$450 Dollers For A MUTT?

There was a cute dog in the store today the owner said it was a Cockapoo. This is of course a cute name for a mutt breed from a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle. Out of curiosity I googled the Cockapoo and found you can spend any where from $450 - $1000 for one of these dogs.


This is so ridiculous I can't even believe it. Some one told me that its because they are new breed of dog but if that is true then why aren't they listed on the American Kennel Club list of Pure Breed dogs? Of course they aren't the only new Designer Mutts apparently anything you mix with a Poodle and give a cute name too is worth a fortune. Now There is the Snoodle, the Airedoodle, Boxerdoodle, Cavepoo, Eskipoo, Foodle, Laberadoodle.....etc.

Why would you spend so much money for a mutt when you can go to the pound and find the same type of mixed up doggies for about $70 for the adoption fee.

Maybe I should come up with a cute name for my mutt. He's a Chesapeake Bay Retriever/ Chow Mix...

Hummm Maybe a Chow Retriever.... His breed job could be to bring me snacks from the kitchen.

Small. Animal Saturday

Welcome to todays edition of Small Animal Saturday. Today I would like to talk about something that would seem to be common sense but still happens anyway.

If you have a boy hamster and a girl hamster and you let them "play" together you will get babies! Even if you are keeping them in seperate cages. Hamsters are mostly solitary animalsand when you put the opposite sex together the only "playing" they will be doing will produce little ones!

Just Like these...
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Spring Is in The Air

It was an absolutely beautiful day today. Even Cricket found a nice spot and just stretched out for a long nap in the sun.

I had to double check cause he was so still I couldn't even see him breathing and he wasn't chasing the birds lol.

Small Animal Saturday

My rat was lonely and I want to buy a new one to be his companion. How do I introduce them?

Rats are very social animals but it can take up to several weeks to introduce a newcomer. It will take some time and patience. If it is possible, get your rat a litter mate or another rat that your rat lived with before. This will make introductions easier. If not then use the following steps to introduce your rats to each other.

1. Place both rats in separate cages and place the cages near each other. This will allow the rats to scent each other in safety. You don't want to place the new rat directly in with your old one since he will feel defensive and may attack the new guy to protect his territory.

2. After a few days switch their cages so they can get a close up scent of each other. Just for a short while then return them to their own home. Do this several times.

3. Next introduce them in a neutral location like the bathtub, large box …etc. Watch for aggressive behavior such as puffing up the fur, arching their backs swinging their bodies sideways, I've even seen them whack their tails on the ground. If you see signs of aggression then carefully pick up one of the rats to prevent an attack. Use a towel to prevent bites. Then try again later.

4. If they have reached a point where they are accepting each other in the neutral territory then the next step is to let them interact in the area where you play with your first rat. Once again watch carefully.

5. Finally.., Thoroughly clean out the large cage, make sure you clean all the toys, the house, food and water dishes. Then rearrange it so it looks like a new territory. Trim your rats nails to help prevent scratching. Wash your rats with a mild shampoo to give them a nice clean scent that is the same for both of them. Then place them in their clean cage. Its best to do this in the morning when rats are sleepy.

Now be ready there will be some dominance behavior. The dominate rat will "attack" the submissive rat and force him onto his back. This is normal rat behavior, someone has to be the head rat. Watch for the raised hair, arched back, and sideways approach that are signs of aggression. If so, remove one of the rats but if no signs of aggression then leave them together.

Don’t worry if one rat is squeaking it doesn't mean it's getting hurt. This is just a rat's way of saying "I give up". As long as you have followed the introduction process step by step, and as long as neither of the rats are showing signs of aggression, the just let the fight run it's course. If you take the new rat out, you'll prolong this adjustment phase.

If however is it appears that the attack is especially vicious or one of the rats is being injured then you should remove him from the cage. For a few days there may be dominance behavior but before long they will be rat pack mates sleeping eating and grooming each other.

Pet Shop Pics

I've been rather sick the last few days so I haven't had the chance to update any of my blogs. Nor have I had the chance to make my comment for the comment challenge. I even missed Small Animal. Saturdays. I hope to make up all of that this weekend since I don't have to work but until then here are some cute pet Pics for you to enjoy!

Meet The Abandon

Every now and then someone decides they don't want their pets anymore. They bring them in and leave them usually without tell anyone. They just drop and run.

There two little ones we left in a plastic container on a counter in the store.

This big guy was left in a croc bag under the reptile enclosure.

And this beautiful Chinchilla was dumped in a shopping cart and left in the store.

We adopt out the pets that get dumped in our store once they have seen the vet. But you have to wonder why someone would take a pet and just dump them like that. I'm very torn! Part of me feel "how can you be so cruel to your pet" the other part says "well at least they dumped them someplace they will be well taken care of."

If you know of anyone that for what ever reason can not continue to care for their pet then please tell them about PETFINDERS.COM.

They can use this free site to find local shelters in their area based on the pet they have. By contacting these shelters they can get help getting their pets adopted into a loving family.

He Lies In Wait

Watch Out He's waiting for you

Duck past if you think your fast enough

I'll get you My Pretty

Boots the cat loves to attack my hubby every time he tries to walk into our office. We hung his door perch on this door because its the only place it really fits and we can still get past it. So every time my hubby comes in to do his homework he risks getting a whack from Boots. The first couple times it happened he had no warning. Boots just popped out and smacked him in the back of the head as he walked past. Now its a constant concern for him as he tries to get to the desk. The funny thing is no matter how riled up he is he won't attack me.

I'm having a great laugh at my hubby's expense everytime I hear Damn it BOOTS!