There are a few basic things to be aware of if you want to adopt a pet bird. These may be obvious, but sometimes the simple things are the things that get overlooked!

•    Birds should not have bald spots (May be a diseased bird or a feather- plucker)
•    Make sure area around the vent is clean
•    Check the eyes. Are they bright looking?
•    Bird should have all claws and feet should not be swollen

Of course there are more things to check for, but these are some of the important ones. Your veterinarian is your best source for health questions, especially one trained well in the care of birds.

Ferrets are really sleepy heads. Maybe it’s because they have so much energy and have to nap a lot, or perhaps they’re just naturally lazy. In fact, they sleep so heavily that it can take quite a bit of prodding and poking to get them to wake up.

This is probably why they need a safe den to sleep in, and why you should make sure your pet has an area to nap that is safe from prying eyes. A wild animal that snoozes so heavily would surely need to be safe in his den.

One great thing about ferrets is that they can be litter box trained. This is surely necessary if you plan to let your pet have the run of the house!

I’ve heard they make very affectionate pets, and if you live in a state that allows you to legally keep them as pets, you are very lucky indeed.

I never really thought about it before, but the best time to adopt a new puppy is when the kids are just getting out of school. Think about it; they’re available to learn how to help in his or her care, and there are almost 3 months for everybody to develop a good relationship with the dog before school starts and you’re on your own again.

Once the demands of homework and after school activities take precedent, it’ll be up to the adults to pick up the slack. However, if the kids have gotten in the habit of helping, it’ll be that much easier on you. Just a thought!

Dogs really enjoy a good bone chew; I suppose that’s why pet owners think of bone jewelry as a symbol of their dog love.

When it comes to the real thing, be sure the bone you give your dog to gnaw on is a nice big one. Little bones can splinter or choke your dog, and sometimes can cause a dangerous stoppage in the bowel.

But don’t deny him bones completely- they must be so satisfying to a pooch. Just look how they bury them to savor later!

Did you know that guppies used to be called “the millions fish”? It goes back to the vast numbers of them found in the West Indies.

Guppies were imported to Europe in the first part of the last century. Now they’re considered domestic since so many generations have passed since their original capture. They’re commonly used in the laboratory, partly because they breed so easily in captivity. But they still flourish as much admired pet fish .

Guppies are also wonderful for clearing the area of mosquito larva. They’ve been used for this purpose in several locations. Trouble is, they can also decimate the local fish population by eating their eggs. That’s the trouble when we humans get involved in improving upon nature!

Guppies are real breeders, so if you decide to add them to your tank, be sure you have plenty of room for expansion.

The mail is the fancier one of the two, so it’s pretty easy to pick out a pair. You might want to pick an especially pretty male to increase the chance of having some lovely new babies.

Make sure the tank isn’t too cold- they are tropical fish and aren’t used to cold temperatures. It’s also a good idea to have a lot of hiding places for the babies (fry), so plant some water grass for them. Your pet store workers should be able to steer you in the right direction.

They need to be fed at least once a day, but twice may be better. Just be wary of over-feeding. Overall, guppies are entertaining, and watching the little ones develop their beautiful fins is always interesting.

Nowadays vets are trained to treat a lot more species than cats or dogs . Vets have continuing education in their career for year after year. Many of these classes deal with the “exotic” pets, which can include rodents as well as birds and herps.

I advise you to find your vet before an emergency arises, maybe even before you bring your pet home! This is an area it really pays to be prepared in.

It’s always good practice to have a new pet examined just to make sure there are no health issues in the beginning.

Did you know that canaries have been bred to be pets for about 500 years? Their gift (Or possibly their curse) is the lovely territorial song of the male.

The original wild canaries were from the Canary Islands and were a drab green color. But with all the human breeding interference canaries now come in a rainbow of colors, from bright yellow to pink. Some of these don’t have nearly as pretty a voice as the original green ones, though. That’s because they’ve been bred solely for their appearance and not their song.

One of my favorite canaries is the Gloster canary; with a “hairdo” that reminds me of the early Beatles!

You can teach your kids a lot about animals by allowing them to keep animals overnight, like insects or tide pool dwellers.

When I was a child I collected frog eggs in the spring and watched them hatch and eventually turn into miniature frogs. I let them go then, but I learned more about nature from that experience than any amount of book learning about the changes from tadpole to adult frog.

Depending on where you live, you can learn about the animals in your vicinity then make a little “vacation home” for them. There’s no better way for a child to learn about nature than up close and personal!

For those who believe that rats are beautiful , it naturally follows you might want to breed a pair.

They can mate at 3 months old, and the pregnancy only lasts about 3 weeks. When her time to give birth draws near, mom will build a really special nest. Be sure she has a lot of good materials to create it from.

The birthing process takes about an hour, and usually happens in the very wee hours of the morning. If you’re planning to witness this event, you may have to spend some sleepless nights waiting!

Most mama rates are good mothers, removing the amniotic sack, biting the umbilical cord and licking her babies clean. It’s hard to believe, but by the next evening she’s ready to mate again.