RABBITS
Are you the right kind of person to live with a rabbit? Rabbits make wonderful companions for the right people.
- Are you patient?
- Have a sense of humor?
- Do you enjoy watching the movements and learning the language of another species?
- Does your schedule include plenty of time at home?
- Are you comfortable spending a lot of time on the floor?
- Are you not overly fussy with your furniture?
Basic Facts
- Rabbits can be litterbox trained
- They can live to be 7-10 years old
- Rabbits are inquisitive, sociable animals.
- They make wonderful indoor companions.
- Rabbits can purr when contented.
- Like cats and dogs, rabbits need to be spayed or neutered to improve health and behavior .
- Most rabbits do not like to be held. They prefer to sit beside you.
- Rabbits like to play with toys, such as cardboard boxes, wire cat balls, hard plastic baby keys, untreated willow baskets.
- Rabbits need to have things of their own to chew on (or they might nibble on your stuff).
- Rabbits need to be protected from predators, poisons, temperature extremes, electrical cords, and rough handling.
Fish
Fish can fit into any lifestyle. They have their virtues in that they are quiet, need no vaccinations, and are utterly beautiful to watch. Starting cost can be quite expensive. First, you need to decide if you want salt water or fresh water fish. Gather all the information you will need to care for them properly. You must know how to correct chemical imbalances and ph problems in the tank, this must be correct before the fish are introduced to the water. There are accessories you will need to purchase for the fish tank. You will need a filter plate, filter, and gravel, plants that will keep algae under control, a heater for temperature, a thermometer, and a decholorinator to remove chlorine, a hood, and a light. After the tank is together, add the water then adjust the temperature and adjust the ph levels. Check the water again in 24 hours to make sure the balances of ph are stable and the water is the proper temperature for the variety of fish you want. You will need to learn about fish diseases and have the proper medications on hand. After the initial start-up cost, fish are not expensive to keep, food, chemicals, medications and the power to maintain the filtering, lightening and temperature of the fish tank. Fish may not be cuddly but they are excellent stress reducers.
Birds One of my favorite pets is the bird. There are so many varieties and sizes of birds. Each bird variety is different in how you care for them. Pet birds range in size from the tiny little finch to the giant hyacinth macaw. The cost for the pet bird also ranges exorbitantly. The cost of a finch may be as little as $10 compared to the cost of a hyacinth macaw, which could cost $20,000, or more. Small birds are good pets if you live in an apartment. Large parrots can also be pets for the apartment dweller, if you have plenty of quality time to spend with the parrot. Parrots tend to be very noisy. Their deafening screeches will easily travel through apartment walls. Parrots are also very messy. Parrots are highly social, and extremely intelligent. They will need to spend plenty of time interacting with their owner. Parrots have a highly complex social structure in the wild. This socialization must be substituted for in the domestic bird. Parrots also need a large variety of stimulating toys to play with. Rotate the toys frequently to keep the bird from growing bored. Spend plenty of time each day talking to your bird; giving it supervised freedom from its cage, and playing with your bird. Along with the initial cost of the bird, you will need to purchase a cage. Choose your bird's cage carefully. You do not need to spend thousands of dollars on a ?bird entertainment system? but you do need to pick out a cage that is safe for your bird to live in, the larger the cage the better. Watch out for small parts that can be ingested. Make sure that the cage is secure. Parrots are master criminals and can escape easily from their cages. Make sure that the cage is primed and painted with a non-toxic substance. Birds do not need vaccinations but they do get ill and can have accidents so make sure you have access to a good avian vet before purchasing a bird. Bird proof your house before bringing your new pet home. Most of the following advice will apply to small birds as well as large parrots. Your home has many unsafe things in it. Non-stick cookware can emit toxic, fatal odors into the air and kill birds. Many houseplants are poisonous and will make a bird very sick or even kill it. Open boiling pots on the stove have taken many precious pets? lives as do open toilets and open containers. Ceiling fans and fireplaces must be off and out before a bird is allowed to roam free. Parrots have extremely long life spans and may out live you. Make sure you have plans if this should occur. Never let your bird out unless it is supervise.
Rodents Maybe an ideal pet for you could be a rodent, though there is a great deal of difference between a rat and a hamster. Rats rarely bite and hamsters can be quite nippy. There are also gerbils and mice to take into consideration. Rodents take up little space, do not need to be walked, and are very quiet. Rodents are very inexpensive to keep and require no vaccinations. However, they too can become ill, have accidents and can require vet care.
All rodents have similar care in that they need a safe secure cage. Of course, a rat will need a larger cage compared to the mouse. Rodents will need an exercise wheel, toys, chew toys to keep their forever-growing teeth worn down, water bottles, food, and non-toxic bedding.
In the wild rats are highly social. I highly suggest purchasing two rats of the same sex. While there are some social species of hamsters, most are not social and should be kept in separate cages. Hamsters react to stress much more acutely than rats. While hamsters are good pets for children when they are together, they should be supervised. Hamsters can become afraid and deliver a nasty bite to the child and children could accidentally injure the hamster.
Supervise your rodents play at all times. There are many harmful and dangerous perils in a home. As with birds, toxic fumes can kill a rodent. There are also poisonous houseplants to watch out for, and places for the rodents to drown like open containers with liquid in them. . Rodents are ideal for our urbanized society.
Ferrets
I enjoy the sweet devious little ferret. They are loving and playful little animals. They are relatively quiet except for occasional chuckles. They take up little space and use a litter box. They should be caged and let out when they are supervised. They are explorers and this can get them into mischief and can lead to serious injuries. Make sure your home is escape proof before bringing your new pet home. They can get out the smallest of holes. Some of their means of escape may be a dryer vent, a heat vent, or even a mouse hole. I kept my ferrets in an extra bedroom. If you use a cage, let them out frequently for exercise and play. If they are housed in a cage, make sure the cage is no smaller than 2 X 3 feet and 2 feet high. Add hammocks for them to sleep in. Ferrets require a high protein, high quality food. There are commercial ferret foods available. However, they can be fed a high protein kitten good (not cat food) such as Iams. Ferrets require vaccinations. Ferrets should be spayed and neutered and their scent glands removed. You will usually buy them descented and neutered. Check legalities before purchase. They are not legal in all places. Ferrets make outstanding pets.
Summary
Pets are wonderful companions for us. I know my home is not complete without several.
People must take into consideration their finances, time they have to spend with a pet, space availability, and tolerance levels for destruction and noise.
Other things to consider if the pet is nocturnal and you sleep at night when will this pet receive the attention he needs?
How tolerant are your neighbors to noise?
I have given you insight to various possibilities and you can see each pet is unique in terms of personality and care requirements.
Research your choice of pet before purchasing
and have his cage and necessities completely ready for him before bringing him home.
This will alleviate much stress to your new pet.
More than anything else love them and interact with them.
You will have an outstanding companion for a long time.
