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16
DEC
2017
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Guinea pigs have been popular pets for generations. Today, we are better informed about how to care for these friendly little creatures, so that we can provide them with everything they need to enjoy happy and fulfilling lives. Small, sociable and chatty, guinea pigs or ‘cavies’ originate from the grasslands and lower slopes of the Andes Mountains in South America. In the wild, they live in close family groups of 5 to 10 individuals, though several groups may live in close proximity, forming a colony. When keeping them as pets, the challenge is to care for them in such a way that meets all their needs and enables them to exhibit their full range of natural behaviours.
1. A Safe and Suitable Place To Live
A good quality hutch should be draught-free, predator proof and, along with plenty of Carefresh bedding, provide a cosy place to sleep. However, traditional small hutches do not provide the space guinea pigs need to behave normally. A hutch should just be vi.. [More]
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Tags :
Our 7 Point Guide To Be A Gold Star Guinea Pig Owner , Guinea Pigs South Africa , Food Guinea Pigs South Africa , Caring Guinea Pigs South Africa
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12
DEC
2017
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Once you have a pet dog, it can be difficult to envision a life without one. For many busy, depressed, or stressed individuals, one of the best parts of the day, is snuggling with their dog after being out all day, or enjoying a long, peaceful walk in the park. Dogs bring much more than perceptible joy; they bestow their ‘owners’ with many benefits which recent science has backed through extensive research.
Being with Your Dog In the Here and Now
Health buffs know that mindfulness (truly ‘being’ in the present moment) has powerful benefits, which include a significant reduction in stress levels. Mindfulness enables us to evade the worry and anxiety that arise when we obsess about the past or future - and research shows that it can be enhanced through the companion of dogs, as noted in the special report, Get Healthy, Get a Dog, by scientists at Harvard University. The next time you feel the weight of stress, take.. [More]
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Dogs Help Instil Mindfulness , Boost Activity , Fight Isolation
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26
NOV
2017
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Looking for smart and sociable small furries who love to interact with humans and provide hours of entertainment in daylight hours with their endless energy? Then you’ll find degus an absolute delight!
The degu is a small rodent that is native to Chile. In the wild, these supremely social animals live in groups of up to 100, where they dig complex burrows to hide from predators, complete with nests and food stores.
Unlike many small furries, degus are diurnal, which means they are active during the day. These lively little creatures, which look rather like large gerbils, love human interaction and will be happy living in a busy home where there’s plenty going on for them to keep a watchful eye on.
In Good Company
The first rule when keeping degus is never to have just one. These small pets need the company of at least one other degu chum (ideally from the same litter) or they will feel vulnerable and depressed, which will have a detrimental eff.. [More]
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Tags :
Why Degus Are Becoming Popular Pets in South Africa , Degus Food South Africa
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26
NOV
2017
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It is a sad fact that the majority of pet parrots are fed on nutritionally deficient diets. There are several factors that encourage this to happen but these are mainly due to the ignorance of many bird owners and also owners of pet-shops. The majority of pet psittaciforms are given a seed-based diet to eat.
Seeds fall into two categories: sunflower seed, peanuts and pine nuts are large seeds that contain a lot of oil. Small seeds such as safflower, hemp, millet and canary seed contain mainly carbohydrate. Seeds are high calorie, low in calcium with a poor Ca/P ratio, low in most vitamins, have either low protein content or a limiting essential amino acid, usually lysine or methionine. Seed based diets have little to recommend them nutritionally but they are easy to store and do not deteriorate visually. They are also universally attractive diet to many parrots.
In many pet shops the seed quality is poor, is stored for an unspecified time and in unspecified circumstance.. [More]
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Tags :
How to Recognize and Prevent Nutritional Diseases in Parrots
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26
NOV
2017
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We live in a land of fast food, fatty snacks, and junk food junkies. French fries dripping with grease, hamburgers packed with calories – most of us are painfully aware that our diets are less than ideal. Could our pets also be suffering from a similar situation? If that pet is a bird and it's on an all-seed diet, the answer's an emphatic “Yes!” While nature lovers can safely supplement wild birds with feeders full of seed, too much seed for your pet bird can lead to serious problems.
Just ask Dr. Vanessa Rolfe, an avian veterinarian at Avian & Exotic Veterinary Services in Salem, USA. “Seventy to 80 percent of the problems I treat in birds are due directly or indirectly to inadequate diets – usually seed-based diets, '' Rolfe says. “Seeds are high in fat and deficient in many other nutrients, including amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. So an all-seed diet can be associated with a long list of medical problems.&rdq.. [More]
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Tags :
Dangers Of Feeding Seeds To Pet Parrots , Dangers Of Seed Diets To Pet Parrots , Parrot Food South Africa , Parrot Mix South Africa , Parrot Seed South Africa , Dangers Of Seed Diets For Pet Birds
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16
NOV
2017
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Everyone wants their pet to live a long and healthy life. For many years in South Africa it was thought that rabbits live maybe three to five years. Overall, rabbits are living longer these days thanks to a combination of specially trained veterinarians and better knowledge of how rabbits should live and what they should eat.
Domestic rabbits usually live between 10-15 years, in contrast to wild rabbits, which may only live a few years because they deal with disease, starvation, and predators. Though there are a variety of rabbit breeds, it’s difficult to determine whether specific breeds live longer than others. Larger breeds often have a shorter lifespan than smaller rabbits, but there are many rabbits which can prove you wrong. The oldest domesticated rabbit on record is 18 years. Today people are feeding rabbits much better food than in the past and keeping them inside more often, which protects them from weather and predators and can help them to live longer.
.. [More]
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Tags :
How Long Do Rabbits Live South Africa , Rabbit Lifespan South Africa , Pet Rabbit Food South Africa
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10
NOV
2017
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Roudybush began manufacturing handfeeding formulas and pelletized diets for pet birds in 1985. High quality ingredients and steam pelleting are used to ensure that potentially harmful organisms are not present in the finished products. Samples of every batch of feed are retained at the mill for quality assurance and random samples are tested quarterly for any evidence of contamination. When you buy Roudybush products you can be assured that your birds are eating a high quality diet based on solid, sound nutritional information.
For decades the standard diet for most birds kept in captivity has been a mixture of seeds and nuts. This diet was based on the assumption that that is what these birds eat in their natural environments. Nutritional deficiencies seen in birds kept on seed diets have been better characterized and documented, making it clear that these diets are harmful; however, many people continue to feed seed and nut diets, with or without other nutriti.. [More]
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Tags :
Roudybush Diets Vs Regular Bird Pellets , Bird Food South Africa , Bird Feed Seed South Africa , Bird Pellet Diets South Africa
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09
NOV
2017
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Tom Roudybush, owner and nutritionist of Roudybush, Inc., began manufacturing pellets, crumbles, and handfeeding formulas in 1985 after doing 16 years of nutritional research at the University of California, Davis. Mr. Roudybush studied various bird species, including 10 years of research on the nutritional requirements of pet birds. There is a commonly held belief among aviculturists that macaws need a higher percent fat diet, especially during the handfeeding period. This is based on some handfeeders having a difficult time maintaining good growth rates and based on observations of what some species of macaws eat in the wild.
No research has been done to determine what the fat or fatty acid requirements for growth are in macaws. Some handfeeders get good growth in macaws using Roudybush formulas and some handfeeders feel that they need to add fat to the formulas. In general, the handfeeders that get good results with Roudybush handfeeding formulas are those that feed a little.. [More]
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Tags :
Handfeeding Macaws
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27
OCT
2017
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While they might have a unique appeal that not everyone can appreciate, rats are one of the cleanest pets you can own – and they even laugh when you tickle them...The thought of rats as pets may not be everyone’s cup of cocoa, yet these clean, clever creatures possess lots of loveable qualities and make superstar animal companions…
Squeaky Clean
Contrary to popular belief, rats are fastidiously clean. Like cats, their tongues are rough, which helps them keep their coat spic and span. In fact, cleanliness is extremely important to a rat’s health – so it’s essential you keep their accommodation just as spotless by regularly cleaning out their cage using pet-safe disinfectant and replacing bedding material – but always add a little of the old bedding to the new so that your rats recognise their own special scent and don’t get stressed. Rats can also be trained to use a litter tray, which helps to keep their home even cleane.. [More]
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Tags :
Join The Rat Pack , Pet Rats South Africa
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25
SEP
2017
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Perhaps it’s Bugs Bunny’s fault that we associate carrots as being the perfect food for our rabbits. In every cartoon, Bugs totes a bright orange carrot as he utters his catchphrase – ‘what’s up doc?’. In fact, rabbits don’t naturally eat root vegetables and too many carrots could lead to a visit to the bunny doctor. So, what other foods should bunny owners avoid giving to their pets?
LETTUCE – Some types of lettuce, such as iceberg, contain lactucarium, which can be harmful to rabbits in large quantities. Light-coloured lettuce varieties are high in water and have very little nutritional value and will probably just give your rabbits the runs.
CHARD – It’s a leafy green but not one that rabbits can tolerate, causing colic and bloating.
FRUIT – Rabbits don’t naturally eat fruit, which is high in sugar, so it shouldn’t be a regular part of their diet. Avocado, which might seem like the perfe.. [More]
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