20 Haziran 2007 Çarşamba

Reuniting Lost Pets With Their Owners

by: Thaddeus Collins
Losing a family pet can be a traumatic experience, especially on children who are close to the lost pet. But, one in three pet owners fail to take the steps needed to ensure that this tragedy does not occur in their home. These steps can be as simple as providing a pet identification tag with up-to-date contact information in the event the family pet ever gets lost, so that the finder of the pet will have a resource to contact the pet owner.

Because a majority of pet owners fail to take this step, their family pet usually ends up in a shelter, or just released to wander around. One of the biggest concerns for pet owners on the upwardly mobile move is the cost associated with constantly purchasing a pet identification tag every time their contact information changes. To alleviate this situation , a company called RecoveryPets.Com provides a pet tag with a unique tracking number that links to their website, where the owners contact information can be updated for the life of the pet.

This company provides an easy access search for lost pets, and all the finder has to do is enter the unique tracking number and the owners contact information will instantly be displayed. One of the best benefits of this service is that it provides a one-stop convenient source for those who find a pet, and those that have a lost their pet. This is accomplished by the Global Pet Listing Service, that provides a photo and description of lost pets with contact information that can be broadcast across the internet. This service is accessible by all agencies that regularly deal with lost pets, and it provides them with a way to identify the owners if they have not registered with the Pet Tracking Service.

Tracking systems for animals is nothing new, but the majority of these systems require invasive devices implanted into the animal, and a lot of pet owners opt not to have this procedure done because of the risk involved, not to mention the cost of such a procedure. Another type of tracking is pet tattooing, but if the pet is lost, trying to find a tattoo that they do not know exist defeats the purpose. The pet identification tag can be worn on the collar of most domestic pets, and it is readily identified by the majority of people who find lost pets, and it does not require any type of invasive procedures to be performed on the pet.

Finding an affordable way to recover lost pets is the wish of every pet owner if their pet should ever become lost, but an ounce of prevention as the saying goes can save the owner from the traumatic experiences that are associated with losing the family pet. With today’s fast pace movements and population explosion , we do not have a chance to get to know our neighbors the way we used to, so having a means of identifying a lost pet that is affordable and recognizable can reduce the stresses associated with owning a pet who is a member of the family.



About The Author

Thaddeus Collins is the owner of RecoveryPets.Com and they specialize in the global recovery of lost pets using a unique tracking number. For more information visit http://www.recoverypets.com

Beds for the pets: sleeping in comfort

by: Allan Wilson
As we love to have a comfortable place to sleep so do the animals. So there are various types of beds for the pets to give them a comfortable sleep. Most of us have the dog as a pet. For the pets we specially have these beds designed for their fullest comfort. This type of beds mainly includes the outdoors beds, luxury beds, and puppy beds. For the various types of dogs there are various types of beds like the large dog beds and the small dog beds. Whereas when we look out for a bed for a cat then there are various types of beds depending upon the breed and the size of the cat.

Comfort and luxury:

The beds not only provide comfort but also look great due to the material used. Some of the pet beds are made up of the micro velvet nylon. The specialty of this is that it is washable. Due to the flexibility of the pet bed it can be used in traveling. The other advantages of these beds are that the machine can wash it and the covers are also removable and replaceable. Pet beds are available in various colors.

Material used for the pet beds:

The material used is not just for comfort but for style also. There are various types and sizes of these pet beds. Some of the pet beds are rectangular in shape. The material used for the pet bed is polyfiber, which is washable and removable. There are various sizes of the beds right from small to extra large. Some pet beds are round in shape for the protection of the animal. These beds are used specially when the animal is small in size or by age. The thick inner cushion provides with the fullest comfort to the animal.

Other varieties of pet beds:

The other varieties of pet beds mainly include the ones with the shape of a doughnut while others are reversible. The reversible beds have an advantage that both sides can use them. The inner cushion is removable and it can be washed easily. Some of these pet beds have an additional advantage of a crate pad.

Bed for cats:

The beds for cats are mainly required so that they are shielded from the winter and protected from the floor, which is cold. Most of the cat beds are made specially considering the window or the porch. To make the cats more comfortable the beds have a system of heating. This controls the temperature of the bed and the cats are protected from cold.

Other advantages of the Pet beds:

The pet beds give the animals their own space and the house has a more organized look. These beds can be bought online also.



About The Author

Allan Wilson

For more interesting articles about home improvement, home decor and generally anything that helps improve your home then please visit: http://www.pokingaroundthehome.com

Choosing The Best Pets For Kids

by: Larry Chamberlain
"Can I have a puppy? Please, oh please, I'll take care of it and look after it and everything"

Just what do you say to your kids when they ask for a pet? It is perfectly true that growing up with a family pet can teach children responsibility and to develop their social skills. Also cultivating good feelings towards pet animals helps kids to develop a sense of self esteem and help them to establish trusting relationships with other human beings. But before you give in to your kid's demands for a pony, rabbit, salamander, kitten, boxer, python, or macaw, there is plenty for you to consider.

The first thing to keep in mind is that no matter how much your kid promises that she or he will be the one to take care of the pet, some if not all of that responsibility will fall upon you. That is an inevitable, inescapable fact. No matter how good the child's intention is, there will be some, and perhaps many, occasions when other things take priority in their minds and the pet is unintentionally neglected. That is, the pet would be neglected if you were not there to step in, because somebody has to.

Secondly a child may sincerely believe that the thing that they most want in the world is a cute little black and white kitten, just like their best friend of the moment has. The child has really convinced themselves that they want a kitten, and a kitten will hold their interest for ever and ever. And so it would, until their new best friend of next week gets a pet lizard which is just sooo cool. So you will want to make absolutely sure that the pet that your child is demanding will be a long term passion, and not just a fleeting interest.

It will be a good idea to discuss the idea with the whole family. How do they feel about yapping dogs, hair shedding Persian cats, squawking parrots? If one of your children is allowed their very own pet hamster, will all of the child's siblings demand a pet of their own too? Does anybody in the family suffer with an allergy that would make sharing their home with a certain animal intolerable?

Is the type of animal your child is asking for suitable for your family, and your family's life style? A dog that needs two trips to the park every single day may not be suitable for a family who is away from the house all day. And no matter how much the child promises that they will walk the dog, there will be times that they will fail to do so, (and times that you may not want them to, after dark for example). Choosing pets for kids is not easy, often the type of pet that they plead for would not be the best match for their age and experience with animals.

You should also consider cost. Not only the cost of acquiring a pet, but more importantly the cost of taking care of it. All animals involve a financial commitment, food, vet bills, pet care products etc. You don't want to acquire a pet for your kid only to find that you don't have the financial means to keep it. Small pets for kids often have less costs involved in looking after them than larger pets do.

There are many other things to consider when choosing pets for kids, but hopefully this short article will have prompted you to think about the fact that buying an animal for a child, is not the same thing as buying a kid a cell phone or a bicycle. Pets are living breathing creatures, they need care, they need commitment, they need love.



About The Author

Larry Chamberlain lives in London, England, and has had a lifelong fascination with domestic cats. His web site - http://www.best-cat-art.com - provides information about all that is best in cat art. Also pages about cat and kitten care and information on cat breeds and types.

Pythons Are Becoming Common Pets

by: Lazarus Prabhu
The days when people had only dogs or cats as pets are gone. Today, the number of people who have pets that were once considered unorthodox is on the rise. Python is one such pet.

Pets, as we know, are fun. And pythons are big fun. They will make great companions and bring joy to your life. You will be fascinated by their self-effacing manner, laid-back attitude and giant-like appearance. But before you acquire a python, you must realize the commitment you are getting into.

Pythons are everything you will want in a pet. They are more beautiful to look at, easier to maintain and handle, they ask for little, yet give you a lifetime of companionship. And they are safe too. No wonder, they make excellent pets. Lots of people agree. Which is why, every year, there are so many new python owners.

But there is a sad downside. Most of these newly acquired pythons die within the first year. The reason is shocking but true - an insufficient knowledge about python rearing. We are sure all these nouveau python owners loved their recent acquisition. We are also sure that they did everything they thought was needed. Unfortunately they didn't know enough.

This is what prompted us to bring out a Free Newsletter called Python Secrets.

http://www.pythonsecrets.com/

But before we started the newsletter, we did an extensive research with existing python owners and aspirants (418 of them to be precise), to find out what they knew and what they wanted to know. Python Secrets newsletter is based on their feedback.

Let's know some basic facts about Pythons:

Pythons are large snakes found in India, East Indies, Africa and Australia. They live in rugged tropical regions that have heavy rainfall and forests, or some type of low, dense growth. They belong to the python and boa family, Boidae. Pythons are coldblooded; they have the same temperature as the environment. They continue to grow all their lives, getting bigger and bigger each year.

The world’s longest known python, sighted at the dense forests of Indonesia, is a Reticulated Python measuring 49 feet [15 meters] long. And the shortest is the Anthill Python, which measures a little more than 2 feet [0.6 meter].

All pythons can climb and swim. Some pythons are truly beautiful to look at. Like the Carpet Python which resembles an intricately woven oriental carpet, with its solid velvety skin speckled with bright yellow markings; the stunning Green Tree Python which is bright green with subtle white patches; or the Indian python, with its bold pattern of dark brown blotches, edged in yellow, on a light brown background.

Pythons are also called constrictors. Know why? Because they wind themselves around their prey and strangle them to death. It may be no consolation to its victims, but the python will not crush their bones; just squeeze them tight enough to stop their breathing. Large pythons usually eat animals the size of a house cat, but 100-pound (43.3 kilos) wild boars are eaten as well.

Pythons swallow their prey whole, head first; and not surprisingly, take several weeks to digest them. But we can breathe easy. Despite their enormous strength and intimidating size, Pythons are inoffensive by nature and do not usually attack humans. They are not poisonous either. Unfortunately for pythons, this makes them easy targets for hunters.

A python's finest wisdom is its sense of smell. They are able to smell with the aid of the "Jacobson's organ in the roof of the mouth" They dart their tongues in and out of their mouths to obtain gases from the air. The tongue brings in small particles floating in the air to this organ. Also they have special sensors at the tip of their nose to identify the heat generated by the prey. Therefore, the python can catch their prey in light or dark conditions. This allows them to hunt in dense jungles even at night.

The python doesn't chase its prey. It waits discreetly hiding, and when a prey comes close enough, grabs it with its Ainward-curving teeth. The python's top and bottom jaws are attached to each other with stretchy ligaments, which let the snake swallow animals much larger than itself. The prey cannot move away, because the more it tries to pull out, the deeper the python’s needlesharp teeth will sink and hold it even more firmly in the mouth. The python now quickly coils around the victim’s body and squeezes, not so hard as to break its bones, just tightly enough to stop its blood circulation and suffocate it to death.

Then begins the long, leisurely process of unhinging its jaw and savoring the prey; swallowing it slowly, starting with its head first. The rhythmic muscular movements will pull the prey from the mouth to the throat and to the stomach, where it’ll be dissolved and digested by strong acids.

There are 24 major species of pythons. Some are for the novice, and some strictly for the seasoned herpetologist.

Whatever the species, Python Secrets tells you everything you need to know about pythons - about their selection, care, feeding, breeding,handling,healthcare,caging and selecting a healthy specimen. Python Secrets is designed to serve as a single source reference on the subject, whether you are a first-time python owner or an expert seeking more information.

http://www.pythonsecrets.com/

Wish you and your python (pet/ pet-to-be) a long and happy companionship!



About The Author

Prabhu Lazarus
Editor
Pet Fan-atic!
http://www.pythonsecrets.com/
contact@pythonsecrets.com

Keeping Parrot As Pets

by: Silvanus Koh
Parrots are becoming more popular as pets with each passing day. This is evidenced by the proliferation of Internet discussion lists which provide access to information regarding parrot care and behavior. This upsurge in the number of parrots in homes and the amount of information newly available does not alert the companion parrot owner to a very important and pertinent fact - that parrot keeping is a relatively new phenomenon.

The parrot will live in a cage, so you will need to buy one that is large enough so that the parrot can spread his wings fully. It should be made of wire preferably since the parrot would eat through a wooden one. Make sure the door is large enough so that the parrot can fit through it, and also ensure that the door can’t be opened from the inside. Parrots are very smart so you will need to use a complex door closing mechanism. Remember the bigger the cage is, the happier the parrot will be, so buy the largest one you can afford.

The parrot will want some toys in the cage, such as a swinging perch or a squeaking toy. Make sure that the toy isn’t harmful to the parrot if it is gnawed on.

The bottom of the cage needs to be lined either with shredder paper, sawdust, straw or sand. The sand will serve as a double purpose since the parrot can gain some minerals from it, and can also use it to shape his beak better. The beak will keep growing like our fingernails and the sand will help filing it to the correct size.

Clean the cage very thoroughly at least once a month. All the metal bars and the bottom tray should be washed out thoroughly with a mild detergent and disinfected as well. Make sure that you clean out the feces of the parrot and leftover food is cleaned up periodically at least two the three times a week. The parrot will not like to live in a dirty area and his life cycle will decrease if he feels stressed all the time.

The parrot likes to be fed in many small meals instead of having one large meal a day. Pre-packaged parrot food is good for the parrot too since it will contain the correct mixes of minerals and vitamins. Make sure that you give the parrot fresh food at least twice a day and keep it clean and bacteria free. Seeds and nuts should be fed to the parrot sparingly since these foods are fatty and contain few nutrients. The parrot will also need a water bowl with fresh water supplied twice a day. You need to clean the water and the food bowl each time you refill it to keep your parrot healthy and happy. The parrot will eat fruits, nuts, vegetables and grains. Make sure you give him a balanced diet and give him healthy snacks only.

If you want to teach your parrot to talk, start when he is young since he will then pick up the language much faster. Keep trying the same word or phrase on the parrot at the same time of each day, such as “hello!” or "how are you?". Make sure the bird is looking at you and paying attention. Try repeating the words and phrases you want the parrot to learn and try to say the words when you do a certain activity so he can learn to associate an activity with a word. If your parrot already knows some phrases, encourage him to use them so he doesn’t forget them. Whistling is also a great thing to teach a parrot, since he will know how to whistle entire tunes. Even playing records can help your parrot learn words but do not play the same word all day or the parrot will be very bored.

The parrot will also need to be groomed at least once a week. You can do this by misting him carefully with a spray bottle, or even bathing him in a lined sink. Use water that is lukewarm and use a shampoo that is especially designed for birds. Parrots love to be in the water, so do not startle him by splashing water into his face, or he will not want to bathe anymore. If he does seem to be afraid of water, be gentle and persist, and soon he will love water as much as you do. Use a towel to lightly dab your bird dry a little bit but do not rub him and do not blow dry your bird. Just let him sit in a sunny corner of your house to dry naturally and make sure he is warm so he doesn’t catch a cold. The wings should be clipped to prevent flight, and the nails need to be groomed as well. Do small amounts of clipping frequently to avoid injury and to keep the bird well groomed all the time. Make sure you observe the vet or groom the first few times and have him teach you the proper techniques before you attempt this, since improper cutting could hurt the parrot.

Let your parrot move around your apartment at least half an hour every day. As he becomes more tame and potty trained, you can even leave him out all day, and put him back into the cage only to sleep and feed. Enjoy your beautiful, intelligent pet for many years to come as some parrots can live up to 70 years and above!



About The Author

Silvanus Koh

Parrots are becoming more popular as pets with each passing day. This is evidenced by the proliferation of Internet discussion lists which provide access to information regarding parrot care and behavior.

Top 5 Best Gifts For Your Pets

by: Christine Arbor
Most individuals or families view their pets as a member of the family as well. That said there is no reason why they should not be included in birthdays, Christmas or any other holiday for that matter. It’s a special day for them as well and it should be celebrated. So what are you going to get for your feline friend on their birthday? Why not consider some of these popular ideas which are sure to excite your pet on their special day:

1. Pet Carrier – Your pet will love this gift! A pet carrier is a bag large enough to allow room for you pet. Your pet then sits in the carrier while you tote them around town. Imagine how excited they would be to go everywhere and never have to walk a step. These items can cost anywhere from $20 to thousands of dollars depending on the style, make and size of the bag.

2. Pet Clothes – Just as humans like clothes for the birthdays, pets do as well. They like dressing up and they also like sweaters to keep them warm in the winter. There are many places to buy clothing for your pet and they can cost as little as $10 or as much as thousands depending on your preferences and the amount of money you are willing to spend.

3. Tasty Treats – Every pet will love the gift of food. Their favorite treats are sure to make them feel special on their birthday (or other occasion) and this can end up being a very inexpensive, yet effective, gift.

4. Pet ID Tags – These items can be personalized with their favorite designs or characters but what’s most beneficial about these gifts is that if they get lost they will be brought back to you. That would probably be the best gift they could wish for.

5. Manicure/Pedicure – I know this sounds crazy but it really isn’t. Think about how much walking your pets do on their paws. Just like we like manicures and pedicures, your pets will appreciate the special treatment as well. Keep in mind this will only work for animals with paws and most likely is only best for those of female nature.

There are many other great gift ideas for your pets. It’s up to you to decide which is best for them but also within your budget. Many individuals spend unreasonable amounts on gifts for their pets but you really don’t need anything extravagant, just something small to let them know you care. In the end it’s the thought that counts…not the price tag.



About The Author

Christine Arbor is a pet lover who works as a contributing writer for http://www.topsellingpetsupplies.com – a site that offers information on buying pet supplies such as pet meds, dog food and more.

How To Help The Displaced Pets Of Hurricane Katrina

by: Hannah Chastain
The temporary shelters are filled and the pets left behind by victims of Hurricane Katrina are turning up in shelters and Humane Societies across the South.

Many rescuers have stopped trying to find the dogs and cats, and have opted to just leave food and water for the unlucky thousands of animals trying to survive.

The Atlanta Humane Society is currently housing pets that belong to Hurricane Katrina evacuees in the Atlanta area and is offering free medical assistance to any evacuee pet in need.

The Arizona Humane Society is in New Orleans trying to help provide for the pets left behind.

“It’s very dire,” Kim Noetzel told Reuters News Service. Noetzel is the marketing director for the Arizona Humane Society and the organization is doing everything it can to help the displaced dogs and cats affected by Hurricane Katrina.

We all can help too.

The Atlanta Humane society is accepting donations for its relief efforts on its website, www.atlantahumane.org.

PetSmart Charities Rescue is providing specially designed vehicles to transport dogs and cats from hurricane-ravaged areas into safety. Over 150 animals have been saved by the rescue effort from one of the largest pet store chains in the country.

Those who want to help PetSmart’s efforts can maketax-deductable donations by calling 1-800-423-PETS or visiting www.petsmartcharities.org.

Petfinder.com has set up a database to help reunite pets left behind by the disaster as well as try to find home for pets without one. The database, according to the website, features the following:

A place where displaced hurricane victims post the locations of their pets so that rescuers can go in and save them.
Rescuers post the descriptions and photos of pets they find.
Volunteers post their offers of foster care for displaced pets.
Petfinder.com also has an area where those who want to help can make a donation to help support the Petfinder.com Foundation Disaster Fund.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, an estimated 30,000 pets have been left homeless by Hurricane Katrina. Helping websites like www.katrinafoundpets.com, can help reunite loved ones with the furry friends they had to leave behind.



About The Author

Hannah Chastain works for DoggieDeliveries.com, a company known for gourmet dog treats and dog gift baskets. For more information on Doggie Deliveries, visit http://www.doggiedeliveries.com.

hannah@doggiedeliveries.com