Author: Kevin

Now that you have picked out a nice healthy snake, the fun part starts: bringing your new pet home. But wait… Have you set up its enclosure or cage properly? Before you even consider bringing home a ball python, you need to make sure that your cage is set up and ready for its new inhabitant. Having the cage set up before your python comes home speeds up the acclimation process.Once you have made your purchase, take some time to inspect the bag or container that the ball python has been placed in. Make sure that it is secure, so that the snake will not escape on the way home. Ball pythons and...

Cockatiels are highly social birds who enjoy interaction with humans. How you interact with your cockatiel in the first few days after bringing him home will directly impact the type of bond you will share with your new feathered friend. Earning your Cockatiels trust is crucial to the bonding process and can help to establish a positive and rewarding relationship.Items you will needTreatsStep 1Give your feathered friend some time to adjust. While you may be eager to play with your cockatiel right away, he would benefit from some alone time in which to explore his surroundings and get settled...

Coming HomeHere are a few tips to make everything runs swiftly when you bring your new baby home:Change can be very stressful to some hedgehogs, so it’s best to give your new friend a day or two to adjust to his/her new home. Provide them with an old sweatshirt or tee shirt with your scent, so they learn to associate your scent with safety. Try feeding the same food the breeder was feeding your hedgie, to prevent further stress from an upset stomach. When you are ready to take your hedgehog out for the first time, simply scoop him/her up and place them in your lap. Your hedgehog may be in...

Cesar walks us through the process of bringing a new dog or puppy home for the first time.Homeward Bound: Meeting Your Human PackYou’ve located the perfect dog with the right energy for your family and lifestyle. You’ve researched the breed, decided you can handle any special needs, and have everyone in the household ready to take on the role of Pack Leader. You go through the adoption process, including microchipping and spaying or neutering, and today is the big day — time to bring home your new dog.This is the point in the process when many people make the biggest mistake, frequently out...

You’ve made your decision. A Canary will be moving into your home. How exciting! Before you bring your new pet home, you have to make preparations. Your bird will need a cage, with at least two perches, three dishes, food suitable for a canary, cuttlebone and a couple of toys that a canary may enjoy.First we will talk about the cage. A canary loves to hop around quite a bit, so please make sure the cage gives him plenty of room to move. The cage should be long enough that he gets to flap his wings moving from one end to another. Canaries do not climb on the bars, like a budgie does, so the bars...

The day you bring your bird home is the day the world changes for you both. For you, this is the grand moment when all your research and admiration of birds suddenly becomes quite real.For your new bird, this momentous day can be downright scary. The breeder’s home may have been the only world he has ever known. Even if your bird came from a pet shop and is used to a constant parade of strangers, your home is something new, and so are you. If you purchased a budgie or cockatiel, his interactions with humans have been restricted to being netted out of a group of his buddies to be shipped to a...

It’s a good idea to make certain you are fully prepared before bringing home your new Chinchilla. Make certain the cage is ready, the food has been purchased, water bottles have been washed and are ready, and you’ve picked the prime location for your Chinchilla’s cage. Be certain everyone in your family is prepared for the responsibility, make it a family affair and have everyone participate in the preparations. Once you’re prepared go pick up your Chinchilla.A few questions many new Chinchilla owners ask is “Why does my Chinchilla hate me?”; “When I go near my Chin’s cage it stands up and barks,...

What do I need to buy for my kitten?Before you bring your kitten home make sure you have all the necessary items he will need: Litter tray and cat litter: There is a wide variety of cat litters on the market these days, some better than others. It is best to avoid clumping cat litter with kittens. Litter trays come in all shapes and sizes such as self cleaning, covered (or hooded), un-covered. Scratching post: cats have a need to scratch and enjoy scratching. Providing your cat with it’s own scratching post will reduce the chances of your cat using your furniture or carpet. Food/water bowls:...

Relocation StressSome Bearded Dragons go through something called relocation stress. This is when the Bearded Dragon is moved to a new place, or sometimes just when something in the tank is changed, and the Bearded Dragon reacts by going off his food, not being as active, and being generally less chipper. This doesn’t happen for some Bearded Dragons, but in most it does. It can last from a couple of days up to two weeks. If your Bearded Dragon is going through relocation stress, keep the handling to the minimum and be patient. Before you know it they’ll adjust and be back to their normal se...

We need to be concerned about more than just temperature. The aquarium water chemistry is just as important as the temperature when it comes to acclimating fish.Don’t be afraid to ask the fish clerk for store’s tank pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings. When you get home, test your own water to see how much the two sets of results differ. This can provide you with some insight into how slowly and for how long you should acclimate your fish.There are a few different recommended methods for how to acclimate fish to your aquarium and we’ll talk about each of these methods.The most common tropical...