Monday, May 30, 2011

Quiz answers!!!!

Sorry these are late, blogger was having issues so I couldn't do anything on my blog.


The answer is cats fur. The fur (contrary to popular belief) is not what causes the allergic reaction. The cat's urine, saliva, and dander are what cause allergic reactions, because of a special protein present in all three. 


The answer is anise seed. Dogs love it! A lot of you guessed fennel, which was very close. Fennel is very similar to anise seed both having similar licorice like properties. Fennel is generally used as a medicine for dogs. 

Don't forget to check out the new quizzes!

Thursday, May 26, 2011


What's foraging?

It is what a lot of rabbit owners like to do. Basically foraging is finding plants outdoors, in your yard, in the woods, in a field, etc. for your rabbit to eat.

Here are some important foraging rules:

Only give your rabbit plants that you know is safe for your rabbit.

Make sure you are positive what the plant is, you don't want to mix up which plants they can or can't have!

Make sure they are pesticide-free.

Don't forage next to the road, the plants will have absorbed chemicals from car exhaust which is bad for your rabbit.

Pick healthy looking plants.

Always wash the plants before you give them to your rabbit.

Here is a list of safe plants for your rabbit:

Dandelions- a favorite of bunnies! Leaves, flowers, and stems are fine.
Roses - remove all thorns!
strawberries and blueberries (I know the actual berries are a great treat for rabbits, but I would advise against feeding the actual leaves and stems to the rabbits, I have no idea if the leaves or stems are safe)

You probably won't find a lot of herbs or vegetables when foraging, but you can grow them yourself in your garden

Here is a list of herbs safe for rabbits:

lemon balm

Here is a list of some veggies safe for rabbits:

dark leaf lettuce such as romaine
celery including the leaves
kale (feed sparingly could cause bloating if eaten in excess)
broccoli (again feed sparingly could cause bloating)
spinach (very small amounts occasionaly, high in oxalates too much can be toxic for bunnies)
bell pepper
cucumber (do not make this the biggest part of your bunny salad, it is mostly water and not a lot of nutrients)
carrots (feed in moderation it is sugary, you can feed the leaves too!)
cabbage (feed sparingly, too much can cause bloating)
apples (technically this is a fruit, but oh well.) (feed as a treat because of sugar content, NEVER feed the seeds or core)

and there are more veggies, but I can't think of all of them right now.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Quiz Answers!!!

Quiz answers are here!!!


The answer is nitrates. Nitrates are the last part of the nitrogen cycle when bacteria breaks down ammonia, into nitrites, and then breaks down nitrites into nitrates. Nitrates is normally not harmful. However, it can cause some stress if the levels become very high. As long as you do routine water changes, the nitrate levels should remain normal. 

The other three choices (chlorine, ammonia, and nitrites) are all very toxic to fish even in small amounts. Which is why cycling new tanks, routine water changes, and chlorine remover (water conditioner), are all very important for your fish tank.


The answer is guinea pigs. Guinea pigs should never be put into an exercise ball or even an exercise wheel. Here's why: 

Exercise ball are round/spherical in shape. Guinea pigs do not have flexible backs, their backs cannot bend the way they would need to in an exercise ball or wheel. So placing them in a ball or wheel causes stress on their spinal chord and could result in injury or paralysis. Many guinea pigs lose the use of one or both of their back legs do to exercise balls. 

So why are they advertised for guinea pigs? I have no idea. In my opinion large exercise balls shouldn't even be made or used. These larger ones are generally made for guinea pigs, rats, ferrets, or chinchillas. However they are dangerous for guinea pigs, in my experience most rats hate them, and ferrets and chinchillas don't need exercise balls they can be allowed to have supervised free time outside of the cage without needing a ball, and they like being out of the ball much more than being in it.

However, for mice, gerbils, and hamsters exercise balls are great! It is obviously hard to let these tiny critters have time exploring out of their cage because of their size. Exercise balls offer a great solution for that. Hamsters, gerbils, and mice love exercise balls and they are safe to use. These critters have very flexible backs because of their need to crawl through tunnels and tight spaces, so they are fine in exercise balls. Just make sure to supervise them because they can be smart enough to escape the ball!

Don't forget to check out this weeks quizzes!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

How to understand bunny language

Here is a list of different movements and noises that bunnies make and what the bunny is saying when they make them:


Grunting or low growl: Get away, I am ANGRY! (grunting is a warning, and with most rabbits a bit would be coming next!)

Chuckle (sounds like a laugh and with Munchkin, he almost sounds like a goat): I am very, very, HAPPY! (for Munchkin it means he is about to do something naughty!)

Grinding or crunching their teeth: I am very content! (most rabbits do this when they are being stroked just how they like, or when they are just very content and happy)

Persistent grinding of the teeth: Ouch! (persistent grinding means your rabbit is in pain)

Other noises rabbits make are moaning and even screaming. Both of those mean that the rabbit is either extremely frightened or in a lot of pain and should be taken to a vet as soon as possible.

Ear movements:

Ears forward and erect: I am listening to something that I am curious about, or showing you that I am  paying attention to you.

Just one ear forward and erect: I am sort of interested in something but not enough to use both my ears.

Ears held together very far back: I am very UPSET! Watch out!

Ears just flopped down in a relaxed manner: I am just relaxed and taking a rest. 

Note: if you own a lop-eared rabbit, they do not have the same range of motion with their ears as other bunnies and you will have to pay attention to other signs instead of their ears to know what the rabbit is communicating.


Bunny's tail held upright, and very stiff: I am furious and considering biting you! Get away!...

or it also means the rabbit may be urinating.

Munchkin holds his tail up in an aggressive manner when he rearranges his towels. (because they just don't want to stay the way he wants! He finds it quite frustrating)

The rest of the time bunnies keep their tails relaxed.

Biting and nipping:

So first there is a difference between biting and nipping. If you rabbit didn't draw blood he obviously didn't have his heart in it and was not biting, only nipping. When rabbits bite and draw blood they mean business and they are obviously very upset. But nipping can mean many things:

I am angry
I am playing with you (especially if they are just nipping clothes)
I am trying to get your attention! Pet me!

Other body language:

Stomping back feet: I am warning you that I am not happy with you, or I am warning you that there is danger! (basically the rabbit is either scared or angry)

Freezing: Something scared me! I must not move! (when a rabbit is keeping very still with its eyes all wide it is definitely freezing and something has scared it)

Kicking back feet: Stop trying to pick me up, or I have had enough with you. (some rabbits do do this when they are just playing I have noticed)

Standing up on hind legs: What's that? I am very curious!

Jumping in the air and running around and being generally goofy and acrobatic: I am HAPPY and having FUN!!!! Yipee! (Munchkin does this most often right after he has done something naughty) (it seems he likes to be bad!)

The bunny flop (flopping over onto back and side and possibly taking a nap right after): I am soooo content and happy!

Lambchopping ( laying down and stretching out  their feet): I feel very relaxed and safe! (when rabbits do not feel completely safe and comfortable they will not do this because when they have their feet stretched out it is difficult to run away quickly.)

Smacking the floor with front feet and shaking their front feet: I am about to groom myself. 

Touching noses with you: You are my friend, I love you!

Licking you: I love you, so I am grooming you. (they may also be begging to be groomed themselves) (when you stroke and pet a rabbit they think of it as being groomed)

Running crazy circles around your feet: I LOVE you! (this is what rabbits do when they want to mate) (generally only unuetered males will do this circling behavior) (be careful when your rabbit does this, they can get pretty agitated and may bite)

Throwing things, shredding things, pushing things, etc.: I am playing, better make sure you have bunny proofed or I may start playing with electrical chords and furniture!

Doing a bunny flop up against you: I trust you completely and feel perfectly safe with you and I am very happy.

Digging: Just playing and doing what comes naturally. (it is a natural behavior of rabbits to dig. If your rabbit is constantly digging things that you don't want them too, provide them with a special box filled with hay, aspen shavings, or some other kind of bedding or litter for them to dig in. )

Rubbing their chins on things: This is mine. (rabbits have scent glands in their chins, so they rub them on things that they want to claim as their own

Bumping things with their nose: Just playing

Bumping you with their nose: I am acknowledging that you are there. I am showing you that I am not ignoring you. (in a rabbit world, walking past, or hopping I should say, another  rabbit without touching that rabbit to acknowledge their presence is considered rude) ( and may make the bunny being ignored angry)


Rabbits' noses communicate too:

Slowly twitching: I am just relaxed and breathing normally

Rapidly twitching: I am very exhausted or scared, or very excited and curious.

Monday, May 16, 2011

responding to comments

Where do I find the new quizzes? Martha 

You can find the new quizzes on the sidebar to the right. They are both right beneath the "subscribe by email" and the list of pages.

Well? I am curious too about "Curious Gram"'s questions. Is there a difference between a pet hermit crab and the ones in the wild? :) Martha 

From what I know there isn't really a difference between pet hermit crabs and wild ones. They seem to be the same.

How big is the sun conure? It sure is cute!
-Animal Gram 

Sun conures are usually about 12 inches, or a foot, in length from beak to the end of their tail.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Quiz answers are here!!!!!

Here are this week's quiz answers:


The answer is Syrian Hamsters. Most of you guessed roborovski hamsters, but they are actually the best type of hamsters to keep in pairs or groups. 

Syrian Hamsters are generally the most popular hamster, and they cannot be kept with other hamsters because they will usually fight which could result in the death or injury of the hamsters. The other three choices (campbell's, winter white, and roborovski) are all dwarf hamsters and can be kept in groups or pairs. 

Here are a few tips on keeping multiple hamsters together:

Have plenty of space so there are no territory issues

Make sure you know the hamsters' genders, or you may end up with a lot more hamsters than you started with!

It is best if the hamsters are grouped with other hamsters of their litter. That way they will have been born together and will be used to and bonded with each other. 

Be careful when introducing new hamsters, and do plenty of research first. 

If it is your first time keeping multiple hamsters together, I would recommend doing it with robos (roborovskis) since they tend to really enjoy other robo's company, and try to get hamsters from the same litter. 

Always be watching for fights and injuries, and if fights happen you may need to separate them.

It is best not to mix species. For instance don't put a winter white in with a robo, or a campbell's with winter white, etc. It is best to keep them all from the same hamster species. 

And remember to never put syrian hamsters together with any other hamster. They must be kept solitary in their own cage.

One more tip: Chinese dwarf hamsters can be kept together, but most recommend you don't, they can be pretty territorial and aggressive, and are very picky about living with other hamsters. If you want to keep multiple chinese dwarfs together definitely do a lot of research first. And definitely get ones from the same litter.

Campbell's hamster

Roborovski hamsters

Winter white hamsters (in the winter their fur may change color to be almost all white, hence the name)

Note: Sorry there is no syrian hamster pictures, none of the ones I used would load. : (


The answer is the Spotted Hifin Catfish. I made that up. The pictus catfish, the striped raphael catfish, and the cory catfish are all real catfish.

Cory catfish
Striped raphael catfish

Pictus catfish

don't forget to check out the new quizzes!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Dangers of Overcrowding a Fish tank

When you have a community tank (a fish tank with multiple fish), you should try to avoid overcrowding it. If you put too many fish into a tank you could cause a lot of problems.

Here is what can happen in an overcrowded tank:

Ammonia and nitrite spikes. If a tank is overcrowded there will be so much ammonia, that the bacteria cannot handle it all, and the ammonia and possibly nitrite levels will spike and cause your fish to become sick or even die.

A dirty tank! With so much fish waste in the tank because there are too many fish, the tank will get dirty much quicker.

Aggression between fish. Fish can be territorial. If they do not have enough space they can become aggressive towards each other and there will be fin nipping and injuries. So if you put too many fish in a tank, tensions will get high and their will be fish fights!

Growth problems. If a tank is too crowded, some fish may not be able to grow to their maximum size. This can be a problem because while the body stops growing there is a possibility that the organs in the fish will continue to grow and eventually it will kill the fish.

So here is how to avoid overcrowding the tank:

First, always put your fish into a tank that will be large enough for their full grown size to avoid growth problems, or having to get more tanks as the fish grows.

For very small fish you can around two to three inches you can go by the one inch of fish per gallon rule. Do not use this rule for large fish, it doesn't work. For instance by the one inch of fish per gallon rule, you would be able to put a foot long fish in a less than a fifteen gallon tank. However you can't realistically do this, the fish wouldn't even be able to move. A fish that large needs a tank of about fifty gallons.

So, unfortunately there isn't really a rule to go buy (unless all of your fish are very small, three inches and under)
Just err on the side of caution, and if you notice ammonia spikes, abnormally dirty water, and fighting, you tank is probably overcrowded. 

Basically just try to 

Monday, May 9, 2011


I totally messed up one of my quizzes yesterday. The quiz question "which of these pets should be kept with others of its own kind" was totally messed up. So I have a new quiz to replace that one. 

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Quiz answers are here!!!!!

Here are the answers to this week's quizzes:


The answer is the Coonhound. Coonhounds hunt by smell, not sight so they are not sight hounds. That is why they tend to have wrinkly, droopy faces, and floppy ears. The long floppy ears sweep smells up to their nose, and the droopy faces actually block out sight when they are looking down sniffing which helps them to focus on the smell. 

A little info on coon hounds: A coon hound is actually not one particular breed, the name coon hound covers quite a few different breeds including: the Treeing Walker Coonhound, the blue tick coonhound (I have seen a few of those at the shelter before), the redbone coonhound, and the black and tan coonhound (pictured above), and more.

The other three choices you could have voted for (greyhounds, salukis, and whippets) are all sight hounds because they hunt by sight, not smell. These three dogs are very lean with long legs and strong muscles. And obviously pretty good eyesight for a dog. Basically they view things at a wider angle than other dogs, which allows them to see more motion. Their long, lean, muscular legs help them to chase their prey very fast.





The answer is pinkie mice* for small snakes and rats for larger snakes. About half of you guessed that one, and the other half guessed mice and frogs which is not far off, as a lot of wild snakes eat mice a frogs, but I have never heard of anyone feeding a domestic pet snake a frog.

*pinkie mice are baby mice 

On the subject of feeding snakes I have to say that I like snakes and I think they are cool, but I could never have one because I would never be able to feed it. I couldn't feed mice or rats to anything, I am to used to them being pets, and I especially couldn't feed anything baby mice! That would be sad! So even though I do like snakes, I could never have a pet one. I get to interact with the garter snakes in my garden. Which is actually pretty cool. They aren't really afraid of me and they will let me touch them and sometimes they will slither around right at my feet, and I don't have to feed them, so I like them a lot.

Don't forget to check out the new quizzes!

And, yes, I need to get a new post up on this blog besides quizzes. I am going to be doing some on dog training, feeding betta fish, and the dangers of overcrowding a fish tank soon!