Animals Library: pets

Showing posts with label pets. Show all posts

On Pets and New Year Resolutions: More Quality Time

If you’ve already added entries like “more exercise routines”, “better checkup regimens” and “healthier diet menus” as part of your pet’s New Year resolutions this year, there’s one more entry you shouldn’t fail to include: more quality time.

Regardless of how busy you are with work or with your household chores, spending more quality time with your pet is just as important as seeing to his or her overall health and well-being.

On the value of quality time – While it is true that not all animals in the world are sociable, allocating more interactive time with your pet proves to be highly beneficial for everyone concerned.

In the case of dogs, more quality times spent in regular exercise routines and playtime sessions strengthens the bond between dog and master, apart from thoroughly immersing one’s dog with different people, thereby providing him or her with valuable experience in how to behave in the company of others.

For cats – who are notorious for being anti-social at times – more interactive times spent playing with them or simply lounging with them reinforces their natural affectionate natures, further strengthening a cat’s relationship with his or her master, along with everyone else present in the household.

Long story short, while looking into dietary considerations and veterinary care requirements of pets are important, allocating ample time with them is just as valuable in seeing to their healthy well-being, thus the reason why you can’t fail to include “spending more quality time” into your pet’s New Year’s resolutions list.

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On Pets As Presents – On Pet Personalities

Like human beings, pets are liable to develop their own personalities, a trait that is generally driven by the disposition of genetics, along with the involvement of how they are reared around the company of people.

In cases when pets are being given as Christmas gifts, inconsiderate gift givers are liable to neglect this fact, oftentimes opting to give a pet as a gift simply because it is “cool” or “trendy” or “popular”.

Understanding the personality type of a given animal should be given some consideration before anything else.

On Pet Personalities

After the success of Disney’s live action version of the 101 Dalmatian’s franchise, Dalmatian dogs were popularly picked out from shelters, a “trend” which was attributed to the movie franchise’s popularity at the time.

However, as popular as Dalmatians were after the success of the film franchise, many came to learn that there’s a certain temperament to real life Dalmatians as dogs, one that goes beyond what was “featured” in the films.

Long story short, if you are thinking of giving someone a certain type of pet that is “cool” or “trendy”, take the time to actually look into the actual personality type of the pet, before going out of your way in getting one as a gift.

All animals have particulars and quirks, with some requiring specific care and attention. Looking into these details helps give you an idea about the challenges pet owners are liable to encounter with them, and should be a major consideration when talking about gifting pets this Christmas.

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On Pets as Presents

While there’s really nothing wrong in opting to give a friend or loved one a pet as a present for Christmas, the decision of doing so shouldn't be born from a whim – or worse, inspired by something trendy or popular like a movie featuring a certain animal in a leading role.

As countless pet owners from all over the world would attest, keeping a pet is a huge responsibility, one that isn’t just about segmented moments where owners spend time playing with dogs in the park.

From bunny gifts for Easter to Christmas puppies finding their way under Christmas trees, there are countless cases of “gift pets” being abandoned by their “owners”, sad cases which could have been avoided if gift givers were more conscientious about their gift item choices.

Though there are rare cases where “gift pet” recipients learn to be more responsible in the care of their pets, not all “gift pet” scenarios end with happily ever after endings, thus the value of considering certain points before deciding on giving a pet as a gift to someone.

Ideally, considerations should go beyond a “gift pet” recipient’s capacity to actually take care of their newfound pet, but should also include a pet’s age/lifespan, required veterinary care, its general personality and overall compatibility with people and personalities.

If you are really keen on giving someone a pet as a gift this Christmas, consider giving him/her a gift certificate that entitles bearers with a pet of their choice instead.

That way, you get to accomplish what you had intended to by giving the gift, at the same time give your “gift pet” recipient the option of which pet best fits with him or her.

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The Alpaca

Though they do bear certain similarities with llamas, Alpacas are different in these sense that they are significantly smaller in shape and size, with Alpacas not kept as “beasts of burden”.

Typically found in domesticated enclosures and habitats in South America, Alpacas are more favored for their “fiber source” purposes, with Alpaca fibers generally used in the making of various fabrics and textiles, just as with wool.

With the average Alpaca weighing somewhere between 48 to 84 kilograms, the Peruvian Alpaca is quite famous in the textile industry, with the general Alpaca fiber category known to come in more than 50 natural color shades and hues in Peru.

Alpaca herds are typically found in the Andes in Peru, northern Chile and in northern Bolivia, at above sea level heights of up to 3,500 meters. Sociable and generally easy to domesticate, they are known to have issues with being physically touched, but this doesn’t mean that they are impossible to keep.

Also known for being “tidy”, Alpacas are also known to eat just about anything, with different accounts telling of Alpacas actually chewing through tins and cans, though their staple diets would mostly consist of hay and grass.

As already mentioned, the Alpaca’s physical characteristics are quite similar with llamas, leaving many in associating the llama and Alpaca as one and the same, without realizing that they are actually different from each other.

With their distinct looks and the variations of their coat colors, Alpacas are certainly interesting creatures, whose fleeces are often shorn on regular intervals, used in making different textile-based items such as blankets, scarves, hats, gloves and more.

Alpaca Video

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Raccoon Facts

As “woodland critters” raccoons are perhaps the most iconic, typically found prowling in the wild as well as finding their way in to suburban, real estate developments.

The 1969 Disney live-action feature entitled Rascal focused on the story of a child meeting up with a baby raccoon, engaging on fun-filled adventures with the little tyke.

Given their cute and cuddly looks, one would think that animal lovers would keep them as pets, but as the facts would prove, they are not the best pet options to have in homes and households.

Below are some facts about the raccoon, with reasons which justify their un-ideal standing as pets as well as some fascinating facts about them.

Parasites – Raccoons are known to carry different diseases, with raccoon roundworms – a microscopic parasite – being the most notorious.

As a threat to the health and well being of humans, this parasite is known to cause blindness and even death, something which any homeowner wouldn’t want to risk by brining a wild or stray raccoon into his or her home.

Cat-like Abilities – Though not exactly related to cats, raccoons are known to have cat-like abilities, with their ability to easily land from 35 to 40 feet heights.

Unlike cats though, raccoons have a “tactile” sense, which is defined by their human-like forepaws which they can use to accomplish all sorts of tasks such as foraging for food. Also, unlike cats, a raccoon’s tail takes up as much as 52% of its overall length, measuring as long as 405mm.

16-Year Lifespans – Raccoons are known to live as long as 16 years in the wild, but the longest living raccoon is reported to have lived as long as 21 years in captivity.

Swimming – Just as they are well-built for land-based terrains, raccoons are also adept swimmers.

However, they are not exactly fond of swimming, since their fur isn’t “waterproof” in the sense that their wet fur tends to add more weight.

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Sled dogs

Though reindeers are typically associated with sleds during the holidays, there aren’t all that may reindeers drawing sleds generally encountered nowadays, with more people more inclined to used motorized sleds as opposed to the use of animals.

However, sled dogs are still quite prevalent, mostly used for recreational purposes and not as a primary means for transport.

The 1994 Walt Disney feature, Iron Will, stands as a representative to the still-ongoing popularity of sled dogs, with the movie telling the tale of how a young man took part in a cross country sled dog race.

Though the time and setting of the story can’t be described as the most modern of tenses, the film managed to look into the world of sledding, along with significant focus and emphasis on sled dogs.

The term sled dogs doesn’t exactly denote a certain dog breed, but it does refer to a working dog type, with the practice known to have been around since 2000 BC. One of the most popular dog breeds used as sled dogs would be the Greenland Dog, which is characterized by its dense coat and wide-padded paws.

The Alaskan Husky would be another popular sled dog breed, along with the Canadian Eskimo Dog. When talking about sled dogs, two traits are generally considered to be basic attribute, the first being a dog’s strength, the second, a dog’s endurance/stamina.

Since sled dogs are expected to draw sleds through snow or iced surfaces, their strength, matched with their robust endurance capacities are highly valued.

As with most working dogs, sled dogs are quite smart and intuitive as individual dogs, making them popular in different households taking the role of the household’s pet. With their generally cool temperaments and quick-to-adapt traits, they continue to be iconic fixtures in the world of sledding.

Sled dogs Video

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In Memoriam: Obituaries for Rich Singapore’s Pets

(While some people are overlooked)

The Straits-Times “Pets Corner” will now host goodbye obituaries by loving owners to their beloved pets.

This move was said to be motivated by wealthy Singapore’s rich population having less and less kids, the attention instead being devoted to pets.

This is just an extension of Singapore’s famous lavish doting on pets. This attention and loving care for pets resulted in the rise of industries catering to consumers wishing to give “premium” everything to their pets. Hence the rise in the popularity of premium pet food, premium pet accessories and premium pet fashion.

The obituaries carry premium prices too, each at about S$50 ($40.94) with an added 7 percent in goods and services tax.

Meanwhile, this pet doting boom in Singapore also led to the rise in migrant workers hired solely to take care of rich pets. Which, in a way, can be said to be also a boon for poorer countries.

When roles get reversed

But sometimes the love of animals can exceed compassion for people. Witness this comment from a Singaporean pet forum:

“I was riding my bike back home from office towards and before Great World City that stretch of road and I saw two beautiful Golden Retrievers crossing the road handled by a maid. This STUPID maid was pulling hard on the leash of one of the Retrievers, The dog refused to move on and the pull was hard.

“I really hope the owner of the dogs should handle the dogs personally. Maid [sic] cannot be trusted. I feel like putting a leash on the maid and give a hard pull and let her knows [sic] the feel of it.”
In fairness, other members of the forum chimed in to soothe the original thread poster, telling her golden retrievers are naturally stubborn so she shouldn’t jump to conclusions.
But then there’s no denying the spirit of the times, as shown in the tagline of one of the forum’s moderators:

“Children are for people who can’t have dogs - Anon”

Treating pets like people while people are treated like animals cannot be called progress. It is a form of poverty — of the spirit.

But all is not lost

Recent protests over Singapore Zoo’s newest Giant Panda Pair is a sign of Singapore’s growing animal rights advocacy community. With this kind of compassion at hand, there’s still a chance it would trickle down to Singapore’s sizable (roughly one out of three) migrant worker population.

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Komondor Dogs

As a dog hailing from Hungary, the Komondor is one that comes with different names, formally known as the Hungarian Komondor or the Hungarian Sheepdog, but more popularly referred to as the “mop dog”.

As its “pet name” would imply, the Komondor dog’s thick matted and corded fur gives it a mop-like “sheen”, one which can be described as similar to humans sporting dreadlocks as their hairstyle, only that the “dreads” of the Komondor are natural and not cosmetically induced.

Also known for being one of the largest dog breeds around, the Komondor is quite famous for its “natural guarding instincts”, making them the perfect sheepdogs, or dogs designated to watch over different livestock.

In fact, the personalities of Komondor dogs is so akin towards being guards that they are typically calm when things are okay, springing into action when things are awry or simply off.

Typically, Komondor dogs are kept as working dogs, given their natural guarding inclinations, but instances of them being kept as pets are also quite common. Well built and athletic, the breed is known to have a particular exercise regimen.

Given the dog’s large size, Komondor dogs are typically introduced to training methods and modes early, designed to help control them as they grow older. But unlike most dogs, training sessions with Komondors require a certain “edge”, one which suits well with the dog’s attitudes – particularly how easily they get bored.

As a dog, the Komondor is considered to be one of Hungary’s national treasures, a dog breed whose breeding status is well kept from any modifications.

Powerful, strong and simply unique with its matted-corded fur, Komondor dogs are certainly one of the world’s more unique dog breeds.

Komondor Dogs Video

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New Zealand’s Driving Dogs

New Zealand’s local SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) gives dogs driving lessons to drive up dog adoption.

Meet Porter, Monty and Ginny, the world’s first driving dogs. They have been trained how to drive modified cars by the New Zealand SPCA. The aim was to demonstrate that rescue dogs are not only as good as dogs obtained from breeders, sometimes they could be even better — as they have shown by their driving skills recently.

SPCA is hoping the resulting publicity would raise the rate of adopting rescue dogs like Porter, Monty and Ginny.
Porter, a 10-month old bearded collie cross, was an abandoned dog. Monty, an 18-month old Giant Schnauzer was given up by its owner to the SPCA (apparently too much to handle). Meanwhile Ginny, a bearded whippet cross, was literally a whipping dog — coming from an abusive home.

And now they have become internationally famous.

Porter and Monty made their unassisted driving debut in their first live driving test (December 10th) at an Auckland racetrack. Strapped to a modified Mini Countryman, Porter and Monty used their paws to do all the driving work: from starting the modified ignition key, hitting the brake, setting the car into gear, steering the wheel, to turning on the accelerator (there was a speed limiter so the car could not go above walking speed).

Ginny didn’t take the live test drive but her driving skills were similar to Porter and Monty’s.

And the offers for adoption poured in — for Porter and Monty. Ginny got less interest — possibly because she had less airtime, mused SPCA CEO Christine Kalin.
Which is understandable. People flock to the superstars. They missed out seeing more of Ginny, so many didn’t know she was there.

But the point of the campaign was not to produce dog superstars but to gain attention to the plight of rescue dogs who need ‘forever’ homes.

As the Drivingdogs admin posted back in December 12:

“If you are looking, there are loads of dogs at the SPCA, not all can drive, but all are just as amazing!.”

And slowly but surely, the option of getting rescue dogs is getting popular with those who are looking for pet companions. And getting there may be the best drive of all.

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Lemurs

Lemurs are typically mistaken to be monkeys, but this assumption doesn’t define them as such, in the sense that the lemurs are not descendants of ancient primates, even if they do bear certain similarities with them.

Found in the island of Madagascar, the 2005 animated hit Madagascar doesn’t miss on its Madagascar-based premise, a credit to the movie’s creators.

Telling the story of how a group of New York Zoo animals managed to find themselves in the island of Madagascar, the adventures of Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the Giraffe, and Gloria the hippo are the main focus in Madagascar, where the four encounter a group of merry lemurs who are simply out to live the “good island life”.

Though not exactly responsible for sparking interests on lemurs, the movie did manage to stoke the fires of interest in them, effectively putting lemurs on the map.

As creatures, all types of lemurs share a set of basal primal traits, characterized by tails and divergent digits found in their hands and feet. Highly social and very interactive, these characteristics have once made them popular as exotic pets, but their status as a pet is well guarded by officially sanctioned wildlife conservation agencies.

The fact that they were quite popular as pets has actually driven different organizations into officially monitoring and controlling lemur populations, giving focus on emphasis on how properly housed they are, how pet owners are in the capacity to provide them with their dietary staples, etc.

Though it is not generally illegal to keep lemurs as pets, there are certain considerations and restrictions involved in keeping them, something which someone who is entertaining the thought of getting a lemur should be well aware of.

Do you own a lemur? What did you have to do to legally keep it?

Lemurs Video

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Collies

As a dog, collies have long been considered as a dog breed, but that title is actually incorrect in the sense that collies are not exactly a breed but rather a type of herding dog that hails from the Northern parts of England and Scotland.

Lassie, from the 1943 released feature Lassie Come Home, has become iconic for collies, with the name Lassie loosely used as household term that defines the dog type, in general.

Essentially a “Rough Collie”, Lassie, as a character, has defined a lot of doggy attributes which countless households look for in the ideal family dog, steadfast in its resolve, strong in its overall constitution and intelligent in assessing situations and scenarios.

In Lassie Come Home, Lassie is separated from her family, a separation which was caused by the fact that her family had to sell her to a new master. Ever loyal to her masters, Lassie managed to escape from her buyers, going on an adventure in finding her way back home from Scotland to Yorkshire.

A lot of Lassie’s positive attributes stand true with collies in general, with most collies exhibiting significant capabilities for intelligence, stamina and generally “trainable” temperaments.

Though not exactly the poster-dog for all collies, Lassie’s popularity has defined collies in a lot of ways, leading to the organization of different collie types for shows, with a known number of mixes known to exist.

As a herding dog, collies are quite popular in the United Kingdom, and with Lassie Come Home, it has also become popular in different parts of the world.