Although small mammals are cute and tiny, they can be a big responsibility. If you’re interested in owning a chinchilla, ferret, hamster, hedgehogs, gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, and other small mammals, it’s important to learn how to properly care for each of these furry creatures before bringing them home with you.
Consider what size, temperament, and activity level are right for your household so you can choose the option that best matches your lifestyle. Are you looking for an animal that will take kindly to being petted and interact with you? Rabbits or guinea pigs are pets that enjoy cuddling once they’re gotten used to you. Be sure to choose a small mammal that has what you’re looking for and you’ll love having it around. Check out the articles below to learn more about the general care of each of these animals.
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My Cat Grooms Excessively — Is Something Wrong?
Category:
Newsletter Library, Cats
It is normal for cats to groom themselves throughout the day. In fact, cats may spend up to one half of each day grooming themselves. For this reason, you may not even notice if your cat starts to groom himself or herself excessively. Nonetheless, if your cat constantly licks himself or herself or is
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Trimming Your Cat's Claws
Category:
Newsletter Library, Cats
Cats are generally regarded as "self-grooming" pets, though they do need their humans for some grooming activities. One grooming technique cats are unable to perform on their own is trimming their front nails. While some indoor-only cats are de-clawed in the front (this means their claws have been removed
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Two Common Diseases of Geriatric Cats
Category:
Newsletter Library, Cats
Cats are living longer and longer. This is due to better medical care and the fact that more cats are living only indoors. These cats commonly live up to 15 to 18 years of age, with a few living into their twenties. The oldest cat on record lived to be 38!
The two most common diseases of the geriatric
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Unnecessary Risks Cat Owners Take
Category:
Newsletter Library, Cats
There are specific activities that can make a positive difference in your pet's health. The difference will be enhanced health and wellness when you integrate them into your current pet maintenance program. Feeding, grooming and vaccinations are probably your top-of-mind priorities. Sometimes you can
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Fun Cat Trivia
Category:
Newsletter Library, Cats
Cats are amazing animals. They have become one of the most popular pets because of their playfulness, independent nature, daily low-maintenance lifestyle, and affectionate personalities. Enjoy these fun facts about your favorite feline.
A group of kittens is called a kindle; a group of cats is called
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Flea Prevention Is Important for Cats Too!
Category:
Newsletter Library, Cats
When most people think of who needs flea prevention, the family dog is at the top of the list, and often cats are forgotten or assumed to be flea free. Dogs are bathed more regularly than cats and when they scratch it’s much more obvious. Cats are very clean creatures; they groom themselves daily and
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The Myth of Natural
Category:
Newsletter Library, Keeping Pets Healthy
Pet owners occasionally tell veterinarians they are reluctant to use prescription medicine, spot-on flea products, heartworm preventatives, etc, because they would rather use something that is "natural." They are afraid of chemicals, and would rather use something that is organic or natural. But what
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Ringworm in Cats and Dogs
Category:
Newsletter Library, Keeping Pets Healthy
Ringworm is not actually caused by a worm, but rather by a fungus that infects the outer layer of skin and hair. It is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted from pets to humans, or people to pets. There are numerous species of ringworm. It is most commonly recognized in cats (often kittens)
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Orthopedic Care for Dogs
Category:
Newsletter Library, Keeping Pets Healthy
Joint problems plague dogs just as commonly as they do humans. That's why orthopedic care can improve your beloved friend's quality of life.
Common Orthopedic Issues
A dog's joint problems may result from a variety of orthopedic injuries and illnesses. In some cases, these vulnerabilities are partly
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Natural Stress Relief for Pets
Category:
Newsletter Library, Keeping Pets Healthy
One of the most common complaints from pet owners is that their pets are destructive or disruptive when they are left alone. Dogs may bark, howl, chew, dig, defecate or urinate. Although these behaviors are often a sign that dogs need to be housebroken or crate trained, they can also indicate that a
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How to Take Care of Your Pet's Nails
Category:
Newsletter Library, Keeping Pets Healthy
Many pets dislike having their feet touched and their nails trimmed. Owners worry that they may hurt their pets especially if the pet struggles when having their nails cut. This is probably why many owners take their pets to their veterinarians or groomers to have this done. If you are thinking of trimming
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Home Dental Care
Category:
Newsletter Library, Keeping Pets Healthy
Home dental care for your cat or dog has the same goal as home dental care for yourself, to remove dental plaque. Plaque is the sticky, whitish film with the bad taste and offensive odor that accumulates inside the mouth. Plaque is about 85% bacteria and will mineralize to form tartar. Plaque accumulation
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Get Down With Your Dog
Category:
Newsletter Library, Newsletter Archive, Fun with Pets
Each year fifteen million Americans engage in the practice of yoga. Many of the same Americans own some of the over seventy-three million dogs owned in the United States. If you put yoga and dogs together, you get doga (pronounced DOH-gah). Doga is sweeping the nation including large American cities
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Having a Positive Experience at the Dog Park
Category:
Newsletter Library, Newsletter Archive, Fun with Pets
Dog parks: they are great for socialization, exercise, and mental stimulation for many dogs. But certain dogs may feel threatened or anxious. Whether you and your dog have a good dog park experience or a bad one depends largely on your understanding of your dog, advanced preparation, proper training,
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The Pet Economy
Category:
Newsletter Library, Newsletter Archive, Fun with Pets
If there's still any doubt whether the pampering of pets is getting out of hand, the debate should be settled once and for all by Neuticles, a patented testicular implant that sells for up to $919 a pair. The idea, says inventor Gregg A. Miller, is to "let people restore their pets to anatomical preciseness"
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Traveling with Your Pet
Category:
Newsletter Library, Newsletter Archive, Fun with Pets
Traveling with your pet can be rewarding but challenging if not enough preparation has been made. Planning will help your trip go smoother and should include acquiring any paperwork that is needed, consideration of the temperatures to be experienced and how to deal with them, and obtaining equipment
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