Feeding Wildlife in Stanley Park, the Raccoons

We recently took a holiday to Vancouver, Canada. Our hotel was within walking distance of Stanley Park, a 1,000 acre park, surrounded nearly all the way by ocean. On our first night we walked to the Aquarium, and on the way we saw a family of raccoons, a mother and her two youngsters, raiding a garbage can.

The following day we walked around Stanley Park and sure enough we encountered more raccoons, including another mother with three youngsters and an adult who was missing a tail. There was a man feeding them what appeared to be fried chicken. A short time later a woman arrived to feed them grapes and cat food. Other people fed them cookies. 

To note, I am aware that grapes can be toxic to dogs, but not sure how they affect raccoons.

We spoke to many of the people who were feeding the raccoons and many said they made daily trips to feed the raccoons and other animals in the park. The people said that the park's people did not like them feeding the animals. They also told us that the parks people trapped and killed many animals every year.

Raccoons normally would eat fish (there are ponds in the park), crabs (from the ocean), insects, worms, as well as nuts, berries, and eggs.

We did not confirm if the parks people did trap and kill raccoons or not, but clearly there was a dilemma.

The parks people want the animals to be “wild” and to fend for themselves, feeding them can cause problems as their fear of people can turn them into pests. Normally raccoons are nocturnal but these were out in the day. 

If one bit a person there would be a rabies panic. The people felt terrible that the animals were being killed to control their populations, so were thinking that feeding them would mean animals would not be killed.  One persons said they thought the raccoons were being killed to stop them from eating the goose and duck eggs, but we also heard that duck and goose populations were being controlled too (supposedly people were shaking their eggs so they would not hatch).

Additionally a problem was occurring in that some people were feeding very unhealthy foods (cookies) to the animals. The people said they have gotten in trouble many times for feeding the animals but refused to stop.

I am not suggesting people do feed wild raccoons, however clearly some people are not going to stop doing so. It would be better if the people simply fed the animals a better diet, and did so later in the day so the animals could live more naturally.

Raccoons can eat cat food, ferret food, most vegetables (not onions, garlic, avocados), eggs, and fish. They should not have cookies, greasy foods, salty foods, and so forth.

Maybe the park's people could do the same as is done in some areas to control feral cats, they could trap the animals, spay or neuter some, and release them. Perhaps this is already being done and people are just not aware. Or the park's people could arrange for the raccoons to be relocated to wild areas, or to zoos.

As tourists we enjoyed seeing these animals, and hope they continue to inhabit areas of Stanley Park.

Click here to see more pictures of the Raccoons in Vancouver's Stanley Park.

Facts about Domestic Cats

Cats are common house pets, having been domesticated over 9,000 years ago. In most modern cities the domestic cat is a common sight and they are often considered members of the family. In other areas cats are seen as helpful farm animals, killing mice and rats who would eat and contaminate food. Feral cats can be tamed though kindness, and food.

One of the reasons cats are so common, is there fast breeding rate.  Cats come into heat frequently, they are pregnant for about 57-65 days and can have 6 (or more) kittens per litter.  Unlike dogs, cats usually have no problems delivering their kittens and rarely require caesarian sections.  The biggest exception being cat breeds (such as the Persian) which have large round heads.

 

Kittens can be weaned at 6 weeks, but it is better to wean kittens at 8 weeks.  Homes should be kitten proofed before getting a new kitten.  There are many common household dangers to cats owners should be aware of.

You should have your kitten checked by a vet before bringing it home, it should be vaccinated and wormed too.  Note that it is not uncommon for cats to have heart murmurs - not all are severe.

Kittens usually know how to use their litter box with no problems, however kittens from a farm might not have used a litter box before so some additional training may be needed.  Kittens should not be allowed outside until they are older (or should be kept indoors always). 

When it comes to selecting a new cat, most people want kittens, and sadly few adult cats, and even fewer senior cats, find homes.  There are some concerns with adopting an older cat, but there are also many reasons why people may want to adopt a senior cat.

Many people worry if their cat can make them sick.  In general the answer is "no" but kittens can spread cat scratch disease.  Toxoplasmosis is a parasite that cats can catch from mice and this is a concern mostly to pregnant women.

Another concern among cat owners is that cats enjoy being awake at night, so it is a good idea to try to train them to sleep when you sleep.

Cats sometimes do not drink enough water and as such are sometimes prone to having urinary tract problems.  It is important that owners find ways to encourage their cat to drink more water to keep its urinary tract system healthy.  Pay attention to the magnesium content in dry food, select a food with a low magnesium content.  If your cat is not getting enough to drink it can get a urinary tract infection - a clue that your cat may have an infection is if it starts peeing around the home, not in the litter box.

Cats are obligate carnivores, they need meat.  People often debate about how to feed cats correctly.  Many agree they should have good quality dry food available at all times and be given small helpings of canned food as per their age and health needs.  Although many people think of tuna as being a favorite, it is a food cats should not have.

Cats can suffer from diabetes, as such, unless you want to be giving your cat insulin injections daily, it is important to keep your cat's weight under control.  Cats have many risks related to being obese.  It is a myth that spaying or neutering causes a cat to be lazy.  In general this is related to a lack of stimulation by owners who sometimes expect cats to exercise themselves. 

Be aware that many human medications are toxic to cats.

Cats sometimes vomit; in some cases this is related to hairballs (see below) in other cases this is related to food or health problems.

Cats generally prefer to live alone, not with other cats, however if selected correctly, and introduced correctly, cats can get along.  Cats can even get along with dogs too, but certain dog breeds are better with cats than others
.

Other Tips for Cat Owners

Not all cats like catnip; kittens rarely notice it, but you can try it for your cat after it is 6 months of age.

Hairballs are not "normal" but are common, try brushing your cat more to remove loose hair, feed a better quality cat food, and reduce stress to reduce shedding.

Polydactyl cats are cats with extra toes, and are considered to be lucky.

While most cats look somewhat similar there are a few unusual breeds, such as the Manx and Siamese cats.

Most cats you see are not specific breeds, in order for a cat to be called a Purebred, it must be registered.

Adopting a cat from an animal shelter is often cheaper than taking a "free kitten" to the vet for a check up, vaccination, and worming.  Animal shelters often have health guarantees and may give out many coupons and deals.

Where is the Environmentally Friendly Transportation

I remember as a kid (I was born in the 1960's) being told that one day soon gas and oil would run out. While many people lived in fear of this day, I was excited! I looked forward to the day when we would return to the horse and buggy. That day has still not arrived and cars are becoming slightly more efficient (although, as mentioned, still not as efficient as one would think). 

Well, time has passed and we are using cars (oil, and gas) more than ever. In fact, when I was young it was usually one car per family, now many families have two, or more, cars. It does not look like we will be going back to the horse and buggy anytime soon. 

Horses are very environmentally friendly (more so than cattle). They are a renewable resource. They need only grass (hay) and water. If worked hard some need oats or other grain too. While people often replace their car every 6 to 10 years, a well cared for horse can last much longer. Their waste is good for the soil. If you want to be blunt about it their remains can be used too, either as pet food, or to return to nature in a natural way to fertilize the soil.

On the other hand, horses were not always treated particularly well when they served exclusively as forms of transportation.  It was seeing cruelty to horses (and other humans) that inspired Anna Sewell to write her famous book "Black Beauty".  Even now improvements could be made to how carriage horses are treated when used to pull tourists around various cities.

What do you think, are horses the environmentally friendly transportation of the future?  Do you think there will be a time when we go back to the horse and buggy?

Mosquitoes are Beneficial to Humanity

There seems to be a war on the mosquitoes. Some people have erroneously referred to them as the most dangerous animal in the world, the leading killer of humans. In general you will find very little love or sympathy for mosquitoes.

I want to clear up the misconception that mosquitoes are dangerous killers. Female mosquitoes bite to get blood to raise her young. Not all mosquito females do this, and not all bite humans; some prefer birds, her goal is not to kill the animals she bites, her goal is to raise her young. Humans kill pigs, cattle, chickens, and so on to feed themselves, and feed their young, with the intention of killing. If we are to think of the diseases spread by mosquitoes we must remember it is the diseases that kill, not the mosquito who happens to be the carrier, it simply picked up the organism that causes the disease from an infected source.

People need to be honest, the mosquito is not a killer, the things it carries is.

Mosquitoes are very valuable to our planet, the are a food source to many animals (and even a few plants if you think about the carnivorous plants). Frogs, birds, bats, and even other insects, eat millions of mosquitoes every day (brown bats eat hundreds every night). These species will struggle without mosquitoes and many are dying even now, the result of toxins use on mosquitoes.

One animal which we must realize depends on mosquitoes for its survival is the fish! We eat fish. Fish eat mosquitoes, particularly mosquito larvae. Young lake fish feed on mosquito larvae (so do tadpoles which fish also eat), take away mosquitoes and you take away their larvae and what do fish feed on then? 

Mosquitoes are part of our food chain, we need them, so why are we so determined to kill them?

We can protect ourselves from mosquito bites, or from diseases (in many cases there are shots we can take if going into a risky area). Some people, like myself, are lucky, we can get bit and not get a reaction, and I do have sympathy for those who do get itchy bumps, but this is no reason to hate an animal that is basically doing the same thing we do; just trying to survive and raise its young.

If we must control (not eliminate) mosquitoes, we need to do it naturally without pesticides or chemicals which could harm the animals which eat mosquitoes.

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.

Need dog food? The largest selection of nutrient rich foods and treats are available at PetFoodDirect.com! Up To 25% OFF

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).

Read More on Labrador Retriever Dogs

Read More on Common Health Problems in Labrador Retrievers

Read about ColorGenetics in Labrador Retrievers

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.

Read More on Golden Retrievers

Read on CommonHealth Problems in Golden Retrievers

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.

Read More onPoodles

Read on CommonHealth Problems in Poodles

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

Read more on Common Health Problems in Pit Bull Terriers

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

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.