A Ferret Bunny and Cats Are Ideal House Pets

Further Reading: Pets

---

Dog Health ... Infectious diseases that affect dogs are important not only from a veterinary standpoint, but also because of the risk to public health; an example of this is rabies. Genetic disorders also affect dogs, often due to selective breeding to produce individual dog breeds...

Cat ... Cats are similar in anatomy to the other felids, with strong, flexible bodies, quick reflexes, sharp retractable claws, and teeth adapted to killing small prey. As crepuscular predators, cats use their acute hearing and ability to see in near darkness to locate prey...

Bird ... Modern birds are characterised by feathers, a beak with no teeth, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a lightweight but strong skeleton. All living species of birds have wings—the now extinct flightless moa of New Zealand were the only exception...

Hamster ... Hamsters are crepuscular animals which burrow underground in the daylight to avoid being caught by predators. Their diet includes a variety of foods, including dried food, berries, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables...

Dog Meat ... In response to criticisms, proponents of dog meat have argued that distinctions between livestock and pets is subjective, and that there is no difference with eating the meat of different animals, while countering that those critical of dog meat consumption are guilty of cultural supremacy, if not racism...

Cultural Depictions Of Cats ... Black cats are generally held to be unlucky in the United States and Europe, and to portend good luck in the United Kingdom. In the latter country, a black cat entering a house or ship is a good omen, and a sailor's wife should have a black cat for her husband's safety on the sea...

Animal Welfare ... Systematic concern for animal welfare can be based on awareness that non-human animals are sentient and that consideration should be given to their well-being, especially when they are used by humans. These concerns can include how animals are killed for food, how they are used for scientific research, how they are kept as pets, and how human activities affect the survival of endangered species...

Castration ... Castration was frequently used for religious or social reasons in certain cultures in Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, and East Asia. After battles in some cases, winners castrated their captives or the corpses of the defeated to symbolize their victory and "seize" their power...

Wolf Attacks On Humans ... Compared to other carnivorous mammals known to attack humans in general, the frequency with which wolves have been recorded to kill or prey on people is much lower, indicating that though potentially dangerous, wolves are among the least threatening for their size and predatory potential. Causes and differing types of attack Attacks due to provocation have occurred, usually involving shepherds defending their flocks, though none recorded fatalities...

Neutering ... In the United States, most humane societies, animal shelters and rescue groups urge pet owners to have their pets spayed or neutered to prevent the births of unwanted litters, contributing to the overpopulation of unwanted animals in the rescue system... Spaying is performed commonly on household pets (such as cats and dogs), as a method of birth control...

Turtle ... The order Testudines includes both extant (living) and extinct species. The earliest known turtles date from 215 million years ago, making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups and a more ancient group than lizards, snakes and crocodiles...

Chicken ... The traditional poultry farming view of the domestication of the chicken is stated in Encyclopædia Britannica (2007): "Humans first domesticated chickens of Indian origin for the purpose of cockfighting in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Very little formal attention was given to egg or meat production...

Fishkeeping ... Many fishkeepers create freshwater aquascapes where the focus is on aquatic plants as well as fish. These aquaria include "Dutch Aquaria", named for European aquarists who designed them...

Veterinary Physician ... In many countries, the local nomenclature for a vet is a regulated and protected term, meaning that members of the public without the prerequisite qualifications and/or registration are not able to use the title. In many cases, the activities that may be undertaken by a veterinarian (such as animal treatment or surgery) are restricted only to those professionals who are registered as vet...

Cat Senses ... Many cats have a visual field of view estimated at 200°, versus 180° in humans, with a binocular field (overlap in the images from each eye) narrower than that of humans. As with most predators, their eyes face forward, affording depth perception at the expense of field of view...

Pet ... In many locations, animals that are considered pets by their owners but are legally classified as livestock, including horses, pigs, camelids, and fowl may be banned from being kept within the city limits or restricted to property of a certain larger size... The cities of Berkeley, California, and Boulder, Colorado, have passed laws stating that people who have pets do not "own" them; rather, they are the pet's "guardian."...

Wolfdog ... In 1998, the USDA estimated an approximate population of 300,000 wolfdogs in the United States (the highest of any country world-wide), with some other sources giving a population possibly as high as 500,000. In first generation hybrids, gray wolves are most often crossed with wolf-like dogs (such as German Shepherds, Siberian Huskies, and Alaskan Malamutes) for an appearance most appealing to owners desiring to own an exotic pet...

Dog ... The present lineage of dogs was domesticated from gray wolves about 15,000 years ago. Remains of domesticated dogs have been found in Siberia and Belgium from about 33,000 years ago...

Hypoallergenic Dog Breed ... If a person is allergic, they may be best able to tolerate a specific dog, possibly of one of the hypoallergenic breeds. Dr...

Donkey ... A male donkey or ass is called a jack, a female a jenny or jennet; a young donkey is a foal. Jack donkeys are often used to produce mules...

Miniature Horse ... Miniature horses are friendly and interact well with people. For this reason they are often kept as family pets, though they still retain natural horse behavior, including a natural fight or flight instinct, and must be treated like an equine, even if they primarily serve as a companion animal...

Domestication Of The Horse ... The date of the domestication of the horse depends to some degree upon the definition of "domestication." Some zoologists define "domestication" as human control over breeding, which can be detected in ancient skeletal samples by changes in the size and variability of ancient horse populations. Other researchers look at broader evidence, including skeletal and dental evidence of working activity; weapons, art, and spiritual artifacts; and lifestyle patterns of human cultures...

Gray Wolf ... Today, wolves are protected in some areas, hunted for sport in others, or may be subject to population control or extermination as threats to livestock, people, and pets...

Further Reading: Cats

---

Feral Cat ... In many parts of the world, feral cats are descendants of domestic cats that were left behind by travelers... Because cats are not native to all parts of the world, feral cats can cause harm to local environments by preying on local species... This is especially true on islands where feral cats have sometimes had a substantial and deleterious effect on the local fauna...

Felidae ... National Cancer Institute demonstrated that ancient cats evolved into eight main lineages that diverged in the course of at least 10 migrations (in both directions) from continent to continent via the Bering land bridge and Isthmus of Panama, with the Panthera genus being the oldest and the Felis genus being the youngest... They estimated that 60 percent of the modern species of cats developed within the last million years...

Animal Worship ... The origins of animal worship have been the subject of many theories. The classical author Diodorus explained the origin of animal-worship by recalling the myth in which the gods, supposedly threatened by giants, hid under the guise of animals...

Cats In Ancient Egypt ... As a revered animal and one important to Egyptian society and religion, some cats received the same mummification after death as humans... Cats in everyday life in Ancient Egypt Wild cats naturally preyed upon the rats and other vermin that ate from the royal granaries... Cats in Egyptian mythology Egypt was not always unified; initially, it was a land with many regional tribes and nomes...

Mercury In Fish ... The presence of mercury in fish can be a health issue, particularly for women who are or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children. Biomagnification Mercury and methylmercury is present in only very small concentrations in seawater...

Cat Health ... Some common and preventable forms of zoonosis are as follows: Toxoplasmosis Giardia Cat-scratch disease Rabies Ringworm Diet and nutrition Further information: cat food See also: pet food Veterinarians commonly recommend commercial cat foods that are formulated to address the specific nutritional requirements of cats although an increasing number of owners are opting for home-prepared cooked or raw diets... Although cats are obligate carnivores, vegetarian and vegan cat food are preferred by owners uncomfortable with feeding animal products to their pets... Although meat protein can be substituted with vegetable proteins, vegetable proteins don't require sufficient amino acids which are vital for a cats body to function...

Animal Shelter ... The goal of today's animal shelter is to provide a safe and caring environment until the animal is either reclaimed by its owner, placed in a new home, or placed with another organization. Many shelters temperament test animals before they are put up for adoption to determine the appropriate home environment...

List Of Cat Breeds ... The domestic shorthair and domestic longhair are not breeds but terms used in cat fancy to describe cats that do not belong to a particular breed...

Canine Reproduction ... In domesticated species one of the first and strongest effects seen from selective breeding is selection for cooperation with the breeding process as directed by humans. One of the behaviors noted is the abolition of the pair bond seen in wild canines...

Bird Conservation ... See Late Quaternary prehistoric birds for birds which disappeared in prehistoric and early historic times, usually due to human activity (i.e., starting with the Upper Paleolithic Revolution). For birds having gone extinct in modern times (since 1500), see Extinct birds...

Cat Behavior ... Though cats sit happily on a hard surface, they only knead a soft or pliant surface, although some cats reflexively "march" on hard surfaces instead of kneading them... Typically, cats avoid contact when they feel threatened, although they can resort to varying degrees of aggression when they feel cornered, or when escape is impossible... Most commonly, cats pant in response to environmental changes, such as anxiety, fear, excitement, or heat...

List Of Extinct Birds ... Currently there are approximately 10,000 species of birds, with an estimated 1,200 considered to be under threat of extinction. Island species in general, and flightless island species in particular are most at risk...

Cat Play And Toys ... Cats often play with toys that behave more like fearful prey trying to escape than toys that mimic a more confrontational prey... Cats claws and mouth can contain bacteria that can lead to infection, so it is wise to clean and treat any wounds with an antiseptic solution and seek professional medical services if there is belief that the wound has become infected...

Pica (disorder) ... Pica is more commonly seen in women and children, where it affects people of all ages in these subgroups. Particularly it is seen in pregnant women, small children, and those with developmental disabilities such as autism...

Purebred ... The term purebred is occasionally confused with the proper noun Thoroughbred, which refers exclusively to a specific breed of horse, one of the first breeds for which a written national stud book was created since the 18th century. Thus a purebred animal should never be called a "thoroughbred" unless the animal actually is a registered Thoroughbred horse...

Feline Vaccination ... Available vaccines Vaccines against the following diseases are available: Core Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) is an upper respiratory infection of cats caused by feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1), of the family Herpesviridae... All members of the Felidae (cat) family are susceptible to FVR, Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a virus of the family Caliciviridae that causes disease in cats... Rabies in cats is a fatal disease transmitted by the bite of an infected mammal, such as a dog, raccoon, bat, or another cat...

Overpopulation In Companion Animals ... Recognizing the high demand for purebred animals, some people choose to engage in backyard breeding or operate puppy mills, practices where people breed purebred animals for profit, often without concern for the health or welfare of any of the animals involved. These animals may be sold through pet stores or directly from the breeders themselves...