Showing posts with label animal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animal. Show all posts

Friday, 20 May 2011

Keeping Guinea Pigs-Part 1

A mature guinea pig is usually 20-25 cm (8-10 in) long and weighs from 700 to 1200 grams (1.5 to 2.5 lbs). They can, in most cases, either be kept in guinea pig cages , tanks made from glass or plastic, or wooden hutches and also appear to enjoy the security offered by a nesting box. Even when given the opportunity, guinea pigs seldom venture away from their habitat except if scared by something. If they feel safe in a home they will delight in exploring more territory but sooner or later they are going to want to retreat to their home (or any other place considered equally safe). Guinea pigs use pee to mark their home and will typically urinate once they're returned to a recently cleansed cage with new bedding material. Males are known to pee to mark their territory once taken out of their cages.
Don’t
place the cage or tank where it will be exposed to drafts, excess humidity or temperatures beyond the recommended range. Guinea pigs do best when the heat level is 18-24 °C (65-75 °F) and the moisture 30-70%. People sometimes think that guinea pigs are tropical animals since they originate from South America, however these small furry creatures are native to high altitudes in which the climate is temperate, not tropical.
Wild guinea pigs are
always threatened by potential predators and this has made them, as well as their domesticated relations, easily spooked and weary of virtually all other animals. Housing guinea pigs with more energetic animals, including rats, mice, gerbils and hamsters, is not advised. There are many reports of cats and dogs learning to tolerate or even like guinea pigs, but you can’t depend on it. In lots of situations, cats and dogs will view the guinea pig as either prey or some sort of play item. Even a well meaning dog that merely wants to play may well frighten the life out of a guinea pig so don’t allow them to interact whilst not continuing to keep a close eye on them. Home Pet Shop offers a fine selection of Hamster cages and accessories at their online pet supermarket.

Wednesday, 13 April 2011

Feeding Rabbits

Rabbit food is a really important issue, and one on which a lot has been learned in more recent years. You not only need to use the suitable types of rabbit food for your furry friend, but it is essential you furthermore implement the right amounts of rabbit food available.Just as rabbits are individuals when it comes to food preferences, so the owners may possess different takes on the ideal way to feed their rabbits.

The
proper diet for domestic rabbits is actually quite simple, two daily meals a day composed of high fibre, low fat and low starch. Adolescent rabbits really should be given plenty of food until about 1/2 year old due to the fact they need the protein, then the amounts need to be more strictly regulated so your rabbit does not become overweight which may lead to many health issues. Remember that those appointments to the Vet are not free!
 Ahead of food in importance is fresh water - and plenty of it. A 5lb rabbit will need to drink as much water as a 24lb dog! The daily weight of water intake ought to be double that of the weight of daily food. If your rabbit goes without water for over 24 hours it could lead to sickness, and possibly even death - it is so essential. Using a water container that operates well is a good idea, and so is a water bowl if it is heavy enough so it can't be knocked over. Be certain to clean the water containers frequently to keep the water fresh.

Hay
is to be your rabbit's primary diet so you should keep it available constantly. Alfalfa hay is good for when they are young, but then use mostly timothy hay, or orchard grass from then on since these do not possess as many calories or as much calcium as the alfalfa. Your rabbit gets its proteins and selected vitamins and minerals from hay, and the fibre from hay keeps the digestive system from backing up and gets rid of hairballs, and supplies useful bacteria for the intestinal flora.

Rabbit pellets are a
great source of nutrition. Let young bunnies eat all the pellets they want, then reduce the amount before they are one year old because they are high in calories. All of the aforementioned rabbit foods can be bought from Home Pet Shop at their online pet supermarket.