Happy Pets

In the interests of maintaining good hygiene, it’s important that your cat has its own food and water bowls (separate ones are more practical than combined versions) rather than borrowing a saucer or dish from its human family. These are available from pet shops and should have a heavy base so that they won’t tip over when your cat is eating or drinking. Battery-operated, covered food bowls are another option, many of which contain a type of cooling system that keeps food fresh in hot weather or over extended periods and may also incorporate a timer that you can set so that the lid springs open at a certain time when you’re not around to feed your cat. (more…)

Lampeyed Panchax; LampeyeAplocheilichthys (formerly Micropanchax) macrophthalmus 30 mm 1 in. Nigeria, Cameroon : forest streams. The body is not cylindrical, but more laterally compressed. Its colour is a delicate blue, with a faint gold line running from the gill cover to the caudal fin. The caudal fin may have a yellow tinge, with red marks at the edge. The eyes are blue. Unlike some Killifishes, this species does well in hard, alkaline water. A shoaling upper water level species, perhaps too small for a community collection. Temperature: 23-26^°C (73-78^°F). Diet: live and dried foods. Breeding: lays eggs over period of days in plants or mops. Eggs hatch in two weeks and fry mature in six months. (more…)

The Egglaying Toothcarps include the so-called ‘annual’ fishes whose natural watery habitat completely dries up every year, thus killing the fishes. However, before this event occurs, the adult fishes lay their fertilized eggs in the mud of the stream bed, where they survive the rest of the dry season in a dormant state. The onset of the rainy season refills the stream bed and the eggs hatch. The fish then have to mature and spawn in their turn before the weather cycle is repeated. Aquarists have not been slow to take advantage of the fertilized eggs‘ ability to withstand semi-dehydration, and exchange fertile eggs through the post, often on a worldwide basis. (more…)

The young of these fishes develop inside the body of the female until they have absorbed the yolk-sac and are then released. Most livebearing fishes are easily sexed : male fishes have the anal fin modified into a rod-like structure called the gonopodium, through which the fertilizing spermatophores are introduced into the female. Gestation is approximately 3o days and broods may number from 20 to 200. It is possible for the females of some species to deliver successive broods without a repeat mating with the male. (more…)

When the babies are first hatched, they are far from a beautiful sight, except perhaps to the owner who has waited long and patiently for their arrival. The head and neck are the largest part of their bodies, and their eyes, not open, almost cover each side of the head. The amount of feathers on the body varies. Some of them have a few straggly olive colored quills, while others are covered with a brilliant yellow down. They are very active and appear to be walking around on four legs, since they use their wings for support. They are born hungry and crying for food. (more…)

One would have to have a complete medical background to go into the history, nature and causes of all bird diseases. However, our purpose here is to advise you, the pet owner, of certain signs of illness and home remedies that may be used in their event.

Cleanliness is, of course, the prime requisite of a healthy bird. A good mite spray when needed, frequent baths and fresh, clean seed are of the utmost importance. (more…)

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 number of American and African Cichlids are smaller and less aggressive than the larger Cichlids, and are suitable for the community tank.

Agassiz’s Dwarf Cichlid Apistogramma agassizi 70 mm 21 in. Amazon basin : shady streams. The elongated body is brown, with a blue sheen in the male and dark-edged scales. The caudal fin of the male is spear-shaped, with a white outline inside the dark margin. The long- based dorsal fin is edged in red and white. Females are more drab, with a yellow-brown body that has a dark, horizontal line running along the flanks and a slanting, dark line through the eye. The caudal fin is rounded. In general, females of the Apistogramma genus (except for the following species) are similar and difficult to identify. Temperature: 24^°C (75^°F), or slightly higher. Diet: all foods. Breeding: secretive; deposits eggs in caves or upturned flowerpots. (more…)

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. (more…)

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. (more…)