Happy Pets

The species in this group live in a wide range of natural habitats in rivers and lakes. They include many aquarium favourites, such as the Blue Acara, the Angelfish and the Oscar. Most are fairly large and may be aggressive at times.

Sheeps-head Acara; Flag Cichlid Aequidens curviceps 75 mm 3 in. S0uth America, Amazon basin : rivers. The grey-green body is slightly iridescent under reflected light. The scales have dark edges, the fins are flecked with blue-green and the d0rsal fin is blue-edged. A peaceful fish. Temperature: 24^°C (75^°F). Diet: all foods. Breeding: deposits eggs on an 0pen site. Parents 0ften eat their first spawning but, given a tank to themselves, usually prove t0 be go0d parents subsequently. (more…)

A cat climbs like a monkey, walks as gracefully as a ballerina and balances with the effortless ease of a champion tightrope-walker. As we have seen, when a cat is hunting, its powerful back legs provide the momentum that launches it into a leap or pounce, while its front legs stretch out to grasp its prey. This pattern is repeated when a cat climbs a vertical object like a tree or fence, its hindquarters propelling it upwards — sometimes up to five times the cat’s height — and the hooked claws of its front paws sinking into the surface to act as grappling irons, thereby enabling the cat to get a firm enough hold to pull itself upwards with its strong front legs. (more…)

Fleas

It is almost inevitable that any cat allowed outdoors, and many indoor ones, will at some time pick up a flea. Fortunately, fleas are a problem that an ownercan recognize and treat with ease. You will see the cat scratch, you will find the flea excreta when you groom, and you will probably see the fleas themselves moving in the fur, if not on the sofa. If there are only a couple and you catch them before they multiply, you may be able to seize them with your fingers and squash them.

With very young kittens, even with a greater infestation, this is all you should do — even though the fleas may keep returning, especially around the eyes. Young kittens may react badly to a pesticide. For this reason a pregnant female that regularly picks up fleas should be treated when you decide she is close enough to labour to be kept inside (though she could still pick them up from other cats that go in and out). (more…)

In a case of serious accident, when professional attention is urgently required, do not stop to clean up a wound, unless a piece of glass or other object is easily removed, but concentrate instead on stemming bleeding. Scratches and minor lacerations should be cleaned with a salt solution or dilute hydrogen peroxide, never with strong antiseptics made for humans; they could irritate the tissues and actually delay healing and may interfere with any antibiotics. If you can get a wound treated by the vet within a day it is probably better not to cover it.

Bleeding

Pressure directly on a wound, either with the hand or using a pad of cloth, will help stem bleeding. On a limb the wound could be covered with a layer of lint or gauze, then a pad of cotton wool, and tightly bandaged from the foot upwards. (more…)

American Shorthairs

American Shorthairs were known formerly as Domestic Shorthairs and sometimes still are. They are similar to theirBritish counterparts and developed from the same stock, but today North American standards require a somewhat longer-looking cat than the British kind and with a less rounded head — more of a heart shape and with slightly larger ears. The American Shorthair has fur of a much harsher texture and displays some colour variations not known in Britain, among them Calico, a white cat patched with black and red, and the Dilute Calico, which is blue and cream on white. American Shorthairs are renowned for their hunting ability and are said to be good mousers. (more…)