Tag Archives: exotic pets

Bird Basics: Canaries

Before bringing home a canary, it’s best to first ready its cage. Get a rectangular or square cage, not a circular one. Canaries find circular cages confusing and they might make the birds anxious or neurotic. The wider the cage the better, so canaries have some room to take short little flights. If your cage is previously used, clean it completely. Replace any materials previous birds might have pecked, such as the perches and the cuttlebone/mineral block. Cuttlebones and mineral blocks can be purchased from pet stores; they provide important nutrients like calcium for the bird. Make sure the perches … Continue reading →

Bird Basics: Cockatiels

As promised, I’m reviving the Pets Blog’s series on Bird Basics. Previous bloggers have already covered lovebirds, African Gray parrots, sun conures, and parakeets, so today I’m going to look at one of the other most popular bird breeds: cockatiels. Originally from the Australian Outback, the cockatiel is a smaller bird reaching about 12 to 14 inches in length. It’s actually in the parrot family, though it’s obviously a tiny variety. Cockatiels live on average for 15 to 20 years, though there have been reports of some members of the breed living for up to 30 years. As with most … Continue reading →

Rare Pets: Hedgehogs

I’m aware that most of my posts on the Pets blog relate to cats or dogs. They’re the most common pets in America, and also the two pets I own, so the majority of my articles focus on them. I thought I’d change things up a bit, however, with a new recurring column on rare pets. Today I take a look at the hedgehog. Hedgehogs have fascinated me from an early age, ever since my childhood introduction to Sonic the Hedgehog, a video game and cartoon character. Real hedgehogs, however, don’t look anything like Sonic, with his spiky blue ‘do … Continue reading →

How to Find a Vet for Your Exotic Pet

Choosing a vet can be tricky. You want a doc and staff who know their stuff, convenient hours, close to home, fair prices, and more. Maybe you want somebody who remembers your pet’s name, or has a gentle hand, or seems to genuinely love all animals. Choosing a vet can get even trickier if you’re dealing with an exotic pet. It’s a relatively safe bet that any vet you find in the phone book can handle dogs and cats — but can they help your guinea pig? What about your sick fish or lizard? How do you find somebody who … Continue reading →

Why Parents Should Say “NO” to the Real Life “Wonder Pets”

“Wonder Pets Wonder Pets We’re on our way To help a friend and save the day…” Parents with young children feel free to join in: “We’re not too big And we’re not too tough But when we work together We’ve got the right stuff… GOOOOOO Wonder Pets… YAY!!” I dare you to watch even half an episode of the popular animated Nickelodeon show about a determined guinea pig, an independent baby turtle, and an adventurous duckling without humming the theme song for the rest of the week. I should know. My preschooler has been a fan of the show for … Continue reading →

Moving With Small/Exotic Pets

Moving — whether you’re headed cross-town or cross-country — can be stressful for everyone. Here are some tips to help make a move with small pets, unusual pets, and birds safe and stress-free. Moving Birds By Car Birds can usually travel in the same cage they use at home. Cover the cage while the car is moving to help keep the bird calm. Make sure the cage gets good ventilation. You may want to remove water dishes from the cage to prevent spills — a water bottle is a good alternate choice. Birds are very susceptible to drafts and quick … Continue reading →

Is Your Exotic Pet Legal?

Ignorance of the law is no excuse! Before you bring home that exotic pet, find out whether or not it is legal in the area where you live. This can be a complicated search — different levels of local and state government may be involved in animal regulation. Don’t rely on word of mouth; the word you get may be wrong. Use the internet for research, but be sure to talk to a live person at some point. Rules and regulations may change faster than the websites do. Start with your local government — call city hall or the county … Continue reading →

Ferret Basics

Since the 1980s, ferrets have become a popular family pet choice in the United States. A 1997 survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association found just under a million pet ferrets in residence in the country. The domesticated European ferret came from wild polecats and spread across the continent by Roman soldiers. Early explorers brought the creatures to the New World — legend has it that Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain sent ferrets across the Atlantic with Christopher Columbus! Historians see evidence of ferret-like animals in ancient Greek and Egyptian writings. Modern domestic ferrets weigh anywhere from one and a … Continue reading →

Sugar Gliders

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When we started discussing sugar gliders in the Pets Forum, my first thought was, “What the heck is a sugar glider?” As it turns out, a sugar glider is a mammal in the marsupial family. Like a kangaroo, it carries its young in a pouch. Sugar gliders have soft grey fur with a black stripe running down the length of their backs. Most of their length is tail — about half their 10-12 inch body length is tail. They have big eyes and big ears and after looking at my first few pictures of a sugar glider, I kind of … Continue reading →