The Animal Cabin: April 2012

Links on Popular Dog Breeds

There are hundreds of dog breeds and new ones are accepted by the registries almost every year. In some areas small breeds are popular as house pets or as “accessories”, while other area it is the larger dogs that are preferred, sometimes as status symbols, for work purposes (hunting, herding), or just because some people consider small dogs to be silly.

Each dog breed is unique in appearance, and temperament. When selecting a dog most people focus on looks, but it is the temperament, maintenance, along with common health problems, that should be considered first.

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The Labrador Retriever

These dogs are very popular, and come in three colors, black, yellow, and chocolate. They are a fairly large dog originally breed to retrieve ducks or fishing nets. As such they are patient and gentle but do need regular exercise. Labrador retrievers have short coats but do shed a lot, particularly when on a poor quality diet or not exercised enough (stress).

The Golden Retriever

Golden retrievers are one of the most popular pet dogs in many parts of the world, they are gentle, patient, and have beautiful semi-long coats. Golden retrievers love to retrieve things so much they often will carry toys around in their mouth. Although they still need proper exercise, and regular grooming, they tend to be slightly less active than the Labrador retriever.

Poodles

Poodles have been very popular for years, and have some similarities in temperament as the retrievers, however they are often somewhat more intelligent, demanding more mental stimulation. Poodles come in three sizes, toy, miniature, and standard. They require regular grooming or suffer from painful tangles that require a shave to remove.

Pit Bull Terriers

There is actually no such breed as a pit bull terrier, this is a term used loosely to describe any dog of a certain appearance. There are many breeds that are considered to be pit bull terriers according to the country they reside, two of the most common are the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier. These breeds originated as hunting dogs, often used in pits for sport, to kill bulls, bears, or each other. As such they are very strong, but with correct handling and training they can make good pets.

Read about PitBull Terriers

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Other Breeds

Of course there are many other dog breeds as well as many mixed breeds. Click the name to read more on any of these breeds.

Chinese Crested

Keeshond

Border Collie

Differences Between Huskies and Malamutes

Cross bred dogs

Pomchi

GoldenDoodle

Links on Domestic Cat Breeds

While the majority of the focus on the Animal Cabin is related to exotic pets, it is also important to share information on the more common types of pets, cats, dogs, fish, and so forth. As such this page is designed to offer some information on some of the most common cat breeds, with links so people can get further information if they so desire.

For certain the most common pet cats are not a breed at all, but are simply domestic cats of mixed breeds, however this article will mention two of the most common cat breeds, the Siamese and Persian, as well as the unique Manx cat.

Siamese Cats

Siamese cats are often easily recognized by their color, known as color point, however not all cats of this color are purebred Siamese, and without registration papers they cannot be referred to as such. In the Siamese cat the kittens are born white or cream color, in a few weeks the cooler areas, their limbs, tail, ears, and face, get color, while their warmer body stays light.

There are two breeding lines of Siamese cats, the traditionalists prefer a normal cat shaped face, while some extreme breeders prefer a more exotic, distorted face, that many people assume is the way these cats originally looked (although not true).

Read more on Siamese Cats
Read Common Health Problems in Siamese Cats
Read about Color Point Patterns

Persian Cats

Many people wrongly assume all long haired cats are Persian cats. A Persian cat is a breed that is noted for very long hair, lazy personality, and often associated with having a pushed in face. This facial deformity is the result of recent selective breeding and is not an original trait of the breed.

Persians require regular grooming and may suffer from painful hair tangles if ignored. They are often kept indoors only as their fur gets more messy when they are outside.

Read more on Persian Cats
Read Common Health Problems in Persian Cats

Manx Cats

Not all tailless cats are Manx, and not all Manx cats are tailless. Good Manx cat breeders will not breed a tailless Manx to a tailless Manx as their are concerns about a fatal double gene when this occurs.

Because of the genetic spinal deformity that causes Manx cats to have no tail, or to have a short tail, they tend to be prone to some health concerns and are not always reliable when it comes to using their litter box because of this.

Read Why Manx Cats are Tailless
Read Common Health Problems in Manx Cats

Note that there are millions of cats up for adoption in shelters all over the world, in the USA it is reported by the Humane Society that more than 3 million do not find homes. If you are considering getting a pet cat be sure to check your local shelter or go online to petfinder.com. Note that shelter websites are not always up-to-date, and that shelters do sometimes get specific cat breeds for adoption.

Links on Exotic Pets and Pet Care

It has been a busy spring which has left me little time for blogging. We had 18 lambs and a couple need bottle feeding so that is time consuming. Rather than writing a full article about one specific pet, I am just going to provide you with some short information on several exotic pets with links to further reading on each.

Rabbits

Rabbits are very popular as pets, there are many breeds of rabbits, some of which require more care in regards to their fur. Rabbits are often kept as outdoor pets however if their rump becomes dirty they are at risk from fly strike, a condition in which flies lay eggs on the rabbit's rump and the maggots can kill the rabbit. Rabbits should have at least 2 hours out of their cage every day.

Read more about Rabbits.

Ferrets

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Ferrets are possibly more work that rabbits in that they are very intelligent, curious, and playful. A ferret should be out of its cage for at least 4 hours a day. Ferrets are carnivores and will try to kill other small house pets, such as rabbits, birds, or even kittens.

Read more about Ferrets.

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are nocturnal pets so may not be suited for everyone, as they can make a lot of noise at night. Hedgehogs should be taken out for at least 2 hours every evening, usually starting around 8:00 pm. Care should be taken when buying a hedgehog food as many low quality hedgehog foods do not meet their needs for meat.

Read more about Hedgehogs.

Skunks

Skunks are not a common exotic pet but they are certainly one of the most unique. Skunks are carnivores and are nocturnal so they are not a suitable pet for everyone. In some areas descenting skunks is illegal even though they may legally be kept as pets. Once they are tame they are not likely to spray.

Read more about Feeding Pet Skunks.

Insects

For some people furry pets are no good, they cause allergies and are more demanding than a smaller pet such as an insect. There are many types of insects that can be kept as pets, however in most areas it is illegal to catch and keep wild insects for more than 24 hours, however the pet trade does sell some insects as pets, such as mantis, beetles, and walking stick insects.

Read more about Walking Stick Insects.

Toucans

Toucans are considered to be soft billed birds, this is not in reference to the bill, but rather to what these birds eat, they eat soft foods, not things like nuts. Their mouth is not as strong as a parrot's. As such they are a more gentle pet. Similar, but smaller, are Toucanets.

Read more about Toucans and Toucanets.

Buying Exotic Pets

Remember exotic pets are not for everyone, be sure to buy from a reputable breeder and do your research first to make sure you pick the right kind of exotic pet for your lifestyle. Never buy a pet that you cannot provide lifetime care for.

Read a Guide to Buying Exotic Pets.

Also remember many animal shelters have exotic pets up for adoption, always check there first.

The Animal Cabin

Thursday, April 12, 2012