Month: November 2020

Kitten Biting Problems

Kittens are cute, adorable, fun little creatures. They are cuddly and want to play with your hands, biting or scratching them. At first, they may seem like harmless play. Watch out, when they grow older and the teeth and claws get sharper, playtime wouldn’t be that enjoyable anymore. They can even draw blood from your hands if you don’t stop this rough play as soon as it starts.

Kitten biting problems are often caused by the cat owner himself. I’m not saying that it’s your fault. The biting and scratching behavior in kittens are completely natural to them. It is a vital part of their development because of their predatory nature. However, if your hands become their target, this behavior should be stopped even before their teeth and claws get sharper.

In their natural world, together with their mother and siblings, kittens play a lot together. It includes mainly of stalking, biting, scratching, pouncing, wrestling and chasing- predatory skills that a normal kitten of the wild would have to learn to survive. Play can sometimes get rough and even become aggressive between siblings. When this happens, the other kitten usually growls, retaliate or just stop playing. The mother also corrects the kitten with a growl or a swat. Kittens can send each other signals to indicate that aggression in their games is not tolerated and subconsciously teaches the kitten to control his aggression.

Biting and any other aggressive behavior in kittens can be stopped. If playtime with your kitten means playing with your hands, try diverting his attention by using toys instead. You can use a string, balls made of paper, or any household items as toys for your kitten. If he still tries to reach for your hands, stop playing altogether and walk away. Your kitten craves your attention and if you ignore him, it is equivalent to scolding him. If during play, he becomes aggressive and bites your hand, say NO in a stern voice and gently remove your hand. Be consistent and he will soon learn to become a gentle and well-behaved kitten.…

Ferret’s Odor

Ferrets are cute and supple looking creatures that make easy pets, and moreover they are loved by their owners from the hilt. But, do you really know that ferrets have unique smell associated with them. This strong skin odor makes them stand different from the crowd. The odor is the result of oil secreted from their skin, and protects him/her from dryness. And if you are bathing your ferret quite often, then it is quite natural that you’d be draining the oil away from your it’s skin. Irrespective of the fact that you clean the ferret cage for number of times, this unique and sharp odor remains in the cage and your ferret’s skin.

There’s absolutely no doubt that they are good and adorable pets to give you the company and enjoyment, the occurrence of very unique smell in the ferret’s skin keep the pet owners away from them. Therefore, the real tussle is to educate and learn yourself on how to stay with such unique smell, and also on how to live with the ferrets scent. Here is the list of to-do things that you should consider on priority while warding off the ferret’s scent:

• You should associate with the unique ferret’s scent that he/she possesses. Remember, it is the natural odor that is unique to every ferret, and you have to learn to live with this odor.

• Give potty training to your ferret, as in this manner you can lessen the intensity of smell coming from your ferret’s skin. Potty training can be started by making use of litter boxes and trays. If you fail in potty training your ferret, the result would be -Filthy Ferret Cage with Obnoxious Odor. Are you ready to take on this?

• Create a comfortable and hygienic environment in and around the ferret’s cage. Wash the objects/utensils inside the ferret cage as frequently as you can. Further, all he basic essentials like food, fresh water etc. should also be provided inside the ferret’s cage.

• You should also regularly and habitually clean ferrets bed, accessories and cage. Doing so will reduce the body odor of your ferret. You can also use lukewarm water and skin-friendly detergents for the job.

Here are some of the educative steps that you as an ardent ferret owner should religiously follow:

• Be explorative and grab as much information about the ferret s possible. Keep reading about different aspects of ferret’s health. The more you explore the more knowledgeable you become about your ferret’s health.

• Clean and wash your ferrets’ skin with ferret shampoo. Give your ferret frequent washes, but too much of bathing results in over secretion of the oil. And this further makes the skin odor pungent.

Ferret’s natural skin odor is the means to protect him/her from the external pathogens. But, the odor becomes unbearable for the pet owners inside the home. Therefore, following the above described guidelines will not only ensure good and refreshing atmosphere in your home, but also give your ferret a healthy atmosphere to breathe.…

Presidential Pets

At the Presidential Pet Museum, you can learn about what current and former Presidents had for pets. In reviewing the list, most of them are/were pet lovers and some had several pets. The list is to long to mention every one but here are some of the more recent.

Barack Obama has a Portuguese water dog named Bo given to his children by Senator Ted Kennedy.

George W. Bush had several pets. A Scottish Terrier named Miss Beazley, an English Springer Spaniel named Spot, another Scottish Terrier named Barney, a cat named India and a Texas Longhorn named Ofelia.

Bill Clinton had a cat named Socks and a Labrador Retriever named Buddy.

George Bush had Millie and Ranger, two Springer spaniels.

Ronald Reagan had two dogs, Lucky and Rex (King Charles Cavalier Spaniel) and several cats.

Jimmy Carter had a dog named Grits and a Siamese cat named Misty Malarky Ying Yang.

Gerald Ford had a Golden Retriever named Liberty and a Siamese cat named Shan.

Richard Nixon had three dogs named Checkers, Vicky and King Timahoe.

Lyndon Johnson had two beagles, Him and Her, a white collie, Blanco and Yuki, a mongrel. He also had hamsters and lovebirds.

John Kennedy had may pets. Charlie, Caroline’s Welsh Terrier, a cat named Tom Kitten, a canary named Robin, two parakeets, Bluebell and Marybelle, three ponies, Caroline’s Macaroni, Tex and Leprechaun, two hamsters, Debbie and Billie, a rabbit named Zsa Zsa, Mrs. Kennedy’s horse, Sardar and several dogs including Pushinka, Shannon and Clipper.

As you look back in time before the use of the automobile, many of the pets were horses. Many of our country’s first Presidents were excellent horseman who enjoyed riding and hunting. Their horses were very cherished and were paid great tributes when they died.

The Presidential Pet Museum was founded in 1999 and is part of the President’s Park located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The museum is a collection of pictures, stories and artifacts of these pets. You will be surprised on how many and what type of animals they had for pets. Some of the pets were given to them by foreign countries.

A President is no different than anybody else for having a pet. Many grew up with animals living on farms and ranches. A pet provides love and companionship that helps relieve stress. He could enjoy quality time with the pet without having to worry about the day to day care. They are/were very supportive to organizations related to animal care and well being.

It is very interesting learning about the different pets. Visiting the museum in Williamsburg can be very entertaining and educational.…

Uniqueness of a Cat’s Eyes

It has been said that eyes are the window to the soul. When gazing into the eyes of a cat, you get the feeling that the statement is very real. But there is more to a cat’s eyes. A cat’s eyes have some unique features that are different than humans. The best known is a cat’s ability to see at night.

The eyes face forward on a cat improving their depth perception but limit their field of view. The cat has a vision of 20/100 enabling it to see far away but not up close. A cat’s central vision is not as sharp as a humans because of the eye’s construction. A cat cannot see directly below its’ nose. A cat can see colors and distinguish between the colors especially the blues and violets. A cat’s ability to see colors is limited as compared to humans.

The color of a cat’s eyes varies but orange, green and golden are the most common. Blue eyes are associated with Siamese cats. There is a misconception that all white cats with blue eyes are deaf. A white cat with one blue eye and one of another color has a higher risk of deafness on the blue eye side.

The pupils of the eyes should be the same size. The pupils of a cat’s eyes are vertical and much larger than a human. If the size of the pupils differ, this can be an indication of possible harmful conditions: inflammation of the eye (conjunctivitis), Horner’s syndrome, FeLV, tumors and central nervous system injury. A cat can have other conditions including cataracts and glaucoma. If not treated, high veterinarian expenses and even blindness can occur.

A cat has an inner, third eyelid called a nictating membrane to protect the cat from dryness and/or damage. A cat does not have to blink it’s eyes like humans to lubricate them. If the third eyelid is partially closed and a cat is not sleeping, this may indicate a cat is sick.

A cat has much better night vision than a human. Although the cat cannot see in total darkness, the cat only needs one-sixth of the illumination required by a human. The muscles of the iris narrow the eye to a slit in bright light and fully open in dim light. A reflective layer behind the cat’s retina called the tapeturn reflects the incoming light and bounces it back amplifying the light. In daylight, this amplification is too strong. A cat’s eyes will narrow to a slit-like condition to minimize the light to improve it’s ability to see in the daytime.

A cat will express it’s mood with it’s eyes. An angry cat will have narrowed pupils. An excited or frightened cat’s eyes will be wide open. A happy cat’s eyes may appear a shade darker. A cat will kiss with it’s eyes by gazing at you and then blinking it’s eyes.

The uniqueness of a cat’s eye has long been recognized by many people. Many rare gems have been referred to as a cat’s eye. Even in the game of marbles, it was something special to have a marble that resembled a cat’s eye.…

Important Factors to Know About the Ferret Hammock

Sleep is one thing that ferrets seem to be experts at although they do require that their sleep conditions are more than sufficient. While ferrets love to burrow and nestle in tightly to enjoy a long nap they also like to have other alternatives if at all possible. If they have a chill or feel like it they would like the option of sinking deep into some plush bedding but they also want to spread out in a nice ferret hammock too.

A good ferret hammock can not just be any hammock so buying one does require a bit of thought. Think about the purpose of a hammock for a minute, it will hang from the cage and is a good place for the ferret to sprawl out in. Make sure that the material that the hammock is made of is nice and furry and offers options of interior pockets that your ferret can snuggle inside if he so chooses. Ferrets simply adore these hammocks.

Another thing that ferrets adore about these hammocks is that they sway back and forth which offers a calming and soothing effect to the ferret when he is going into a deep slumber. Likely the most important thing about these hammocks is that it moves the ferret sleep area away from the area where they eat and eliminate. This is very important to ferrets to not have these areas close together.

If you have multiple ferrets then you will likely want to buy multiple hammocks to accommodate these ferrets. Even if you buy multiple hammocks you might soon discover that your ferrets have nestled together in one area however, some ferrets do not like the idea of sharing so choices are appealing to them.

Don’t make the mistake of buying a cheap hammock. You will end up replacing it sooner so make sure that the hammock that you choose can be washed regularly and make sure that the material of the hammock isn’t chewable or isn’t likely to get their nails embedded in it. These are the things that you want to base your purchase decision on as opposed to factors related to color and style. Keep in mind that ferrets are pretty much color blind so they are not concerned with these things.

Prior to buying a hammock you should be sure to look it over carefully. Check and see if it comes with the necessary hardware that is required to install it or if you have to purchase that separately. There are two concerns with the hardware, one is to make sure that the hardware is simple and allows you to take it down for cleaning and to put it back up with ease and second, you want to make sure that the hardware is stable so that your ferret can not harm himself on it.

Look over the hammock frequently to ensure the safety of it. This is a good practice to get into and assures that you are taking every precaution to ensure your ferret’s safety.…