my petblr

i love learning about animals as i would love to own a pet one day :) follow for my pet references and cute photos i reblog

[s1ckkid-deactivated20210218]

okay listen up potential pet owners

if you have/are planning to have a hamster or any small rodent then listen up. this post is more specific on hamsters, but is also applicable for other small pets.

DO NOT use wood shavings as a bedding. i don’t care what it says on the packet or whatever renowned brand it is. don’t do it. these cause respiratory issues and should never ever be used. ever. the much better alternative is stuff like carefresh (and thats what i use too)

DO NOT use the ‘soft fluffy’ beddings they sell for hamsters and other small pets. this stuff is awful. i know the stuff looks and feels so comfy and you think ‘ah my hamster would love this’ but there are so many issues with this stuff. firstly, more respiratory issues. secondly, this stuff can and will block your hamster’s intestinal tract and compact in their stomach. hamsters like to put stuff in their cheek pouches, this stuff can get stuck in there too. tiny legs and arms (front legs?) can get tangled up and injured. you can use things like torn up tissue and toilet roll for this. and it’s best to leave clumps; let your hamster move it and rip it up themselves- it counts as enrichment and gives them something to do!

please please please get a cage that’s big enough. and i’m not talking about the ones you see in stores - everywhere. i’ve seen attendants guide a mother and her kid around, pointing out the stuff to get for their brand new hamster… which included wood shavings, fluff bedding, and a tiny cage…

carrying on from that last point, as a bare minimum you need something that’s 59cm x 36cm x 25cm. and on top of that you need multiple floors. depending on the size of your small pet, you have to make sure to give them proportional furniture. wheels, hide-houses, etc. chew toys are also a necessity. if your hamster starts chewing the bars, it can mean one of many things. your hamster is bored. the cage is too small and the hamster wants to get out. it’s a bad habit. either way, you need to stop them in whatever way possible. chewing bars could mess up their teeth, and consequently the teeth will grow too long and the hamster could starve since it can’t eat. another possibility is the teeth growing and injuring the hamster and possibly leading to death. note: roborovski shouldn’t be housed in cages with bars as these are very small and nifty critters and they’ll just get the heck outta there.

*an example of a cage you see in pet stores that are faaaaar too small. 

to conclude this ramble, know that although these companies sell materials and pet supplies, they are in it for the money. be wary of the treats as well, since different types of small pet can and cannot eat certain things. i remember reading a review of a woman saying she found apple seeds in her hamsters hanging treat. even though humans can deal with the tiny dose of cyanide, hamsters can’t. i mean, they’re tiny. almonds are also a big no for the same reason. honestly though, you can look up lists of what your pet can and cannot eat and how you should go about it. as an example, a syrian hamster can eat spinach. you have to give them small amounts over a period of time, so they can get used to it without causing an upset stomach.

anyway i hope anything i said has been useful, and please take these into account if you have/are planning on having a small pet. inadequate care for such a small animal could end up killing them.

[husband]

My boyfriend is allergic to cats and dogs, and your posts have awakened a big rat love inside me, so I'm considering getting some!! Any basic advice to start out to give them a good home and care?

Umm just off the top of my head

Keep 2 or more rats at a time. Rats are very social animals so they need at least one cagemate to hang out with. I hear people say “well I spend a lot of time with my one rat so he/she is fine!” But you really can’t replicate the interactions and bonds that rats have with each other though there are rare cases where a rat might be too aggressive or have certain health issues that causes them to be kept alone.

Get a big cage. The general rule of thumb for rat cage size is at least 2 cubic feet of space per rat. This is the minimum rat cage size. I keep my boys in a Martinscages Rat Skyscraper and my girls in a double critter nation so those cage brands are the ones I recommend.

I feel like this ones doesnt get said a lot but don’t use cedar or scented bedding. Rats are very prone to respiratory infections and the dust from cedar and scent from bedding isnt going to help. I’d recommend Kaytee unscented bedding or Yesterday’s News paper litter.

Use oxbow young rat lab blocks/adult Rat pellets. That’s it. Its a really good food brand.

I put one part vinegar two part water into a spray bottle and use that to clean cages it works great.

That’s some really basic stuff I wish I knew when I first started so ¯\_( :/ )_/¯

Here are two really great playlists on rat care to look through since I’m honestly barely helpful when it comes to explaining stuff jsdhsjjs

[thislittlerattie]

The Five Animal Welfare Freedoms: Specified with rats in mind.

Written as plain text under ‘keep reading’, for the visually impaired.

Keep reading

[amazingpetenclosures]

A basket made of rolled newspaper; laid on its side it would be perfect as a hut for mice or hamsters, or a nesting box for smaller birds.

[hearts-of-fire]

Hello ratblr! I am new to rat parenthood and would love for anyone with experience to take a look at my cage and let me know what you think! Is there anything I should change, add or remove?

Unfortunately the shelves are mesh, which I know you should avoid so I’ve covered them with bedding for now but I plan on making fleece covers for them so their little feet don’t get caught. I also read that providing water from both a bottle and a bowl is a good idea, and that scatter feeding is more enriching than feeding from a bowl. Are those statements true?

As far as food goes, I tried to find two mixes/pellets that were in the 12-14% range for protein and 5% fat. It was really hard and I ended up getting one that was 15% and 5%, respectively, and another that was 17% protein and 4% fat so hopefully that’s ok. I also decided to get the kind of food that isn’t like trail mix so they couldn’t just pick out the tastiest parts. What are some good fruits/veggies that I should supplement their diet with, and are there any mineral blocks they need for extra vitamins?

And of course feel free to drop any other tips that may be helpful!

[twitchy-witchy-rats]

Found a great tip online to make cage floors/ramps easier on rats’ feet: line it with terrarium substrate.

It can be easily removed and cleaned, is designed to be hygienic and smell resistant, and is like carpeting in your rats home. I applied it to the floors and ramps with double-sided anti slip tape, and tied down the ends with twine just as a backup.

No more metal flooring on my sweet beans’ tootsies!

[furbboy-moved]

@amazingpetenclosures

[amazingpetenclosures]

Neat idea! How are you washing it, though? Just keep in mind that most people suggest against using it for reptiles because it harbors bacteria and is hard to sanitize. But throwing it in the washing machine (if it holds up to that?) might be more of an option for rat use than for reptile use. I always just use fleece to cover my ramps, which is kind of the same idea, really, haha

[edgyfishfriend]

Hey petblr/rat caretakers (ratblr?)

My sister (who is 20 whole years old) showed me a picture of her rat setup and it is not good. It’s just what looks to be a ten gallon tank with some basic bedding?

So I was wondering if someone could send me a proper rat setup and give me some cheap options to show her in order for her rat to be comfortable and live a good life.

Also, the basics of rat care, since I’m mostly into fish and have never had a rat or a rodent of any kind.

Any help is really appreciated, thank you!

[axodemia]

Axolotl Care Sheet

Keeping Other Animals with Axolotls:

Just say no. Fish will bite the worm-like gills of axolotls. Even bottom feeder fish like Plecos will try to feed on the axolotls. Large snails might attach themselves to the axolotls, or might get eaten by the axolotl and impact its digestion. For the sake of your axolotl, please don’t keep anything else in the tank with it.

Keeping Axolotls Together:

Male and female axolotls will mate throughout the year, and the female can lay several hundred eggs at a time. Same-sex pairs of similar sized adult axolotls are okay to keep together as long as they each have their own places to hide by themselves. Larger axolotls may bully, or even try to eat, smaller axolotls, so only keep adults together if they are within about 1” of each other’s size.

Temperature:

The yearly average water temperature where the axolotls are native is about 70° F, and this is a fine temperature to keep axolotls at all year long. Water temperatures over 75° F are stressful for the axolotl. To aid in cooling your tank, leave the lid part-way open to allow some water to evaporate, and keep the tank out of direct sunlight.

Lighting:

Axolotls prefer low light levels, and benefit from having a steady day/night cycle. To help yourself out with this, place a timer on the light’s outlet, and set it for 12 hours light and 12 hours dark. Give the axolotl plenty of dark hiding spaces, and add plants (preferably live plants) to help diffuse the light.

Water Flow:

Axolotls prefer still or slow-moving water, so if you choose to run a filter in your tank, try to diffuse the water flow with decorations or plants. Axolotls are more active in calm water.

Water Parameters:

Axolotls benefit from water with a pH between 6.8 and 7.4, and need some mineral content in their water or else they will become anemic. To balance your water’s pH and to keep mineral content high, filter your water before adding it to your tank (this can be done with a filtered refrigerator tap or a Brita-style water filter on your sink tap), and to this water add:

2 tsp aquarium salt

2 tsp Epsom salt

1 level tsp baking soda

per 5 gallons of water.

To aid in water filtration, consider adding live plants, which absorb some of the waste produced by the axolotl.

As with any aquarium, make sure to add beneficial bacteria, which can be purchased at any fish shop, and cycle the tank BEFORE adding the axolotl. If unsure about how to cycle a tank, speak with a professional at your local fish shop.

Filtering your water before adding it to your aquarium will remove any chlorine, which can kill an axolotl. Bottles of chlorine-remover can be purchased, but these only cause chemical reactions to produce chlorinated plastics or metals, and do not actually remove the chlorine from the water. A safer way to remove chlorine is to either filter the water ahead of time, as mentioned above, or let the water sit in an open bucket for 24 hours and let the chlorine evaporate.

Substrate:

NEVER use gravel in an axolotl tank. Axolotls eat by sucking in large amounts of water, and in doing so, can accidentally ingest anything near the food. The gravel will impact the axolotl’s digestion and may even kill it. As a good rule of thumb, NEVER put anything smaller than your axolotl’s head in its tank. This includes gravel, stones, snails, decorations, and so on. Aquarium sand (not playground sand) is great for axolotls, or a bare tank bottom will suffice too. The only problem with a bare tank bottom is that the axolotls have trouble gripping it, and moving might become stressful to them.

Decorations:

Axolotls can swim pretty vigorously, and are known to thrash when they eat, so don’t put anything in their tank with sharp edges or rough surfaces. This includes the edges of PVC pipes, splintery driftwood, sharp rocks, and even some fish tank decorations. If you notice a cut on your axolotl, run your finger along everything in their tank and remove any sharp object you find. Even if it’s not sharp in your mind, it may be too sharp for the axolotl’s soft skin.

Feeding:

Some will say that adult axolotls only need to eat every other day or so, but it’s best to feed them smaller portions daily. To get a handle of how much your axolotl needs to eat, keep feeding it until it no longer seems interested in food. Remove any uneaten food within 30 minutes or your water will become contaminated.

A scientific study published by the Journal of Veterinary Behavior proved juvenile axolotls grow fastest on a diet of bloodworms, but this diet is best for juveniles and not so much for adults. Axolotls have little holes in their heads behind their gills to let water flow in and out when they eat, and tiny bloodworms will flow right out through these holes.

The best food for adult axolotls is earthworms. If you choose to find your own worms outside, be sure to avoid taking them from anywhere sprayed with fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides. While you’re out looking, slugs also make a nice meal for axolotls. To clean off the food you collect, fill a small cup with your tank’s water and let the worms and slugs sit in it for a few minutes, but be sure to cover the cup! This will remove any excess dirt from the food. Store-bought worms are great too, but axolotls can be picky and might not like the kind you buy. Some don’t like Canadian Nightcrawlers, some don’t like Red Wigglers. I’ve had the best luck with “Dillies,” sold as fishing bait at most tackle shops. Some people have had luck feeding axolotls sinking trout pellets, but I have never tried this.

DO NOT feed your axolotl the following: fish, other amphibians, mealworms, snails you catch yourself, any bug with more than 6 legs, spiders, anything that may be venomous, beef heart or any mammalian protein. This list is not exhaustive. Use common sense when feeding your axolotl. Avoid purchasing live aquatic worms from pet stores, as they may be contaminated with parasites.

Further Information:

The internet is a valuable tool for researching animal care, but remember that there is a lot of misinformation out there. Axolotl.org is a great resource for specific information about axolotls. Caudata.org is a good message-board about amphibian care, but not everyone there knows what they’re talking about. The same goes for any amphibian-related groups on social media: it’s hit or miss trying to find someone with good information.

There are a few good books about axolotl care, but most are outdated. These include Developmental Biology of the Axolotl (scholarly article compilation from 1989), Axolotls: Care and Breeding in Captivity (Peter Scott 1995), and any of several books about general amphibian keeping.

[generallyfishy]

Top 10 plants that I love

10)bloat wart

Grows fast, easy to keep, axolotls love to sit in it.

9)water lettuce

Cool floating plant, vacuums up ammonia and nitrate like nothing else, shrimps enjoy its roots.

8)anubias congensis(regular)

Bullet proof, can be glued to driftwood, beautiful color.

7)Marino moss

Can be broken up and glued to rocks or logs as a carpet, shrimps love it

6)flame moss

Interesting morphology, can be glued to rocks or driftwood, shrimps love it

5)Java fern

Easy to grow, beautiful color, bushy, propagates easily and quickly, axolotls love to sit on it

4)judgwigia red

Beautiful color, grows fast, easy to keep 3)anubias congensis(dwarf)

Pros of regular anubias congensis+ it is tiny and great for covering driftwood with(if you get a lot and have a lot of glue)

2)alternanthera reinekii

Beautiful color, grows tall and leafy, on the less demanding side of red plants 1)cryptocoryne wensii c tropica (Bronze wensii)

Beautiful color, grows bushy and large, easy to take care of, axolotls love to sit under the leaves, propagates itself, hardy.

[milkboa]

need advice for my cat

she is 6 years old and in the last few months has become a lot more vocal. she does not seem to be in any sort of pain, is eating normally, goes to the bathroom fine. 

she does this cry mrow sound way more often. if she sees i am approaching her, she makes this sound and will come up to me. she will continuously do this sound. and will want me to pet her and rub her.

it takes awhile for her to settle on my bed to sleep. when she does i have to be careful not to startle her to much, if i do she will wake up start meowing and demand to be rubbed. then she takes a long time to settle again, demanding rubs, pawing around, walking around my bed. she will rub her head against my hand for awhile, then settle down again.

basically my cat’s behavior has changed slightly and is more vocal

is this a sign of mourning or?

[becleefishkeeping]

My 2 Dwarf gourami boys

[scalestails]

Stocking 10 gallon and Nano Tanks

Since I get this question so often, I decided to make this a single post. The following are choices for the oh-so-common 10 gallon aquarium! I have also included choices for 5 gallon tanks. Anything less than that is really unsuitable for virtually all fish. Remember, these tanks are only small enough for one species of fish at a time. Also remember that many of these fish must be kept either in pairs (male/female) or trios (1 male/2 females), even when kept in schools. Research them thoroughly before getting them! Many of these species are delicate, hard to find, or both! I have listed numbers by minimum that must be kept together and maximum that the tank size will allow.

A note on nano tanks… sometimes they’re done out of necessity (no space or money for a larger tank, or the tank is a growout or hospital set up) and sometimes out of curiosity (can I keep fish in a small tank?) but honestly if you have the means just wait until you CAN afford a 20 gallon tank. You’ll be able to do more fish, give them larger schools, more space, and generally be healthier. There is a strong argument that tanks should be 20 gallons or larger (or in the 2′ range) and I’d say that’s a pretty reasonable idea.

I will say the notable exception to this are “domestic” Betta splendens and their close relatives, which are very unique among fish in their size, oxygen requirements, and behavior.

Keep reading

[scalestails]

Viola! The updated stocking list for 10 and 5 gallons, as well as an extended blurb at the beginning about why you probably should just get a 20.

[scalestails]

How to Stock your Aquarium

People always tell me they’re looking for “two or three small fish” to go in their 10 gallon tank, wanting 1 neon tetra, 1 platy, 1 common pleco, and a tiger barb. Sadly, these are the people who come back 2 weeks later saying everything died and they don’t know what went wrong (often defending themselves by saying their pH was wrong…).

Stocking tanks isn’t difficult, and there are tons of types of tanks to create. There are very strict guidelines you should follow, but at the same time there are no set rules. It’s all a bit muddy but I hope to explain it a bit in this article.

Keep reading

[be3phan]

My 5 gallon single dwarf puffer tank. I love my lil Bubba ^^

[kat-the-dog-trainer]

This video is not cute.

Dogs cannot vocalise their stress in English. They can’t say to us, “Yo can you not, I’m genuinely terrified”. 

Instead, they will give us warning signs. Averting the eyes, showing the whites, licking their lips is a major one too! These are stress signals - just like a tail between the legs, or shaking. This dog has been backed into a corner, he can’t get away, and he’s fucking terrified.

Know what can happen when someone ignores these stress signs from a frightened dog that can’t get away? (ignore the stupid description on that video). 

As a dog trainer, it drives me bloody insane to see videos of flat-out mistreatment trying to be passed off as comedy. Don’t be an ass to your pets.

[anabantoid]

Beyond the Betta

I want to preface this: I loved bettas, at one point when I was about 15 I had well over a dozen bettas. Nothing could stop me, especially when Minibow 5’s were constantly on sale. I still like bettas, I think they have a ton of personality and they’re really fun, engaging fish that are incredibly accessible and are pretty cheap to set up. The unfortunate thing is that bettas are sick, they’re overpriced genetic disasters which can be a grab bag of problems. Bettas ten years ago aren’t the same bettas we have now, we have so many different varieties in such a short span of time, all due to inbreeding offspring to parent or offspring to offspring in order to preserve, expand upon, or replicate a desirable trait that sprung up from the genetic mish mash that bettas are. I still assert that non-dragon scale plakats, normal veils and crown tails are some of the healthier bettas you can get.

Now, I am NOT saying that you’re a bad person for having a betta of whatever variety, healthy or not. I am not telling you to get rid of your betta or to never ever get a betta again. You can have your bettas, you can get future bettas. This isn’t an article that’s telling you to get rid of your bettas. I know that everyone leaps to that conclusion any time I or others make posts critical of modern bettas and their ‘designer’ varieties.

But the thing is, you don’t always need to go back to bettas. You can expand your horizons and choose healthier fish in tanks that people normally just leave for bettas. All of these fish have their own charms and quirks, and while some might not have the same pizazz that you expect from bettas, they’re still worthy of appreciation.

Keep reading

[justslowdown]

Pet Owners Aren't Adequately Socializing Their Puppies, Study Finds

A significant number of pet owners fail to adequately socialize their puppies, putting these dogs at risk of developing behavioural problems down the road, say U of G researchers. In a new study, population medicine professors Jason Coe and Lee Niel and post-doc Janet Cutler found one-third of pe

What’s especially worrying about this, is that the study’s baseline for “adequate socialization” seems to me like the very bare minimum! I can’t overstate how important those first few months of life are.

The socialization window starts at a very young age, so a reminder that if you’re getting a puppy from a breeder or rescue, look for a raiser who exposes their litters to all kinds of age-appropriate new experiences.

Just as an example, I trim puppy toenails at least weekly, starting at 1 week. Compare giving home-raised Kestrel a manicure to rescue Corvus… he literally shit himself the first time I did it :( Just now, 5 years later, are we finally past the “screeching and thrashing” phase. Kestrel just calmly eats her treats and doesn’t twitch a paw. Corvus only recently has realized he can eat peanut butter WHILE crying over his nail trim. Guess which one enjoys vet exams, and which needs to be sedated? A well socialized dog is a joy to take places.

This is also why I recommend all my puppy buyers take classes with their pup, even if they’ve owned dogs before. It’s not all about training. It’s about teaching them they can handle encounters with new people, dogs, and (which the article doesn’t mention) new surfaces, smells, sounds, and situations. Classes are just the start. Here’s some great examples: https://www.avidog.com/wp-content/ebooks/97-Ways-ebook.pdf

[behaviornerdwithahat]

It’s also important to mention that exposure is not the same as socialization! The number of baby puppies I’ve seen at festivals or outdoor concerts makes me cringe. Socialization means building positive associations with novel stimuli not just throwing as much as possible at a puppy and patting yourself on the back because you did so much to “socialize” them. See this fantastic article for more.