Showing posts with label companion animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label companion animals. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Fat Pets – Obesity

Share how you keep your pet's active. What methods have you used to help your pet's lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight?

According to a news report, our pets are fat. So what else is new? We’re fat, our kids are overweight, and it just stands to reason our pets would suffer from obesity too. We are creating an obese society causing severe health and mental issues.

Sixteen to thirty percent of kids are obese, around thirty percent of adults, and around fifty percent of our pets? What is going on? I think examining the reason for obesity is the key though I suppose that is kind of a no-brainer.

Our physical activity levels directly associate with our obesity levels, if were inactive we tend to go for easy when it comes to food. If we're idle, we feel mentally defunct and find a cure in eating. We are inactive, and our pets are lethargic. Someone has to walk and or play with the pets. The obesity situation in pets isn’t just dogs or cats it is exotic pets as well.

Animals weren’t born to be in cages or stuck in a house or in a fenced yard for that matter. They searched or hunted for their food. They were active.

The less we want to move the more weight we gain. Our joints start hurting causing us to want to move even less. It is no different for our pets. They begin to experience pain too. We already know the obesity causes all kinds of health problems from diabetes to heart disease. But let’s stick with just obvious discomfort for now. The more sedentary we become, the less we want to more. We become depressed our mental facilities slow. When we grab the pets and kids and get moving the rush of adrenal and oxygen is terrific.

During my younger years, I’d turn up the stereo, not enough to hurt anyone’s ears, grab the kids and animals and we’d all dance to the music. Even the birds would tag along bobbing their heads as they brought up the rear. Everyone’s eyes would shine you could feel the euphoria in the air. It was catchy the more you danced, the more you wanted to. The happier you became, the more weight loss. This is just one example of the multitude of things you can do with your entire family, kids, adults, exotic pets and pets, to keep you moving without having to plan a ballgame. Though, a ballgame would be fun.

Does our diet affect our physical activity or is it the other way around. Do we grow so sluggish that we don’t want to take the time and energy to make healthy meals? Are we to lethargic to learn what a healthy meal is? We just grab what is quick and easy from a fast food hamburger full of fat, sugar, and salt or the fastest food we can find in the kitchen. When we get into this vicious circle, we grow lazy when it comes to our pets. Do we just put out a bowl of food so that the pet can free range whenever it wants to eat?

Take the time to learn what a healthy diet is for your exotic pet. Learn how much and how often your pet ought to eat. Put what you have learned into action. Then get active!

Our lack of physical activity directly relates to our pet’s obesity. Get up, grab the kids and pets, move around, and get reacquainted with that feeling of exhilaration. Weight loss becomes much easier.

Share how you keep your pet's active. What methods have you used to help your pet's lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight?

My Ferret Book Guides and Exotic Pet Books Guides

Exotic Pets: Family Guide Paperback and Kindle. Available on Kindle Unlimited!

Ferrets: A Complete Guide is available in Kindle, paperback and Kindle Unlimited!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Animals that Serve Guide Animals

I think it is time for a big thank you to the animals, companion animals; including exotic pets that serve and exotic pets that save. There have been many stories about animals saving lives in many different ways and circumstances. There are also a fantastic number of different exotic animals, or exotic pets that work diligently as service animals. I think the time has arrived to say a big thank you to these animals that serve and save.

This week we will discuss service animals, specifically exotic pet service animals. These various service animals allow people to live much happier, more independent, fulfilling, and more productive lives than they typically would have. Next week we will look at animals that save!

At one time you would only hear about guide dogs that assisted the seeing impaired or even hearing impaired. Now there are service animals of the exotic animal variety; service monkeys, service ferrets, miniature service horses, and many others.

Service animals provide for the many needs that people with disabilities cannot do without assistance, giving them a sense of worth, and providing the ability to have independence.

Many exotic animals live much longer lives than dogs. It basically costs the same if you’re training a miniature horse, monkey, or dog. However, the lifespan of a small horse or monkey is much longer than a dog. A seeing impaired person may go through five to seven guide dogs while only one miniature horse would be needed.

There is a guide miniature horse named Panda who assists Ann Edie safely down the street, even guiding Edie’s hand to the walk sign call button. Some of these reasons that miniature horses are more desirable than guide dogs, exceptional vision, and better range of sight because of the location of the eyes allowing the small horse to see 360-degrees. Miniature horses have a calm disposition as well as easily trained.

Check with the Guide Horse Foundation The Guide Horse Foundation

Another exotic animal service animal is the service monkey or companion monkey. Monkeys make outstanding helpers for people that have limited mobility. The monkey helping with in-home assistance has allowed many people with spinal cord injuries and many other mobility troubles to live with dignity, pride, and most crucial independent of other people.

The monkey also makes an outstanding companion for people with mobility impairments.

Since the crackdown on exotic pet laws, primates are no longer able to be imported into the United States.

The Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers has been helping people with mobility issues since 1979. They provide training, and keep close tabs and provide assistance for the companion monkey along with constant monitoring of the health of the monkey including, nutrition, behavioral, and medical needs. They give the capuchin monkeys, the training, and assistance free of charge. They are only able to do this because of generous donations and the help from volunteers.

For more information on service monkeys, guide monkeys, or companion monkeys contact the Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers. Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers

Ferrets are also used as service animals. They are able to sense in advance a seizure. They also give a person a calming effect avoiding seizures. Learn more about ferrets as service animals.

Animals as service animals have amazing potential; especially exotic animals as service animals. They technically are not an exotic pet but a companion animal. As far as I am concerned any animal that loves us and lives with us is a companion and not a pet.

My Ferret Book Guides and Exotic Pet Books Guides

Exotic Pets: Family Guide Paperback and Kindle. Available on Kindle Unlimited!

Ferrets: A Complete Guide is available in Kindle, paperback and Kindle Unlimited!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Birds of Prey – Falconry

The ancient art of falconry is far from a lost skill, alive and well in the US, and around much of the world. The proficiency takes a lot of dedication. In this world of instant gratification, cell phones, and computers, I hope it doesn’t become a lost art. I have gained a tremendous amount of esteem for falconers and hawkers, in addition to the respect they have for a wild bird and the incredible relationship that develops. Not the warm fuzzy relationship we have with many exotic pets but the working relationship that falconers and hawkers experience. Read the article...


Birds of Prey – Falconry

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Small Spotted Genet - Common Genet as Pets

The Small Spotted Genet or the Common Genet is a popular exotic pet. They have many characteristics with the common house cat or the civet. They sport a spotted body and a ringed tail. They are agile, great climbers, highly intelligent, and curious. They are able to stand on their two front legs… Learn about one of the most agile and clever animals on earth.


Small Spotted Genet - Common Genet as Pets