Parrot Care Facts

By Kenneth L. White

To take proper care of a parrot, regardless of the breed, requires a few basic things. These basic things include a proper diet, the right amount of space and interaction. If you can provide these three things, then your adopted parrot will live a long healthy and happy life. Believe it or not, some parrots actually OUTLIVE their original owners!

Proper Diet

Many people think that just because a parrot is a bird that all that they want to eat revolves around seeds. Well, it might be true that seeds are a big part of their diet, that is not ALL that they want to eat. Believe it or not, if you feed your parrot just seeds you will be missing out on a BIG part of his protein requirements. Parrots also eat a large diet composed of fresh fruits and vegetables. These fresh fruits can include: apples, oranges, pears, and bananas. Vegetables can include: broccoli, cabbage, and spinach. A combination of fresh fruits and vegetables PLUS a good mix of high quality seeds and a constant, fresh water supply will ensure that your parrot lives a long life.

Space

When it comes to space, there are differing opinions. Some people advocate that you buy your parrot a aviary. Some people just say buy a very large cage. Either way it is up to you, the owner, to find the best fit for you. Although aviaries are nice and provide a nice, BIG space for your parrot to grow. Not everyone can afford them. But nowadays there is NO EXCUSE for having a birdcage so small, that your parrot's feathers are sticking out of it! This is because they make a wide variety of birdcages that you can purchase that will make sure that this does not happen. Having a cage that is too small will leave your parrot open to outside influences, like your pet cat or dog!

Interaction

Parrots are just like any other pet you may have, they want someone to talk to! Someone to INTERACT with! This interaction is vital to their well-being, development, and their stress levels! Think about it like this... How long do you think you would have lived on this Earth WITHOUT some kind of human interaction? What kind of person do you think you would have been if no one spoke to you? EVER! You probably would have been the meanest person on this planet! Now think about your parrot! If you have just adopted him or her, and all you do is feed him and then go on your way, no wonder he keeps making a bunch of noise! You have to talk to him, pay attention to him, even play with him! This interaction will help both of you in the long run. It will allow you to get to know him and him to get to know you!

Proper parrot care is the most important thing that you can do to ensure that your parrot lives a long, healthy and happy life. Unfortuneately, some people equate this care to just feeding their parrots seeds. Parrot can eat a whole variety of foods, including seeds. If you are just feeding your parrot seeds, then you are missing out on a whole segment of his diet. To learn even more about your parrots diet, and what they can and cannot eat, please visit: http://parrotcareguide.info

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenneth_L._White

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CAT LIFE

Cats Hairball Remedies

By Beth Tawney

My cats have vomited many many hairballs over the past 16 years. I have also cleaned up tons of hairballs all by myself because my husband and daughter refuse to touch the hairballs even with paper towels in hand! Does any of this sound familiar? Anyway, here are a few hairball remedies cats to put into practice.

An important hairball remedy is water! You need to make sure you are giving your cat new fresh water everyday! The other important thing is to make sure that what the cat drinks out of is clean. I suggest cleaning the water bowl daily to keep from getting bacteria growth in it. That would not make the water fresh nor clean! Water is a vital part of the cat's digestive system. To maximize your cat's water consumption, supply the water in such a way that your cat prefers. Such as, a drinking fountain or a pool of water. The drinking fountain simulates running water; were as a pool of water is just that... a pool of water. My cats prefer the pool of water method.

The next hairball remedy is laxatives! Laxatives are petroleum-based. This allows hairballs to pass through your cat's digestive system by coating the hair inside the stomach and the stool. This can work one of two ways for your cat's hairball, in most cases: 1) They will either poop the hairball out; or 2) They will vomit up the hairball easier. I personally do not recommend using petroleum jelly out of the jar that humans use. I would go to the pet's store and purchase a commercial laxative. These are flavored so the cats will enjoy it. You can put the laxative in their food, on your finger for them to lick off or on a cat treat.

The last hairball remedy is fiber! The last hairball remedy is fiber! Fiber adds bulk and moisture to your cat's stool; helping your cat pass their stool easier. Canned pumpkin is a hairball remedies cats source of fiber that your cat can have. You can try to add a teaspoon of canned pumpkin to your cat's canned food several times a week to help control hairballs. Another fiber source is cat grass. This grows indoors in a controlled environment and is chemical free. The cat grass rejuvenates quickly and is cheap. The best thing of all is that cats love cat grass!

Since I have been trying all these hairball remedies cats suggestions, my cats have hardly vomited any hairballs up! That's wonderful for my cats. I don't like the way it sounds on the cat trying to cough a hairball up! They sound like they in pain. Please let me know if these suggestions help out your cat(s). Please visit: http://www.pets.siterubix.com/about-cat-hairballs

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Causes of Cat Aggression

By Seb James Lear

Cat Aggression

However lovely, sweet and sociable your cat might be towards you and your family, the same may not be true when it comes to other cats. Just like humans, some cats are very social with other cats however others can be most reserved about spending time with other cats and may prefer to be on their own.

This is a very important idea to understand as many owners think that getting a second cat will help their existing cat be more sociable and 'better' with others. This is a very risky move as you can never be sure how a cat will react to another. It might be that the new cat is very social and respects the existing cat in which case, the situation may prove beneficial and it might all go well. Alternatively, your new cat may also feel uncomfortable around others which can lead to an agitated, highly charged household and can be dangerous for the owners especially if they have children.

Why is your Cat being Aggressive?

There are a few reasons why your cat is acting aggressively:

• Territorial Aggression

• Defensive Aggression

• Displaced Aggression

Territorial Aggression

This kind of aggression occurs when the cat feels that there is an intruder in their 'marked' territory. The most common reason for this kind of aggression is when your cat sees another animal (or in some cases, human) in the garden or when a new cat is brought home by the owner. This is why getting a second cat after the other has settled can be a dangerous decision that might not work out. Bear in mind that females can be just as territorial as males.

Kittens learn to socialise and interact from an early age. This means that if you get your cat at an early age, it will overcome its natural fear and avoidance tendencies and interact with other unfamiliar humans better at a later stage. In the same sense, if your cat grows up with other cats, the same bonds will be strengthened and it is likely that it will react better to new cats in the future.

Defensive Aggression

This is where the cat feels threatened and become aggressive in order to protect itself usually because they feel they cannot escape.

This kind of aggression is probably less likely than other forms but can be stimulated by other aggressive animals or the threat, or act, of punishment by the owner. Usually if a cat feels threatened in this way it will crouch down low, stare at the potential threat and remain very still. If you see your cat in this posture, it is best not to approach it but instead, look for what the cat is nervous about and deal with it accordingly.

Displaced Aggression

Have you ever had a bad day at work to then come back home and be snappy or short with your family? It's very likely you have or you have had a similar situation because displaced aggression in humans is a very common condition and the same is true for cats.

In general, this form of aggression refers to when a cat acts aggressively to a person or animal that did not initially provoke the behaviour. For example, if your cat sees another playing with its toys in the garden, it is likely to get agitated for territorial reasons and when you then go to stroke him, he turns and bites you. Usually, they will release very quickly as they realise who it is but this kind of aggression is extremely reflex based so don't take it too personally.

What to do

• Breakup fights - Don't think that fights are debates where eventually the cats will understand the other and work things out. The more they fight the worse things will get so try to break them up where possible. Do not try to get involved yourself! Use loud sounds or water to break them up, not your hand.

• Try to incentivise good behaviour rather than punishing the bad - positive reinforcement is much more powerful that negative. Give your cat attention and treats when it is behaving well around others. Punishing a cat after a fight is more likely to agitate it even more in the future when in a similar situation and you are likely to be on the receiving end of some displaced aggression.

• Learn from the experience - if your cat doesn't like other cats and your efforts are not helping, it's best to just stop putting the cat in that position rather than trying to change them.

Despite this advice, sometimes cats will be cats and in some cases, why a cat is being aggressive or was aggressive is beyond analysis. Our understanding of animal behaviour is still growing and as a result, there are times when we just don't know why some animals act as they do so don't try to over analyse your cat's behaviour.

If you would like to find out more about cat care then please have a look at http://www.thecatcarer.com where you can find other guides on grooming and bathings as well as product reviews.

Thank you

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Seb_James_Lear

Homemade Cat Food May Save Your Cat's Life

By Madeleine Innocent

Taking the time to learn how to make homemade cat food may save your cat's life. Most domestic cats are fed a commercial cat food, but in many cases, this is the cause of their health problems.

Let's look at some of the reasons why.

Commercial cat food is normally based on a very low grade protein. All the better cuts of meat go to the more lucrative human market. So the dregs, as it were, are left for the pet food and garden fertiliser industries.

Sometimes, euthanised animals are used, as they are taken to the same rendering plant as the waste from slaughter houses.

This poor protein source is then padded out with a cheap filler, to maximise the manufacturers profit. Many fillers are toxic at worst, non-nutritional at best. All water down the protein. But cats need a diet high in protein.

Cooking destroys nutrients and alters protein. Some cooking can make a protein become toxic.

Have you ever wondered how the packets of dried pet food has such a long shelf life? It's because preservatives are used, despite claims to the contrary.

Not only are preservatives used, the ones used are some of the most toxic available and would never be allowed in human food for this reason.

Manufacturers of cat food recognise that their product is inferior, so go about trying to redress this problem with added nutrients. However, the nutrients will be the isolated and synthetic form. At best these can't be digested and will pass through your cat's digestive system. At worst they will cause health problems.

Although, it can take a bit of time learning how to make homemade cat food, once you have grasped the basic ideas, it's simply a matter of repeating it each week.

And the long term results will be a healthier, happier cat, saving you distress, time and costly veterinary bills.

Do you want to learn more about natural good health, in particular diet and homeopathy? Download my free report 'Better Health for Cats' here.

Naturally Healthy Cats

Madeleine Innocent is a full time consultant homeopath and homeopathic coach. Visit Madeleine here: 

http://naturallyhealthycats.com

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