I think ferrets are adorable! A few friends of mine have owned them but only explain they wont own any again. Not sure why they didn’t like them, but they seem like awesome pets as far as interaction, play, and care go. Of course, this house hold is ruled by guinea pigs!
In any event, here is a picture of a ferret in a watering can:
(source)
So photogenic!
Yesterday a friend asked me if I had ever heard of a Pomsky, and I must admit I have not. So I sent Cola and Fizz on the hunt for information. Below are the results of their findings:
The designer dog mix of a Husky and Pomeranian is often called a Pomsky (plural Pomskies). There is a lot of good information out there about this new crossbreed, but also a lot of misleading information and pictures. Please, always do your research first! If you ever buy a puppy from a breeder make sure they are reputable and you can check out their facility and dogs.
We are looking at a cross of a Pomeranian:
(source)
A small breed of dog which is friendly, playful, and intelligent. They pick up training, but can also train their owners to get what they want. They are a healthy breed. Pomeranians often bark at new situations and people, which can develop into a problem.
With a Husky:
(source)
The Husky is a robust and strong breed of working dog most often used in sled pulling. I am guessing that the type of husky used for breeding a Pomsky would depend on the individual breeder. “Husky” is a term which refers to any dog used to pull sleds differentiated by their pulling style. These huskies can be mixes of many types of dogs and vary in particulars like coat, height, build, and color. These dogs are often crossed based on ability and in an attempt to create better working dogs, but are not registered as purebred dogs for show purposes. On the other hand, the Siberian Husky is a specific large sized working dog originating in Siberia with a set breed standard and appearance. These differences would affect the outcome in a mixed breed pairing.
So here is the result, a Pomsky:
(apexpomskies)
Given that these dogs are a mix, sometimes first generation and sometimes mixes of already mixed animals, individual dog’s characteristics vary. Most often Pomskies are small in size like a Pomeranian but have Husky coloring. This is, I believe, what breeders are working towards. Of course, with further development of the crossbreed and more generations there will be standardization of qualities like size.
Size?
Actual adult size will depend on the parent’s size and can range from around 15 to over 25 pounds. Smaller adult Pomskies will be possible with further generations.
Coat Considerations?
Pomskies can have the entire range of colors for both Pomeranians and Huskies. Coat length and fluffiness will depend on parent crosses, so some will be fuller like a Pom while others smoother like a Husky. Shedding will be close to whichever parent’s coat a puppy gets. First generation crosses are often more Husky like, medium shedding dogs which blow their coat during the summer.
Ears and Tail?
Ears should always be erect, especially if both parents had erect ears. The tail should be curled over the back like both parent breeds.
Note: This is in regard to an ideal standard, as with any other dog that should have erect ears or a curled tail. If a dog’s ears fail to come up, stand up all the time, or has an uncurled tail such a dog still makes a great pet quality animal but those traits are a “defect” detracting from a breed standard and are therefore not ideal and would disqualify a dog from being show quality.
Temperament?
Temperament is a mix of the parents, and will vary based on individual, but most Pomskies are energetic, intelligent, and may be loud. They are said to take well to training with your effort, and to be good family pets.
Puppy Cost?
A Pomsky puppy will cost around $1500. This will vary by area, breeder, and availability. These dogs are still “rare.” There are not many breeders specializing in this crossbreed and there could be a lot of puppy mill style breeders (or simply inexperienced breeders) trying to take advantage of the low supply.
If you are looking for a puppy I will direct you to the breeders page at the Pomsky Club of America.
There is misinformation that these dogs will always look like Husky puppies, often featuring pictures of actual Husky puppies or Pomskies as puppies and claiming they are fully grown. If you feel that this is actually true after seeing images of adults, then enjoy the breed for that. However, I do not find this to be true after looking at the pictures of adult Pomskies. The dogs just look like small sized Huskies.
Here are actual Pomsky puppies:
(ApexPomskies)
First generation Pomsky adults:
(ApexPomskies)
More Pomsky Adults:
(ApexPomskies)
— Cola and Fizz
UPDATE: I am not, nor have I ever been, a Pomsky breeder. As I mentioned above, if you are looking for a puppy you should check out Pomsky Club of America or Google to see if there are local breeders in your area. Please make sure you check out your breeder first before buying a puppy to make sure they keep their dogs and puppies in a good enviroment. A good breeder will allow you to see where they keep their dogs and allow you to meet the puppies before you pay the full amount for the puppy. I have seen too many fake listings for Pomskies that use puppy pictures from a Google image search. Be careful and do your research always!
Sources:
Wikipedia – Husky
Widipedia – Siberian Husky
Wikipedia – Pomeranian
Pomsky Club of America
Pomsky Information
Have you ever seen a white raven before?
(source)
I know a raven is not traditionally cute, but I would love to see a white raven! This beautiful bird may be albino, but it is hard to tell from the photo which provides no other information.
— Fizz Pig
Have you ever been on a flight with a working dog? This Air Force K9 bomb sniffing dog got to travel in style, with his own seat and informative collar:
(source)
The dog looks so cute that you almost cannot resist petting him, regardless of what his collar may say! I have never had the opportunity of traveling with such a well trained dog, only ones in little carriers under the seats of their owners. It makes sense that these dogs would get to travel this way, it is far safer for the dog.
— Fizz Pig
Another Wednesday, a new month, hope your day is going well!
Here is a puppy to help:
(source)
This puppy looks so happy to be running around! This picture is excellent with a great angle and it captures the scene around the pup well.
– Cola Pig
A lot has happened, or maybe isn’t happening, today! Does the day have you down?
Take a look at this adorable plush toy of Boo, the world’s cutest dog:
He is 4 inches tall and wears a little bear costume. You can buy this adorable stuffed toy at Gund’s website for $12.
Sevenly.org is an awesome website which donates a portion of their proceeds to a different cause every week. They sell unique t-shirt designs every week to represent the cause the site is donating to, as well as various items which also fit the various causes past and present. This week their cause is to end animal abuse like puppy mills and dog fighting by donating to the Humane Society of the United States.
The t-shirt designs this week come in various styles for both men and women.
The Give Dog
The Give Dog boyfriend style tee – $24. This one is not available in a men’s design.
Pets Are Family
Pets Are Family Tee – $24. Men’s crew shirt – $24.
This design is also available in children’s sizes.
Adopt a Dog
Here is one example of the design – raglan shirt $28. Men’s Tee design – $24 or baseball $32.
Check the site out, they offer even more women’s styles for these shirt designs than I posted. This is a great way to support something you believe in – give some money towards the cause and get a shirt to wear to cause conversation. Visit the site each week to see what cause Sevenly will support next!
– Fizz Pig
The Eastern Quoll is a medium sized marsupial native to Australia. They are carnivorous, eating insects and small mammals.
Baby Quoll
(source)
Look at those spots!
There are six different species of quoll. This variety is now extinct on the main island of Australia but can be found in the wild in Tasmania. The last native quoll found on the mainland in 1963 had been killed by a car. The success of the Eastern Quoll in Tasmania is believed to be due to a lack of dingoes and foxes. Threats to the species include feral cats and humans hunting or poisoning them.
Sightings of “wild” Eastern Quoll on the mainland near Melbourne, Victoria, are considered to be escaped animals from a local conservation center or are thought to be those animals descendants. Many questions remain about these sightings, including how long these animals lived outside the sanctuary and if there is a successful breeding population. You can read more about those sightings in the article Victorian Eastern Quoll Specimens.
Eastern Quoll have pointed muzzles, white spots on their bodies with the a main fur color ranging from fawn brown to almost black, and they do not have any spots on their bushy tails. Some sources state they come in only fawn or black.
These little guys are adorable and it is very sad that they are no longer native in much of their past wild habitat. I hope that these cute creatures have a bright future ahead!
Adult black quoll:
(wikipedia)
Fawn brown colored Quoll:
(retrieverman)
Adult with black fur:
(TheLandDownUnder)
Adult with fawn fur:
(ausecosystems.org)
There are even stuffed toys! You can find him different places for different prices, this one is here for $24.95.
— Fizz Pig
Sources:
Wikipdia: Eastern Quoll
Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Services: Eastern Quoll
Guinea pigs love boxes! Perfect for hiding in, chewing on, moving about, and they are a cheap and easy to find item. We here at Fuzzy Today spend a lot of time running through box houses, chewing them to make art, and marking our territory!
Both Cola and Fizz LOVE their boxes, we re-purpose many so they have variety.
So this pirate ship crafted out of boxes amazed us:
It has a couple floors, with a ramp to get up there. Love the doors to run through.
Complete with Guinea Pig Pirates:
Chew, chew, chew…
(shiro_ko via guineapigmemes)
We would love our humans to make us something like this! Well, we do not want to wear pirate hats. That seems unnecessary to our enjoyment of the cardboard.
The true problem for me would be assuring the thing was structurally sound. I could easily make a ship shaped box they run through, but climb on? I do not know if I would trust anything I make to take their tiny tubby selves as they attempt to chew it apart.
Please make us one humans! We expect one by the end of the day…
– Cola and Fizz Pig
It is that point in the week again!
I am not sure how long this picture has been circling the internet, but if I had a sewing machine I would make one of these:
(source)
I mean the costume, of course, I cannot sew a dog so cute! The white fluffy dog is adorable on its own but the addition of the little horse hat/hoodie makes the picture perfect. The little costume is just simplistic enough that it allows the dog to be cute in and of itself.
– Cola Pig
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