Ferret Food

Ferrets are meat-eating; they are carnivores not vegetarians! They are an obligate carnivore, which means that they must be given a particular diet that is largely meat-based and contains between 32-38 % proteins along with around 15-20 per cent fat.
For quite a considerable time now experts have been researching and testing with what is the best kind of feeding for ferrets. The Bones and Raw Food Diet appears to be essentially the most satisfactory, if not always sensible, in terms of the health and survival for your ferret. Here is some information that spells out the concerns about ferret eating habits The ideal feeding regime is an uncooked food diet of things like chicken wings, stripped carcasses and necks, turkey necks, rabbit, all kinds of game birds, pigeons, cheap ground beef, cheap lamb, all offal, (lambs heart is an excellent one and cheap). Every ferret possesses its own tastes though. Uncooked bones are good for cleaning their teeth and the calcium in the bone is also good. They are lactose intolerant so cows’ milk is out but goats milk is in and goats’ yoghurt, sometimes with an egg beaten up with some lactose free milk for a treat will be appreciated. Ferrets also like a bit of fresh fruit, melon is good in the summer to assist them to stay cool but again, each ferret has its own fruit preferences. Do be wary of food poisoning and storing as ferrets love to hide food. If concerned about this feed in a special ferret cage that is an easy task to clean and puts a stop to hoarding and hiding. A great time for you to do this is when you're cleaning the main living accommodation out.Zero Salt, pork, chocolate, or nuts. The salt along with chocolate can be fatal to a ferret. The pork is generally not good for them and nuts get stuck in their teeth leading to mouth problems. Alternatively, a ferret biscuit such as Alpha Ferret Feast is a good idea. It is available to buy at the online pet supermarket of Home Pet Shop along with other similar ferret foods. It is OK to feed a mixed diet of raw food and biscuit although raw food is best as it drastically decreases the occurrence of adrenal disease.
Ferrets need to have a constant supply of clean water particularly in summer because they can become dehydrated really quickly. A very heavy bowl is essential because the little monsters tip it over. A good alternative is a water feed bottle with a large supply end.

Keeping Guinea Pigs-Part 2

If you'd like your guinea pig to get used to getting picked up and petted, it is better to begin whilst very young. A trustful guinea pig, which has been handled in a caring manner from a young age, hardly ever scratches or bites. As your friend learns to recognize you, it may start to whistle as it hears you coming. Various guinea pig accessories can be found at the online pet supermarket of Home Pet Shop.

Since the guinea pig is a sociable creature, it would rather live in groups. For those who have enough space it is better to get a group of two or more; they'll keep each other company when you’re out. Guinea pigs also like to perform social grooming in addition to grooming themselves but of course this is simply not possible for those who keep a single specimen. It's possible for instance keep two or several females with each other or house one, two or more females with a neutered male. Housing males as a group will require more room, they will need to have bonded with one another from a young age, and there can be no females present. Males are known to create a pecking order within the group by chewing one another's coat, gnawing on one another's ears, pushing their heads, raising their fur, making aggressive noises, and carry out leaping attacks and non-sexual mounting.

Unlike their wild relatives, who are most active during nightfall and daybreak when they are less likely to be spotted by predators, domesticated guinea pigs have developed a different biological rhythm consisting of extended periods of activity spread throughout the 24 hours of the day followed by short periods of sleep in between.

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.

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.