Related Articles to Dealing with pet rats who bite!
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As rats are sociable animals, no matter how much attention you give them, they will be happier if they have a (same sex) friend or two living with them. The best way to do this is to get your rats from the same place at the same time. Read more...
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Mice make great pets, being intelligent, friendly and relatively low maintenance to keep. They live on average for 18 months – 2 years, are easily tamed and if handled properly very rarely, if ever, bite. Sociable by nature, mice are best kept in pairs or groups but can be kept singly. Read more...
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Puppies have painfully sharp little piranha-like teeth, almost like hypodermic needles. Fortunately the jaw muscles are extremely under-developed, in fact one of the main reasons why you should never play tug with a young puppy is that you could dislocate the jaw and misalign or damage the teeth. Read more...
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Chinchillas are sweet, entertaining and somewhat destructive little creatures, so if you are fond of your skirting boards, then think twice abut getting a chinchilla unless you have a separate room where they can play! Read more...
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Guinea pigs, as with most animals, need exercise to stay fit and healthy. Having a big area to explore and bullet around in also keeps our furry friends stimulated and entertained, which is equally as important. Read more...
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Flystrike is a horrible illness that can cause terrible pain and distress to an animal and can even lead to death. However, there are simple, easy steps you can take to help prevent it. Read more...
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This article deals specifically with dental disease in Chinchillas (Chinchilla Langier). Degus (Octodon degus) and Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus). Read more...
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Of the many species of hamster that live in the wild, relativity few have found their way into the pet world. One of the most common of these is the Golden or Syrian hamster; although this is still a comparatively new pet which has only been available since its re-discovery in 1930. Read more...
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The life span of a gerbil is about 3 years, although many will reach 4 (and some even 5) years old. The most common colour for a gerbil is agouti; this name comes from the Agouti animal of South America, and is a speckled brown and grey. Read more...
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Rodent bedding should not only be kept clean and changed at very frequent intervals, it should be appropriate for the species concerned. This discussion intends to give an overview of the most appropriate bedding to use for rodents, and explains why the use of pine and cedar woods should be discouraged. Read more...
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Degus are sociable animals, so it is best to keep at least two animals. Never keep one degu, as it will not be happy and will not live for as long as it could do if it had a same sex friend. Read more...
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Respiratory disease is a horrible and distressing, and one of the most common causes of death in pet rats. Many rat lovers have lost a pet rat due to respiratory problems, despite having seen their vet and tried various medications. Read more...
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The Step up and Step down Training is probably the most important part of any Parrots training and all owners should consider doing this as part of homing a new bird. You will need to keep to a strict regime and be quite strict with your routine. Read more...
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The first question to ask when dealing with a biting parrot is why? Under what circumstance is this happening? From my experience, birds bite for generally one of two main reasons: survival or control. A third less common reason can be hormonal behavior. Read more...
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Parrots are very intelligent animals and they are thought to have the same level of intelligence as a five-year-old child. It is therefore very important that they get mental stimulation, as the commonest cause of feather plucking is boredom. Read more...
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Certain breeds of dog (notably English Cocker Spaniels) can occasionally display unpredictable outbursts of aggression known as ‘rage syndrome’. These dogs will be perfectly civil with strangers and in the show ring, but then will suddenly attack family members for no apparent reason. Read more...
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It is vital that your dog perceives the muzzle as a positive experience. Quite often the dog’s first encounter with a muzzle is in a stressful and fearful situation, such as the vet clinic, when the dog may become aggressive or difficult to handle because of fear, panic, or injury. Read more...
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Canine Possession Aggression, or object guarding, is the act of aggressively protecting objects such as toys, pigs ears, rawhide chews, bones, or articles that the dog has found or stolen, such as socks shoes underwear tissues and human food. Read more...
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Ferrets usually get along fine with cats & dogs. Never leave hunting breeds like terriers and hounds alone with ferrets though. If you have small mammals (rodents, rabbits), you must exercise extreme caution with regards to ferrets. They are natural enemies, and your ferret may kill them. Read more...
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There are a huge number of cats out there with severe dental disease that desperately need treatment. Most owners are unaware of their cats teeth problem until either a vet checks the cats mouth, or the mouth becomes so sore and breath so foul that the owners attention is drawn to it. Read more...
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There are a huge number of dogs out there with severe dental disease that desperately need treatment. Most owners are unaware of their dogs teeth problem until either a vet checks the dogs mouth, or the mouth becomes so sore and breath so foul that the owners attention is drawn to it. Read more...
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Cats with gingivitis and/or stomatitis often have a rancid odor in their mouth, salivate excessively and have difficulty eating. The chronic mouth pain results in a decreased appetite and weight loss. The gums will appear raw and bumpy and bleed easily. Read more...
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Rabbits have been popular pets for centuries, and live on average to about 5 years old. They are usually very docile creatures but, if cornered, frightened or frustrated, can get nervous and will bite or 'attack' you by scrabbling with their front paws. Read more...
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Caring for wildlife presents many challenges. Not only do most rescuers have little knowledge of the biology of the species in question, there are also often strict laws governing the protection of wildlife species which must be abided by, not to mention the numerous ethical dilemmas. Read more...
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If you have a rat who needs to have medicine, it can be a nightmare trying to get them to eat the crushed up tablet disguised in food or if it is a liquid medication, to syringe it down them. Here are some tried and tested tips. Read more...
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As winter gets underway, wild mice and rats enter houses more often to escape the cold. However, while this can be a matter for concern, there are ways that you can humanely remove these uninvited visitors rather than calling the local exterminator. Read more...
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Cats are are so easy to live with most of the time, which is why their appeal as pets is so widely accepted. Cats are quiet, clean, affectionate and best of all are very self-sufficient. But when things go wrong . . . it can be a turbulent relationship. Read more...
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Introducing a cat to a household already containing a dog is a scenario many will be faced with at some point. It is a tricky situation, but with careful planning and a bit of patience, problems can be avoided. Here behaviorist Stan Rawlinson gives his advice on how to introduce a dog to a cat! Read more...
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Moving house can be a very stressful time for your cat. Territorial battles may occur with other local cats. This article is based on a question asked at the Televets Pet Question and Answer service. Read more...
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I cannot tell you how many times people have said to me that their dog thinks it is human and I always give the same answer "No it doesn't it probably thinks you're a dog". Though not strictly true, it serves to emphasise that dogs are not little human beings in fur coats. Read more...
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Dogs are social animals, they have rules that dictate how they behave around each other. Left to themselves, most canines easily slip into their roles. The pyrotechnics erupt when they disagree about their place in the pack or family unit. Read more...
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Aggression is one of the main reason dogs are euthanised or rehomed. At least 30% of all dogs in rescue centres are there because of aggression in one form or another. Many dogs will have more than one of the following types of behaviour. Read more...
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Quite often a simple noise aversion technique can stop many unwanted and irritating behaviours such as jumping up aggression, barking and predatory chasing (i.e. cats or other dogs). Read more...
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There can't be many feline households today without a litter box. The pervasiveness of the indispensable litter box makes it difficult to imagine a time before cat litter. But in fact, cat litter is a relatively recent accoutrement to the feline lifestyle. Read more...
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Noise fears or phobias in dogs are among the most common of the behavioral problems, but are frequently ineffectively managed. They are most easily treated with early identification and intervention where possible. Read more...
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Socialisation is so vitally important that it almost outweighs all other considerations. The fear of infections has led breeders and owners alike to make the tragic mistake of keeping their puppies isolated until they have completed their vaccinations. Read more...
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The highest incidence of dominance aggression occurs in intact males, followed, in decreasing order of frequency, by castrated males, spayed females and unspayed females. Certain breeds have been reported to have a higher incidence of this type of aggression, but it can occur in any breed of dog. Read more...
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Dealing with pet rats who bite!
As any rat lover will tell you, rats make wonderful pets – they are friendly, intelligent, funny and loyal. However, like all species, there will be occasions where you... Read More »
Rabbits have been popular pets for centuries, and live on average to about 5 years old. They are usually very docile creatures but, if cornered, frightened or frustrated,... Read More »
Dogs and humans are susceptible to a variety of water-borne parasites. Luckily for dogs, most of these parasites cannot readily invade a dog’s body unless it eats an aquatic... Read More »
Cheyletiella dermatitis is caused by a small mite that lives in the outer layers of the skin of dogs, cats, rabbits and people. Infected animals have an accumulation of dandruff... Read More »
Cancer of the bladder in dogs is nearly always very bad news. The most common presenting signs are hematuria (blood in the urine), dysuria (straining to urinate), pollakiuria... Read More »
