Caring For Cats - Is Your Kitty Pregnant?

There are some tell tale signs that your cat is pregnant, if you know where to look. Here are the most consistent ways to tell if your fluffy is about to have a family:

* The first sign is that your cat will stop going in and out of heat. If you know her usual cycles, you can tell that she's suddenly missed one.
* If her nipples are becoming larger and pinker (known as pinking) she's probably a few weeks along.
* She will start getting hungrier, more often. After all, she's eating for more than one. She will also get a little more affectionate.
* Like humans, cats can get morning sickness. This usually occurs in the third week of gestation. As such, they may not feel like eating whenever morning sickness strikes.
* About a month into the pregnancy, you'll start to notice the abdomen getting larger.

The normal gestation period is 63 to 65 days, though your cat can go into labor as early as 60 days or as late as 70 days during their pregnancy.

While your cat is pregnant you'll want to make sure they get proper nutrition as caring for cats is even more important during this period. A diet rich in calcium and protein is important.

If you're not sure your cat is pregnant, don't be tempted to squeeze the abdomen to see if there are kittens inside. This can harm the kittens and even cause a miscarriage. Only a trained professional should be performing this kind of examination.

As your cat nears her delivery date, restrict access to the outdoors in the last two weeks. Otherwise, you may end up having to fish a new litter out from under the house or the barn. The reason is simple, really. Cats like quiet places to give birth. So you'll want to create a birthing place in your home that is away from the kids and excitement. You can put a kittening box in the area and get your cat used to sleeping there. That way she will know where to go when it's time to give birth. An old blanket or towel will work well for a cushion in the box.

When the kittens finally arrive, don't handle them too much. Mothers have been known to kill and eat their kittens if they don't bond well or if they feel the kittens are being threatened by outsiders. Let them have lots of quality time together. You'll have plenty of time to play with the new kittens in the coming weeks.

If you don't want an additional litter, resist the temptation to let your cat go outside again too soon. Cats can get pregnant in as little as two weeks after giving birth, though eight weeks is more common. Caring for our cats is vital but also you probably don't want another litter so soon anyway.

Remember that allowing your cat to become pregnant is a big responsibility. Not only will there be more mouths to feed, but you don't want to be adding to the overpopulation problem by allowing a pregnancy without first knowing there are homes for the kittens. Shelters are filled with unwanted kittens. Be prepared for more work as you will now have many mouths to feed and cats to care for as fun as it will be most of the time.

Buying Cat Grooming Supplies

Cats have a reputation of being gentle and clean; one strong proof for this is that they clean their own body. It uses its raspy tongue to comb out dirt particles and dead hair from its body. And since tongue can not reach all parts of its body, it usually licks its paw and rubs its body with the moistened paw. You might have seen how your own cats do this. They may look cute as they do their cleaning rituals, but if you ask cat owners out there, it is not enough to let your cat clean itself.

Though this animal can easily clean themselves, it is still important to help them maintain proper hygiene and groom them from time to time to keep them healthy.

This kind of animal is usually sensitive and loving to their owners, if you want them to feel your love back, you might want to consider treating them with good grooming. Though this pet has a reputation of begin independent, they still need your attention and care. Picking them up for minutes of combing and stroking is good, but taking a minute of your time to wash and clean them is actually better to keep them safe from any forms of parasites that feed on their skin.

If you are planning to purchase your cats with pet supplies, it would be wise for you to purchase those things they really need. Toys may be good, but it is important to prioritize buying those things for grooming.

There are combs specially made for pets like this, you can purchase this comb and brush your pet from time to time. Brushing them can help them get rid of their dead hair and stimulate their skin to release oil to moisten and shine their fur. This will help them feel cleaner and healthier. If your pet is having problems regarding fleas, you can use a flea comb and brush.

Some people tie their cat's hair with ribbons; these ribbons are specially made for pets. Ordinary ribbons can hurt them, and they usually get angry easily if they get hurt.

Desert Kangaroo Rats

Regardless of which breed of rat you are talking about it is considered a rodent. Just the word rodent brings up poor mental images for some people but the many species of rodents have unique characteristics that make them interesting to learn about. The desert kangaroo rat has learned to adapt to the harsh conditions of deserts.

The desert kangaroo rat is a rat. They are not related to the kangaroo in any way but they do have a hop that is similar to the kangaroo. They have some biped behaviors that make them different from most other rats.

Their scientific name is Dipodomys deserti. Studies of their evolution show that they are not related to the kangaroo mouse and completely different from the desert rat-kangaroo, which has gone extinct as a species. These rats are medium sized and have a round shape to their bodies. Their hairless ears are round and they have a tail that is usually longer in length than their bodies. They have external pouches in their cheeks that are lined with fur. These pouches are used to help them store and carry food they find in the harsh desert environment.

The desert kangaroo rat is a native species to North American and populate the sandy, dry desert-like areas there. They are also, now, found in some rocky areas of Central America. These rats prefer to live in burrows, like other rodents. These burrows help protect them during the day when the heat can reach dangerous temperatures.

One of the most unique adaptations they have is that they can live their entire lives without water. They don't commonly go a whole life without water but it is possible. Their bodies concentrate urine four times as much as humans do. This allows them to get more water out of the food they find. This is probably the most important factor in their ability to thrive in desert conditions.

Their diets consist of insects, seeds, and any vegetation they can find during the night. They search for food during the night to avoid the heat of the daytime. They use their pouches to carry food back to their burrows to store. When living in a desert, it is important to save the food that is found and not eaten right away.

These rodents have high pitched sounds they create and use for communication. These sounds are also used during their mating season which runs from February to October. A liter of offspring is around four newborns. The babies are born without hair and are unable to see. They are cared for in the burrows until they are old enough to venture out safely. Females can produce three liters each year which is important because their lifespan is only three to five years.

Desert kangaroo rats are usually not considered a good breed for a pet rat, although they are kept in captivity in some situations. Most pet rats today are slightly domesticated for use as pets. This helps them become better companions for humans. Regardless, the desert kangaroo rat is an interesting study of survival in harsh conditions and their desire to survive is commendable.

Ferret Fun - Games to Play!

Hey everyone, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite games that I like to play with my ferret friends.

- Tuggy
This is the simple game of tuggy, you grab your ferrets favorite toy and then shake it in front of them, they will then grab onto it and start to try and pull it off of you, the game has begun! You can now play tug of war with your ferret, being gentle of course as they are only little!

- Hide and Seek
Usually this is a game that just happens because your ferret is being mischievous! They love hiding and tunneling where ever they can, remember to be careful and not let them get where they shouldn't!

- Fetch
The idea with fetch is to start off with playing tuggy, then move onto throwing their toy, this helps a lot if their favorite toy is slightly smelly as ferrets do not have the best eye sight in the animal world, throw it slightly away from them and they will usually come back and start to try and play tuggy again!

- Reverse Fetch
This game is a strange one, most ferrets do it, but if you give your ferret tiny little toys, sometimes they will take it off you then go and hide it, if you keep giving them little treats they could do the same as well, this game is great as you can find our their little hiding place which they think is oh so secretive!

- Tummy Rubs
I love this game, if you have a really gentle docile ferret then you can slightly push them over on their back and rub their tummy, they love this, if you don't have a gentle but playful ferret, you can pick them up and lie them on your arm like a baby, whilst keeping a good eye on the mouth area, then you can tickle there tummy whilst maintaining more control as the alpha ferret!

- Chase!
Ferrets love chasing mom or dad, if you nudge them away a little using a toy then run off ferrets will mostly start to chase you out of curiosity!

Supplies For Your Chameleons

Chameleons are fun and loving reptiles and they are among the most ideal types of exotic pets. However, since they are not like cats and dogs that easily adapt with the human environment, chameleons need a certain space in which they get to enjoy their natural habitat. Of course, you can't just give them that easily, especially when you are living in an urban settlement, thus you would have to use certain supplies which help in keeping up with your chameleon's needs in order to live long, healthy and happily.

Below are some of the common chameleon supplies which you will use once you start owning and taking care of a chameleon:

1. Vitamin supplements. Chameleons don't just need food in order to have a good health. They also need multivitamin supplements which help keep their bones strong, muscles lean and flexible, skin nourished, and color vibrant. These come in the form of special flakes, sprays and dusts and can be purchased in the pet store.

2. Light fixtures. Unlike other animals which remain to live the same way despite being exposed to different lights and shades, chameleons are more sensitive and rather choose to have dim lights instead. Thus, it is important that you add certain fixtures such as dome lamps, clamp lamps and fluorescent hoods to maintain such lighting and warmth inside their cage.

3. Heaters. Heat emitters and thermostats are also important for chameleons. This equipment keeps the chameleon's home warm and humid enough to act as its natural habitat. An enclosure that's too cold and dry will heavily affect the chameleon's overall well being, and may even cause certain ailments and illnesses as time goes by.

4. Care and Health. Aside from being choosy when it comes to proper lighting, temperature and humidity, chameleons are also sensitive when it comes to cleanliness. Thus, you must make good use of cleaning supplies, together with other supplements such as Repta-Aid and electrolytes to keep your reptile friend and his own home clean and tidy. Doing this will protect him from parasites and other issues caused by insects and microorganisms that may cause harm to his health.

5. Feeder Insect Supplies. Since your chameleon will be living in your place, he will not be able to go around and hunt for crickets, his favorite insect food. Thus, you may supplement his need for cricket protein by providing insect feeds, such as cricket dust, gut loads and shakers. These aids will help your chameleon in ingesting the food you give, particularly those which are artificial and powdered.

6. Watering and hydration. Chameleons also need a regular supply of water, both for drinking and keeping a humid environment. When keeping one, you should have a mister and dripper placed inside its cage, to maintain humidity. You can also spray the cage with water everyday so that it will be kept cool and humid inside. Despite the changing weathers in the outside world, chameleons won't be affected and will continue to enjoy the sweet life they've always had.