Yearly Archives: 2010

My New Guinea Pigs!

Hello everyone, sorry for the lack of posts due to the busy holiday season! But I would like to introduce you all to my two new guinea pigs!

This is Cola:

This is Fizz:

I have had them now for a little over three weeks and they are starting to warm up very well to people and their new environment.

I have a nice two level cage made out of metal grids and coroplast plastic bins. For bedding I use fleece with layers of towels under it. Here is a picture:

I ordered this cage on ebay, but you can easily make your own especially if you can make use of a lot more space in your home so that you do not need to have two levels. To find out more information on C and C cages, check out guinepigcages.com. This site provides lots of information about materials, how to get them, pictures of cages, and good how to tips.

I have a pen to put them in for floor time, complete with plenty of tubes to run through:

Hope that everyone enjoys the last day of 2010!

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Dog has 17 Puppies!

A dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, in Germany has given birth to 17 puppies! The owner of the dog has had to bottle feed some of the puppies because the mother cannot handle feeding all the pups. But miraculously all the pups survived!

Here is a picture of some of them from the AP:


There are 8 female puppies and 9 males. All the pups have African names because that is where their breed is from. The females puppies are called Bahati, Binta, Bahya, Bashima, Batouuli, Binki, Bora, Bisa and the male ones are Baakir, Banjoku, Belay, Bruk, Bundu, Bayo, Bukekayo, Biton and Bulus. So far four of the puppies have been sold and 2 more are fully paid for.

To read the full story at news.yahoo.com.

Breed Profile: Rhodesian Ridgeback

This breed was developed in South Africa and were used to hunt lions. The most distinctive feature of the breed is the ridge of hair along the dog’s spine which grows the opposite direction of the rest of the fir. Males can weigh up to 85 pounds, and females 70 pounds. These dogs are very muscular. The breed is loyal and intelligent. They often choose to ignore strangers, but are protective and can be taught to be good guard dogs.

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Cute Christmas Cookies

I love to make Christmas cookies, and there are some adorable recipes to choose from. Here are five cute recipes that you can make use of this holiday season.

Each has a link to the page where I found the recipe, in case you would like more detailed instructions and more pictures.

1. Reindeer Cookies — pillsbury.com

This recipe makes 32 cookies and takes a total of 55 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 roll (16.5 oz) of Pillsbury refridgerated sugar cookies

1/4 cup  all-purpose flour

1 cup vanilla ready-to-spread frosting

64 small pretzel twists

64 semisweet chocolate chips (about 1/4 cup)
16 gumdrops, cut in half

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350. Break up the cookie dough in a bowl, add flour until blended. Roll dough into a log, and then make into a triangle shape.

2. Cut dough into 32 triangular slices – 1/4 inch thick. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 7 – 11 minutes, or until set. Cool for 1 minute and then move to cooling rack. Cool completely – takes about 15 minutes.

4. Frost the cookies with frosting. Place two pretzel twists on each triangle near the corners for antlers. Press two chocolate chips into the frosting to make eyes, and 1 half of a gum drop to make a nose.

To store: place between sheets of wax paper in a tightly covered container.

2. Jolly Santa Cookies — bettycrocker.com

This recipe makes 18 cookies, and takes a total of 1 hour 50 minutes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vanilla frosting

3 tablespoons red sugar

18 mini marshmallows

36 chocolate chips

18 red cinimon candies

3/4 cups shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400. Beat butter, sugar and lemon with an electric mixer on medium, or with a spoon. Stir in egg and milk. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. Place dough in rounded teaspoonfuls full 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to make each about 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches in diameter. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Move immediately from sheet to wire rack. Cool completely – about 30 minutes.

3. Spread frosting on one cookie, then sprinkle red sugar over the top 1/3 of the cookie to make Santa’s hat. Press on a mini marshmallow for the hats tassel. Press 2 chocolate chips for eyes, and 1 Cinnamon candy for nose in the middle third of the cookie. Then sprinkle the coconut on the bottom third of the cookie for Santa’s beard. Decorate one cookie completely before moving on to the next so that everything sticks.

3. Marshmallow Snowmen — Better Homes and Gardens

This recipe makes 26 cookies and takes a total time of 1 hour 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

12 vanilla carmels, unwrapped

3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 10 ounce bag of marshmallows

53 pretzel sticks

1 cup chopped pistacchios, toasted coconut, toffee pieces, and/or 1/3 cup nonpareils

4 ounces bittersweet, semisweet, or milk chocolate pieces

2 tablespoons shortening

orange colored mini candy coated chocolate pieces or other small round candies

optional: marshmallow cream to stick together marshmallows if they do not stick on their own.

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with foil, butter the foil and set it aside. In a small sauce pan combine the carmels, condensed milk, and butter. Heat and stir over medium low heat, until melted and smooth.

2. Use kitchen scissors to cut 1/3 of the marshmallows in half crosswise. Place the marshmallow half sticky side down on top of another whole marshmallow to form the head and body. Press gently together to get them to stick, use marshmallow cream if needed. To make arms – stick two pretzel sticks into each side of the whole marshmallow.

3. Dip the bottom 1/3 of the snowman body into the carmel mixture, allow excess to drop off. Place onto foil.

4. Put pistachios, coconut, toffee pieces, and/or nonpareils into separate bowls. In another sauce pan, combine the chocolate and shortening. Heat and stir chocolate mixture over low heat until melted and smooth.

5. Dip the caramel coated end of each snowman into the chocolate, enough to cover the caramel. Allow the excess to drip off, then dip into one of the bowls of pistachios, coconut, toffee, or nonpareils. Put snowman back on baking sheet, and let stand for 30 minutes or until the chocolate is set.

6. If necessary, remelt the chocolate over low heat in a sauce pan. Put the snowmen onto their backs to finish decorating. To make eyes and buttons, dip one end of a pretzel stick into the chocolate and then dab onto the snowmen. To make a nose, dab on some chocolate and attach a small piece of candy. Let stand until dry, about 5 minutes.

4. Santa Hats — Disney Family Fun

Makes 2 dozen santa hats.

Ingredients:

2 egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

red colored sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees F. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks start to form. While continuing to beat the mixture, add the tartar, vanilla, and then slowly the sugar. Continue to beat until the peaks are stiff.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon the meringue into a quart size plastic bag. Snip off a corner and pipe 2 dozen 1 and 1/2 inch tall santa santa hat triangles onto the parchcment paper. You should have about 1/4 of the meringue left.

3. Sprinkle the triangles with the red sugar, and then use the remaining meringue to make the pompom on the end of the hat and the trim. Bake the hats until hard but not brown, about 1 hour and 2o minutes. Turn off the oven and then leave inside the oven for another hour to crisp the cookies before removing.

5. Penguin Ginger Bread Cookies — The Crafty Penguin

This receipe reuires you to make the cookies and then gives detailed instructions on how to decorate them.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 sticks salted butter

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

5 tablespoons molassess

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper

Making the cookies:

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

2. Add mollassess, water, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper – mix until combined.

3. In a seperate bowl whisk together flour and baking soda. Slowly add to batter in three parts, mixing after each part is added.

4. Roll the dough until 1/4 inches thick between sheets of wax paper. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Then cut into circles and refrigerate another 30 minutes before baking. You can make circles of varying size, but bake those of the same size together.

5. Bake for 8 to 10 mintues at 400 degrees F on a parchment paper or Silpat lined baking sheet. Once cooled, the cookies can be decorated.

To Decorate:

Recipe for royal icing

How to decorate — scroll down to the decorating section, includes pictures

Be aware that this will take a long time because once the black icing is done, the cookies have to dry overnight before the white icing can be done.

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Top 10 Strange Pets

Animal Planet has a new show called Pets 101, which follows along the lines of their Dogs 101 and Cats 101 except that it features all different kinds of pets. In honor of the show, Animal Planet’s website has an article that is called the “Top 10 Peculiar Pets.”  These pets are not recommended for everyone, and some states or cities may have laws which prevents owning these animals. I have the list below, along with pictures and information.

What do you guys think, are there more strange and exotic pets out there?

10. Capybara

The Capybara is the largest rodent in the world, native to South America, and is related to the domestic guinea pig.  They weigh up to 100 pounds when fully grown and are semi-aquatic – meaning they spend a good amount of time in the water.

As a pet: These rodents are never fully domesticated and require a large area to roam, lots of attention, and a swimming area. They eat grass, but you might have to make your own food (not commercially available food in a pet store) to assure your pet receives its nutritional needs. It will also be difficult to find a vet that has enough knowledge to properly see your pet. Capybaras are not recommended as pets for families with small children because they may bite and not tolerant like a dog may be.

Since capybaras require a lot of space and have very special needs, please do a lot of research if this become your pet of choice. But, if you like this kind of animal guinea pigs may be a great alternative. They are relatively easy to keep, can live in a much smaller space, and they are readily available in shelters and pet stores in need of good homes.

9. Stick Insect

Stick insects are now popular pets as they are interesting to watch and easy to care for. Fully grown they can be up to 4 inches long and they can live for several years.

As a Pet: These can be a great choice due to their ease in care. Be careful when handling because their limbs are fragile and can easily come off. Their habitat should be at least twice their length tall so they can hang, should be kept at room temperature, and cleaned weekly. Stick insects are omnivorous and can thrive on things like lettuce and ivy.

Here is a website about caring for stick insects – earthlife.net. I am sure there are more out there, please make sure you know how to properly care for these guys before you get one.

8. Miniature Donkey

Donkeys are not that strange of pets, but I was not aware they came in a miniature variety! A mini donkey can be around 3 feet tall, and weigh upwards of 350 pounds. These animals make good pets because they are affectionate and also good with children.

As a Pet: Mini donkeys like to live in pairs, so should you want one you need at least a pair. The needs of these donkeys are very similar to full size donkeys – hay, grain, pasture with shelter, and water. They will also need to have their hooves trimmed.

If a full size donkey is not your thing, then maybe a couple mini donkeys are. But remember that these guys still require quite a bit of space and the costs to maintain them will not be small.

7. Hedgehogs

While exotic, hedgehogs may not be hard to find at a local pet store these days. It is believed that they became poplar pets after the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog games.

As a Pet: Hedgehogs are easy to maintain. There are food blends available at pet stores to assure proper nutrition, and insects like crickets can be fed as treats to supplement. While gentle, they need to be socialized to humans as babies. Cages should be large enough to have an exercise wheel, around 30 by 24 inches and at least 15 inches tall. However, they are nocturnal so they will be sleeping mostly during the day and up at night.

Make sure a hedgehog is right for you before purchasing. These animals are gentile but shy at first and remember they are nocturnal – so patience and time are a necessity. You will have to tailor your interaction with your pet around their sleep schedule, not yours (unless you work nights). For more information check out the this Basic Guide for Hedgehog Care.

6. Pygmy Goats

Pygmy goats are very popular pets these days because they are sweet and small in size. It is not uncommon to find these goats at petting zoos in your area.

As a Pet: Fairly easy to care for, pygmy goats still require a bit of space. They should have shelters around 8 by 10 feet and fencing that is 4 feet high. Diet for these little guys includes grass, hay, and leaves. The National Pygmy Goat Association has more information on the proper care of these animals. However, these animals may prove to be a bit too aloof for some owners.

If you have the space and food source for these little guys they can be a good choice over full size goats. I know a lot of people who own and show these guys, and are very happy with them. However, if you are looking for a dog like animal a dog will still be a better bet.

5. Potbellied Pigs

Potbellied pigs have been considered as pets for a while now, due to their cleanliness and intelligence. These animals can be a rewarding investment.

As a Pet: These animals require lots of exercise because they can easily become overweight. Given their intelligence, they are easy to train and can be walked like a dog on a leash. However, there is a downside to the intelligence – if they want food they can learn how to get it for themselves by opening refrigerators and cabinets. Pigs can also be aggressive if they are attempting to be the dominate force in the household, so they are not advisable pets for families with small children. Pigs can live up to 18 years, and can weigh upwards of 125 pounds. For more information on what bringing a pig home can be like, check out Pot Bellied Pigs as Pets.

Pigs are a good choice if you have the time, patience, and space for such an animal. Make sure that you know all about their behaviors – especially concerning young children – and appetite. Pigs can destroy carpet, make hiding food difficult, and destroy your yard so research and consideration is a must before investing in a pig.

4. Sugar Gliders

Sugar Gliders are native to Australia, but have been gaining in popularity as pets. They are part of the possum family and have a membrane which stretches from their front to back legs and allows them to glide from tree to tree in the wild.

As a Pet: Sugar gliders are social, and should be kept in at least pairs. They eat cooked meats and eggs, fresh veggies, nuts, insects, and leaves. They can socialize with people, but need to be handled a lot when they are young. These animals need space in their cages to be able to jump from branch to branch. However, they are nocturnal so they will be sleeping during the day.

Sugar gliders are not recommended for children, because they have sharp teeth and claws which can hurt someone who is not good at handling them.

3. Wallaby

These little marsupials can weigh up to 53 pounds, and be 41 inches long. While small, these guys need a large space to roam.

As a Pet: Wallabies are social animals best kept in pairs. They need to be kept in a large area with a fence that is at least 5 feet tall, with chains along the bottom to keep them from escaping – which these little guys are very good at. They are very shy creatures.

The Marsupial Society of Australia does not recommend keeping such animals as pets in that sense of the word. They are not dog like and do not house train easily – they can become destructive and smelly. These animals will require a lot of your time, but are nocturnal so you would have to adjust your schedule accordingly. They have a lot of special requirements for space and a backyard is simply not big enough. They are also at risk from diseases from more domestic pets like cats when kept in such an environment.

Wallabies are not domesticated animals – and some will tame, others become dangerous. So please, do research and know what you are getting yourself into should this be your pet of choice.

2. Skunk

While wild skunks are smelly, pet skunks have their scent glands removed at 4 weeks of age so that owners will not have to deal with such a problem. Skunks are inquisitive and intelligent, and can live over 10 years.

As a Pet: Time must be spent bonding with these animals while they are young. You can litter train them. They eat a diet like a ferret, with fresh veggies to accompany dry food. For vet care, they need scent glands removed, to be spayed or neutered, and require vaccinations on an annual basis.

Please make sure that your state allows you to own a skunk, many do not. Also make sure that you know of a vet that can take care of your animal before you get one.

1. Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

These large cockroaches do not fly, sting, or bite, and make an interesting hissing noise. They make good pets for people or children who like bugs due to their ease of care.

As a Pet: They require a small space to live in, with lots of places to hide from light. They also should have sticks to climb, but they are very good at climbing and will climb right out of their habitat if you are not careful with a lid. It is suggested to coat the top portion of the enclosure with petroleum jelly. They can eat any dry food high in protein (like dog food) and love fresh veggies.

Check to see if you need a permit before buying one in your area. Here is a link to about.com’s care information on keeping Madagascar hissing cockroaches.

 

Please do your research before considering an exotic or strange pet, this will assure that you are happy with your choice and can properly care for your new family member.

To see the original article, please visit Animal Planet, Pets 101, Top 10 Peculiar Pets.

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Firefox Adopts 2 Firefoxes!

Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox internet browser, has adopted two of the animals from which the browser takes its name. The Firefox, better known as the Red Panda, is an adorable little creature with brown fur and a fluffy tail. Here is a picture of the two adopted cubs:

The Firefox is listed as a vulnerable species because their wild population is around 10,000 adults. This is due mainly to habitat loss and poaching. The two cubs which Mozilla adopted were born at the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee. Mozilla created a website – Firefox Live – where you can watch the red pandas live on webcam, enter a contest to name them, and learn more about the animals. The site is meant to raise awareness for Firefox 4, and the animals that are in need of our help. Once the number of Firefox 4 downloads reaches a certain goal Mozilla will buy the cubs a special jungle gym to play on.

Visit Firefoxlive.org to see the cubs and learn more about them.

To learn more about Firefox visit mozilla.com.

See mashable.com to read more about this story.

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