A cat door not only benefits the cat, it brings peace of mind to the cat owner.
The hole should be cut in the bottom of the door on the lock- side so any framing will not interfere with the normal door operation. The door needs to be approximately 250x 250 mm or smaller, depending on the size of your cat. Read the rest of this entry »
Species of this family are native to South America, Africa, India, Burma, Thailand and Indonesia. Most are aggressive and predatory, but their colours and behaviour ensure their popularity.
Badis; Dwarf Chameleon Fish Badis badis 65 mm n in. India : standing waters. This fish can change its body colours and patterning to suit its surroundings. Generally it is a dark reddish-brown, with a greenish sheen. From time to time transverse bars may appear. The dorsal fin (similar in shape to that of Dwarf Cichlids) and caudal fin are greenish. The female fish is less colourful. Read the rest of this entry »
If, like the majority of responsible cat owners, you would prefer your cat not to breed, a simple neutering operation will iron out the most significant behavioural differences between male and female felines. With the removal of the organs that pump sex hormones — testosterone in males, and oestrogen in females — into the cat’s body, both sexes will become less likely to roam or spray (particularly males), less temperamental and, most importantly, incapable of adding to an already teeming feline population. Read the rest of this entry »
Although a cat’s maintenance costs are relatively low, there are certain unavoidable expenses that cat-ownership will incur over the years. These include providing your feline with the minimum of two meals a day of a nutritious proprietary cat food; buying cat litter for anindoor cat; settling an annual veterinary bill for vaccinations; and funding any additional veterinary treatment that a cat may need as a result of an accident or illness. Investigate these costs by paying a visit to your local pet shop or supermarket and veterinary surgery, noting down prices and asking for information. Read the rest of this entry »
The feline senses are generally far more sensitive than those of humans, but there is one that compares relatively badly to ours: the cat’s sense of taste. Although some cats are said to be fussy eaters, this has less to do with their ability to distinguish subtle nuances of flavour and is more concerned with the freshness of the food offered to them: they distrust the smell of stale, or even rotting, food, having the instinctive knowledge that it could make them ill. Read the rest of this entry »
Although how its food smells determines whether or not a cat will eat it, the feline nose is a for more versatile organ of smell than simply o food-identifier. Indeed, it plays a crucial role in feline relationships - both sexual and social - and if a cat’s sense of smell is impaired for any reason, it may start to behave in a most unfeline way. Read the rest of this entry »
A successful hunter needs to be fit, and cats keep themselves trim by strolling the perimeters of their territory on their regular inspection tours, climbing trees or other lofty vantage points from which cats can monitor any interesting goings-on and, of course, pouncing at potential prey. (The reason why many indoor cats occasionally career around the house at top speed is both to let off steam and to indulge in the type of hunting exercise that outdoor cats more regularly enjoy.) Read the rest of this entry »
In their natural habitat the Clownfishes share a fascinating relationship with the Sea-anemone (Stoichactis, Discosoma and Radianthus species).
Normally, any fish venturing into the outspread tentacles of the Sea-anemone is fatally stung and consumed, but the Clownfish enjoys immunity (and safety from other larger fishes) as it swims in and out of its host. Read the rest of this entry »
Although related to the Clownfishes, these fishes have larger scales, and whereas the Clownfishes seek the relative safety of the Sea-anemone, the Damselfishes and Sergeant-Majors prefer to seek protection among the many coral branches of the reefs where they live. Some species have spawned in the aquarium. Read the rest of this entry »
Members of this family are deep-bodied and laterally compressed fishes. They are found mainly in the Indo-Pacific oceans, but one or two species occur in the Atlantic. They inhabit coral reefs, constantly pecking or scraping food from the surface and crevices of the coral heads. Their brilliant colours and startling patterns may be either a type of camouflage in the brightly lit world of the coral reef, or an aid in recognizing or communicating with fishes of the same species. The Angelfishes are distinguished from the Butterflyfishes by a spine at the bottom rear corner of the gill cover; many young Angelfishes have colours and markings that differ from those of the adult form. Angelfishes are territorial, and fishes of the same spebies will fight. Read the rest of this entry »
