Jan 11 0 comments
Other animals

How long do parakeets live?

Parakeets can live 7 to 15 years as pets. (Photo Source: www.britannica.com)

Parakeets can live 7 to 15 years as pets. (Photo Source: www.britannica.com)

Let’s say you just bought a parakeet for your 9-year-old child. How long will this bird live? What do they like to eat? And how can you tell if the bird is a male or female?

Parakeets can live 7 to 15 years, which means your bird could live until your child is 24 years old. However, most parakeets die prematurely because of poor diets and improper care, so knowing what to feed the bird is very important. 

In addition to feeding birds fortified parakeet seed, the Association of Avian Veterinarians recommends adding some dandelion greens, green/orange fruits and veggies, and even cooked rice and pasta to their diet. Visit their Web site at www.aav.org for more information.

As for the sex, look at the bump of flesh above the nose which is called the “cere.” On an adult parakeet, the cere is bluish on the male and brownish on the female. The bird to the right is a male.

Note: Parakeets should kept inside as a pet. This photo just happens to be showing a bird in the wild.

Bookmark and Share
Jan 06 0 comments
Dogs, Pets

Can dogs watch TV?

A reader says her mom’s dog Jack watches TV. “He actually follows objects as they move across the screen and loves animal shows and sports shows that my dad turns on,” she says. “Is this really possible?” 

Many people say their dogs watch TV and it seems they really are following some of the action on the little screen. What Jack is doing is following the movement on the screen — a moving animal or ball that grabs his attention. I am not sure dogs know exactly what they are looking at, but my beloved dog Brinkley used to follow the basketball across the court and a baseball when it was hit to the outfield. Since balls were his favorite toys, I tend to believe he knew what he was watching, since he was jumping at the screen trying to catch the balls.

Sound captivates a dog too, especially when it’s an animal sound, like a dog barking or whining. But most dogs can tell the difference between a real animal and a TV animal since there is no “smell” to go along with it.

Bookmark and Share
Tags: , ,
Jan 04 0 comments
Cats, Pets

Why do some cats “knead” and some do not?

Cats may knead or "make biscuits" for a variety of reasons. (Source: Wikipedia.com)

Cats may knead or "make biscuits" for a variety of reasons. (Source: Wikipedia.com)

Kittens knead their paws on the belly of their mother to stimulate milk production. Because this action brings immediate rewards and comfort, it’s not unusual for cats to continue this behavior with their human loved ones as adults. When a cat kneads your belly, he feels emotionally secure and happy. In fact, the action is likely to be accompanied by purring, right?

Felines also have scent glands on the bottom of their feet, so a cat may “knead” to gently mark his territory. Some cats grow out of the behavior, but most people report that their cats knead, or “make biscuits” as it is sometimes referred to, on a regular basis.

Bookmark and Share
Dec 30 0 comments
Cats, Dogs, Pets

Would you perform CPR on your Pet?

In a medical emergency, would you perform CPR on your pet? Would you be willing to begin mouth-to-snout resuscitation — your mouth over his closed snout — to revive your dying dog or cat?

In a poll conducted by the Associated Press and Petside.com, 63 percent of dog owners and 53 percent of cat owners say they would “very likely” give CPR to their pet. And women were more likely than men (65 percent vs. 50 percent) to do it.

While a majority of pet owners might be ready to save their pet’s life, most also admit they aren’t well-prepared to prevent an emergency from happening: 80 percent of pet owners don’t have a pet first-aid kit; 54 percent don’t have a home-fire evacuation plan for their pet; 68 percent let their pets ride in vehicles unrestrained; and 59 percent said they “don’t consider” or “give little consideration” to their pet’s safety when decorating for the holidays.

Hmm, maybe these should be the actual questions on an adoption questionnaire.

As a former American Red Cross pet first-aid instructor, students have shared with me how knowing pet first aid and CPR has saved lives. A vet tech once told me about a dog at her clinic that suddenly stopped breathing. The veterinarian was out of the office, so she started CPR and was overjoyed when the dog started breathing again. Another student said knowing how to handle her dog’s rattlesnake bite (no tourniquets please) kept her from panicking on a hike.

My favorite CPR story, though, involved a co-worker at the humane society many years ago who had just taken the pet first-aid class. She walked into the clinic and saw a lifeless hamster in a small see-through carrier. She thought the hamster had just died so she began blowing gently into his nostrils and using her finger to palpate his chest. She did this for several minutes until another co-worker informed her that the hamster had been dead on arrival. So no luck there, but wow! How many of us would have performed CPR on a hamster? I guess if you feel prepared you are ready for anything.

If you want to feel better prepared, the American Red Cross has a pet first-aid book that provides directions and illustrations for most pet emergencies. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s Web site at www.avma.org/firstaid/ offers several pet first-aid articles and a list of items for a pet first-aid kit.

I hope you’ll be lucky and never have a pet emergency. But the poll revealed that 41 percent of you will indeed make a trip to the pet emergency room at some point in your pet’s life: 17 percent because your pet was attacked by another animal; 16 percent because your dog will have an allergic reaction to something; 15 percent because your pet got into or ate holiday decorations; and 11 percent because your pet was hit by a car.

Will you be ready to help them?

Bookmark and Share
Tags: ,
Dec 28 0 comments
Cats, Pets

Cat to Dog / Cat to Cat Introductions

Sara recently wrote to me to tell me that her cat Oliver had passed away. She plans to open her home to a new kitten — maybe two — when enough time has passed. However, she has two Lhasa apsos already and was wondering how to integrate a new cat into a home with resident dogs.

When my feline, Miss Kitty, came to live with us, she was 5-years-old. We had a 8-year-old Dalmatian and a 7-year-old cat in the family at the time. We brought her into the house in a crate and took her into a room with a litter box and food. This gave her and the current pets in the house a chance to swap scents underneath the bedroom door without actually meeting.

After about a day, I brought Miss Kitty outside the room and let the other dog and cat into the room. Again, I wanted them to get to know each other through scent first. We did this several times a day for a few days.

Eventually, we put a baby gate at the top and bottom of the stairs and let Miss Kitty wander out of her room to meet the other cat on the second floor. The gate at the bottom kept the dog from charging up the stairs and barking at her through the top gate. The top gate prevented her from bolting down the stairs and suddenly seeing the dog at the bottom of the stairs.

Once she made peace with our cat, which took a few days, we put the dog on a leash and allowed Miss Kitty to come downstairs at her own pace. By having the dogs on leashes, you are ensuring the first meeting doesn’t involve a high-speed chase. If that happens, introductions generally must start over.

Once I knew my dog wouldn’t chase her, I only used the baby gates when I wasn’t home. I placed the gates a few inches from the floor so that my cats could get away from the dog by slipping under and past it. I don’t use them at all now. Everyone mingles harmoniously.

Just a few cautions: Never carry your feline over to meet another pet for an introduction and never leave your cat in a crate with other pets surrounding her. These are frightening situations for felines. Cats must meet other pets at their own pace.

Pamela Bennett Johnson, feline behaviorist and author of “Think Like a Cat,” has many great tips and suggestions on feline introductions on her Web site at http://catbehaviorassociates.com that readers also might find helpful.

Bookmark and Share
Tags: , ,
Nov 04 0 comments
Cats

First H1N1 virus confirmed in a cat

Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine has confirmed the first known case of the H1N1 virus in a cat.  Up until now, the virus has only been found in humans, pigs, birds, and ferrets.

Apparently, the feline got sick after being exposed to several household members who had flu-like symptoms. The feline will recover. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), there is no evidence that the cat passed the virus to any people.

Pet owners need to monitor their pets’ health closely and take them to a veterinarian at the first sign of illness, especially if there are people in the household sick with the H1N1 virus.

According to Iowa’s Department of Health “Indoor pets that live in close proximity to someone who has been sick are at risk and it is wise to monitor their health to ensure they aren’t showing signs of illness,” said Dr. David Schmitt, State Veterinarian for Iowa.

People can keep their pets healthy by washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and minimizing contact with pets while ill with influenza-like symptoms. That may mean not letting your cat or dog curl up with you while you are sick.

Your pet can’t get an H1N1 vaccine so their only line of protection is you. Keep your cat and dog away from people suspected to have the illness.

The AVMA is actively tracking all instances of H1N1 in animals and posting updates.

Bookmark and Share
Tags: , , ,
Oct 28 0 comments
Pets

Man shoots baboon “to see what it feels like to kill someone”

AA Gill, a restaurant critic in England, said he shot a baboon on safari “to get a sense of what it might be like to kill someone”.

In his Sunday Times column, he described in painful detail how he shot the primate from 250 yards away while riding in a vehicle “full of guns and other blokes” in Tanzania. He shot the male baboon through the lung, saying he felt the urge to be “a recreational primate killer.”

He wrote: “I took him just below the armpit. He slumped and slid sideways. I’m told they can be tricky to shoot: they run up trees, hang on for grim life. They die hard, baboons. But not this one. A soft-nosed .357 blew his lungs out.”

This is perhaps one of the most morally indefensible things I have ever heard someone do to an animal — and then brag about it. If he wants to know what it’s like to kill someone, perhaps he should also know what it’s like to go to prison for the rest of his life for doing so.

I doubt charges will be pressed from a continent away, which means in his mind (and mine) he will have gotten away with murder. There’s something not right about this person.  I hope he has at least  ’shot himself in the foot’  and will lose his job with the Guardian Times. Sick minds like this don’t deserve media space to boast about their cruelty.

According to the article in the Guardian Time, Guy Norton, who studies the behaviour of baboons in Makumi National Park in Tanzania, said baboons are “sentient and feeling animals” and display similar characteristics to humans with strong parental bonds and sociable group behaviour.

How sad that some humans are so cruel.

Bookmark and Share