order your insulin when you are about halfway empty. It may take a couple days for your veterinarian to order your insulin. Your veterinarian might also recommend getting your diabetic cat vitamin supplements and seating him or a special prescription diet such as Science Diet W/D. You must be able to see your cat immediately after he or she receives their injection. It is also a good idea to have some numbers to your veterinarian into at least two 24-hour emergency vet clinics available with you at all times just in case your cat needs help. Many people who owned diabetic cats worried about the costs that this condition incurs. It certainly does cost money to take care of a diabetic cat. A vial of insulin will cost you approximately $85 and will last you about two months. A box of 100 Syringes will cost about $30 and will last you 50 days, as you should use a new syringe for each injection. Prescription food will cost you about $40 for a 20-pound bag. However, it is important to remember that your cat is a part of your family. Most pet owners do not hesitate spending this kind of money on their pets. Patience and Love: Above of all when you have a diabetic cat, you need a lot of patience and a lot of love. It is not always easy to care for sick and ailing cat. However, with the right care, you can expect your diabetic cat to have many more years of happy life.

Can Feral Cats Be Tamed

Feral cats are different from stray cats. Stray cats are usually the product of a person’s irresponsibility. Irresponsibility could be defined in two ways when it comes to strays: dumping a cat to fend for itself and/or neglecting to spay and neuter their cats. Stray cats can be timid, but are often easily tamed. Feral cats are cats that were probably born to wild parents and are wild themselves. Feral cats have had no human interaction and are very difficult to tame. Because feral cats are difficult to tame, thus making them undesirable indoor pets, there are many rescue organizations that are dedicated to the trapping and spaying and neutering of feral cat colonies. Many times, these organizations trap the cats, have them spayed and neutered and then release them near where they were originally found. Then, they dedicate themselves to providing food to these colonies. Feral cats are everywhere. You can find feral cats in rural or farm areas, abandoned buildings and even parks and alleyways. You might catch a glimpse of them, but chances are that you would not be able to catch them easily. After all, they have not been around humans so any contact would make them shy away from you. If you have feral cats in your neighborhood, you may wonder whether these animals can be kept as pets. Taming a feral cat can be a difficult proposition simply because they are not accustomed to humans. Depending on the level of their interactions with humans, some cats might be classified as semi-feral, total feral or even a converted feral cat. Depending on what your cat is classified dictates your potential success in socializing it. In addition, it takes a lot of time, love and patience to tame these cats. If you find a cat that is has been feral for a years, chances are that there is little to no chance of socializing it. With no human contact at all, these cats are overly independent and would never depend on a human for food or companionship. You might have better success with a cat that is semi-feral. In these instances, they have had some limited human contact. A converted feral cat would probably have the best chance at a normal life as someone’s pet. These cats were once domesticated, meaning that they probably started life as a pet and then was abandoned. The converted feral cat will more than likely eventually respond to human interactions such as love and affection. If you want to attempt to tame a feral cat, remember that it can be hard work reaching out to the feral cat and getting them to trust you after being on their own. Sometimes, your efforts will not pay off for months, especially with older cats. If your attempts are a success, the rewards are well worth it because a strong bond can develop and loyalty and love is the reward. If you believe you have the time and the love to attempt to tame a feral, there are some things to remember. First, these cats see you as an intruder and are very likely to spit, hiss, bite and claw. This is a normal response as they are defending themselves against a perceived predator – you. If they manage to get in a few bites or scratches, you should apply first aid immediately. After you have successfully trapped a feral cat, your very first step is to get it to the vet for spay or neuter and to check for any diseases it may carry. This is a necessary step and an absolute must if you have other pets in the house. After you have arrived home with your cat, you need to let it adjust to you and the surroundings by giving it a small, safe place to stay. Allow the cat to stay in a small bathroom or laundry room, where it does not feel overwhelmed. You will need to take time every day to spend time with the cat and allow the cat to adjust to you. Remember, not all feral cats can be socialized; however with love and patience, your time and efforts may be worthwhile.

Auto Pet Feeder

Having a pet in the family seems as common in the United States as having children. In fact there are more homes with pets than there are with children because of the number of people that keep animals once they are done raising children and because of the number of young single people that adopt a pet. We spend millions of dollars annually to care for our animal friends. There are many exotic pets that people have tried, but by far the most popular pets continue to be the dog and cat. The argument over which of these animals makes the best pet has been fought since both were domesticated. As long as a dog lover and cat lover remain alive the argument will not be settled. The one issue of having a pet is taking care of them during vacation. This is where the argument of having a cat or dog gives the advantage point to cats. If you have a clean litter box an auto pet feeder and a large bowl of water a cat can be left for several days on their own. They may not be very happy when you come home and may shun you in the way that cats have perfected through the years, but their care needs will have been taken care of. Unfortunately with a dog they need to be taken outside on a routine basis to urinate and defecate. This means wither hiring someone to come to your house to walk the dog twice a day of boarding the dog at a kennel. We had a neighbor that was willing to come over and take our dogs for a run in the woods in the morning and evening; however we thought it would be easier if we bought the auto pet feeder so he would not have to deal with their food. We have a water spigot on the outside of the house for him to bring fresh water daily. So we thought that if we filled the auto pet feeder he would be able to come over and take care of the dogs in a short period of time. We learned that we should have taught the dogs how to manage the auto pet feeder prior to leaving on vacation. Our dogs are used to getting fed twice a day. They are fed at the same time and quickly eat their food. They are not used to having a supply of food available to them. Our neighbor told us that they ate all the food we left in the first day. Both dogs were feeling sick from over eating and our neighbor had to go buy another bag of food because we had locked the shed where we keep the food supply. The auto pet feeder is a great device, but like anything else the animals need to be taught how to regulate themselves using it.