Dec. 28/2016

Feature:
Can’t Have a Dog or Cat? 5 Pets to Consider Adopting

“...Rabbits
Bunnies are generally cuddly, friendly, & adorable...Bunnies often bond closely with their owners, recognize their owners’ voices, & will come on command, writes Dr. Laurie Hess, who specializes in treating exotic animals...They are usually quite clean & trainable & should live indoors but spend a couple hours outside each day so they can be exposed to sunlight... Rabbits may live a long time- 8 to 12 years or more...

Guinea Pigs
...Caring for a guinea pig properly & feeding him well helps him stay hardy & healthy, writes Dr. Hess. Guinea pigs are best kept indoors & need clean water, hay, fresh vegetables, & food pellets to ensure they get the vitamin C they need daily...These typically friendly pets... can live 5 to 7 years &, like bunnies, they can have a lot of personality...

Hedgehogs
...hedgehogs aren’t for everyone, but if you’re willing to spend quality time interacting with & socializing one, he will hopefully reward you by bonding with you & responding to your voice & presence...hedgehogs are prickly so you have to be careful about how & when you pick them up. These guys curl up into a tight little ball when they’re scared.

Owners need to handle them gently & often to help them to relax & uncurl, showing off their tiny faces... Hedgehogs are night owls... They vocalize with grunts, squeals, snorts, & snuffling sounds...

Ferrets
...Many ferrets are snuggly, playful, & entertaining members of the family & can be wonderful for people who have the time to get them out of their cages each day & interact with them...Ferrets like to dig & chew on everything, & they have a habit of hiding items in secret locations. Many ferret owners end up getting more than one of these social little animals to ensure their pet has a buddy...

Birds
...Birds like parrots, canaries, & finches tend to be beautiful & very intelligent. Owning one of these birds requires a lot of time & cares...Many birds like to chew on whatever they can find, & medium-to-large sized birds need to spend at least a couple of hours outside of their cages each day while being supervised & interacting with their owners... birds can make wonderful pets — some of whom can live for dozens of years."

Amy Sinatra Ayres  (Vetstreet.com)
May 6/2016
care2.com

Cute Critter Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Memorial
Sweet Ted RIP

Dec. 21/2016

Feature:
Hooked on Penguins
“...Since embarking on my penguin quest years ago, I have witnessed 4 species in the wild...I have seen little blue, or fairy penguins in Australia & New Zealand; Humboldt penguins in Patagonia; & African penguins in Nambia...

     ...The Falkland Islands has 5 species & more than a million penguins, including the world’s largest breeding population of gentoos & nearly 40% of the world’s southern rockhopper population. The birds inhabit beaches, craggy cliffs, heathland & coastal grasslands, all within reasonable reach

     ...The penguin breeding season coincides with the tourist invasion. Both occur during the Southern hemisphere’s late spring & summer months...During this period, the archipelago transforms into a giant maternity ward...

     The adults lay & incubate their eggs. Chicks hatch. The weeks-old fledglings gather in protective creches while their parents forage for food in the ocean. The youngsters wait for dinner, vocalizing their hunger & impatience- loudly.

     2 species-gentoo & king- inhabit the Falklands year-round.

     The southern rockhopper, Magellanic & macaroni are seasonal guests. When the weather starts to cool, they depart for waters up the South American coast & around South Georgia Island & Antarctica. But even in the off-season, penguins outnumber the humans...

     The Falklands’ largest colony of king penguins-about 1,000 adults & 500 chicks- resides at Volunteer Point, a toe of land 3 hours from Stanley...

     Kings, the second-largest penguin after the emperor, are indeed stunning. They are statuesque & look haute couture in velvety black hoods splashed with citrus colors...At 3 feet tall...& weighing 35 lbs., they are the size of a 3 yr. old...

      Of the 5 species, the macaroni is the most elusive. It doesn’t even appear on a local map highlighting wildlife-viewing sites. According to Falklands Conservation, about 2 dozen breeding pairs nest among the rockhoppers, which look like macaroni’s runtier twin. both are crested penguins with plumes that spring from their heads like streamers. Experts differentiate the 2 by location & color of the feathers & the size & hue of the beak. Macaronis are also huskier & have a unibrow....”

Andrea Sachs
Washington Post
in The Gazette, Montreal
Oct. 1/2016

Cute Critter Christmas Pics

Weekly Chuckles

Merry Christmas To All!
    

Dec. 14/2016

Feature:
10 Surprising Facts About Turtles

“...1. Turtles have been on Earth for over 200 million years.
...Turtles... are one of the oldest & most primitive groups of reptiles on the planet.

2. You can identify males & females by the sounds they make.
...typically the males will grunt & the females hiss, especially during mating.

3. They can breathe through their skin.
...a turtle’s shell prevents them from breathing like most animals whose lungs can expand. Instead, turtles have specific muscles to pull the body organs away from the lungs in order to fill them with oxygen.

4. Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica.
...The smallest is the American bog turtle at a mature size of 7-10 cm long. The largest are leatherback sea turtles that can reach 2.5 m long & weigh up to 2,000 lbs..

5. Female turtles can store sperm for up to 4 years after mating.
After a single mating, female turtles may keep sperm in specialized areas in their bodies & be able to lay fertilized eggs for many years...

6. Certain species can live over 100 years.
...For Galapagos tortoises, 80 yrs. old is considered middle-aged...Turtles typically reach full size in their first 10 years...

7. A turtle’s shell is made of 60 separate bones connected together.
Each of these bone plates is covered by... scutes... The pigment melanin is also present in scutes, which contributes to the intricate designs & colors in some species...

8. They can drown.
One deep breath can last a turtle for several hours, & some freshwater turtles can stay underwater for many days...

9. Turtles see colors.
...turtles have good eyesight & are particularly sensitive to the color red...

10. The temperature of a sea turtle nest determines the gender of the hatchlings.
More female hatchlings will be produced during warmer temperatures, & more males during cooler temperatures...”


Zoe Blarowski
May 23/2016
care2.com

Cute Critter Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Dec. 7/2016

Feature:
There’s a Place in Hawaii Where You Can Cuddle With 500 Cats

“...The Lanai Cat Sanctuary houses 495 cats — all living the good life you always wish you did. The felines live outside of cages in 2 acres of lush green landscape with access to running fresh water. They climb trees, chase butterflies, nap on the grass, & play with the visiting humans.

‘It all began with sterilizing Lanai’s street cats in 2004 followed by sheltering them in a horse stable in the mountain community of Koele,’ explains the sanctuary’s website. ‘It was just a small committed group of cat lovers trying to do the right thing on an island without any animal shelters, rescue groups or veterinarians.’

Lanai is one of the most isolated islands in the United States & a local veterinarian is still nonexistent so the sanctuary flies one from Oahu every month to look at the animals.

The island has 3,000 residents, most of which work at its 2 luxury resorts, 4 at the sanctuary as care takers. In the remote location, the cat sanctuary has become an attraction for those visiting. People can stop by daily between 10 a.m. & 3 p.m. & just hang out. There’s no admission fee, though a donation to keep the project going is encouraged.

The same system works for adoptions. If any of the visitors falls in love with one of the kitties – like Sir Purrsalot, a 7 year old domestic short hair, or Butterfinger, an orange tabby who loves hugs — they don’t have to pay a fee to bring them home but a donation is appreciated since the sanctuary survives thrives through them.

... there are other sanctuaries around the United States that have a similar set up. The Cat House on the Kings in California is the state’s largest no-cage, no-kill, lifetime cat sanctuary, & adoption center. It currently houses 700 cats & kittens, a dozen dogs, & some peacocks.
In Robinsville, N.C., the Cat Ranch Sanctuary gives lifetime care to unadoptable,abandoned, abused, & special needs cats. The fenced in 2 acres allows the resident cats to roam & smell the mountain air & take shelter in a 2-story kitty condo that’s heated in the winter & has fans during the summer.

Further south in Palm City, Fla., Domino’s Cat Rescue League allows resident adoptable cats to have an entire house for themselves. Rooms have been catified for their enjoyment & a fenced in yard has towers that give them a “bird’s eye view” of their kingdom...”


Natalia Lima
August 16/2016
care2.com

Cute Critter Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Memorial 
Edna Belle Wiltzen Dec. 7/1996
I love you & miss you so much.
RIP