Air Travel with your Pet

Many pet owners can’t bear the thought of leaving their pet behind when traveling, even when they travel via air.  If you are planning a trip by plane and your pet is going to accompany you, taking necessary precautions beforehand is important to making the trip a healthy and safe one for your pet.

Where will Your Pet Ride? Historically, pets have been “checked” as luggage when flying by air.  This means that the pet would ride in the baggage hold or cargo hold of the plane.  The cargo hold may not be a safe spot, however, as it is not always shielded against severe cold or heat that often occurs during flight.  A pet can be exposed to extreme temperatures in the cargo hold, which is particularly disconcerting if the pet is left there for a long period of time, or if a flight is delayed. To make matters worse, there is no way for you to check on, monitor, or render aid to your pet if it becomes ill or uncomfortable during its time in the cargo hold.  Smaller pets can be carried on the plane, but only if you notify the airline well in advance, as airlines are limited by the number of pets that can fly per flight or per cabin.  Your pet and its carry-on container, such as a “Pet Taxi,” cannot weigh (combined) more than forty pounds with most airlines. You must also be able to stow the container and the pet beneath your seat during the flight.

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If You Have an Exotic Pet “The Exotic Nutrition Pet Company” is the Place to Shop

The Exotic Nutrition Pet Company specializes in the manufacturing and distribution of exotic mammal feeds, supplements, and accessories. Exotic Nutrition only produces super premium and premium pet foods with high nutrient levels. Our foods are made in small batches to insure freshness. The formulas for our foods are stable, which ensures consistent quality. We only change formulas to improve them.

Our team of Exotic Pet specialists go to great lengths in order to provide our customers with the same health oriented features that they are seeking for themselves:

* Carefully selected fresh ingredients * Locally grown & Imported fine herbs, fruits and vegetables * Naturally sourced ingredients * Exceptionally delicious and unique flavors

Our facility is located in Southeastern Virginia, and we are a family owned and operated company. We have always prided ourselves in meeting the needs of our exotic mammal friends when they are kept in captivity, and have always striven to bring the finest quality animal diets and accessories to consciences pet owners worldwide. Ensuring the health and well being of your captive exotic is our main concern.

We are, and will continue to be, a company whose objective is to deliver the best possible products and services at an affordable price. Our company stands behind the products that we manufacture, and continuously monitors quality and freshness to offer you and your pets the highest quality foods, supplements, and accessories for exotics available.

Whether you are shopping for wild bird feed, treats for your Degu, an enclosure for your Hedgehog, Sugar Glider, or Marmoset or  simply need advice in caring for your Skunk, we are here to help and you can feel secure in the knowledge that you are getting reliable, thoughtful and informative information when bringing your exotic home. http://www.exoticnutrition.com For 10% off your next order use coupon #ENC828 valid through April 26th.

Evidence Grows that Childhood Pets Protect Against Animal Allergies

Good news for families who are keen to have a pet cat or dog at home, but are worried that the children might develop an animal allergy as a result. An increasing body of evidence roundly disproves that theory.

New research from Melbourne University has found that kids who were exposed to animals at a young age experienced lower levels of nasal allergies as adolescents. In fact, family pets, especially dogs, do more than fail to cause allergies – they may actively prevent them.

Nasal allergies give rise to irritating symptoms from itchy eyes and sore throats to runny noses. They can also cause asthma and other allergic diseases. The latest study focused on those who grew up with animals, and those who had these symptoms, and questioned 8,500 adults across Australia and Europe. The findings were published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

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Critter Love “Fun Tips & Tricks” for Your Sugar Glider

There is SO much fun to have with Sugar Gliders. They love to play, glide, and run in wheels. They love to take apart toys (also known as reset toys) and carry them off to their pouches. They love to have fun with YOU!!

It is pure enjoyment just to sit and watch your little one explore their cage when you add in new toys.

Be sure to check out www.critterlove.com for all of your Sugar Glider needs whether you are considering a Sugar Glider as a pet for the first time or are looking for the best diet, toys and treats for your Sugar Glider family. As a Company, Critter Love is committed to high ethical standards. “Our values are driven by the desire to improve both the health and mental stimulation in the lives of Sugar Gliders and to educate the Sugar Glider owners with the most up to date information on proper care.”

“Cage” is a Four Letter Word

I have gotten quite a few questions just lately related to repetitive behaviors in a wide variety of different species of small animals, however, this post is pertinent for animals of every size. The consistent theme revolves around a variety of behaviors including, but not limited to, mindless digging, biting at the bars of the “cage,” nose rubbing in reptiles, self induced feather plucking in birds, fur pulling in rats and repeated escape attempts in all of the above.

What all these behaviors have in common is the “cage” the animal is in, and I use the word “cage” in this case, because I’m referring to a place that an animal is locked into, that for whatever reason they aren’t happy with and don’t want to be. A happy pet is one, that after a period of interaction with their respective person retires to their home to eat, drink and rest willingly and happily. I use my pet rat Munchkin as an example. The first thing I do in the morning is say hello to her and open both her doors so that if she wants to she can come out get some attention from me and roam about the table her home is on looking for the food and treats that I laid out for her the night before. She is used to this routine and looks forward to it and I often find her waiting at her door to be let out. She enjoys foraging for her food, exploring her play area and generally running around. She collects her food for the day diligently, carrying each piece one at a time back to her enclosure, hiding each one in what she considers to be the appropriate spot. This goes on for about an hour in the morning at which time she generally goes into her home on her own, grooms herself and naps for a good part of the day. When I am finished with my morning coffee and she is asleep I close her doors for her safety, not because I’m afraid she will escape as with her there is no escaping, she is happy and content in her home. This routine is then repeated at the end of the day as well.

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“Critter Love” A Breeder Dedicated to the Care & Health of Pet Sugar Glider’s

For all lovers of Sugar Gliders out there, whether you are planning to add new members to your family now or just starting to do your research, it is of the utmost importance that you contact a reputable breeder.  A company dedicated to providing healthy, tame Sugar Gliders, as well as the appropriate diets, toys and supplies. One that can give you all the information that you will ever need to determine whether a Sugar Glider is the right pet for you. Critter Love is just such a place.

Peggy Brewer, is the Owner and Founder of Critter Love™ and is also the creator of the Original HPW™, HPW Plus™, and HPW Complete™ Diet Plans. Family owned and operated Critter Love’s purpose is to continuously research and develop the most nutritional diet for the optimal health of pet Sugar Gliders around the world.

For Peggy, her interest in animals of all shapes and sizes was one born out of love. It all started when she was a young child and refused to leave any animal out on the street. She felt they all needed a home, and in her case that home happened to be hers. Of course her parents didn’t always agree, but they allowed her to have her fair share. From dogs and cats to ducks, geese, raccoon’s and birds, just to name a few, they all found a place in her heart and home.

Now she is grown, married and has children of her own, but that special love for animals remains and she tries to help as many as she can. She is currently the proud owner of a mixed breed dog and 24 Sugar Gliders. Peggy currently breeds for Leucistics, Mosaics and Platinum’s, with the occasional Classic Grey or Black Beauty being born into this mix as well.

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Will Ferrets Fit Your Lifestyle?…. or Rather Will You Fit Theirs?

When deciding on a new member of the family it is always best to gather as much information on your desired pet as possible and be willing to decide against a pet that you know won’t fit happily into your family unit, for both the animals sake and yours. People who get a pet, solely because it’s “trendy” or because a friend has one is destined to be unhappy.

For the right person ferrets are fabulous. They are crazy active, inquisitive to a fault, loving, affectionate, incredibly smart problem solvers that need to have free run of the house for as much of the time your are home as possible. I had my two ferrets Philia and Hero for eight years and although they brought me great joy and were the light of my life, they could also wear on my patience at times. My love, however, outweighed the wear and tear on my couch due to their sleeping inside it (yes inside it, they broke in from below); their ability to completely disappear right before leaving for work making it impossible to put them in their enclosure, and the need to clean up poo when they were too sleepy or lazy to make it to their box. On the other hand it brought me the greatest joy when they sought me out for a game of hide and seek, gave me kisses for no reason, were waiting at their enclosure door to be let out when I got home from work, would only take their food from me, not to mention their fearlessness and trust in people to love and protect them in general was, and still is amazing to me. Ferrets in my opinion are one of the easiest animals to love unconditionally.

So, after having said all that……..

If you are someone who does not spend much time at home don’t expect a ferret to do well. If you think that ferrets can be kept happy living in a cage, don’t get a ferret. If you do not intend to get more than one ferret, don’t get a ferret. If you can’t handle a bit of damage to furniture and occasionally cleaning up a corner or two from time to time, don’t get a ferret. If you want a pet that’s relaxed, calm and happy to just sit in your lap all evening, don’t get a ferret. If you expect to train a ferret as you would a dog then definitely don’t get a ferret. Ferrets are trainable, most definitely, however it will be on their own terms; you have to find a way to make doing what you want them to do appealing to them. For example; if they know that every time they use their litter box correctly they will get a special treat then they will use the box.

Read on for some interesting bits of information that I hope will help dispel any misconceptions you might have as well as make an informed decision.

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Big Brands Bonus Sale Continues at PetSmart!

The Big Brands Bonus Sale continues this June at PetSmart.com! You will be able to save on our top names and take advantage of these additional promotions.

Click on the links below and save!

• Save up to 30% on select Martha Stewart products at PetSmart.com!
• Save 30% on all Sentry Good Behavior dog & cat products at PetSmart.com!
• Save 20% on select Top Paw products at PetSmart.com!
• Save up to $10 on K9 Advantix II and Advantage II Dog or Cat Flea and Tick Treatment 6 packs at PetSmart.com!
• The Puppy Starter Kit – Over $130 in savings for only $19.99 at PetSmart.com!
• Reptile Mega Month – Our biggest Reptile Sale of the Year at PetSmart.com!
• Shop New Hill’s Ideal Balance dog and cat food at PetSmart.com!
• Summer PETssentials – Everything you and your pet need for summer fun at PetSmart.com!

Highland Sugar Gliders

Highland Sugar Gliders is a small  hobby breeder located in eastern Maryland.

We specializing in several of the rare sugar glider color variations.  We also produce sweet hand tame baby sugar gliders.

Our main objective in choosing to breed these very special animals is to produce healthy sugar gliders with terrific body type, stunning color variations, and sweet and healthy joeys ready to go home with you to become your wonderful family pets.

Eventually, through rigorously controlled breeding, we also hope to be able to begin the steps needed to create high quality fancy breed sugar gliders for show.

Our personal philosophy on breeding: The most important thing to strive for in breeding is strong, healthy, big animals that are docile, social, and pleasing to the eye.

For more information visit  us at http://www.highlandsugargliders.com

Gerbils – Best Pet Option for Young Children

If you have young children under foot begging for a puppy, you’re likely concerned that even after they’ve promised to feed it, walk it, and clean up after it, you’ll in fact be the one taking care of the poor creature. Then you’ll have a furry child to add to your brood.

As a dog person – allergic though I am – I’m an advocate of children growing up with one (maybe even 2) but that said they are a lot of work, and where younger kids are concerned they may not be the best option. As kids get older and can appreciate that a dog or cat requires a lot of care and work, and is in fact a member of the family once adopted, this idea may be more appealing. However, if your tiny loved ones are just that, tiny, but you still want them to have a pet to love and learn to care for (with your guidance of course), let me make a case for gerbils. But before I do, let’s run through a few other pet options that may seem appealing but may not be as suitable for a host of reasons.

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