Parrots Are High Maintenance Pets

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Have you ever wandered through a pet shop and wondered what it might be like to own a pet parrot? They are beautiful to be sure, and the idea of having someone to “talk” with can be really tempting. But did you know that parrots are some of the most high maintenance pets out there? Before you buy, learn more.

First of all, it should be noted that parrots are very expensive to buy, house, feed, and maintain over long periods of time. Even the little parotlet, the tiniest of all parrots will cost at least $150 to purchase. Macaws, the largest, can run up to $10,000. Most people buy something in between these two extremes, but the point is they don’t come cheap.

Parrots require specialized living habitats: even a medium sized parrot such as an Eclectus or African Grey needs a good sized cage along with play toys, climbing apparatus, and materials to chew on.

Unlike parakeets or canaries, parrots cannot live on seeds alone. In fact, a high fat diet of seeds will be greatly detrimental to a big bird’s health. They need to have a base diet of specially formulated high nutrition bird pellets (available at most pet stores) with appropriately sized nuggets for helping your particular breed of parrot to keep its beak healthy and strong.

In addition to pellets, parrots have other nutritional needs that can only be met with “real” food. Lories, for instance, require nectar to stay healthy. Eclectus parrots need to have fresh cooked legumes such as chick peas and beans as part of their diets.

All parrots have specific additional foods that will help them to have happy lives, and owners must be responsible enough to provide their pets with what they need. There are also foods that are toxic to certain breeds of parrots: responsible ownership means learning as much as possible about your bird.

Parrots are notoriously destructive: macaw owners often dedicate an entire room of a house as playpens for their pet. They will chew on wood windowsills, refrigerator cords, and just about anything else you can think of. If you want your parrot to have the run of the house, you will need to “bird proof” it and keep your bird’s wings clipped at all times. It is definitely possible to “housetrain” a parrot, but even if it only defecates in its cage, owning a bird means cleaning up messes.

If you are seriously considering making a parrot a part of your life, take the time to do plenty of research first. You’ll want to choose one that will fit your lifestyle and whose personality suits what you are looking for. Some parrots are better talkers than others, and some live so long that they have to be put in people’s wills. Are you ready for that kind of a commitment? Think it through before taking that big step!

Your Pet Needs Some Lonely Time While Eating

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To make pets happy owners have to take little efforts and if it is the matter of health one has to consider below tips. Pet care needs involve good food, medicines, vaccinations and comfortable space. To make it happen owner need to strive for better things but with the presence of online shops Indian Pet Store one can now avail all the pet needs at their home with facility of shipping.

Indian Pet Store is one stop destination for all the pet needs and they know what your pet requires. Serving your pet a quality food is important but serving them in a comfortable dog feeding bowls is equally important and they also need quite a time while eating.

Speak to a veterinarian, know what is the diet requirement of your pet is, feed them in a portion and set timings to feed them. This will provide discipline to your pets and give them the chance to take a rest.

Provide them nutritious diet available at Indian Pet Store:

Pedigree Chicken Gravy Style For Adult 100g

Pedigree Real Meat Chicken & Liver Chunks In Sauce 80g

Pet en Care Dog Treat Munchy Bone Natural 3″6nos

Drools Dog Food Adult Chicken & Egg 500g

Avail this nutritious food for your pet also make sure that you are offering animal proteins, minerals and other essential vitamins to them.

Make your pet feel like a king by feeding them in comfortable feeding bowls, here is given the list of feeding bowls:

Raised bowls

Portable dog bowls

Plain dog bowls

Elevated dog feeders

Adjustable feeders

Slow-down dog feeders

Automatic dog feeders

Ceramic feeding bowls

Plastic and stainless steel bowls

Above type of feeding bowls are available at Indian Pet Store at affordable prices, it is essential to buy perfectly suitable dog feeding bowls, go for ceramic bowls they are easy to wash and have not made from any toxic substances.

Choose the dog feeding bowls considering habits of your pet if your pet is a naughty pet and eat a whole lot of meals at a time then go for slowdown feeders. Know your pet and accordingly avail feeding bowls for them.

With feeding bowls feed your pet sufficient amount of animal proteins, avoid carbohydrate intake as monsoon brings lethargic lifestyle for pets hence it is essential to replace carbohydrates with animal proteins, fats, vitamins, calcium, fiber and minerals.

Give your pet the best in joint health with Kenzen Pet Joint

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Today we shall be talking about the features of the Kenzen Pet Joint. Everyone deserves the best health, even your pets. Everyday, your pets grow older and stronger, and become more and more physically active. And as active as they are, they need the best nutrition to keep them healthy and safe. With the Kenzen Pet Joint, you won’t have to worry about their health problems anymore.

Kenzen Pet Joint is a revolutionary product that guarantees your pets remain as healthy and active as ever. It is formulated to facilitate the proper growth, development and defense of the different joints of your pet’s body. The formula includes a sufficient amount of cetyl myristoleate, a compound that is necessary for collagen, bone and connective tissue repair that also acts as an anti-inflammatory for joints and smooths movement with its natural surfactant and lubricant properties. Included in the complex is glucosamine, an essential part of the bone cartilage that helps in the development and stimulation of the catilaginous tissue, and an adequate dose of methyl sulfonylmethane, a compound necessary for the formation of collagen and for supporting joints and connective tissue by providing the biochemicals necessary for proper functioning of the joints. The proprietary formula gives the highest available percentage of cetyl myristoleate, plus other ingredients for supreme joint health. The compounds used in the production of Kenzen Joint are all naturally-sourced, making for superior bioavailability and providing your pet’s body with the necessary nutrients in order to maintain a fit and robust frame. The tablets are are made chewable for your pet’s convenience with a pet-friendly, smoked hickory chicken flavor that makes it both nutritious and delicious for them.

Dead Animal Removal One Of Many Interesting And Unconventional Careers

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When Andy realized the gentle old horse had died quietly in the night, he was a little sad. Memories of times spent together flitted through his mind. The practical matters of the situation, however, soon distracted him, and he began to mentally go through the process of how to safely dispose of the carcass.

When your cat or dog died, you probably had a small, intimate ceremony and buried it in the garden under its favorite tree. While not strictly legal, most people quietly bury their beloved pets on their own property. When a much larger animal dies, however, logistics are vastly different. Burying a horse or cow is not only against the law, it’s dangerous to the water supply. Instead, Andy can call someone whose job it is to pick up the dead horse and take it for cremation.

There are many jobs that fill a niche, and sometimes those niches are small and odd. Being a circus performer is a very specialized niche job, and one in which only a very few are employed. But you’ve heard of circuses, so that doesn’t sound as odd as the guy who gasses bananas. Or someone who chases wrinkles on shoes.

How does one go about landing that sort of work? Mostly, they’re just like any other job, except they have a great-sounding title. For instance, here’s why someone would need a banana gasser: when bananas are shipped, they’re picked green so that they have time to make it to your supermarket produce section before turning black and attracting fruit flies. The banana shipping companies hire someone to calculate how much ethylene gas to spray on the green fruit while it sits quietly in a hermetically sealed chamber. The gas forces ripening, so it’s only a little green when it lands on table. Once you know what the job is, you can see that, though rare, the job isn’t so weird you would be worried about bringing it up in polite company.

When you think of conventional careers, you’re probably thinking of the corporate world. We use hundreds of different products from hundreds of different manufacturers every week, and each of those products is attached to a group of people who have invented, improved, or modified what you use. Even in this world, there is plenty of room for an unconventional career – one that isn’t obvious by looking at the facade of the company. That wrinkle chaser is making sure your lovely new heels are smooth and trim. Making shoes? Normal. Chasing wrinkles? Something to brag about.

If you’re in the market for an off-the-wall job, you’ll probably have to do some digging, even literally, if you’re a professional latrine builder. You might also need some previously acquired skills. If you’re lucky, you can get trained as a snake milker on the job.

Things To Know Before Buying An Exotic Pet

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One cant help but wonder if Paris Hilton knew prior to having a kinkajou that the little rainforest mammal could potentially live up to 25 years. Did she know that they can often be noisy, with shrills, shrieks, yelps, and even whistles breaking the nighttime silence? Did she know that they need lots of exercise and a tall cage with branches and ledges for climbing? Did she know that some are said to be allergic to strawberries and that citrus fruits and dairy should be off limits in their diet?

Maybe she did know. Maybe she didnt. Either way, last year her Kinkajou, Baby Luv, had enough and bit the heiress on her arm, sending Hilton to the hospital where doctors treated the wound and administered a tetanus shot.

Hilton, who eventually got rid of Baby Luv, was also spotted sporting the kinkajou on her shoulder at red carpet events and while shopping at trendy boutiques. A proper enclosure may not be the rainforest but the red carpet is even farther from it. Furthermore, the thought of a kinkajou on the streets of Beverly Hills somehow eclipses the fact that they’re not even legal in the state of California.

In todays internet age its surprisingly easy to have a dwarf caiman or lesser anteater jump from the images on the Discovery Channel to your home. Sitting in front of your computer you can purchase a Japanese squirrel for $175, a white Siberian chipmunk for $350 or a water monitor lizard for an even $100. Armed with nothing but a credit card, one of these animals could arrive at your doorstep in a matter of weeks.

Owning an exotic animal is not only a labor of love but a test in skill, patience and know-how. In an American Pet Products Manufacturers Association National Pet Owners Survey, 18.2 million Americans undertook that labor in 2005-2006. Another survey by the same association pointed toward a 1.4 million exotic pet ownership jump in the three years between 2002 and 2005. According to the Humane Society of the United States, the business of exotic and wild animals as pets in the United States alone is estimated to be worth $15 billion annually.

Never Be Impulsive

Impulse buys can cost an avid shopper thousands of dollars every year. Shoes and purses though are inanimate objects that can be returned, disposed of or re-gifted. A living breathing animal is anything but.

Dr. Don J. Harris, veterinarian and director at the Miami-based Avian & Exotic Animal Medical Center, urges clarity of mind when you spot that extravagant bird or small furry friend.

“I think they should stop and they should do their homework,” said Harris. “I think they should walk out and go home and research via the internet, via the library, via local professionals. They should research the appropriateness of whatever pet it is they are considering.”

Its through that extensive research that the realities of owning that particular animal become clear. If you cherish your sleep, nocturnal animals may not be a good choice. If you keep your home warm, an animal that fairs better in cooler temperatures may not be for you.

“If youre looking for a bird thats a great talker you dont buy a sun conure because the sun conure is beautiful but all they do is scream. They rarely actually talk,” Harris said. “On the other hand if you want a bird thats playful and highly social and thats the priority, you wouldnt get an African gray because theyre very anti-social.”

Homework may be the first step to getting an exotic pet but understanding what you want is also crucial. “Every species has its unique characteristics that make them right or wrong for each individual,” Harris continued.

Understanding the Husbandry

Harris explains the husbandry as nutritional and habitat requirements such as lighting and temperature. Your pre-purchase research should extensively include these things. Harris explains what people should know before they take the plunge.

“They should know, not just guess, what the appropriate habitat requirements are. They should know what their nutrient requirements are,” said Harris. “The biggest problem we see here is malnutrition. Probably 70 or 80 percent of problems we see are directly or indirectly the result of malnutrition.”

Harris adds that poor habitat is also rampant in the exotic pet care world. Habitat problems range from not enough lighting, to not enough space and incorrect bedding material. Properly prepare the habitat well before the pets arrival. Understanding the husbandry also means knowing how to maintain the environment, how often to maintain it and the animals precise dietary needs.

Comprehension of the animals requirements can prevent problems that stem from poor diet or unsuitable habitat. Harris recounted a recent patient whose only problem was poor nutrition.

“An animal came in with horrible infections and abscesses in a variety of places,” Harris said. “The patient had been seen by another vet that knew little about exotics and the infection was treated directly and the underlying cause, which was malnutrition, was never identified.”

It wasnt until after Harris saw the patient that it made a full recovery. “This patient was managed and completely recovered using nothing but nutrient therapy,” said Harris.

Know the Expenses

Maleesa Losnedahl of Lansing, Ill., owner of a small grey chinchilla named Simon, purchased the furry rodent nearly four years ago for around a hundred dollars. The cage, specifically made for animals like Simon, cost another hundred dollars. Several times a month Simons cage is cleaned and new bedding is put in. The bedding can cost anywhere from $5 to $10 per bag. The chinchillas food, not even the most costly expense, adds around $20 per month. Dust bath, a unique necessity for the animal, amounts to about another $20 per month.

Chew toys, treats, cage accessories, and veterinary visits are all other expenses one can incur to simply own an animal that weighs about a pound. After at least a hundred dollars per month, Losnedahl has a happy and healthy chinchilla.

The bottom line: know your expenses beyond the preliminary purchase of the animal. Expenses shouldn’t catch you off guard.

Proper Veterinary Care

Finding proper veterinary care for your exotic is quite simple, as long as you know what to do. The “Dr. Harris Method” goes something like this.

First you get out the yellow pages. You identify all the clinics that claim to do exotics and you cross them off. You then call the clinics that dont claim to do exotics and you ask them if they do exotics. If they say yes you say thank you and hang up.

Next, you call all those clinics that dont claim to do exotics and you ask them if they do exotics. If they say no you then ask them who they recommend.

“You will discover a pattern,” Harris said. “You will discover that all the veterinarians in a given locale will know whos competent.”

Harris adds not to be fooled by large fancy ads. “If you have a full page ad in the yellow pages and it says we do exotics better than anybody else on the planet and nobody recommends them they are probably all BS.”

Know the Law

In Florida it is not necessary to obtain a permit to keep hedgehogs, chinchillas, honey possums, prairie dogs or even sugar gliders. You do need a permit to keep skunks, raccoons, and opossums though. In Maryland on the other hand, skunks and raccoons are prohibited. Ferrets can be owned in Florida with a license but in California they are flat out illegal.

At the risk of losing your pet, do the research on your states exotic pet laws. Some exotic pets require no license at all while others are completly illegal. Although government sites are a good resource to acquire your information, they have the tendency to be out of date. When in doubt, make phone calls or visit the corresponding office. Most of the time, its the fish and wildlife commission in your state that oversees these laws and permits.

“The biggest obstacle is not knowing the medicine, because almost all medicine is improvisation, but knowing the husbandry, the nutritional requirements, the habitat requirements, the lighting requirement, the temperature and all those things,” said Harris. “Thats the difficult part because the fact of the matter is I dont think we know what all the requirements are for all the animals.”

An exotic pet can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. The important thing is to provide the exact same experience for the pet.