PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

Every pet owner should maintain a good working relationship with a veterinarian. Owners of multiple types of pets, particularly exotic or unusual pets, may need several veterinarians. However, sometimes the decision to take a pet, particularly a small mammal, to the vet for an illness or injury is a difficult one. Small pets are particularly sensitive to stress. Some are also susceptible to airborne viruses. For both these reasons, it’s best to avoid unnecessary stress.

While I am not a vet and a consultation with a veterinarian is always the best choice if you are uncertain or think your pet may be in need of treatment, here is some basic information on symptoms and injuries and their severity. More →

Many people seeking a new pet bypass the adoption option for one reason or another. While there are certainly some situations in which purchasing from a reputable, responsible breeder is ideal, consider this list of five myths about pet adoption before bypassing rescue to look for a breeder.

1. Shelter dogs are all mutts.

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By Kiya Sama

So you’ve decided to get a bird as a pet. Here is a guideline to different breeds, how to care and general characteristics to get you familiarized with your new pet.

Finches - the popular breeds are: gray singing, green singing, society finch, and zebra finch. Cages should be a box-type or they can be kept in an aviary. They need perches and some might need baths. The regular size of such cages range 20×10x12 inches. Some finches are good singers, and many have fine markings and beautiful color combinations. Popular breeds are relatively inexpensive.

Canaries - the popular breeds are: roller, gloster, border canary, red-factor canary and other smaller varieties. They need perches and bath in their cages which range in sizes 20×14x16 inches. These birds can range from the inexpensive to the expensive. Good cage birds can be kept in aviary with other see-eating species, even some softbills. They are brightly colored, sweet singers (if male, though some hens sing a little).

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Nanday Conure Image Source: Wikipedia

Conures are charming little birds. These spunky little parrots are small enough to fit easily into most households and large enough to satisfy the desire of someone wanting to own a real parrot. Conures range from quiet, green little birds to slightly raucous brilliant orange and yellow parrots.

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If you have never owned a bird before, you may want to take a look at the parakeet. This little bird can be found in almost any pet store at a very reasonable price, which makes it a great choice for someone with a tight budget who is looking for a pet. Cages and toys are also much more economical for parakeets than they are for larger birds.

Despite its small size, the parakeet can make a wonderful, entertaining pet. Although it does not have the ability to mimic voices like an African grey, this little bird is an exceptional talker and has an excellent memory. There have been reports of parakeets with vocabularies of over 400 words and phrases.

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Feeding a bird is easy. After all, you just toss some seeds in a bowl and give them some water and you’re done, right? Actually, if you want a healthy bird, you will need to do a bit more than that. There are quite a few different bird diets you can choose from.

Bird seed has been the diet of choice for many years, but it is no longer very popular with many bird lovers. However, there is actually nothing wrong with bird seed if it is used in combination with other types of food. Millet and safflower seeds are better for birds than sunflower seeds, which are high in fat and can cause obesity and related diseases in parrots that only eat sunflower seeds. If you feed seeds to your birds, you should make sure that the seeds do not comprise more than 30 percent of your bird’s diet.

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One of the most common reasons people have for buying a pet bird is the desire for a talking pet. Most people think of the talented African grey when they picture a talking bird, but quite a few different types of birds can actually learn to talk. In fact, some finch owners say their birds learned a few simple words. Of course, not all birds talk as well or as easily as other birds.

IMAGE SOURCE: Wikipedia / Congo African Grey Parrot

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If you think that handfeeding means holding some seeds or pellets in your hand and convincing your bird to eat them, you are not alone. Quite a few other people think the same thing. However, handfeeding actually involves feeding a baby bird that is not yet able to eat on its own a soft diet. Most bird breeders use a specially designed formula for baby birds, but some breeders prefer to make their own handfeeding formula.

A handfed baby bird is usually a much better pet than a parent raised bird. However, most people don’t realize exactly how hard and time consuming it is to handfeed birds. If you have ever raised a child, think back to the first few weeks of your baby’s life. Remember feeling as though you’d never be able to sleep again? What about those 3 am feedings? You probably felt overwhelmed by the responsibility of keeping that tiny, fragile being alive and healthy.

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Birds can be intelligent, enjoyable companions, but choosing the wrong bird can really cause heartache and frustration. How do you choose the right pet bird for you and your family? Before you try to decide which species of bird you want, you may want to think about whether a bird is really the right type of pet for you.

Many people decide to buy a bird because they want to have a pet that provides some company, but doesn’t require a lot of time and energy to take care of. Actually, caring for a bird properly may not be quite as hard for caring for a dog, but it involves a bit more than tossing some seed in the cage every day.

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Moving to a new home can be stressful for a bird, especially if the bird is a handfed baby. Luckily, if you spend some time setting everything up properly, it isn’t too hard to help your bird make the adjustment to a new home.

The first thing you should do for your new bird is to place his cage in an area that does not have too much traffic and confusion. However, although you don’t want him to feel like he is in the middle of everything, you also don’t want to put him in an unused room where he will be neglected. Pick a spot where he can interact with you, but won’t be constantly startled by loud noises and sudden movements.

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