Tag Archives: small pets

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 →

Shopping the Sales: Cool Christmas Clearance for Other Pets

I only have a cat and a dog, but I know other Families.com members consider species other than canine and feline family too. Since I presented cool Christmas clearance for dogs and cats, and don’t want to leave anyone out, I went bargain hunting for small pets, fish, and reptiles too. I picked the following deals based on how they appealed to the consumer in me. (Meaning, if I thought it was a novel or functional item for a fair price that would appeal to me if I had such a pet, I included it.) Small Pets: If I was … Continue reading →

Handling Your Hedgehog

On the list of cuddly pets who like to snuggle… you probably won’t find the hedgehog. Although a tame hedgehog will tolerate handling, they don’t necessarily crave and seek human attention. Picking a hedgehog from a reputable breeder can help — breeders generally try to pick the tamest parents to produce good natured babies. Breeders will also often make sure the baby hedgehogs are handled from a young age, so they are at least used to being touched. Handle your hedgehog with care! Not only to protect your hands from the hedgehog’s prickles, but to protect your hedgehog as well. … Continue reading →

Hamster Horror Stories

Posted on by

When I was around 13 year old or so, I just had to have a cute cuddly little hamster. Mom and Dad said okay and we visited the local pet store. I picked out my first hamster named Lisa and thought about how lonely she would be in the big cage with no friend. So, I found Mikey in the same store….I think you can guess where this is headed. About a month or so later, I saw that Lisa had some movement under her. Aww, babies, how precious! The cubs grew quickly and less than a couple months later, … Continue reading →

Ferret Care: Vaccines and Vets

If you are thinking about adding a ferret to the family, it is important to know that ferrets are susceptible to both the rabies virus and the canine distemper virus! These two viruses often are fatal within a month of infection, but can be prevented with vaccinations. Rabies in ferrets is often contracted through contact with an infected animal. A ferret who spends any time outdoors may come into contact with a rabid raccoon, bat, fox, or stray cat or dog. There is only one approved rabies vaccine for ferrets: Imrab 3 (from Merial). This is a yearly vaccination that … 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

Posted on by

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 →

Impulse Pets

It could happen on vacation. It could happen on a trip to the shore, or at the county fair. Any place, any time, you could become the owner of an impulse pet. What’s an impulse pet, you say? That lazy little goldfish the kids won at the school carnival. The sleek little lizard you picked up at the fair. That hermit crab you bought on your last visit down the shore. No matter how you found your new family pet, there are advantages and disadvantages to impulse pets like these. The Good Stuff All of these impulse pets (or prize … Continue reading →