Pet Ferrets

Pet Ferrets: How To Find One

When buying a pet ferret, learn how to know if you're getting a healthy one.
Ferrets are harder than dogs and cats to purchase. In order to buy one you should avoid pet stores and find a ferret breeder. A ferret born in captivity is much more likely to be tame and sociable.

Where do you find a good ferret breeder?
Check the classified section of your local newspaper, find any local ferret clubs, and definitely get in touch with the American Ferret Association. Any one of these sources can put you in touch with a good breeder in your area.

How do you know if the breeder you've chosen is a good one and is giving you a fair price?

• Become well educated about ferrets and ask good questions.
• Attend local ferret meetings, talk to owners etc. about how to care for a ferret.
• Responsible breeders are members of national ferret groups, meaning they subscribe to an ethical code.
• Make sure the breeder intends to keep a member of the litter.
• A good breeder will make sure you have a fairly intimate knowledge of ferrets so that you know what you're getting into.
• A good breeder is more interested in finding his animal a good home than "getting rid of it".
• A good breeder will never claim there are no problems with a ferret their selling, there's no such thing.
• Ask how long the breeder has been in business, a good breeder will have a couple of years under their belt.
• Get referrals from previous customers.
• Make sure you will receive a pedigree slip and health records for the animal.
• A good breeder will not sell a ferret before it is at least eight weeks old and weaned from their mother.
• A money back guarantee; a good breeder would rather take an animal back if you cannot take care of it.
• Find out how frequently the breeder breeds. A responsible breeder will only breed one litter per female per year.
• Find out what normal prices for ferrets are in your area, and make sure not to make any decision unless you are totally comfortable with the circumstances.

What kind of cage should you get for your ferret?
Ferrets like to roam free around the house most of the time. But if you want to give them a cage to stay in, wire cages are the best. The trick is to find a cage that your ferret can't escape from. Also you want to put it in a room that can almost serve as the ferret's room. Put bedding down in the cage so it has a place to relieve itself when you can't find time to take it outside.

Parrotlets

Parrotlets

All about parrotlets: care, diet, and why these little pint sized parrots are good pets for a person with limited space.
These birds pack all the personality and pizzazz of their much bigger cousins, the amazons. They offer all the practical advantages of smaller birds. Parrotlets are the ideal bird because they are gorgeous, colorful, and spunky and have tons of personality. They do not scream like the large parrots.

There are only three species available in the United States and they are:

• Pacific celestial Parrotlets- most common and feisty
• Green - rumped Parrotlets- shy, sweet, and gentle
• Spectacled parrotlets- Unknown in the US before 1992.

The parrotlet diet contains various seed, pellets, veggies, and fruit. Under no circumstances do you want to feed your little parrot any avocado, chocolate, alcohol, or caffeine.

You do not want to use sandpaper perches for the parrotlets due to their sensitive little feet, and you don't want to use sawdust in their cages. The little parrots should be bathed once a week. You can even let them shower with you, but you must be very careful while they are in there with you.

You will want to spend quality time with your little parrot, and provide numerous toys for him to play with. They will sing and they can say very small phrases, as their vocabulary is not as large as a regular parrot.
These are the best little birds if you want a parrot and are in limited space.

There are some characteristics to look for to see if your bird is ready to train:

• When your bird is relaxed in the cage while you are present in the room.
• When you reach your hand in the cage to feed, water, or clean and it does not cause excessive alarm.
• When your bird is willing to take treats from your hand.

With your baby bird you can play training tricks for the baby like:

• step up
• step on a stick
• lay on his back in your hand
• allow you to touch his feet
• allow you to touch his underside
• allow you to gently lay a towel over him
• step into a travel kennel

None of these treats require a treat, just some time with your bird.

The Exotic Bird Cockatoo

The Exotic Bird Cockatoo

In southern australia, where sulphur-crested cockatoos live in large flocks, the bird has evolved a warning system to avoid being caught by predators.
The sulphur-crested cockatoo is a very noisy bird. He is one of Australia's loveliest sights.

The cockatoo is found in the open wooded country of Australia. They are a sociable bird except during breeding season. They form flocks for feeding. They feed on a variety of seeds, nuts, flowers, fruits and insects. The cockatoo will return each day to the same feeding site, until the food supply is all gone. Then they restart the hunt for another site that is abundant in food, enough for the whole flock. Farmers can be extremely aggravated with them, because they eat the new seeds and young crops. But they also help by eating weeds and insects.

Sulphur crested cockatoos perform a brief courtship ritual. Both the male and female prepare the nest, they seek large holes in old trees and they will build on cliff sides. They are both responsible for the raising of the young. The male and female also protect the eggs from predators. They incubate the eggs for thirty days. When the chicks hatch, both parents continue to protect and feed them until they a three months old. At this time, they will leave the nest to hunt on their own. The sulphur-crested cockatoo has a lifespan of twenty years in the wild. In captivity they can leave up to fifty years.

The sulphur-crested cockatoo has been captured through the years for pets. They can be tamed and make very good pets. They are able to mimic human's speech, and some can remember up to 1,000 phrases.

This cockatoo is a protected species throughout Australia. They can be breed in captivity. Their population in the wild is in no threat.