It is fun and easy and so versatile. Kids love to play with the pet during playtime and snuggle up with it during sleep time. Everyone needs a pillow. Why not have a fun, cuddly pillow with the Pillow Pet. Pillow Pets are great for traveling, long car trips, airplanes and sleepovers. Pillow Pets are constructed of high quality chenille fabric with durable stitching that stands up to wear and tear. Pillow Pets are machine washable so your child’s Pillow Pet can always be clean and fresh. Pillow Pets make the perfect gift so if you have a birthday party, holiday or special occasion around the corner pick up a Pillow Pet. We guarantee it will be a hit. Pillow Pets are great for boys and girls of all ages and will truly be a hit at the next birthday party. What really makes these kid’s toys so unique At first glance, it seems just like any regular cute stuffed animal to parents. But, the unique feature about Pillow Pets is that they could pop open into pillows that children can utilize to relax or sleep on. This reason is why the toy is known as a Pillow Pet. This is achieved using Velcro straps. If you undo the Velcro fastening, the Pillow Pet will automatically pop open and turn into a pillow. To turn it back to a soft toy again, you simply reconnect the Velcro belt. Pillow Pets are made of chenille, a very soft material that is plush and durable. The toy comes in a variety of animal patterns from a cow with black and white fluffy looking patches to a bug with a red nose and black antennae. There are more than thirty different My Pillow Pets of many types of animals. Some are named, -Sir Horse,’ -Patriotic Pup,’ -Cowardly Lion,’ to -Zippity Zebra. A child will find a friend for life with one of these great soft functional pillows.
African Pygmy Hedgehogs How To Care For Them
There Are Many Positives To Keeping An African Pygmy Hedgehog As A Pet, We Have Listed Them Below!
African Pygmy Hedgehogs are very fast becoming one of the most popular kept exotic pets in the UK.
They don’t take up huge amounts of space and exercise outside the cage.
They are not noisy animals so no fall outs with you neighbours (if you have them),
We have not noticed any distinct smells as long as you keep them clean.
They are not difficult to feed and you can even find hedgehog food from online stores, or cat food from local pet stores, chicken based is best and high quality without fillers.
You do not need to walk them like you do large animals, you can purchase them a hamster wheel they will have hours of fun.
You can find different colours, normal, chocolate and albino, other colours are being worked on by UK breeders.
African Pygmy Hedgehogs Care Sheet
A good healthy hedgehog can live for 3-6yrs. Please see our information guide below on what to buy for your new Baby Hog!!
Your new hedgehog will have to live indoors unless you can arrange heating in a nice shed or outside. The perfect temperature for Hedgehogs 65-80f (18-26c) which is the average house temperature, anything below 45f (7.2c) and it is very risky as they may go into hibernation which is dangerous for them, they can be bought out of hibernation but sadly it might be too late. Your new African Pygmy Hedgehogs will also need on average 12 hours per day of daylight, you can achieve this with either natural day light or using an artificial light.
African Pygmy Hedgehogs can be kept on their own or two females togther can work, never two males they will not get along and a male and female will obviously multiply, they are more than happy on their own.
The perfect housing for an adult African Pygmy Hedgehog is an indoor rabbit cage 36″ by 12″ as they need lots of exercise, being nocturnal they will be up all night. It has been said that African Pygmy Hedgehogs will use their play wheels during the night and some walk upto 10 miles in their wheel.
Litter Training Your African Pygmy Hedgehog
You will need to put a litter try in their cage, if they keep making a mess outside of their litter try keep putting them back in they will pick it up, give them time and patience. You can fill their litter tray with clumping cat litter or sawdust, natural cat litter is the safest.
Housing Materials For your African Pygmy Hedgehog
African Pygmy Hedgehog will need a nesting box, a water bottle (rabbit or hamster bottle etc), feeding bowl and dust free sawdust, if it isn’t dust free it can cause serious problems and clog their bladders, also make sure it is not made out of cedar (the fumes can be highly toxic). Hedgehog feeding
African Pygmy Hedgehogs need a strict diet that is high in protein and low in fat. See our guide to what they can eat.
They can eat chicken cooked throurougly, baby food that is chicken based, and any good quality cat meat that contains high content of chicken. This will aid their digestion.
You can also use a cat biscuit formulated from chicken and some stores will even stock hedgeghog food, it is always worth registering your interest in hedgehog food otherwise there will never be enough demand for the manufacturers to consider making it.
They will eat livefood such as insects that can be bought from pet shops or exotic/reptile shop like mealworms, crickets and wax worms, some of these stores are on the internet too. If you really do not like the idea of feeding live food you can buy htem frozen or dried but we believe fresh is best!
Fruit and vegetables are allowed on occasions, also low fat yogurts and cooked egg. .
A fresh supply of drinking water should be readily available at all times
Do not feed your African Pygmy Hedgehog insects from the garden. They are also thought to be lactose intolerant please do not give them cows milk, if you needed to give a baby hedgehog milk then it should be goats milk.
Do not feed peanuts as they can get trapped in the roof of their mouths.
Offer your baby hedgehog a full bowl of food daily, once you see the amount eaten daily you can give this amount every night, avoiding wastage but also making sure no old food is left in their feeding dish
A typical adult African Pygmy Hedgehog weighs 12-18 ounces.
African Pygmy Hedgehogs Playtime
Toys, like children they love to play with toys. The most important purchase you can make is their wheel, they will spend amazing amounts of time in the wheel and this in turn is fantastic exercise and will stop them becoming bored. Make sure the wheel is plastic and not wire, we don’t like wires as their feet could get caught and damaged. Provide plenty of tunnels, noisy toys and balls etc, you can get hamster toys just make sure the tunnels are big enough, also give them a hiding area where they can sleep and go for peace!
They love to be cuddled by the family, as with all animals the more time you spend handling them the tamer they will be. If you can get them out for time in the evening their spines will go down so you and the family can stroke them like you would other pets.
African Pygmy Hedgehog Behaviour
Hedgehogs are seldom aggressive, in most cases they only ball up because they are scared. They rarely bite through aggression or fright, I have not been bitten yet! If they start licking your fingers there may be something tasty on them so licking is best stopped to avoid an accidental nip
Self anointing is a very common hedgehog act and its very amusing to watch. When they taste something new like food or an object they build up a frothing lather in their mouth then doing the most amazing contortions they spread the lather on their backs.
Different Breeds Of Turtles Commonly Kept As Pets
The many different breeds of turtles can just about be classifed as completely unique animals. Different types of turtles have specific requirements for diet, housing and health care to save on pricey vet bills. Here is a brief overview of the different breeds of turtles that people keep as house pets.
Box turtles- Box turtles the only species that has hinges near the front and back of their shell to actually close themselves completely in their shell. Their large high domed shell makes them awkward swimmers so beware any deep water areas with a box turtle.
The Painted Turtle- Beautiful pink and yellow markings make these turtles very easy on the eyes. They have a friendly disposition as pets, but tend to be fussy eaters at times. Try offering some crickets or earthworms for a snack thats too good to resist.
Snapping turtles- These include the aligator snapping turtle which is particularly aggressive and has an insane bite pressure. Snapping turtles are not ideal for a pet due to their temperament, but there are people that keep them anyway and say that if cared for properly they make excellent pets. Safety first with these types of turtles.
Mud Turtles- One of the easiet breeds of turtles to own as pets. A close relative to the Musk turtle, Mud Turtles are very hearty and resilient animals. You need to pay attention to a mud turtle just like any other, but they eat just about anything that any other turtle would eat and do not grow to be enormous. If there is such a thing as a beginner turtle the Mud turtle would be it.
Sliders- Red and yellow eared sliders are given their name from the colored splotch that is where there ears would be. Highly aquatic animals that require more attention to their water condition than different breeds of turtles.
Musk Turtles- Very hearty and resilient as pets. The Musk turtle is also nicknamed the “stinkpot” for its ability to secrete a bad smelling substance from the anal glands in times of danger. People have owned musk turtles for their whole life without once having the turtle secrete, which speaks to the mild mannered nature of the musk turtle.
Cooters- As far as pets go Cooters are known as one of the friendlier species of turtle. They grow anywhere from 6-16″ with females groing larger than males.
There are over 300 identified species of turtles in existence and dozens of them are different breeds of turtles that people keep as pets. Snapping turtles would have to be the most challenging. You have to worry about basic turtle care on top of their unique temperament. Don’t ever get too close to the jaws of a snapping Turtle or you will surely be sorry that you did!
(Spin)
As mentioned earlier the Mud turtle is fairly easy to care for making it a good beginner turtle. However the most popular species among the different breeds of turtles commonly kept as house pets is the red eared slider, but they are a bit more challenging due to their aquatic habitat.
To summarize, if you are looking for a beginner friendly turtle for a pet try a mud turtle. They are not nearly as expensive to keep as your everyday aquatic. If however you are interested in an aquatic turtle of some kind the painted turtle and red eared sliders are beautiful to look at and have the right temperament to make a good pet.
How to keep your pets safe and comfortable
If you are looking for a dog crate kennel, you can get in touch with any of the well known and reputed companies that manufacture these types of products. These items are made using materials that are very safe for your little pets and are also very solid in structure. The best quality materials are used in making them and they are built to last for a very long time. This gives you a whole new way of taking good care of your loved animals by giving the best in their world. These come highly recommended by experts all over the world.
Warm and comfortable
Cats are known to be animals that need their own little area or space. They appreciate it if they have somewhere they can be comfortable and cosy. They spend most of the day exploring their surroundings and will come running back to their shelters every time they need to feel secure. Apart from providing them with a pod to sleep or curl up in, you can also get cats carriers to transport them from one place to another. These are perfect for long travels and journeys and you need not worry about your pet breaking free.
Modern fancies
If you have a garden that has a fair amount of space in it, you can think about raising a few birds in your own backyard or lawn area. This will not only give the place more life and activity, but will also provide you with a very good way to pass your time. Duck homes are very good solutions for those who are looking to raise these kinds of birds. They are very docile and can be taken care of very easily. They are fast becoming very popular in the modern houses and villas because apart from laying eggs, they also get rid of pesky garden pests.
Rearing poultry
Common fowl are another type of birds that are getting children and adults alike addicted to them. A chicken house run can help to keep your precious chickens safe from external elements. It also gives them a very good place to stay, with all the warmth and comfort they need. It is very important to make sure that you care and provide for all the needs of the pets you have at home. This is because they also have feelings and are sensitive to how they are treated.
Understand The Deep Meaning Of The Zebra’s Stripes
My uncle who is an artisan was the first person to give me a good description of a Zebra. He used one of his Zebra Wood Carving as a model to describe the black and white stripes on the Zebra’s skin. The description was so accurate that when I later saw the live animal I could identify it easily and confidently. The Zebra’s stripes are its trade mark indeed.
Plain Zebra,Grev’s Zebra and Mountain Zebra are the three Zebra species that are known to exist. All the three species occur in Africa. The Plains Zebra are the most plentiful and can be found virtually anywhere on the Kenyan plains and other parts of East Africa while the Grevy’s Zebra are mostly found in Northern Kenya. The Plains Zebra and Grev’s Zebra of Kenya have been known to coexist in the same habitat. The Mountain Zebra have their habitat in Southern and Southwestern Africa. Zebras are herbivorous and can grow up to 900 lb (410kg) or more. Being social animal, they move in herds of different sizes.
While the black and white stripe pattern makes the Zebra spectacular, the amazing facts about the stripes go beyond the beauty. For years scientists have argued about why the zebra has distinctive black and white stripes. The theories rotate around Zebra Identity and Camouflage. This article discusses these amazing theories:
– Description: Whether the Zebra’s stripes are white on a black background, as some people say, or vice versa is academic. I leave it at that.
– Identity: At first glance Zebras in a herd might all look alike, but their stripe patterns are as distinctive as fingerprints are in humans. There are, indeed, scientific methods that can identify individual Zebras by comparing patterns, stripe widths and colour. Further proof that Zebra stripes are identity marks is provided by their behavior. For example, on rare occasions when unstriped Zebras are born, they tend to be ignored by the rest of the herd, confirming at least, that Zebra stripes are a passport to Zebra society. Also, when a foal is born, the mother keeps all other Zebras away from it for two to three days, until it learns to recognize her by sight, voice and smell.
– Camouflage: Scientists believe the Zebra’s stripes provide camouflage in the following manner:
– The vertical stripes of a Zebra will resemble tall grass, save for the colour-grass is neither black nor white. A colour blind predator, like a lion, may, therefore, not notice a Zebra standing still in tall grass. – The Zebra stripe pattern forms a discolouration that breaks up the body outline. A herd of Zebras close together may thus appear like one large animal. The advantage of all this to the Zebra is best appreciated when you consider that the main predator for the Zebra is the lion, which is colour blind. Now, in attack, the lion must first identify the target, usually a young, old or a weakened Zebra. The Lion’s eyes must then lock on the target Zebra. If, for whatever reason, the Lion is unable to achieve any of these steps, then,its stealth and ambush attack strategy is likely to be in vain.