New pet

Hi, that is so cute that your little dwarf rabbit sits on your shoulder. And I know what you mean about them needing a lot of dental work. Humans have bred them to have cute faces, but that means teeth that don't fit right in such a small mouth.

enjoy him while you have him. I love rabbits but there are so many that get abused and neglected, and it does break your heart after a while. 

And yes I have seen the Rainbow Bridge poem. It is a lovely thought that they all go somewhere and wait for us after they pass on. It helps in letting them go.

i took the puppy out for a walk a few days ago to a local park where he met another dog to play with. I tried recalling him, and to my surprise he came back 5 out of 5 times! I was surprised. But the next time he ignored me completely. So I guess it depends on his mood whether he listens or not! Or how distracted he is that day. 

He he still pulls quite a lot on the lead too. He just gets so excited about everything. Hopefully as he matures that will settle down. 

He is lying next to me right now snoring away.

i have thought of doing more animal courses some day. I really like animal behaviour so might think about that. What about you?

Hi,

I have a dwarf rabbit. He is very placid, adorable. His favourit place to sit is on my shoulder. His temperament would suit being a pets as therapy bunny. But as he always need's to sit on my shouder and lick the end of my nose, he can't be a therapy rabbit. I like dwarf rabbits, but am not having anymore one day, as it's too painful when rabbits pass away, and y fave are dwarf and they often require dentals, as their mouths are so small, which are risky!

So sorry to hear about the loss of your last rabbit, even the fiesty ones can bring so much and can be missed. If you google stuff, maybe google a poem called Rainbow Bridge and beyond rainbow bridge,hopefully it will help with any of your pet losses. And Bunny mad magazine and the guinea pig magazine have tribute pages. As does the Blue cross and pets with life mag.

Thanxs re-photo's. Have just turned some of my pics into fridge magnets.

It's nice to hear about the puppy training classes and how it's going, despite the hard work you need to put in. Hopefully the rewards will be worth it. I got a dvd on puppy and dog training once. I remember for recall you have to make the rewards with toys and your tone more exciting than whatever it is they are ignoring you for. I'd heard dogs have a natural safety zone, when they walk ahead and if they go out of that comfort zone, they come back to you. Also it say's wherever there is a road, to walk the puppy/dog on a lead. Any time you'd want to post a PUP date on him, it would be lovely to hear.

I've done an animal course too, it is enjoyable knowing about all different types of animals. Would you do any more? There are some reputable ones that do home study animal courses.

What breed of rabbit do you have? I have had all sorts, from little Netherland Dwarfs, Lops, Lionheads, to the bigger French Lops and even a British Giant. And of course all of the mixed breed crosses too. Our last rabbit was 10 years old when she died. She was a Dutch/English cross and very feisty!

Good luck with your photos.

as I am brand new to the dog world, everything is new and interesting. But I am probably focussed more now on learning behaviour issues as a puppy needs training. I am taking him to a fantastic puppy training class and learning so much. It is very hard work too. You have to practice with them all the time and everyone in the house has to be consistent with the training. 

At the moment, we seem to have conquered the toilet training issue. But pulling on the lead when out for walks and not listening on the recall are the main struggles at the moment. It takes a lot of time but better to put in the extra effort now while he is young than have an older dog who won't listen. 

I have always loved learning about animal behaviour. It is fascinating once you start to discover why certain animals behave the way they do. I took a course on it once and really enjoyed it. 

Thank-You! Not as expert as rodentologists,but more expert than people starting out. Congratulations on your second place in rabbit of the year comp-the RWA are a good association. i just emailed in pics of my rabbit to Bunny Mad magazine. Fingers crossed he makes it in. Have just got one in Small furry Pets mag today, so am pleased.

I woudn't worry about what people think. Though i know it's sometimes easier said than done. If they've  posted anything on this topic, then they are interested in animals.

My piggy is sat on my chest as i try and type-she's chatting away. i love it when they popcorn too. You'd know about it if they had a seizure. It's happened to me, when one of mine was old. They paddle away. It's very distressing.

I've got one or two books on Chinchillas and Beardies, i love the pics they include. Are you interested in any particular aspect of dogs i.e behaviour? i love learning about all their health problems e.t.c. i find there is way too much to learn on behaviour.

Thank-You! Not as expert as rodentologists,but more expert than people starting out. Congratulations on your second place in rabbit of the year comp-the RWA are a good association. i just emailed in pics of my rabbit to Bunny Mad magazine. Fingers crossed he makes it in. Have just got one in Small furry Pets mag today, so am pleased.

I woudn't worry about what people think. Though i know it's sometimes easier said than done. If they've  posted anything on this topic, then they are interested in animals.

My piggy is sat on my chest as i try and type-she's chatting away. i love it when they popcorn too. You'd know about it if they had a seizure. It's happened to me, when one of mine was old. They paddle away. It's very distressing.

I've got one or two books on Chinchillas and Beardies, i love the pics they include. Are you interested in any particular aspect of dogs i.e behaviour? i love learning about all their health problems e.t.c. i find there is way too much to learn on behaviour.

Wow that is great you got photos and articles in a guinea pig magazine. You must be quite an expert! The best I have managed is a photo of one of my rabbits won second place in the 'rabbit of the year' competition from the Rabbit Welfare Association. That must sound really sad to non-animal people, but I was quite proud of it!

you are right about guinea pigs though. There is something about them that just makes you smile and laugh. i will never forget the first time I saw one popcorning. I thought he was having a seizure until I looked it up online. Now I know that it is just pure joy.

I am enjoying learning about other animals now too like chinchillas and beardies (and dogs of course too).

Hi,

Possibly. But it's likely they feel guinea pigs and other small animals are classed as disposable pets- so they make you have the guinea pig go into surgery just to cover themselves. They don't understand the bond that can happen with the piggy and it's mummy. The guinea pig magazine is trying to change this and help vets and society understand that piggies truely are amazing pets and it aims to educate vets too. i have a couple of my piggies pictures and one or two of my letters published in their re-stones e.t.c the same re bunny mad magazine. i understand your cinicism and that you woud like to teak a break from being a piggy slave for a while- i'd be the same. Slowly things are changing with some vets wanting to do the rodentology course with the cambridge cavy trust. But i think if the vet isn't so good with them, either go to people that are, or find a vet that will listen to the information you have taken into the consultation.

My piggies are adorably lovely, and they do have an element of cheekyness.  have cried with laughter at the guinea pig magazine sometimes, with the way they have highlited the piggies-too adorable.

It sounds like your beardie is so happy to be one of your family members.It's nice being knowledgable about animals. And that you made such an effort to understand all about him. i know what you mean about feeding the live bugs- i once had to feed a pet i looked after chicks and it broke my heart- i found it terrible to do. i still hate the thought of it, but if it's their natural food, then  just had no choice.

You sound more knowledgeable about guinea pig lumps than most vets I have come across. Perhaps vets encourage surgery so they can make more money? Sorry that sounds very cynical but I have had so many bad experiences with vets. That is part of the reason I am taking a break from rabbits and guinea pig fostering/rescuing. All vets learn about cats and dogs in vet school but hardly anything about other small animals.

Your piggies do sound lovely. I have a particular soft spot for Shelties and Peruvians. They have lovely (cheeky) personalities.

the bearded lizard we rescued came with the whole set up (tank, lights, etc). We took him from a couple who had him for 5 years then didn't want him anymore once they had a baby. We didn't have a clue what we were doing at first but just read as much information online and in books. we have the light and UV bulb on automatics timers and a temp control. It is the feeding of live bugs that bothered me most at first. I still don't really like it, but it is their natural prey. 

But our beardie is great fun. He is very sociable and loves to sit on someone's shoulder. 

Hi,

So sorry to hear of your loss of your winter white. It's nice to hear of your bond and that you have fond memories of him/her-especially being up on your shoulder. Sorry to hear of the way you lost your Guinea Pigs too. When we loose something so prescious and in a way that we have no control over,  this can affect the way we grieve. It can be especailly hard, when it's was because of someone whom is meant to be a trusted professional.

I was at my vets yesterday with my guinea pig-she has a lump- i've had guinea pigs with lumps all my life-they are very prone to them-very rarely cancerous-the cambridge cavy trust is expert at giving lump advice. Usually, it's best to get the lump fine needle aspirated, and if fatty fluid is drawn up, it is a lipoma, or fatty lump. They very rarely need opperating on and you just keep an eye on them. My guinea pigs is of least concern and had a fine needle aspirate- and it is a fatty lump-not an abcess, nor a cyst-which can be treated without surgery.

Your piggy sounds lovely- if you can give them the attention-they can be fine on their own-it's usually best to get a pair, but if you give them plenty of boredom breakers,exercise,love and affection they do fine. mine are all on their own. They do love things like tv and radio and fridge noises and they go all eeeeeeeekkkkkkk,and all the excited noises, when they hear lovely sounds. i have a tan lilac, peruvian sheltie cross and a tortie abbysinian cross-all beautiful and loving personalities.

I love bearded dragons/lizards e.t.c, i have lots of books on them, but am not having any due to cost and a vet told me he got very stressed with his, as they take alot of working out with the temp,lighting,feed, calcium powder e.t.c and said he wouldn't reccomend it- so i decided on adopting my two gerbils and stick to looking at bearded dragons e.t.c in tropical animal sanctuaries e.t.c. I know what you mean about never being able to be without animals.

Guinea pigs do make great pets. I love the way they vocalise and some can really 'shout' when they want something. They can be quite fragile though, and I have lost so many post-surgery (despite vets telling me that surgery is the best option to remove a lump, etc). 

I use the Gunea Lynx website too. It has a fantastic amount of information. At the moment I only have one guinea pig-a Texel boar. He is a house pig and lives in a cage in our living room. We don't normally keep guinea pigs singly as they are very social and seem happier around other pigs, but I want to take a break from guinea pigs for a while as we have had them for about 10 years. This little guy is 5 years old and super sociable with people so he seems okay with a lot of human company. He likes to sit on someone's lap too, and the funniest thing is we think he actually watches TV! He starts to chortle and popcorn when he likes a show. His particular favourite at the moment is old Star Trek re-runs! Isn't that funny?

i know what you mean about hamsters and mice too. Some can be shy around people but if you gain their trust they can give so much back too. I just lost a little winter white hamster who was 3 years old. I adopted her from the RSPCA as no one else wanted her and she kept getting passed by. she was the most amazing hamster though and very bonded to us. She loved sitting on someone's shoulder.

at the moment I have one puppy, two chinchillas, one guinea pig, and a bearded lizard. All were rescues except the puppy. 

It is nice to meet other animal lovers on here. I couldn't cope with life without animals.

I used to know someone who bred a lot of Guinea Pigs and I think the females are quite prone to dying when they give birth. I'm not sure why or what goes wrong. Guinea Pigs are such lovely animals.

To grace13,

Thank-You. Syrian Hamsters are among my favourite-they have such powerful personalitites, and the love i have had from them is so comforting. I miss them so much and find it so hard when they die too, that i am not having anymore hamsters or Mice. It's a shame i can't post pictures of them up here. My mouse was so intuatuve and intelligent,as they all are and their love is very powerfu.I cry when my guineapig gives me cuddles, she falls asleep curled up in a little ball on me and dotes on me. i find all my pets are intuative and the bond they get with me is amazing. I aopted two gerbils for 50p and at first they would bite me-one gerbil latched onto my finger and it was so painful, i had to shake him off, and he broke his leg.Painkillers from the vet and best rest mended him. After months of work, he is now an amazing,and loveable pet and is one of my best friends. He is so calming and can tell he loves me.

You mention that you rescued a group of guinea pigs, and that you care for them exceptionally well. You say one day you arrived home to find one of the littler girls had died. This must have been a huge shock for you. Guilt is a natural part of grief and i'm sure you weren't to know she was to try and give birth, while you weren't there- by rescuing her, caring for her, being intelligent and thoughtful enough to separate them all, you did everything you could. Usually when guinea pigs pass away, they sort of zone out, so she may not have felt any pain like you were imagianing. Crying like that, is part of the grief- you loved so much, so when you lost her, you hurt so much. She was lucky to have such a caring mummy. One thing we can do to honour that special relationship, is to create an online memorial, like at the Blue cross.

Have you got any pets at the minute? Am about to go and get mine their breakfast- guinea lynx is an exceptionally good website and gives consultant type knowledge on them. Also, the Guine pig magazine is exceptional. With guinea pigs you have to get the veg right, so you don't give them stones- limit veg with too much oxalic acid. The vegetable chart as to what veg is best can be downloaded fro guinea lynx.

Yellow Sunflower

It's lovely to hear somebody else is a guinea-pig lover and animal lover too, and nice to know i'm not the only person who bonds strongly and can't cope without them. I have 3 guineapigs, a dwarf rabbit,cat and 2 gerbis at the minute. i lost two dwarf hamsters over the last month too.

To yellow sunflower: my pets are my best friends too. Even the smallest of mice or hamsters give back love and affection (if they haven't been abused or neglected by others). 

I bond very strongly also, and have cried buckets of tears when they pass on. one of the worst situations was getting a large number of guinea pigs to foster where they had all been living crammed together in a small space in squalid conditions. One little female was very scared and timid. I realised that she was being bullied by the others and never got enough to eat. i could relate to that situation so separated her and another small one. I think she may have been blind. She was also pregnant.

i came home from work one day to find her dead. I suspect she tried to give birth and something went wrong. I felt so terrible that I should have done more, been there, not let her suffer like that. I burst into tears and cried for hours and blamed myself for weeks.

i am sorry to hear about the little ones you have lost recently. I have to have animals in my life or I would not be able to cope.

HI,

You feel a pet would bring you comfort and security, and your sad, that you may not be able to get one? You long for a cat inparticular, because they are so friendly and affectionate and give unconditional love, security, and would make you less anxious?

Do you long for a cat, but feel you can't afford one, and this makes you sad? or is it your living circumstances that make you feel unable to get a cat at present? or are their allergies in the family, that make you feel you can't get a cat yet?

If you are unable to adopt a cat, at this minute in time, is their a possability, you could get another pet to start with i.e a hamster or a goldfish, perhaps? They can give so much, especially hamsters, in the terms of affection( if tamed properly), company, entertainment,happiness, the list goes on.

It would be a good idea, to read up on different pet types first, before you buy. These companion animals are cheaper than a cat, if you can't afford one at present. Perhaps draw up a list of pro's and con's on each type of pet?

Best Wishes,

Yellow Sunflower

Wish I could get a cat

I have a cat who is my best friend- he is sat beside me now really chilled and washing away, making me really relaxed. Yesterday he stayed out longer than usual causing me to meltdown. I was beside myself with anxiety and worry i couldn't mannage life/imagine life without him. he came in a few hours later, totally oblivious to the worry he'd caused.

I also have a Netherland dwarf rabbit,Guinea-pigs, Syrian Hamster, Dwarf Hamsters and Gerbils. They are my family and i would't mannage without them as i get very anxious and i suffer to many side effects on medication.

last week i lost my Syrian Hamster Chamomile and my Mouse Iris and over the last year i have lost my best friends/babies Buttercup, Poppy,Rosie,Bluebell and Snowdrop it does'nt matter what size they are, but the bond and strength of relationship that we grieve.

i have noticed that having aspergers and adult ADHD, i tend to grieve slighlty differently from neuro typical people. i sometimes think i'd feel better if i could just cry and cry and cry

I have the most adorable cat.

Takes well to anything new and loves any new bed place, but will usually go to the bottom of my bed to curl up.

To Ginger yes I love u.

I have two budgies and have always found that pets are such great therapy! They cheer me up so much and I love just sitting with a cuppa watching them. When someone has be horrid to me, I look at my pets and they make me smile.

I would love to have a cat but I'm allergic to them.  When I was growing up we had a dog, and my grandparents also had a dog, and I really enjoyed it.  But now I live in the middle of a big city and have a job (my mum and grandma were both stay at home wives / mothers) I think a dog is a lot of work and its not really fair to have one unless I change my lifestyle.

I'm really hoping in a few years when my children are older that I can get one though.  I think its great for all kids to have a pet which they can cuddle and talk to and which will also help them learn about how to take care of others' needs.

James K I hope you are able to find a cat who is perfect for you!

We have 3 dogs. We got our older 2 from a rescue centre and the puppy was from a breeder.

The older 2 have some problems. (probably why they ended up at the rescue centre) The puppy less so. But the problems she does have, are just normal puppy behaviour.