Flea Problems on Cats and Dogs

Most frustrating and dreadful of all pet problems is the flea problem. Ask any furry pet owner and they will tell you how much they dread these tiny trouble makers. If your pet has fleas,  you are into trouble. I can assure of that.

A female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day, and the worst part -- they hatch very fast. Use some mathematics -the permutation and combination method - and you can understand their potential to become immortal.

Cat and Dog Fleas

 Fleas are miniature dark brown insects - nasty parasites - those thrive on pet mammals. They thrive at temperatures of 60-80 degree Fahrenheit and at humidity level between 75-85 percent. So, you see, these pest are not just  "summer" phenomena, they can be around the year at location with favorable humidity and temperature.

The Flea Test

Your pet veterinarian can diagnose the infestation from miles away - without even looking closely at your pet. With all that itching, your cat or dog will be restless. The "pruritus" is simply irresistible.

However, you can do a test at home to find that out for yourself.

• Take a white towel, something like your kitchen towel.
• Make your pet to stand / lie down on that.
• Take a fine comb and comb your pet for some time.
• If fleas fall down, you know what you got.
• If you find some dark colored powder or dust on your towel instead of fleas, you need one more step. Those may be flea droppings.
• Collect some of these flea dirt into a white porcelain plate and add few drops of water. They will turn reddish or dark brown when they come in contact with water, because that's digested blood.

That's it! You  pet has fleas. Time to consult your pet veterinarian.

Now don't worry about these tiny brats! You can get rid of them. It will take some time and effort, but it's possible!

Flea Life Cycle

If you love your furry pets, you're not going to offer your pet for adoption. I mean, out of sheer disgust or fear of these bloody parasites. Only adult ones are blood-suckers, by the way.

Time to know the ins and outs of your new enemy. If you understand how they live and die, that would be first step towards flea-control.

Cat and Dog Flea Life Cycle

There are different kinds of fleas - for cats, dogs, rabbits, humans, and for other mammals with furs. There are different species but they have a very common life cycle.

Adults lay eggs, each egg hatch and become a larva, then pupa or cocoon. It then opens to let the young flea get out. Now he / she needs organic stuff to feed on and grow till adulthood. At this stage the flea doesn't need blood, so it can survive without a host. Once they get a suitable nourishing host, they grow in leaps and bounds. The cycle is complete once it matures and lays eggs.

The duration of this cycle is not very predictable. The eggs can lie dormant till they get the right

temperature and humidity conditions to hatch. Similarly, all the stages are dependent upon environmental conditions.

When the conditions are perfect, the flea life cycle completes in only 14 days. Under average to unfavorable conditions it varies between a month and a year.

Thinking About Owning an Exotic Pet?

An amphibian exotic pet

What is common in "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Anacondas?"

If you are scratching your head, don't worry. I'm giving you the answer.

It's the pet monkey that plays a role in the story. That  is a  Capuchin monkey. These monkeys are found in the region of Central America and South America, and sometimes as far south as northern part of Argentina.

What is so special about these monkeys?

They are very special  because they are exotic pets.

What's an exotic pet?

It's is an uncommon pet mostly considered suitable for surviving only in the wild. But due to special reasons, some people love to pet them. Our Capuchin monkey is loved because they are intelligent and are easy to train.

Another way defining such a pet is it's not native or indigenous to the pet owner's locality or geographical conditions. Such pets are procured with great difficulty and need enormous effort to be cared for. In US alone, there are 15,000 primates pets kept by private individuals.

If you love these pets, you can join these pet owners, but you must be ready for that. Every year so many pet owners abandon these exotic pets into the nearby wilderness. Because these wild pets are not native to the locality, either face the danger of death or a potential danger to the local flora and fauna. Certain species, like the Burmese python are very invasive to the local ecology, even to humans.

Difficulties for the pet owner / lover

• Difficulties in procuring them
• They are expensive to maintain
• They need specialized care
• You can't find a pet-sitter
• No local veterinarian for dealing with a sick pet
• Sometimes there are legal issues

List of exotic pets

A list of such pets is almost impossible to give. Here is a list of common pets that are considered rare and exotic.

• Alligators
• Burmese Pythons and rare snakes
• Frogs and toads
• Kangaroos
• Lizards
• Large cats - lions, tigers, leopards, cheetah etc
• Flying foxes and squirrels
• Hares
• Hawks and Eagles
• Primates - monkeys, Lemurs, chimps etc.
• Porcupines
• Raccoon
• Rare Moths and butterflies
• Ring-tailed cats
• Turtles
• Zebras

If you really love exotic pets you must go ahead with procuring one. What's important is that one can't do that half-heartedly. Maintaining one such pet is quite demanding than you think in the first place. So, you must have enough research and experience before you invest money and time in them. There is no use in spending money and walking into legal trouble.

Issues with Your Puppy? It's Time for Some Training

When we bring our first puppy home, the first thing that bothers us is how we should train him. Checking into different methods employed by other dog owners might bring some insight, but but we need more than that to reach at a practical solution. We can try different tips from experienced dog owners but to train a puppy effectively, we need professional help.

Training Your Puppy

Before we hire a professional trainer, however, we can house-break the puppy. There are a number of things we can do to give him basic discipline. It can be done in the first week itself and it's better done sooner than later. The more you keep dropping off harder it become for you as well as your puppy.

Before you start with any training, you have to remember one thing. Your puppy is just like a kid. It will make mistakes before it is fully trained, and there is considerable time and patience involved in this. If you show impatience or you become upset with him, it will make it harder for you as well as for the puppy. Keep a cool head and expect mistakes.

If your puppy doesn't show enough enthusiasm immediately, put him back into the crate for some time, say half-an-hour before you start all over again. A fresh start gives good and fast results. It pays not to hurry them too much. The key is to do it again and again, so that your instructions become a habit. Till then, you have to keep the kennel clean yourself.

Slowly, the pup will start liking a clean living place and it will try to keep it clean himself. You know how habits work!

If you have picked up a healthy pup, half the battle is won. Healthy puppies keep their living place clean. Even otherwise, after some getting used to, a pup is not going to pee or poop in their crate.

Another thing you have to ensure is, you have to make the crate sufficiently big. Your puppy needs sufficient space so that it can stretch himself as ease. When the living space is too restricted, your pup is not going to like it. It would try to find an alternate space in your home and all your efforts to put him back into the crate would fail.

That would make the house-breaking very difficult. So, keep these 3 things in mind and your puppy will have no issues at all. After a couple of weeks, when the puppy is sufficiently old, you can hire a professional trainer to teach him the essential tasks.

Cats are Attached to Places

Cats are attached to  places

During my High School days, my English teacher mentioned something unique to us about cats during an essay writing exercise. The tip was so unique that it immediately aroused my interest.

Well, what was that tip?

"Dogs are attached to people whereas cats are attached to places."

Was that tip any good?

Well, let me tell you a real life story about my experience with cats, especially about one called Kity. I don't have a photo of her, but I think we can do without it.

When Kity came home for the first time, she was a small white fur-ball. Separated from her other siblings, she was hiding under a small bush when some kids discovered her on their way back home from school. My niece Lucy was the one to first stake her claim to the kitten. She even named her "Kity," en-route.


When she arrived home with her new pet, we couldn't say "NO" to her enthusiasm. So, Kity became the No. 1 member of our family and the center of everybody's attention.

The kitten came out of her timidity very fast and thrived. Within a year, she looked like a fully grown cat. She would go missing for a day or two, but would come back as unexpectedly as she vanished. Slowly, we grew accustomed to her game of hide-and-seek.

Before the completion of second year, she was a mom, with three litters.

The kittens grew fast and were adopted enthusiastically by three of our neighbors. But soon after we had to change house to a new location.

We packed and moved out as scheduled, but Kity was not to be found anywhere. All my nieces and nephew left with some  concern, but the consolation for them was that they can always find kitty later, in the very well-known neighborhood.

They found her, after repeated visits to the old vicinity. That was within a week. She was hanging around the old house, now without an occupant. She was her usual self, without a bit concerned about our absence. She was rather detached, but kids were too enthusiastic to notice it .

Their joy soon turned into dismay when she was not showing much of her old intimacy. But, the kids were too determined. They  lured the feline into a large bag with some food, and carried her struggling inside. It can be borderline cruelty to the animal, but their intention was noble.

They opened the bag only when all  doors were tightly closed. The cat jumped out of the bag and went straight beneath the bed. I witnessed the scene, personally. I knew what's wrong, but the children were too attached to her.

You can't keep your room closed forever...LOL!

Kity vanished as swiftly as she vanished before we shifted. Children learned an emotional lesson. They never went back in their "search and rescue mission" again.

They changed the strategy -- adopted a new pet, a puppy.

Now what does all this come to?

Cats are surely attached to places. If you move out to a far and different locality, and your cat isn't too social locally, this may work out for you. But naturally, your feline pet would prefer to stay at the older location, given a chance.

I'm not sure if this works for all the cat breeds, but ,at least, that had been my experience.

If you can share something in this regard, the comment section is all yours. :-)

How to Make Your New Kitten Comfortable at Home

A new pet kitten

Moving to a new neighborhood is tougher on your kids than on you. Change is stressful for everybody, physically and mentally. How can it be any different on your new pet kitten? A kitten, barely a couple of weeks old, is hardly prepared to handle this double trouble.

First, it has to deal with the separation with its mother, and secondly, it has to cope up with the new faces around. Adapting to the new environment and new food are additional troubles.

So, know beforehand that your kitten is going to be stressed, actually too pissed. So, how to make your new feline pet feel right at home?

Make him feel welcome in his new home of-course!

Prepare his private space

 

A pet is no different than your kid, both want their private place. That makes them feel as equals. When you prepare a separate place for your kitten beforehand and bring him or her right into that place, the pet is less stressed.

A personal space to sleep, warm and cosy, can be first positive step. It's not very difficult.

You can buy cat beds  locally at your favorite pet store as well as from any online store. You don't need a lot of imagination for that. However, if you want to do it yourself, it can be done with little imagination. 

It's too easy. 

If don't have a basket at home, use a cardboard box. Cut a nice hole entrance as per the size of your kitten so that he can enter effortlessly. Cats are quite capable of squeezing into restricted spaces, only if their head can be pushed in! The next thing to do is spread in a clean and comfortable blanket before you close the cardboard box top. See, that was easy!

Allow him some personal space

 

If your kitten is timid and withdrawn initially, remember it's only for time being. He is going to make hell a lot of mess when his curiosity takes over. Dogs are attached to people but cats are attached to places. So, don't be surprised if your kitten has a strong urge to explore. That's actually healthy sign, a sign that he is less stressed now.

Another sign your kitten is relaxed now is that he would want to walk around the place, ALONE! He would want to have first hand experience of odur or scent, visual cue, and different sound frequencies. Let him do it alone, rather encourage him. Don't follow him around.

I understand you would be as anxious as your cat, but allow him some personal space and time initially. Let him loose inside the home. After sometime, you can personally introduce him to special household noises and activities.

This is important! Don't allow your kitten to go out of your house for initial few weeks. It may be a victim of other pets or it may lose its way back home. 

Introduce him to the new family members. When the kitten is somewhat familiar, it would calm down. It may feed and take liquids.

Now is the time for some formal introduction

 

If you have purchased any toys, this is the time to introduce your kitten to the toys. This may look silly to some, but believe it, it's important. Your kids can introduce themselves one by one to the new pet. He may respond differently to each of your kids, and even to your spouse, but that's normal.

Lastly, you have to introduce him to other pets in the family, if you've any. That's the trickiest part. If you feel your kitten is not ready for that yet, delay it for sometime, but before you allow your new pet to interact freely with older pets, a formal introduction under your direct supervision is mandatory. You have to see how other family pets react to the new member.

Animals are territorial and they may react differently initially, but sooner or later they would develop a bond. Till then you have to be very watchful towards the inter-pert-relationship.  Cats are playful by nature, so a kitten may not understand the danger of playing with dogs especially the ones with a strong sense of territory. As the owner of the house you have develop a sense of cordiality among all your pets.

After a couple of weeks, you can introduce your kitten to the outdoors. Stay with for a couple of such visits, then your pet will remember the important outdoor landmarks.

A brand new pet gets a lot of love from all members of the family, but ADDITIONALLY you need to show a lot of patience in dealing with new pets. Teach your kids to be patient with your new kitten and draw your attention to unusual things. That's all you need. Your kitten is going to be right at home after a couple of weeks if you take care of these 3 things.

 

 

3 Reasons to Have a Pet

Among the many worthy reasons to own a pet, let alone a dog or puppy, I am going to write the  3 most worthwhile reasons. If  you want great relationships, if you want somebody trustworthy in your life, you will know it when you go through them.

 

I know many people who love pets, but don't want to bring  one home. The reason for them is having a pet is a lot of  work and it curtails your freedom to move around. Yes, they are correct.

Some others consider, a pet demands as much attention as a baby. You may neglect your needs but that can't be done to your pet. When a pet is sick, you have to visit a vet. Attend the pet quite frequently. They too are correct.

There's another group, the strict budgetary type. These people  consider having a pet is a lot of expense. The food bill, training expenses if it's a puppy, and the maintenance expenses if they are fish etc. are a hole on a pocket. Very true too!

But, I find another group which can't do without the pet(s). For these people, a pet is family. Whatever may be the cost in terms of money or time, they are ready to invest it.

So, what are the benefits of having a pet?

 

There are plenty of reasons for having a pet. Your reasons may be quite spectacular, but I think of 3 simple reasons for having a pet.

 

If you own a dog or puppy you probably felt it already. Your pet is happy to see you, even if you have just gone to collect the mail. 

1. Companionship

 

Majority of people who love petting, do so for need of a well-intentioned companion. A companion who doesn't have an agenda to stick with you or your family.

Well, a family with many members may not feel the need of a pet, but people are mostly not available for each other most of the time. People have more individual needs than social needs. A pet is rather free to interact with each member of the family.

Children in a family are the ones who enjoy a pet more than the grown-ups. A pet keeps they happy, energetic, and in a positive frame of mind. They need the companionship of a pet more.

Some people, who are against keeping pets, argue that petting an animal is actually keeping an animal away from its natural habitat. What I feel is the attraction between animals and people is mutual. With little effort on our part, humans, we can benefit one another. It's a pleasure to watch an animal blossom each day with little support from our side.

2. We fix each other emotionally

 

I remember a movie, which is about a race horse called Seabiscuit. The stallion was initially rejected as useless, but under the stewardship of some observant trainer, all the characters of the movie -- the owner and the lady of the house, the jockey, the horse, and the trainer -- help each other to overcome severe short-comings in their personal lives and finally live better.

 

That's exactly what we do to each other. A pet help us in his unique way to live better and we help him in the process.

 

Sometimes, the pet owners find that it's easy to trust the behavior of your pet than that of people around you. People around you have similar relationships with many other people as with you, no exclusive bonds. But, for you pet, you are the only one they have an exclusive bond. 

 

Isn't that something?

You would certainly agree that pets enhance our mood.

3. Pets watch your back

 

This may not apply to all types of pets, but this is a common thing that pets offer. Think of a dog or cat. So many times we see how dogs stand up for the owner or his family. They even protect the child when nobody is around. They guard your family in your absence, your property and home, your items, even your plants and other things.

I've heard many stories about pet mongooses protecting children / family members from snakes. Cats not only eat your mice and other pests, they too are a protector from snakes. Even a parrot calls out for you when a stranger arrives.

What about horses? 

 

They develop a personal bond with its rider. There are many stories in history where the horse helps escape the warrior and keeps on running till he drops dead. 

If you look around with an open mind you can see how a pet watches your back.

So, if you had been dropping off the idea of having a pet, reconsider. Perhaps this is the time to go for it now!

  

Note:

 

Among the most popular pets, dogs and cats top the list. Before you decide on a puppy, and if you are a first timer, you must check up which dog breed is suitable for you. 

 

No puppy is good or bad, it's only the matching of the temperament of the pet owner and the pet. Picking up the wrong breed for you can ultimately make you to give up on your pet and you are most likely to offer it for adoption. So, Choose the most suitable breed for you and your geographical location.

 

 

 

My Arowana Aquarium is Planned

My first knowledge of arowana came from a book on Fungsui, funny but true. That was more than 15 years ago. I attended a Fengsui workshop and purchased a book from tools stall. On reading about prosperity (everybody reads that part first) I came to know about some fish that turn golden when they mature, I knew the name.

Since then, I have read many books on arowana, checked countless articles, and learnt quite a bit about this rare species.

I have been fascinated by their adult scale color and scale size - they have bigger scales to body ratio than most of the fish variety.

Some say arowana is a fossil fish. Arowana origin is very old and they had been on earth for more time than any other fish species. But, that's not the reason they are not famous for.

Types of Arowana fish

It's difficult to tell exactly how many types of this fish available in nature. People consider each minor variation as a type. But, I think there are 5 main varieties of them.

Golden
Red
Silver white
Black
Blue And Green

Golden but Green Blue Arowana with red tail

Red Arowana

Silver White Arowana

 

Black Arowana

A red tail Golden Arowana Turning Gold as it matures

The "Prosperity Fish"

Arowana fish is considered to bring prosperity and good luck to the household they live in. May sound a bit superstitious, but many people around the world believe it to be so. Not only in china, most of the Asian countries nurture the same view. Not to exclude other parts of the world, this fish's popularity is growing.

A fengsui aquarium must have nine arowanas in total -- eight gold or red and one black fish. You need quite a big aquarium to accommodate all that number or they would not survive. Some think -- if any fish dies, you need not worry, that would take away the bad elements out of your house. Personally, I feel that is a BS idea.

If you can't take good care of your fish, you should not keep them at your home. No love, then no pets.

I am going to start my arowana aquarium, but not before a couple of weeks. The veriety I love is not so easily available and they cost a lot. They are a lot of scam artists in the market, trying to sell you some even if they don't have one. Some of them work as middlemen, not owners. I don't want to buy one without first ensuring that they are the right ones.

I would not buy them for fengsui / vastu. I would buy them because I love the species. If they would bring me properity, SO BE IT!

Snoopy: My Labrador Puppy

Snoopy is a boy, well, a little younger -- a toddler. He is my latest puppy love.

Barely 244 days old, he looks quite bigger than his age. He has all the boyish distractions. Snooping around the home for tasty snacks earned him the name "Snoopy."

Can't blame all the children in the household for naming a puppy. I think they are right, snoopy is a sweet name.

Hope, you have heard of a Labrador Retriever. That's his breed.

Creamy white, spotless, he is a feast to watch. After a bath, when he is in the sun drying his fur, the white glow around him gives the feeling of an angel, in the form of a dog, except the halo-ring around his head of-course. :-)

When he came home, barely a month and half old, he used to sleep a lot. We thought he is a lazy pup, but we loved his innocence. It was easy on us, because he slept through the night peacefully. Now also he sleeps a lot, but he loves to play tug-of-war, additionally. Now, his tug-of-war game is becoming  tough for us, because he is growing strong very fast.

He's a very smart pup and learns very fast. When he joined his trainer, he took to training like a pro. He is not yet a perfect dog, but he is getting trained. He has some aggression, but when told to "Stop" he would immediately stop barking / growling. That's a good thing and I think he is getting  better and better each day.

Photograph of Snoopy with my nephew. He is the new handler.

Snoopy with my nephew his enthusiastic Handler

I'm sure, you would get some more about Snoopy in future, but that's all for now.

The fish tank you see to the right, in the background is the topic for my next post. Something about  arowana fish.

That aquarium is specifically prepared form them. I'm doing a lot of research about how to take best care of them. Arowanas are a endangered species and they  cost a hell lot more. One can't afford to lose even one. Before one buys his first one, he / she be fully prepared.

I have used some expert knowledge from an arowana expert.

If you are interested in them, keep an eye for my next post.

My Two Guppies

These two guppies have an history of more than 3 years.

They are home bred. My landlord's 13 year old son bred them in a small glass jar. Really, he is a genius when it comes to breeding fish. He keeps on doing this breeding regularly.

He handed me over these two guppies just to relocated them temporarily, just to escape the admonishment of his parents. He neglects his study and puts time into this hobby of his. I was concerned initially that my gold fish may harm these small fry, so I shifted them to my glass bowl. Just to keep things natural for them, I used some indoor creepers in the bowl.

Later on he was into other breeding and thought of leaving them with me. He was happy that I was taking good care of his fish.

I keep that fish bowl on my dining table. Easy for me to keep a careful eye. But they are doing great, going strong each day.

These two small siblings showed great tenacity. From small fries they have grown up to be adults by now. My only concern is one of the two don't show much growth.

The positive thing about them is that they are very playful. They are a bundle of energy even at night at 1 AM.

I've attempted to catch their spirit in this video. A small one, just one minute in duration. Shot in my HTC mobile and edited with CyberLink Power Director 10, this may not be the best video, but I'm quite happy with the output.

Here is the video. It's for you to enjoy and have fun. If you like it, do comment in the comment section. That would give me some satisfaction and encouragement.

Me the Pet Lover and My Pets

I love my pets. I feed them. I ensure that they stay clean and comfortable.

That's the easiest part.

The difficult part is to write about them. It's one thing to  love your pets and quite another  to write a blog about them. Tougher still when  it's the first blog post. Right?

I know, you are a pet lover too, because you are reading this post. At least you can relate to my itch of pet obsession...lol.

Well, I love all kind of pets -cats, dogs, all kinds of aquarium fish, turtles, rabbits, birds -- to name a few. I'm specially fascinated when it comes to dogs and fish.

About my love for exquisite pets such as snakes, lizards, frogs and toads, butterflies -- to be honest, I've not tried my hands yet. About snakes especially, I don't consider them to be good for petting.
 

My Gold Fish

In addition to this gold fish I have few guppies in my fish bowl, but that's for another post.

Pets provide a strange calming effect on mind. When I watch my gold fish constantly moving around and pecking  at mosses, I feel very relaxed. One thing about gold fish that appeals to me is that they are very cool. They never attack or harm any other fish.