Month: October 2015

The Right Motorcycle Pet Carrier

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When choosing a motorcycle pet carrier, safety and practicality should be your main concerns. Keeping your pet safe is more important than having a fancy or stylish pet carrier. So what type of pet carrier should you choose when taking your cat or dog along for a motorcycle ride? Here are some key features that every motorcycle pet carrier or pet crate should have.

Durable and Protective

Probably the safest motorcycle pet carrier on the market is a pet crate made of hard, durable plastic. Some are even reinforced with lightweight aluminum for added strength. Pet crates made with an aerodynamic shape with these durable materials from top to bottom provide roll-cage like protection if an accident were to occur. Other types of pet carriers such as motorcycle pet bags, chest pouch carriers, and pet carrier tank pads, are not as safe because they expose the dog or cat, driver, and passenger to potential dangers and distractions.

Must-Have Safety Features

A motorcycle dog carrier or cat carrier should have certain safety features for everyone’s protection. Its cage door should be secure at all times with no chance of the door flying open while riding over bumps or on curves. Your pet should not be able to open the door from the inside. The interior of the pet crate should be free of any hazardous protrusions. It should not have screws or other objects protruding outward (on the interior) that could harm the pet during a quick stop or turn.

The bottom of the pet crate should be leak-free and have an absorbent material in the bottom (just in case). Also, be sure the motorcycle pet carrier can be securely mounted to your motorcycle. Some pet carriers come with special mounting made for that particular carrier to maximize safety.

Proper Ventilation

Any motorcycle dog carrier or other type of carrier should have proper ventilation. Be sure an opening is available just large enough for your dog to stick his head out and enjoy the breeze! Some pet crates have removable side rails that enable you to remove and replace them as needed on the trip.

Enough Space for Comfort

Make sure the pet carrier provides adequate space for your pet’s comfort while traveling. Your dog or cat should be able to move freely within the pet crate. They should be able to lie down, stand, and turn around with ease. Many pet crates come in various sizes so you can easily find the perfect fit for your pet.

Other features you might look for include a leash attachment, handles or grips for easy carrying by hand, and versatility. Versatility means the carrier can be easily converted into a scooter dog carrier, a hand-held carrier, or a bicycle pet carrier. This will save you money in the long run.

A motorcycle pet carrier with these mind-easing safety features will likely cost a little more than many other carriers, but you might save your pet’s life by spending just a little more. Pet travel can be fun once you find a motorcycle pet carrier you can trust!

Carpet Fleas – How To Kill Carpet Fleas For Good

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In the past and still nowadays, carpeting is really common and is the most practical, stylish, and flexible selection of flooring out there, since it also accounts for a higher degree of all flooring purchases that are made each and every year. A lot of people prefer carpeting for their homes. It gives warmth, safety, and flexibility in just about any room. But, what if you’re taking care of pets at home?

Most folks like to keep some pets at home whilst the pets do have fleas on their bodies. Fleas have been around for millions of years, bothering animals and the human race. You can encounter them upon pets, mammals, in carpetings, or couches, in addition to other family and farm goods. In a typical room, 5 percent of the fleas will be encountered on pets, 10 percent are in the form of flea cocoons in the carpetings, 35 percent in the stage of flea larvae and 50 percent are flea eggs, once more in the carpets.

Fleas are those pestering small blood-sucking pests because they come into your household clutching that outdoor dog or cat. Their bites could cause itchiness and red bumps, in addition to misery, for both your pet and you. Adult fleas spend their entire time riding on their hosts, which are generally your pets, and do not spend time hanging out in your carpetings or other fabric family items. Eggs, as well, are discovered on animals; the mature fleas lay their eggs in the hair or pelt of your pets. The phase at which fleas genuinely spend a lot of time in your carpeting is at the larval stage. Here, they feast on dry blood and some other matter left behind in areas where your loved pet lies down, including carpeting.

You know what will come about whenever there are fleas on your carpeting, whilst you and your family enjoy lying on the carpeting too, watching TV and even eating. They are not healthy for your familys well being. You have to put work in to clean the carpeting and get rid of the fleas from it. I would like to share with you a few tips how to kill carpet fleas.

Use Vacuum Cleaners Ohio State University just brought out a study that foggers and different pesticides fleas are getting resistant and it is highly recommended that just vacuuming daily will at the least rid the household of 94% of live adult fleas and that the vacuum whether it has a bag, upright or canister will wipe out the live adult fleas.

Apply Baking Soda and Salt

To eliminate larvae/eggs and fleas with baking soda and salt. Scatter baking soda and salt all over and allow it to sit over night, the baking soda will suffocate live fleas/larvae whilst the salt slits open the eggs. It is a natural method to rid the carpet of fleas and salt pulls dust/dirt and other fine particles from carpets to make them look clearer.

Hot Water Extraction.

The hot water extraction system is highly recommended, since it’s considered to be one of the better ways for carpet cleaning. Also best-known as steam cleaning, the task comprises of spraying a mixture of water and detergent into the pile and retrieving the water and dirt with a strong vacuum cleaner that puts it into a holding tank. You can use a truck mounted unit or a man-portable self contained unit too. This process is easily among the best, and is perfect for dirty carpets or pet stains that you’ve yet to get out of the fibers.

Keep Your Pets Clean.

If you’ve got a pet, make a small tube for your pet to wear on a string around its neck filled with pennyroyal and a couple of drops of eucalyptus tree oil. The tube can be replenished and oiled every few days to maintain freshness, endeavor to keep pets away from damp, and dark areas. This is where fleas often lay their eggs and form the right conditions for hatching.

Different Breeds Of Turtles Commonly Kept As Pets

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The many different breeds of turtles can just about be classifed as completely unique animals. Different types of turtles have specific requirements for diet, housing and health care to save on pricey vet bills. Here is a brief overview of the different breeds of turtles that people keep as house pets.

Box turtles- Box turtles the only species that has hinges near the front and back of their shell to actually close themselves completely in their shell. Their large high domed shell makes them awkward swimmers so beware any deep water areas with a box turtle.

The Painted Turtle- Beautiful pink and yellow markings make these turtles very easy on the eyes. They have a friendly disposition as pets, but tend to be fussy eaters at times. Try offering some crickets or earthworms for a snack thats too good to resist.

Snapping turtles- These include the aligator snapping turtle which is particularly aggressive and has an insane bite pressure. Snapping turtles are not ideal for a pet due to their temperament, but there are people that keep them anyway and say that if cared for properly they make excellent pets. Safety first with these types of turtles.

Mud Turtles- One of the easiet breeds of turtles to own as pets. A close relative to the Musk turtle, Mud Turtles are very hearty and resilient animals. You need to pay attention to a mud turtle just like any other, but they eat just about anything that any other turtle would eat and do not grow to be enormous. If there is such a thing as a beginner turtle the Mud turtle would be it.

Sliders- Red and yellow eared sliders are given their name from the colored splotch that is where there ears would be. Highly aquatic animals that require more attention to their water condition than different breeds of turtles.

Musk Turtles- Very hearty and resilient as pets. The Musk turtle is also nicknamed the “stinkpot” for its ability to secrete a bad smelling substance from the anal glands in times of danger. People have owned musk turtles for their whole life without once having the turtle secrete, which speaks to the mild mannered nature of the musk turtle.

Cooters- As far as pets go Cooters are known as one of the friendlier species of turtle. They grow anywhere from 6-16″ with females groing larger than males.

There are over 300 identified species of turtles in existence and dozens of them are different breeds of turtles that people keep as pets. Snapping turtles would have to be the most challenging. You have to worry about basic turtle care on top of their unique temperament. Don’t ever get too close to the jaws of a snapping Turtle or you will surely be sorry that you did!

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As mentioned earlier the Mud turtle is fairly easy to care for making it a good beginner turtle. However the most popular species among the different breeds of turtles commonly kept as house pets is the red eared slider, but they are a bit more challenging due to their aquatic habitat.

To summarize, if you are looking for a beginner friendly turtle for a pet try a mud turtle. They are not nearly as expensive to keep as your everyday aquatic. If however you are interested in an aquatic turtle of some kind the painted turtle and red eared sliders are beautiful to look at and have the right temperament to make a good pet.

Budgie Care Sheet

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The Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus), also nicknamed the “budgie”, is a parakeet and small member of the parrot family. This bird is one of the most popular species of pet birds. Budgies can learn to do tricks, and also be taught how to talk and mimic their owners. Below is more information about this fun loving little bird, and how to care and keep them as pets.

Behavior/Coloring

Quite the talker, these soft spoken little parakeets are sometimes hard to hear. They need daily interaction and plenty of activity provided by toys and their owner. Mirrors will provide these birds time to socialize, however this should not be the only interaction. Since they are easily trained to speak, they will offer great friendship and entertainment.

Health

A budgie should always be active and alert. Their feathers will not need clipping, and they should always be clean and unruffled. If your pet starts to eat less or become withdrawn, then there may be something wrong with it. Below are common ailments that these parakeets can suffer from.

Chlamydiosis- causes a loss in appetite, discharge at the nose/ruffled feathers

Mites- this external parasite can cause scales around legs/feet, beaks and eyes

If your budgie were to start plucking at its feathers, then this means that they are not getting enough attention from you. Also, try taking old toys out and putting in new ones. A budgerigar may also have other issues like diarrhea, which is caused by problems in the diet. Fruit consumption may need to be reduced, but if it continues then speak with a veterinarian.

Nutrition

A budgerigar diet should be that of parakeet food, which makes up 60 to 70% of their diet. Fruits and vegetables like grated carrots, raw broccoli, and sliced apples can be fed everyday. Make fresh, filtered water available everyday, and remember that parakeets like variety in their diet.

Habitat

Budgies will need a cage that is 56cm x 46cm x 61cm (LxWxH). A cage that is too small will not allow them the proper room needed to freely move about. When placing the cage, keep it away from the kitchen and any open windows. This keeps drafts and odors from bothering the bird. Also, to prevent drafts at night, cover the cage before bedtime. The habitat should be disinfected weekely and have fresh liner placed in the bottom. All dishes, toys, and perches will also need to be cleaned regularly or thrown away if they are damaged.

Inside the cage, perches should be of varying sizes and not placed over food and water, this is to prevent soiling them. At least 2 toys should be in the cage to keep them occupied. Also, for bathing, place a small dish of lukewarm water in the bottom of the cage.

A budgerigar can grow to be 18cm long, and live for 10-20 years. Before making a budgie a pet, consider the commitment and care that they will need. These popular little winged friends will make great pets for children(14 years) and adults.