Bringing Home Baby

It amazes me how many people come into my work totally unprepared for the new pet they have brought into their lives. You should never bring home a pet based on the "AWWWWW Isn't he cute" factor. Here are some tips to help you get ready and then introduce your new family member in a way that makes those first exciting days go more smoothly.

1. Do your homework. This can be as easy as a trip to your local library. By reading about your new pet ahead of time you will be better prepared for the unexpected.

2. Ask The Experts Its always good to find others that either sell or own the pet your interested in. A good "Expert" will be able to discuss care and feeding, how long they will live, size, personality and possible health issues. This information will help you decide if in the long run you have picked the right pet.

3. Prepare for his arrival. Purchase all the food and supplies you need before you bring home your new pet. The basics will be different for different pets and your Expert can help you be prepared.

4. Pet-proof your home. If you are picking a pet that will have free range of your home make sure you to thoroughly pet proof his new surroundings. Make sure plants, especially those that may be toxic, are out of his reach. Also, don't let him near medicines, power cords cleaning products or standing water (like bathtubs and toilets).

5. Introduce your family slowly. Your new pet should meet family members one at a time. Some types of pets will be a one person pet and some will just be there for looks think lizards, some birds, spiders etc.

6. Provide regular veterinarian visits. There is a vet out there for every type of pet. A yearly check up will help insure you pet is healthy and you will know who to call if there is an emergency.

7. Groom your pet often. Many pets require regular grooming to look and feel their best, start basic grooming early, preferably on the day you bring her home, so she gets used to you handling her regularly. For the hairy breeds the grooming is much the same.

• Brush and comb her fur weekly to help control mats and hairballs.
• Brush her teeth twice a week to prevent tartar buildup, which can lead to other health problems. Be sure to use a toothpaste made for pets and not humans.
• Trim her claws once a week with clippers designed for your pet, carefully avoiding the sensitive base of the nail.
• Wipe her eyes and the insides of her ears with a damp cloth or cotton ball, looking for any excess grime, which could indicate illness.

8. Play with her daily. This obviously depends on your choice of pets, you will not need to play with some of them at all.

9. Give your pet a Bath Cats and dogs benefit from regular Baths it helps keep their fur smelling nice, gets rid of excess hair that can matte up and gets rid of cat dander to help visitors who might have allergies.

10. Never feed her human food. Avoid giving your pet" people food". Adding human food treats to your pet's diet may cause her to gain too much weight or become ill.

Now that your ready go bring home that new family member and enjoy.

Pet Cancer Awareness Month

Did you know it's Pet Cancer Awareness Month. With our beloved friends living longer they are becoming susceptible to some of the same ravages of time that we are. Blue Buffalo is one of the Brands we sell over at the pet store and they are raising money to fight Animal Cancer. From their website on Pet Cancer Awareness I got these Pet Cancer Facts to share with you.

1.	Cancer accounts for nearly 50% of all disease-related pet deaths each year. Source: Veterinary Oncology & Hematology Center
2.	Cancer is the #1 natural cause of death in older pets. Source: Veterinary Oncology & Hematology Center
3.	Dogs get cancer at roughly the same rate as humans. Source: AVMA.org
4.	One in four dogs die of cancer. Source: MorrisAnimalFoundation.org
5.	Over 50% of the dogs over age 10 will die of cancer. Source: DogTopics.com
6.	Just like in humans, cancer can occur in virtually any part of your dog's body. Source: DogTopics.com
7.	Approximately 1 in 4 dogs develops a tumor of some kind during his lifetime. Source: AVMA.org
8.	The cause of cancer in pets, just like people, is largely unknown. Source: Veterinary Oncology & Hematology Center
9.	Common risks of obesity in pets include many forms of cancer. Source: PetObesityPrevention.com

I have also included some videos over on the left about Pet Cancer sponsored by Betty White.

It was cancer that finally got to my friend Fitzs at 18 years old and I miss him terribly.

Cute Pics From the Pet Shop

He is just a sound sleeper he is not dead. Just thought I should mention.

Welcome to another edition of Small Animal Saturday!

Today we are once again going to talk about Hamsters.... Why? Because I got some really cute pictures this week at work and want to share. Also got a call from a customer who was concerned about her hamster's behavior.

On the phone the customer was worried because her hamster wasn't using his house and instead was moving all the bedding into his wheel and sleeping there.
This is perfectly normal hamster behavior. They are going to pick a spot they like and don't really care how cute or how expensive it is. They are rather like small children in this regard who would rather play with the big card board box instead of the over priced toy that came in the box. I explained that the hamster probably felt safer in the enclosed space of the wheel and as he got use to his new surroundings he would probably pick some where else.....then again maybe not!
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I found this bit of fun over on Happy Healthy Families and followed the link back to One To Try. Well it sounded like jolly good fun so I'm giving it a shot. I hope to meet lots of you Friday Followers.

All you do is follow my blog, then click on the Friday Follow widget, and sign up with your blog on the Mclinky List, Then follow blogs already listed on the McLinky, and you will get followed back.

Happy 2nd Annual Save the Frogs Day

I just read this morning that today is Save the Frogs Day. I didn't know if I should post this Here since its about frogs or on The Crazy Green Cheapskate because its ... so I'm compromising and posting it on both.
Frogs are one of the best indicators of whether or not an environment is healthy since they are the first affected by changes. If there are no frogs then you know something is wrong!

According to the ENN (Environmental News Network) There will be activities in 15 counties around the world. Including protests against restaurants that sell frogs legs. Apparently over 100 million wild frogs are captured and killed for their legs. YUCK!

Another thing they are trying to bring to light is the use of the herbicide Atrazine. which is linked to the chemical castration of male frogs. If you want to read the whole story check out ENN.

Small Animal Saturday

Ok this Small Animal Saturday is not based on a question I was asked but something I experienced last week.

Lets talk Hamsters... I see people stop in with their little ones and ohh and ahhh over the ever so cute Hamsters. Then they ask me "Do they bite?" My answer is always..."Anything With a Mouth can BITE!"

Now a few days ago I was holding one of the Hammies and was petting him when someones dog barked and scared the poop out of the cute little guy. WHO proceeded to BITE the Crap out of me! We are talking Blood flowing and me trying to to swear in front of the little kids walking around the store.

Hammies have VERY sharp teeth. If you are thinking of getting on you should be ready for the chance that one of these little guys might get freaked out and in their panic will bite you. When someone is looking at one as a possible pet and they have children under 10 I always recommend getting a Guinea Pig instead. Guinea Pigs are larger, easier to handle and the least likely of all the rodents to bite.... notice I don't say never! I have had a Guinea Pig nip at me (he didn't draw blood). Because small children are going to react more strongly if they are bitten by their beloved fuzzy buddy a hamster should be out of the question. An older child can better understand the risks and will be better prepared for that possibility.

By the way my finger still hurts.

HEY WHO LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG??

Boots the cat decided to repurpose my reusable bags into his new hideaway.