Raising chickens at home has never been so easy with the amount of fantastic information all so easy to find at the touch of a button, you really cannot go wrong. Raising chickens is not something to be considered lightly but making that decision really will give you one of the most fun, rewarding experiences you have ever had and I know you will regret not having started sooner.

It is amazing how being able to keep poultry in your backyard seems to have had a popularity explosion of late. No longer confined to farmers and small holders, city dwellers and the whole of suburbia seem to have chicken coops popping up over night in their backyards. Perhaps it is because we have now realised that to keep poultry at home you really do not need much in the way of space to keep them healthy and happy in their environment.

In fact, there are so many hints and tips on all aspects of keeping chickens from building chicken accommodation to treating sick poultry. It really is all there at your fingertips an awesome thought, help and guidance 24/7 if and when you need it.

Chickens are pretty simple creatures and have few specific needs that are easily met, no problem. Obviously food comes quite high up as they are going to rely on you for their nutritional requirements and it is very simple to provide them with a balanced diet to keep them in tip top condition.

Believe it or not the most important thing to get right is your chicken accommodation. The more information that you can get your hands on so that you can plan and prepare the better really. Chicken coop blueprints and chicken coop kits are a fantastic way to help you in your initial stages to enable you to do this with little effort.

Half of the fun of keeping poultry in your backyard is the excitement of getting everything in place for the day you can put them into their new home and watch how quickly they settle and then of course you can collect those fantastic free range eggs.

As long as you provide chicken housing that they feel safe in and you know that they will be secure in, that is half the battle. By giving them ramps and walkways you are keeping your poultry stimulated and this is a very important contribution to their continuing welfare. With the correct amount of ventilation and lighting you can keep the chicken coop light, airy and at a comfortable temperature too.

There are so many advantages in raising chickens at home, you get the health benefits from the vitamins and minerals in the eggs, the education benefits from seeing their natural life cycle that unfolds before your eyes on a daily basis and the unexpected entertainment that you will only ever get from keeping chickens at home, there will be nothing to quite match it.

Building poultry housing is simple and a great deal of fun when you have the right information. They are practical, easy to assemble and you can save yourself a fortune.

There are dozens of poultry related websites that claim to offer visitors great poultry house plans, but few sadly seem to offer little more than a single basic design. However one of the best poultry house design websites online that has been endorsed by hundreds of chicken breeders and owners worldwide so far contains a wealth of chicken housing data and related information that is really helpful and is well worth reviewing: (http://www.chickenhousekit.com)

The lifespan of most dogs is only 11-13 years. Some say this brief lifespan is because of commercial dog food.

We call Cindy, our “Wonder Dog.” Cindy had a very rough start in life. She was a “flood dog,” a refugee from the flooding that accompanied Hurricane Floyd as it passed through North Carolina. She was rescued by the Coast Guard in the area of Rocky Mount.

Fate brought Cindy into our home. My wife Margie volunteered my pickup truck to drive up to Rocky Mount and pick up pets that had been abandoned during the hurricane. She carted several survivors to the NC Vet School in Raleigh,

A heartbreaking moment

Her first view of Cindy, a three month old German Shepherd mix, was at first heartbreaking. A number of people came to the vet school to adopt a pet. Margie saw a man approach Cindy. He knelt down and she jumped up putting her front legs around his neck. Obviously she needed love and attention. The man stood up and went on to look at other dogs.

Margie called me on the phone and suggested we get a pet. I said, “Get a small one.”

That’s gonna be a big dog!

When I first saw Cindy, with those long gangly legs I knew we had a big dog in the making. In a week or so she developed a cloudiness in one eye. The vet school gave us a prescription for the infection but it only got worse. Her left eye had to be removed. Since she was only about three months old, they could not give her a “glass eye.”

Puppies and Berber carpet–a bad mix

Her adaptation to our home was a trial. She destroyed over $3,000 worth of Berber carpet as well as tearing off the trim around chairs and couches.

Cindy is now 11 Years old and still relatively healthy. But we’ve learned that most dogs only last from 11-13 years. I wondered why that is when some dogs live to be 20 years old or more. I found the answer and I’m helpless to reverse the problem.

Cindy the fickle eater

Cindy was always a fickle eater. We tried dry and canned dog foods. She preferred table scraps, sticking her nose up at the commercial stuff we put in her bowl. So for the past several years we have been cooking her daily meals. But were we providing her the proper nutrition—probably not.

Just recently I came across a video while searching the Internet for dog food solutions. It made me sick! I had been under the impression that commercially made dog food was mostly horse meat. It seems that this is only a small part of the ingredients. I learned from an online video that the one major city sends hundreds of tons of dead dogs and cats to a “rendering plant.” This mostly road-kill isn’t cremated, it is used as “protein content” in dog food!

Where much of the protein in dog food comes from

In fact, the renderer doesn’t always remove flea collars. They just get ground up in the mix. The problem is that pet foods aren’t regulated like the foods we humans eat and the government is doing a lousy job of that too. Many of these pets are euthanized with a powerful drug—but it is not listed on the list of ingredients in the dog food you buy.

I have more information below. If you love your pet like we love Cindy, you will get the facts and learn the recipes you need to keep your pet safe and healthy. The video is just 8-minutes long. It’s a small investment in time to get the facts about commercial pet foods and what you can do to prevent the premature death of your beloved pet.

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The majority of dog skin infections are caused by bacterial growth, but fungal growth and invasion by parasites and underlying allergies can also be to blame. In addition, many unrelated skin conditions can lead to dog skin infections since they cause inflammation that produces scratching and open sores. To determine the exact cause of a dog skin infection, consult your veterinarian. Antibiotics, anti-fungicides and anti-parasitic agents can all help treat dog skin infections and keep them from spreading.

Identifying Dog Skin Infections

To a point, bacteria serve a healthy function on your dog’s skin, ridding it of various parasites and related agents. However, when the bacteria grow beyond a certain point they can cause health problems, just as they do in humans. For instance, Staphylococcus and Streptococci are common causes of skin infections in dogs, just as they are common causes of “staph infections” and “strep throat” in humans. Since other skin conditions such as allergic reactions often look like skin infections, it is important to have your veterinarian make a proper diagnosis so as to commence correct treatment.

Symptoms of Dog Skin Infections

Two parts of your dog’s body are especially prone to skin infections. The first is primarily made up of the mouth, lips and groin, all of which provide a warm, moist environment conducive to bacterial growth. The second is located in pressure points such as the elbows, toes, tail, and belly since these are easily bruised or ruptured, allowing infection to penetrate the skin’s surface.

While skin infections can appear similar to inflammation resulting from flea infestation, allergies, hormonal imbalances and cancerous growths, it is important to diagnose them correctly as they can ultimately be quite dangerous. This is especially true when skin infections move beyond the superficial level and into the so-called “deep skin.” While superficial skin infections are characterized by inflammation, redness, small bumps and possibly hair loss, deeper infections cause severe pain and possible infection of the blood, and are identifiable by the presence of puss, foul odor and bloody-looking lumps on the skin’s surface.

Consulting your veterinarian will not only allow for a proper diagnosis, it will insure that you are prescribed the correct antibiotic to treat your dog’s specific infection.

Treatment of Dog Skin Infections

Skin infection in dogs is treated primarily with a course of antibiotics. However, to keep the infection from spreading both on your dog and between pets, it is generally a good idea to isolate your dog until the treatment is completed and to bathe it two to four times a week during the first two weeks of treatment and one to two times a week until the infection is resolved. Be sure to use a good medicated shampoo such as Ketochlor.

Many people today are as concerned about their dog’s health as their own. They want their dogs to live long, healthy lives. They prefer to limit additives and chemical ingredients. They like to know what goes into their dog’s food and where it comes from. For these concerned owners, an holistic approach to feeding their dog is very appealing. But is holistic dog food even a reality?

In fact, holistic dog food does exist, even in commercial form. A number of dog food manufacturers today practice a more holistic approach to dog food formulation. Companies such as Castor & Pollux, Eagle Pack, Flint River Ranch, Wellness, and Newman’s Own, to name a few, all have strong reputations for producing good products that have many human grade ingredients. You may not want to eat their food yourself, but it is good to know that your dog is eating a quality food.

In the case of more holistic dog foods you’ll typically find that the foods have several named protein sources within the first five ingredients. Some holistic dog foods may be grain-free (though this is not a requirement). Dogs are carnivores and many people feel that it is better and more natural to feed them a diet that has less grain in it since they don’t need it. Dogs do typically thrive on protein so a holistic dog food should have higher protein percentages than the minimum prescribed by AAFCO. Even elderly dogs can eat higher levels of protein than were once believed, unless they have kidney problems.

When choosing a good holistic dog food you will also want to stay away from foods that have heavy concentrations of corn gluten. Corn gluten is a typical filler product in many dog foods. It is a protein but dogs cannot process it very well and most of it passes through your dog and is deposited as waste. The same is true of wheat gluten. Rice protein concentrate and soy protein are also undesirable. There is also a problem because these grains have been used so widely in many dog foods that many dogs are allergic to one or more of them now.

A good holistic dog food will also not have preservatives in it such as BHA, BTA or ethoxyquin. Ethoxyquin is used to make tires and is believed to cause health problems in dogs. Ethoxyquin is a hot button issue with many people since it is typically used to preserve fish meal. It is usually added to the fish meal before it reaches the dog food manufacturer so the dog food company does not have to include it on the food label. However, it is still in the food, even in small amounts. The USDA has asked dog food manufacturers to voluntarily reduce the amount of ethoxyquin used in dog foods. Some of the better dog food companies now try to source fish meal that is not preserved with ethoxyquin although you may have to check the company web site or even inquire of the company to find out if they do have ethoxyquin in their fish meal. Some companies will not voluntarily release this information. Kudos to those companies who do release the information and who have committed to using fish meal without ethoxyquin. Dog foods confirmed to be ethoxyquin-free include Orijen, Fromm, Flint River and TLC Whole Life Dog Food.

Instead of these artificial preservatives you should look for vitamin C or vitamin E as a preservative, mixed tocopherols, citric acid, or the herb rosemary.

Holistic foods will also avoid using generic fats such as “poultry fat” or “beef tallow.” Generic ingredients in general are a bad idea when it comes to selecting foods for your dog. You simply don’t know what you might be feeding your pet.

Holistic foods also provide whole meat or meat meal, such as whole chicken or chicken meal, instead of meat by-products or digest. The terms “by-products” and “digest” have specific meanings in the agriculture industry and allow the manufacturer to include parts of the animal that you would probably not be comfortable feeding your dog. They may technically meet protein and nutritional requirements but they are not the kind of healthy nutrition that you look for in a holistic food.

Holistic foods do not contain artificial colors or sweeteners, or sugars. Your dog doesn’t need to have corn syrup added to his food. Coloring added to dog food is entirely aimed at the buyer, not the dog. A good, healthy food should be tempting enough for your dog.

When looking for a good holistic dog food you should definitely read the label. Many holistic foods will have fewer ingredients than other commercial dog foods. This is because they keep their formulation simpler and they have fewer artificial chemicals added. If your dog should have an allergic reaction or does not do well on the food, this will make it easier for you to identify something in the food that you should avoid in the future.

A word about novel protein sources since they are so popular. Many people like to buy exotic proteins for their dogs because some super premium dog foods offer them — protein sources such as kangaroo meat or emu. There really is no need to buy these expensive protein sources for your dog if he does not need them. If your dog is not allergic to more ordinary sources of protein you should consider yourself fortunate and try to feed them. If you feed exotic proteins to your dog when it’s not necessary, if your dog ever does develop allergies to some protein sources, you’ll be much more limited as to your options when you need them.

Whatever food you decide to feed your dog, be sure to read the label. Don’t be fooled by pictures, claims made in advertising or even what works for your neighbor. There are many good holistic foods available. Gather the information you need and make a good decision for your dog.

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Are cats and man’s best friend your best friends? You definitely need a heated pet mat. Most pet lovers cannot imagine the sight of an emaciated, shivering dog or cat, which alone is enough to send tears streaming down their cheeks. No need to do that as heated mats will keep your pet warm and comfortable all the times, not necessarily during winters.

Ensuring quality when buying this important product for your pet, is vital. As these products come in different sizes, then you won’t have a problem getting the right one for your pet, whether it’s a cat or a dog. It is important to check for safety of your pet. Some of the pets just like playing about anything they come across and it is easy for them to make anything their play toy. Since these products use electricity, it’s wise to ensure the flexible cords used, are of high quality. Cleaning these mats should also be easy as they are made of waterproof material like rubber.

If you are having a problem getting your pet off your couch or bed, then you need to figure the reason why. May be the floor is too cold for them or the place where they sleep is not warm enough. Heated pet mats could help you keep the dog or cat in its place without feeling disconnected to the pet owner. They offer a warm and comfortable atmosphere just like a warm couch. With temperatures dropping during winter, your pet needs a lot of protection. Heated mats offer your pets a place where they can feel comfortable and warm as they sleep.

How about the pets that lives outdoors? There is an answer to their problem during the biting cold season. Apart from raising the doghouse from the frozen grounds, putting on beddings, the place may not be comfortable and warm enough for your best friend to enjoy its stay in the place he or she calls home. The cold may force the dog to curl itself at a corner searching for a warm place to sleep. The heated mats are a quick solution to the problem.

The heated floor mats are great to warm up the pets. Your pet may also enjoy your company while sitting or lying on the heated mat next to you giving it a feeling of self worth, love and appreciation. They are also easy to maintain, as they do not require a lot of energy. The mats can be carried to other places and if you wish to take your pet outdoor it’s so easy to connect it to the cigarette lighter of your car keeping your dog safe from cold. There are other purposes for using mats besides warming pets so their application is not limited thus you will never regret spending money on them. Lastly they are affordable, efficient and user friendly. If you love pets, no need to worry about the incoming of winter if you are already prepared with the wonderful heated pet mat for your best friend.

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Description: The Neapolitan Mastiff is a very strong dog, whose height is 26 to 30 inches in the dog and 24 to 28 inches in the bitch; this breed can weigh up to 165 pounds, with the largest recorded male being just short of 200 pounds. The body is large and stocky with great quantity of skin on the head and large dewlap. The head is flat and fairly wide and looks bigger than the rest of the body. The muzzle is one third the length of the head and is as broad as it is long. With a large nose that has opened nostrils, and the colour matches the coat. The Neapolitan Mastiff teeth can meet in a slight undershot bite, pincer or scissor bite. They have deep set eyes that are almost hidden by the dropping upper lids; the eye colour is either amber or brown depending on the coat colour. The Neapolitan Mastiff ears may be cropped, in countries that do not permit it, these are left natural. The tail is carried straight up and is rounded over the back. With sturdy legs this dog has rounded feet with well arched toes. Their coat is straight, very dense and short furred. The colours that come with this breed are; black, blue, grey tawny and mahogany and very rarely chocolate. A little white is permitted on the chest and toes, but there should never be white on the face. This breed has a short life expectancy of up to 10 years.

History: This breed descends from the Tibetan Mastiff, as do all European mastiffs. It’s generally believed to be the earliest member of the canine species. Being seen in Greece, in around 300 BC, and it was brought from India by Alexander the Great. The Greeks went on to introduce the dog to the Romans. Who use these dogs in circus combat. Another thought of how this breed started is that the Phoenicians brought this dog to Britain in 500 BC. The Neapolitan mastiff is a straight descendant of the Roman Molossus. The breed became extinct throughout the rest of Europe and survived only in Campania, this is why it is said that the Neapolitan Mastiff has existed in Campania for 2000 years. This dog has been used in war, and the blood sports, that the Romans were so fond of. This dog has a well-deserved reputation as a guard dog. This dog was first shown in Italy in 1946 and its standards were set in 1949. This is a rare dog to have in America and was recognized by the AKC in 2004.

Temperament: The Neapolitan Mastiff dog is not always as it appears, and is, in fact, very affectionate, calm and loving. They love their family and friends, and with their intelligence love to do their owners bidding. This dog is very protective and courageous, being quiet most of the time and only barking when necessary. It is a good idea to socialise and mix well as a puppy. The Neapolitan Mastiff is usually very kind to children, but really children will need to learn leadership skills. Obedience training is very important for this large dog, and this breed requires a strong willed owner, who understands, and is capable of, controlling this dog properly. With consistency and good training, this dog should do well. Neo’s will not listen to a timid person, and these are not dogs for the first time owner. This breed is a heavy droller, particular in hot weather.

The Neapolitan Mastiff breed requires daily walks for mental and physical exercise. If this dog doesn’t receive the correct amount of exercise, with a strong and consistent owner, they can become an overprotective and aggressive dog. Good guidance should be found on how best to correct and handle this dog to obtain the best of this breed.

Health issues: The Neapolitan Mastiff dog can have hip dysplasia, bloat, cherry eye and joint pain that will go as the dog gets older.

Grooming: Grooming is easy to do for this dog, using a rubber brush, removing dead hair and debris from a coat is all that is required.

Living conditions: The Neapolitan Mastiff can live in apartments as long as given adequate exercise. They only require a small garden that needs to offer shade on hot days.

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A barking canine can maintain burglars from breaking into your apartment; nonetheless, there are some apartments that have “no pets allowed” policy, which makes a barking canine burglar alarm much more of an alternative. This alert program is proven successful as it really tends to make a excellent barking sound experience like an angry canine. Remember that no burglar is planning to waste their time probing if you truly have canine when they can go to the up coming housing unit that doesn’t have a pet.

In most instances, burglars and thieves are effectively deterred by a loud barking sound coming from trustworthy burglar alarm techniques as they can sense unnecessary movements even via thick walls and glasses. But there are some decided burglars that would truly probe if you got a true pet and of course might use a pepper spray on it.
But no worries, a barking pet alert generally will get louder as the intruder will get closer to the protected area and even creates a fierce barking music which will absolutely make the burglar panic, no matter how established he is.

In truth, there are even landlords that did not believe his tenant of not possessing a dog following hearing a actually loud barking sound experience. Not till he finds out that it genuinely can come from a barking puppy burglar alarm.

A puppy barking burglar alarm is omni-directional or can sense movements inside of 360 degree radius and have adjustable radar sensitivity from 0 to 21 meters. In reality, it can even detect birds landing on the rooftop or moving cats – no kidding, but it’s true.

As well as, barking dogs burglar alarm assists in preserving burglars aside from your house. This burglar alarm technique can be placed in any area indoors and can be hidden behind the front door. Just turn it on by plugging it into a normal strength outlet in your house and it will start detecting. It will make a ferocious barking music as quickly as it detects unnecessary movements and may possibly even get louder as the intruder advances. Plus, the sounds can be adjusted from a barking pet to a chime or even to a tranquil sound of rainforest.

On the other hand, you should also alter the area regularly even though no 1 is planning to probe if you truly have a puppy when they hear a ferocious barking sound experience from the outside. And, don’t forget to inform your landlord about this if you are living in an house. Don’t forget, not all apartments let dogs for pets.

Some puppy barking alarms can remain active inside 24 hours and arrives with a back up strength supply in circumstance of energy shortage. It also arrives with a remote control for convenience. Other people may contain adjustable timer.

The principal function of an alarm program is to warn the homeowner that an individual is breaking into their house – it ought to usually act as an initial line of defense.
A barking dog is an innovative and yet attractively basic alert system that supplies security and can maintain burglars form breaking into your condo specifically when you are apart.

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There are many benefits to adopting a pet from a shelter. One of these benefits is that you can spend time with the dog before deciding to adopt it to get to know the dog’s personality. Take the dog out of its cage to observe how it interacts with people and other dogs. You don’t have to adopt the dog immediately, in fact you should take your time and visit other shelters to see what they have available. Getting a dog is a lifetime commitment and one you should be sure of before taking the leap. You should carefully consider whether you’ll be financially and physically capable of looking after the dog for the rest of its life.

If you don’t find the dog you want at the shelter, you can visit other shelters or ask to be put on a waiting list. Most shelters will call if they receive a dog that fits the description of a dog you are looking for.

Dog shelters and adoption homes often have both mixed bred and purebred dogs for you to choose from. Many dogs are abandoned due to economic reason, their owners simply couldn’t afford to care for them anymore and some dogs are abandoned because their previous owner discovered that caring for a dog is a commitment and didn’t have the time or patience to commit to the unfortunate animal. The majority of dogs in shelters are there due to no fault of their own and over fifty percent of shelter dogs are euthanized because not many people are not considering adopting rather than buying a dog.

Animal shelters have different rules and some shelters will interview you before allowing you to adopt a pet. Common questions are whether you’ve owned a pet before, what type of house you have, if you have a backyard or not and if you travel a lot. Some shelters even ask for references or ask you to wait for a required period before allowing you to adopt a dog.

If you choose an intact dog to adopt, it will have to be spayed or neutered before you can take it home. Your new companion will also need to have a complete veterinary examination and take all the necessary vaccinations before it is released.

Adoption fees vary from $40 to $130 and you will also have to pay for any spaying or neutering, vaccinations and microchip if required. Adopting from a shelter is much cheaper than buying a dog from a breeder or pet shop. Stay away from people giving away puppies for free.

Check the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the US for listings of reputable shelters and adoption homes. Most shelters function on a limited stay basis and many are government funded. Humane societies are non-profit, private organizations that offer veterinary care and obedience training and many keep the pets in a home environment to ensure they are well mannered in a home environment. Some rescue groups specialize in specific breeds of dogs and cats and if you’re looking to adopt a particular breed of animal, you should consider checking these types of adoption homes.

Some shelters provide adoption counseling to make sure the animal isn’t abandoned again and they can even help with obedience training, veterinary care and behavior counseling.

There are some things you should do before bringing a dog home such as dog proofing your house, buying a collar and leash and a pet carrier to bring your new pet home in. By adopting a dog from a shelter you’ll be literally saving his life.

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Description: Here we see a sturdy, short, but incredibly strong little dog. The head is slightly rounded with a clear space between the ears. The Norfolk Terrier muzzle is wedge shaped and muscular. The ear is a small plain and tight to the cheeks. With small oval shaped eyes, that are dark. The tail is set high and is usually docked by half in countries that permit docking. The Norfolk Terriers’ coat is wiry and straight about 1½ inches in length. Colours include black and tan, Wheaton, tan, or grizzle and can come with or without dark points and more rarely, white markings. This is the smallest of the Terriers and their weight is 10 to 12 pounds and they stand 10 inches tall. They generally live between 12 and 15 years on average.

History: First, coming from England in the area of East Anglia. The Norfolk Terrier and Norwich Terriers, used to be the same breed with slightly different ears. They were separated in England in 1964, and in 1979 the AKC officially saw them as separate breeds. This dog used to be used as a vermin killer in barns, on farms, and they were also used to scaring foxes, who had gone underground, the Norfolk Terrier would go into their dens and chase them back out for the hunters to kill them. This dog became fashionable, to students, to keep in their rooms at Cambridge University. The breed was then called Cantab Terrier, this was prior to World War I. At about this time, a man called Frank Jones sold lots of this breed to the USA, and so they were called the James Terrier. The AKC registered the first Norwich terrier in 1936.

Temperament: The Norfolk Terrier is a well-balanced dog showing courage, affection and is active without showing any signs of nervousness. This breed is easy to train, but they do need consistent rules, they have to follow. They require a good long walks to drain their energy, or you may find barking and digging become a problem. Do not trust this breed with small pets such as hamsters, rats and mice as their natural instinct is to kill vermin. Small dog syndrome must be avoided, with good leadership and plenty of positive activities, or behaviour problems can arise, including jealousy, odd guarding behaviour, separation anxiety and problems with pack leadership. This dog is difficult to potty train, and a lot of time work has to go into this. This breed is good with children, and just love everybody and everything, being particular partial to a good game of catch. It is wise to remember, this is a dog that has been bred to work so they have a lot of energy and thrive on an active life. Walking daily is vital for this breed.

Health issues: Some bloodlines are prone to back problems and genetic eye disease, but overall this is a good healthy breed.

Grooming: The Norfolk Terriers’ coat is relatively easy to keep clean. Daily brushing is important, and little clippings, as required, are all this coat needs. Only when necessary bath this dog, or you can get damaged fur. This breed is a light shedder.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/norfolk-terrier-dog-breed-temperament-health-issues-grooming-and-history-2576559.html#ixzz0qHJdrbWW
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A rabbit is considered a more ‘unique’ pet than the standard cat or dog. They can make wonderful pets and there are certainly some advantages of having a rabbit in your home but as with any pet, there is work involved, costs involved and care. If you are considering bringing one of these adorable little long eared, pom-pom tailed pets into your home as a pet then here are some things to take into account:

As with any pet, their health and care is critical. Rabbits need trips to the vet and need to be neutered or spayed. Since they do not go outside they are not exposed to as many things that put them at risk for disease which is a bonus; however a vet checking them out is highly recommended.

Rabbits can be litter trained which can be a big plus. Unlike a dog they don’t need to be walked outside to do their business however the training process will take time and patience.

As with any pet, they need stimulation. They will play with toys and this will keep them busy. Remember rabbits will have a tendency to ‘chew and dig’ so you want to keep them occupied.

Their diets are rather simple – along with the store bought pellets you’ll need to top off their tanks with some vegetables. You rarely saw Bugs without him knowing on a carrot, and knowing on a carrot is better than having them go at items in the house.

They will require a cage or hutch. If you design a home for outdoors you’ll need to make sure they are secure from predators. For a rabbit, the neighborhood dogs and cats will qualify as predators, so a secure fenced area and sturdy walls on the hutch should do the trick. When they can be confined to their own spacious home, large enough to move about and easy for you to get into to clean then everyone will enjoy their space. Also be cautious on the type of material you use in their home environment. Wood shavings (pine and cedar) have been linked to health problems in some small breed animals. It’s best to err on the side of caution and check with an expert in a pet care store or your veterinarian.

They don’t bark or meow to give you signs they are hungry so you need to make sure their care becomes ‘routine’ for you. These cute and quiet little animals can make nice pets when the proper care and consideration it taken with them.

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