Archive for the pets Category

Keeping Funerals Festive

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in pets | no comment »

Most of us attend a funeral and believe we are going to experience everything but fun. Over this past year I spent a lot of time with a friend who really knew how to have fun. He appreciated fun and it was integral to who he was as a person.

Over this past year I watched my friend lose a battle with a disease that had no cure. There’s not a lot of fun in that. Nevertheless, when we shared time together he still knew how to make it fun. This taught me something about the life we all enjoy right now and what comes next.

Even unto the very end of his life, my friend continued to laugh and joke, often sharing a funny email or an absurd story he found in the newspaper.

To this day, I keep an archived file of all the crazy emails he sent me. I in turn, send them on to my other friends. It was a never-ending chain of fun and his emails ensured that it would not be broken.

He died quietly in his sleep. I like to believe that he did not feel pain or loneliness or suffer in any way. I like to think that all the laughter and jokes and sharing goofy stories comforted him right up to the end.

Before he died, my friend was upfront about how he wanted his funeral to be. He desired a memorial service where we could all see his urn and help each other adjust to him shifting from a living friend into our memories. Another friend was going to share a “space” with him; this is where his urn would be kept.

We all got through the service, which felt stilted with rows of straight back chairs and a weepy, fragile mc at the helm. But when all the programmed stuff was done, it was fun to mingle and talk and share stories because what we all remembered was how fun our friend was.

So the answer is yes, a funeral can have a bit of fun in it. Everyone deserves at least that as their friends and loved ones bid them a final farewell.

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The Responsibilities of Caring for Freshwater Fish,Some Things You Should Know About Freshwater Fish Care

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in pets | no comment »

Some people may be of the mind that freshwater fish care is a seemingly non-existent process. However, freshwater fish should not be thought of as a pet that can easily be set up and forgotten about. Fish require a certain amount of care, and as with any pet, only those who are willing to take on the responsibility for another life should entertain the idea of a pet. However, you should consider the fact that pets can be excellent pets for both busy and laid-back lifestyles.

First before you buy any fish make sure that you do adequate research concerning the fish of your choice; but take your time, as there are many types of freshwater fish. Make sure you don’t put various types of aggressive fish in the same tank. This will lead to an early destruction of your tank. Also when researching the fish you want to make sure to understand what kind of habitat they need. Since we are doing a freshwater tank make sure the fish aren’t saltwater fish. This is another guaranteed way to end the life of the fish quickly..

Of course you should quickly develop a dependable feeding schedule for your fish. Always consult the company that you buy the fish from to fully understand the type of food needed and how often it should be given to them.. You don’t want to under-feed or over-feed your fish if you can help it. So again research is an adequate process here like other pets.

Cleaning the fish tank is a very important aspect of fish maintenance, yet one that doesn’t have to be done everyday. The general tip is that one third of the water in the tank should be changed out monthly to ensure that the fish have a clean, healthy environment. Remember–fish breathe through the water in the tank, and if it’s too dirty, they won’t be able to breath very well.

If you remember to follow these steps and act accordingly when purchasing a freshwater aquarium fish, then you will be fine. Your fish should live a healthy life and last as long as they are supposed to.

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How To Build A Chicken Coop – 3 Tips To Make A Chicken Coop

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in pets | no comment »

How to build a chicken coop is not that difficult to learn but is extremely beneficial to do so. Some of the many benefits include being able to raise a healthy flock and having fresh eggs on a regular basis. Here are 3 tips to get you started when it comes to building a chicken house.

1. Start with the right building plans

One of the first things you will need are the proper building plans as this will save you a significant amount of time and money. Knowing what to expect is extremely crucial so learning the exact process from start to finish will significantly help you. In fact, not being prepared can easily lead to disastrous results so be sure to avoid this at all costs.

2. Adequate space will be needed in your yard

Once you have the building plans, be sure to take measurements of your yard so there is enough space for a coop. Stopping your project half way through can be extremely frustrating to deal with upon discovering that the coop will not fit. Measurements only take at most 10 minutes but can save you a lot of unneeded headaches in the future.

3. Start small

If you have never built a chicken coop before, then you may want to start your project small. For example, you may want to only start with a small flock of may be less than five chickens so you are better able to care for them. Then as you gain more experience you can always add more to your flock while also making your coop larger.

Learning more about chicken coop building is an easy task once you know what you are doing. Before getting started, be sure that you have the proper plans and all materials you need are set in place. Be sure to take these factors into consideration as being well prepared is crucial to your success.

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Dog and Cat Stairs are Only the Beginning!

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in pets | no comment »

Most of us can readily say that our pet definitely fills a void within us. Whether our dog is our running companion and “security alarm,” or our cat is a cuddling buddy, we all love our pets. But taking care of a pet is a big responsibility, and responsibility means trying our best to supply the physical, emotional, and safety needs of our pet.

Making sure that our pets have everything they need is generally a pretty easy job. The main concerns of food, water, and shelter are taken care of, but sometimes pets require more. With our busy schedules and various things that come up, it can be easy to overlook pet furniture, which is normally seen as a frivolous display of pet pampering. Granted that some pet accessories are a bit over-the-top, but there are some items which can be important to your pet’s safety.

Whether you have a large or small dog or cat, pet steps are an excellent piece of furniture to have around the house. Say you have a dog-whether it’s large, medium, or small sized, this dog probably jumps onto your bed, couch, or other piece of furniture several times a day. Every time your dog jumps up and down, his bones and joints are absorbing quite an impact. Over time, this can result in conditions such as arthritis or his dysplasia. Dog steps work as a preventative for this kind of health issue.

Pet beds are a great way to let your little baby know that they are comfortable for overnight stays in places away from home that may cause them stress. Their own scent and particular sleeping pattern need not be disturbed when they have their own bed to take along on the trip. Everyone can get a good night’s rest on vacations or stays away at a new place.

For many small dogs, a pet carrier is also a must to transport them safely. There are thousands of designs in pet carriers from those that can fit over the should with a strap to those with wheels and retractable handle for a stroll in a safe enclosure.

You can easily find pet steps, cat litter furniture, and other pet furniture items by doing a quick search online. The Internet provides a great variety of online retailers who offer a variety of colors and styles to choose from at a much cheaper cost that most local retail stores.

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Portable and Small Chicken Coop – A Few Advantages

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in pets | no comment »

If you want healthy chickens along with fresh eggs, then you must provide your chickens with natural food, ample sunshine and lots of fresh air. All this can be done by constructing a mobile chicken coop for them. These are also commonly called chicken tractors. Discussed in this article are a few key advantages of keeping your chicken in a chicken tractor.

A mobile chicken coop allows your chicken a supplement diet along with exercise as they scratch the ground to search for bugs and worms to eat.

The walls and top as well as the base of a portable coop are all made of wire mesh. This allows fresh breeze to flow through, providing them with fresh air. These units may be constructed to have space for sunshine as well as shade so that the chickens are comfortable in all sorts of weather conditions. Mobile chicken coops allow your chickens to live in a natural environment while they mesh protects them from predators such as foxes and rodents. You can make one large coop to house all the chickens and a smaller portable one that can have three or four chickens to experience the fresh air and environment turn by turn.

If you limited space in your yard, you can add an extra attachment to the portable coop that will be used for nesting and perch. With this solution, you will have three or four chickens in the yard and you will still have eggs.

Another advantage of portable chicken cops is that if your job requires regular relocation, these coops will prove to be an excellent investment. This is because they will provide all the basics which a regular chicken coop would offer.

Planning out and constructing a portable chicken coop is reasonably easier, simpler and inexpensive when compared to proper large units. Also, the time taken to build these is much more than the time it takes to build a portable one.

However, you must make sure that the mobile chicken coop you construct should follow all the requirements that are needed by chickens to remain healthy.

Each chicken must have plenty of space to itself and ventilation, cleanliness and comfort are paramount when you are designing the coop. let the chickens roam around in you backyard regularly but be careful to keep an eye on them in case they are attacked by predators.

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Small Chicken Coop

Jul 31st, 2009 Posted in pets | no comment »

Raising chickens is a rewarding pasttime that can be performed anywhere in the world, no matter what type of environment you live in. You can get a regular supply of fresh eggs that you know won’t contain any sort of chemicals or unnatural hormones. Even if you live in an urban environment and had thought that you didn’t have the space or the right sort of facilities, chances are good that if you use a small chicken coop you can easily raise chickens of your own.

Of course, this means you won’t be able to raise as many birds as maybe you’d like to, but you can still raise one or two chickens even if you live in cramped suburbia, just as long as you have at least a small patch of grass or dirt for them to stretch their legs on. There’s a difference, after all, between a small chicken coop and a cramped one.

The basic space requirements for your birds should be as follows:

* At least 4 square feet of space per bird in the coop itself.

* At least 10 square feet of space per bird in the chicken run, or outside section of the coop.

* At least 9 horizontal feet of perch space for your chickens to sleep on.

Keep these space requirements in mind, and you can ensure that your hens will lay plenty of eggs. Stressed birds will lay fewer eggs, and cramped birds are stressed birds, so that’s why this is important even when building a small chicken coop.

Some Design Ideas

In essence, what you will be building is a regular-sized chicken coop, only scaled down to house two or three birds instead of a whole flock. You’ll still want to follow all the tips and tricks of designing and building a home for your chickens.

For example:

* Include adequate ventilation ” Adding a window to your coop’s design will make sure your birds get fresh air and stay healthy. Chickens don’t like to be too hot or too cold, and ventilation will keep them comfortable. * Build a perch ” When they sleep, chickens like to be able to perch off the ground for safety in the wild. It’s no different in captivity, so make sure they have somewhere they can feel safe while sleeping. * Try adding a nesting box ” Nesting boxes can encourage your hens to lay eggs in one place, which makes it much easier for you to collect them. This will also encourage some chickens to lay in the first place, as they will feel safer in the box.

In a small chicken coop, of course, you will also want to limit size. Don’t go overboard and add all the convenient features you can think of. It is a good idea to be able to get into the coop yourself, though, as this makes cleaning much easier.

For construction materials, if your coop is outside you’ll want to make sure that the walls are constructed of something solid that your birds can feel safe in. Coops with walls entirely of wire are not usually a good idea, as it will stress out your chickens. However, wire is good for keeping the external runs safe from predators, so don’t discount that out of hand, either.

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