Animals Library: February 2012

Insects and Arachnids as Pets

When talking about exotic pets, insects and arachnids are among the most often mentioned, with spiders generally at the top of most “most exotic pets” lists.

Often kept in enclosures, insects and spiders are relatively easy to keep as pets, not demanding when it comes to space, generally not all that picky when it comes to food, as well as not necessarily needy when regular baths or frequent clean up is being talked about.

Insects and spiders also don’t require that much interaction or attention from owners, unlike cats or dogs. In fact, they’re known to generally fair better without any socialization at all.

But pet insects and spiders also have their own list of particulars, a roster which pet lovers have to think long and hard about before going on an impulse and bringing them home.

Here are some exotic pet facts worth knowing about, before getting your first pet insect or arachnid.

Finding the Right One

For those looking in to keep insects or spiders as pets, specialty pet shops often suggest a “start small” approach, recommending insect or spider species which are less dangerous and/or not so temperamental to keep.

Ant farms are often suggested, especially for kids, given how easy they are to maintain. An escaped colony, though, is a home safety risk, which means that owners have to make sure ants don’t break out from enclosures.

Stick and/or leaf insects are also often recommended, though these require degrees of delicacy with their care. The hissing cockroach is also popular as an “entry level” exotic pet, given that they are pretty docile and large enough for an owner to handle.

Certain types of tarantulas are also often suggested, like the Costa Rican Zebra, the Mexican Redleg and the Chilean rose. These arachnids are venomous, but their venom-factor is somewhat similar to the venom of bees.

If one is not all that keen in keeping a venomous pet, it’d be best not to do so.

Background Information Before Getting One

It pays to do some fact checking before settling on a particular pet insect or spider.

For one, verify with your local agencies’ regulations regarding the legality of owning a particular insect or spider.

Also, gain specifics and particulars related to the care and keeping of insects or spiders, particularly with their feeding. Some tarantulas, for example, require feeding procedures akin to their natural environments. These could be tricky to feed. Though hissing cockroaches are generally easy to feed, stick and leaf insects are more picky with what’s in their diets.

Some insight related to the lifespan of a pet would also be necessary. Certain tarantulas, for example, live as long as 20 years, with females living longer than males

Bottom line, though the basics related to the care of insects and spiders are pets are quite easy to fulfill, in no way does this mean that they're not as “high maintenance” as having dogs or cats in the house.

So? Will you still be getting that tarantula just because it's so cool to have?

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The Black Cat’s Luck

Though a number of holy men are known to have one at one point in their lives, black cats have long been associated and blamed for a lot of evils in the world.

Popularly considered to be witches’ familiars or companions, different allegations and superstitions have been built around black cats, with some cultures perceiving their presence as ills which have to be necessarily done away with.

But contrary to the general bad luck-and-black cat connection, not all cultures in the world see black cats only as incarnations of evil or bringers of doom and despair. Some cultures are actually known to have accepted black cats as symbols of good luck, a reverse take on the bad luck superstitions which hound black colored felines in most parts of the world.

In Ireland and Great Britain, for example, black cats are generally considered as symbols of good luck, with Scottish households even welcoming the sight of a black cat stumbling into their homes. In Scotland, strange black cats hanging outside porches are welcome sights, considered as symbols of prosperity.

In Italy, hearing a cat sneeze is associated as a sign of good luck, black cats included. In Ireland, killing a cat is believed to bring bad luck for seventeen years, also including black cats. Egyptians believed that the sun’s life giving rays rested in the cat’s eyes during night, a stash, so to speak, for safe keeping.

In Germany, a subject-to-interpretation take over bad or good luck is associated with black cats, dependent on: If a black cat crosses a person’s path from left to right, it’s a sign of good luck. If the path is right to left, it signals bad luck to come.

Pirates of old also have a similar take: If a black cat gets on a boat then walks away from it, the ship is bound for some troubles on its next voyage.

The oldest connection linked to the black cats and bad luck superstition hails from Ancient Egypt, where the goddess Bast, was revered. Represented as a black cat, many avoided black cats in relation to Bast, not necessarily because Bast was a bad goddess, but more for of what Bast is known to do if she were angry.

Today, Animal Shelters based in the United States report that black cats are among the least adopted of felines, perhaps a marker indicating that though we now live in progressive modern times, there are still certain superstitions which haven't totally gone away.

How about you? Would you rather not get a black cat since it's supposed to bring bad luck?

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Signs That Tell You Something’s Up With Your Dog

It’s easy to tell if the pooch is hungry. It’s also easy to tell if something’s got your favorite pet riled up.

But of all the tall-tell-signs which dogs can send out, it’s that of saying “Something’s wrong with me, master” that’s hard to miss.

Here are some of the most common tall-tell-messages often sent by dogs, telling owners that its time for a trip to the vet or a call for some changes in lifestyle.

Very Bad Breath – Gingivitis isn’t just limited to human beings, given that cases are also known to prevail in dogs. Normally, one wouldn’t be surprised to learn about a dog’s halitosis, but very bad breath in dogs is a marker for on-the rise periodontal disease or an existing condition of the disease. Left unchecked, the condition could compound and could lead to dental problems which then debilitate a dog’s capacity to eat any food, which would lead to other dietary and nutrition problems.

Diarrhea and Vomiting – One can leave digestive upset in dogs as a minor condition, one that would just go away in a day or two. But close inspection over a dog’s fits with vomiting and diarrhea can tell more about what a dog is actually experiencing.

Vomited yellow-colored bile often tells owners that their dogs aren’t eating right. Blood found in vomit and/or in feces also tell of canine parvovirus present in your dog’s digestive system. Highly contagious, multiple dog owners should pay attention to such signs of Parvo, lest the condition spread to all dogs present.

Overweight or Obese Pups – Overweight or obese dogs are more liable to encounter health problems, much like how health risks in obese human beings are relatively higher compared to those who keep fit and trim. Immune system strength and virtually weak constitutions are known to happen in obese dogs, and the best solution to such a condition would combine healthy diet and regular exercise.

Taking care of one’s dog goes beyond feeding and cleaning up after them.

As spending quality time with dogs is essential for their active well-being, noting changes or out-of-place actions related to a dog’s physiology are practices which ensure the overall well-being of man’s best friend.

There are more physiological markers which tell owners that something’s up with their dogs. The abovementioned examples are merely tips of the iceberg, and should you have your own share of experiences, key them in the comments section below.

You just may be saving someone a world of grief by doing so.

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Will YOU Ever Do the Same? A Good Samaritan's Picture Story

There you have it folks... There are still GENUINELY GOOD people on this planet. There is still hope for the human race. And of course, our animal friends! Share the love people!

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Singing Donkey - The Real One (Not Shrek's Donkey)

This one right here is for all you music lovers out there! Enjoy the music for the weekend everyone! If you know of any other singing animal friends out there, please share!

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Can We Still Keep Ocelots As Pets?

Like most wildcats, ocelots have been known to be kept as exotic pets, and as such, many are curious to know more about ocelots and how different or similar they are compared with domestic cats.

Also known as the dwarf leopards, ocelots are among the most known of wild cats, found in parts of Mexico, South, and Central America. They’re generally the size of your average domestic cat, bearing the fur coat patterns of jaguars or clouded leopards.

At one point, they were considered highly endangered from 1972 to 1996, but they’re now currently rated as a “least concern” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. They are mostly nocturnal and highly territorial wild cats, and in the past, they were among the most prized of exotic pets, with famous pet owners like surrealist, Salvador Dali.

Today, if you’re mulling about getting an ocelot as a pet, you might as well forget all about it because: the whole “ocelot as pets” angle is no longer acceptable by today’s standards, even considered illegal in certain states, like in California.

Because of its beautiful coat, ocelots are priority targets in the fur coat trade. Evidently smaller compared to its bigger cousins, it would take an average of 25 ocelots to make one fur coat, and as such, ocelot furs are often more expensive. At one point, one ocelot fur coat would’ve been more expensive than buying a car.

Though the fur poaching and trade hasn’t been as active as it was 30 years ago, safeguards against their active comeback have been put up. The concept of “ocelot as pets” could be used by would-be poachers as a front, and as such, it is a concept which has led enforcement agencies to set out as “not acceptable”.

Besides, ocelots are wild cats, and there’s a reason for them being named that.

Given what’s written above, would you still want to own one?