It’s really hard when a recreational pastime turns out to be something that requires time and energy that need to be redirected from other, more important work. Keeping pets is not half as easy as it looks and people often make the mistake of biting off more than they can chew, making life miserable for both themselves and the unfortunate animal. But there is a solution to every problem, and the search for a low-maintenance, highly-lovable pet can be put an end to by going a little deeper into the waters. Among other things, fish can be the ideal solution to all your pet-problems concerning expenses and effort.

Although I have taken the view of a pet lover too busy to keep other  time consuming pets, fish are such creatures that are dearly loved by quite a few people and they come third in UK’s list of favorite pets after dogs and cats.

Some fish are easier to maintain than other animals.

The advantages of keeping fish are many and varied. For one, feeding them is inexpensive and easy, they don’t require exercise or grooming and they are confined to their respective aquariums all day thus being incapable of messing up your household in any way. In fact, fish living in a properly decorated aquarium are one of the best artistic ornaments you can have for your house. Fish are quiet and they can be left alone in houses unlike pets like dogs and cats who might throw tantrums out of separation anxiety. Some fish even interact with the owners and are liable to training.

However, keeping fish is not just all rosy and fun but comes with its share of responsibility, little though it maybe, as well. The most important part of having pet fish is the maintenance of the aquarium. There are over 25,000 varieties of fish, about 2,000 of which are suitable for keeping in an aquarium.

A tropical fish aquarium.

Fish can be of freshwater, cold water or marine type, and the aquarium has to be set up as per the specific requirements of each individual variety. It is advisable that first time fish owners start off with hardy, low-maintenance fishes like the goldfish or angelfish. The aquarium should be kept running for over an hour before the fishes are put in. Even the simplest of aquariums are armed with filters and oxygen pumps to ensure a regular supply of clear, oxygen-rich water. The cartridges of these filters need to be replaced and they need to be rinsed and cleaned monthly. The ammonia, nitrate and pH levels need to be checked and made suitable to the standards of the particular kind of aquarium one is trying to build, and monitored regularly. The decorations within the tank should be cleaned every month and 10% of the water needs to be replaced with dechlorinated water on a weekly basis. The tank walls also have to be scrubbed for algae. The tank must be placed at a spot which is not over-exposed to sunlight or high-traffic as the constant motion may scare the fishes.

The next important thing to do is to choose which fish can co-exist inside the same tank. Unwise choices result in smaller fish becoming prey to larger ones or aggressive behavior between two fishes. For example, semi-aggressive tropical fish bully inmates which are smaller in size. So, it’s wise to have all the fish of the same size.

Choose compatible companions for your fish.

The things that need to be kept in mind while choosing different fishes are; their water and temperature requirements, whether they exhibit similar behavior or not and their different swimming levels. With the right choices, one can make a huge shoal of the same variety of fish or mix and match different colors to give the tank a vibrant look. A single betta or goldfish in a small tank is also nice to watch.

Feeding your fish a varied diet keeps them healthy. Proper research should be done regarding the types of food that are favorable to a particular fish variety. The amount of food provided should, however, be kept under control as over-eating is one of the main reasons for the death of fish. Feeding them a regulated diet twice a day will familiarize them with you so that they will react to your presence at other times as well.

Fish kept in aquariums are, after all, bred in captivity in an artificial environment, so that it helps to decorate the aquarium to make them feel more at home. But the fish should have enough room to themselves to move about and stretch their fins. One can even incorporate larvae and snails into the aquarium; they not only contribute to the environment but are also useful in that they eat algae off the walls and keep things tidy. Fish that are well taken care of tend to be happy and happy fish tend to live longer. Some varieties of goldfish can live for about 20 years! Taking good care of fish involves respecting their individual personalities and not tapping on the glass of the tank to make them move as this shocks them and turns them away from the owners.

Fish tanks relax your mind.

A fish tank is as much a hobby as a mode of relaxation. It is a pleasure to the eye and keeps the mind at ease to just sit and look at a beautiful aquarium with fish swimming about in it. Spending time looking at the aquarium also helps to know your pets better and detect any unnatural behavior or illness in any of them so as to take action in order to prevent it.

The post Just Keep Swimming appeared first on Pet Attack.

In a world where everyone is continuously trying to outshine the others to reach the top of the elusive ladder of success, whatever that maybe, there seems to be surprisingly little time for the finer things in life like affection, sympathy or loyalty among fellow human beings.

It is a plastic world that we live in today.

Parents, blinded by the need for a “better” life, seldom find the time to imbibe these seemingly unimportant qualities to their children who grow up not knowing a life outside the virtual cyber world. Computers might be a great distraction but in order to evolve into something better than a human automaton, the vigor of life pulsating with the warmth of love becomes important-and this is where the role of a pet might be considered.

The lengthy introduction might seem a bit tiresome but I feel the need to expressly impress upon my readers the “pros”, if not the absolute need, of keeping pets; not simply as a household accessory but as a member of the family, holding as much importance as any other individual member. Having had a couple of dogs around me for almost as long as I can remember, I shall now restrict myself into the realm of these hairy four-legged friends instead of speaking for the entire “petdom” of animals, failing which my skills may come to be unduly tested.

Dogs let you experience unconditional love.

I won’t bore with the saying “dogs are man’s best friend”; rather, I would like to cite a few instances which would prove the same to be true. Having a dog as a pet gives one the taste of that most sought after thing-the experience of unconditional love. A dog never seems to question anything you do or say, but accepts you just as you are, whether you make an effort to be accepted or not. With the same unquestioning spirit, it becomes your companion during the happiest hours of your life, causing a few of them itself. It lends you its entire attention when you need someone to talk to and believe me, you’ll rarely find a more understanding or empathetic friend among humans. It gladly offers you its furry coat to wet when you need a cry and a hug from a dog is the best antidote against all evils in life.

When you get yourself a dog, you commit yourself to the task of looking after it; you undertake the responsibility of bringing it up, feeding it, bathing it and being as good a friend to it as it is to you. For children having parents both of whom are employed in time consuming jobs, this becomes an effective lesson in learning to take responsibility of others. The most important benefit, i.e., getting someone to do away with the loneliness which would have otherwise been filled up with artificial intelligence- the illusion of companionship, is quite obvious. Also, dogs are pets that are not only cuddly and playful but useful in a number of other aspects.

Dogs are more than cuddly little fur-balls.

For one, they are the best burglar alarms you can possibly get, setting the house in absolute uproar once an intruder attempts to cross the threshold. This is just about household dogs you keep as a pet in towns and cities. In large farms and ranches, dogs play the double roles of a loving pet as well as a helping hand in the field. They can guard the sheep and other timid animals from wolves and hyenas. Sniffer dogs are helpful in tracing criminals or lost objects, once provided with their scent. This, however, digresses from our focus on pets, but serves to illustrate the nature and usefulness of dogs in general.

I could go on about why dogs are such a blessing on the face of the earth but this article would remain biased and incomplete if I skipped over the rougher side of keeping a dog as a pet. The added responsibility of having to care for an extra mouth to feed can be looked at both ways if time and money seem to be of equal value to the joy of having a friend “fur-ever”. Female dogs need more care than males as they are usually more susceptible to the diseases that their particular breed is prone to. Having a good veterinarian contact for your dogs is extremely important if you want them to be in good health as long as they live. In India such contacts are rare, but not entirely unheard of. Before deciding on getting yourself a dog, you should make sure none of the family is allergenic to proximity to dogs, be it for their fur or breath. So it’s advisable you get a dog only after any child in your house has crossed the age of 4 at least. A puppy, while growing up, may tear up anything and everything within its reach same as any infant does while growing teeth. Toilet training for dogs is extremely important if you want your house to be fit to live in. But this habit does not take too long to imbibe if done properly. Through all this, it must be kept in mind that the dog should be treated as any other member of the family and nothing less than that.

The worst pain in keeping a pet is always the part where you have to say goodbye. This ordeal is less difficult if the event of farewell is quick and painless. However, the grief that it leaves behind is all encompassing and often becomes a reason for not keeping future pets.

But as they say, pets don’t last through the whole of your life, but they sure make your life whole. Having to say goodbye to a pet is like having to part with a piece of your own soul. Instead of breaking down over it however, you could take the loss in your stride, as a memoir to all the good times spent together with your beloved one, and try to comfort the insensible grief with the thought that from then on, you have a guardian angel keeping a watch over you wherever you go, whatever you do.

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They say you don’t really realize the true value of something until after it’s gone. From a favorite coffee mug to a beloved companion, this prophecy holds true most of the time; albeit in varying degrees.  Passing away of friends and family is more than difficult to cope with; but coping with the loss of a pet is just as much, if not more, draining on one’s emotional faculties.

A pet is treated as family, but people have a choice in opting for pets or otherwise, unlike the family they are born to and are a part of by birth. Also, keeping pets almost inevitably demands the acknowledgement of the unpleasant fact that your pet will, in all probability, go to its grave before you do, and leave you to deal with its absence on your own. In fact, this is sometimes the principal reason behind a person’s unwillingness to keep a pet; the fear of having to cope with the loss.

People keep pets from their inherent need for loving and being loved, of finding comfort in belonging to someone who belongs just as wholeheartedly to them. Pets themselves become the only family of people who have no one else in the world. So letting them go when the time comes is as hard as bidding farewell to a fellow human being they care about. The pain involved is, in fact, greater as pet lovers seldom find the much needed empathy for their loss among those around them, and the social support that is so necessary while dealing with death is almost absent in this case. The most important and effective way to deal with this is not being ashamed of your feelings of loss. Just because one does not feel the way you do about your loss doesn’t lessen its burden or reality in any way. In cases where one does not receive the empathy of family and friends, one should try to find support groups for pet loss where one’s feelings are paid more heed to.

Often, the period preceding the pet’s death is just as trying as the time succeeding it due to some long-suffering illness that the pet has contracted. Be sure to consult a legitimate veterinarian and continue painful medications only if you are sure they will give fruitful results. Prolonging your pet’s suffering when there is no hope of recovery and making it live in a vegetative state just because you do not feel strong enough to let it go is wrong and selfish. If the situation so demands, you should not feel guilty or hesitate to euthanize your pet; know in your heart that the time had really come and that you must accept what you can’t change.

If you have more than one pet, the loss of one is bound to affect the others. Pets when kept together form deep bonds with each other and they too are bound to feel grief at the loss of a companion. Their ordeal is in some ways tougher as they are not able to express their pain like us. It is important to understand this about them and give them that space. They should be given additional attention and care during this period which works to the mutual benefit of the owner and the pet as it balms the pain for the lost one a little on both sides.

The aftermath of the demise of your pet almost always comes with your feeling guilty or angry about the cause of death. It is also natural to feel helpless if proper treatment could not be arranged for in time due to lack of resources. But death is just a universal truth and sooner or later every living being has to fall prey to it. Blaming yourself is not a solution and it drowns you deeper into depression which is also a natural outcome of such events. Similarly, denying the loss or refusing to acknowledge the fact that you will never again see your beloved companion again does not help. The best way to cope with your emotions is to be honest to yourself about them. “Being strong”, contrary to the popular notions, entails this honesty rather than keeping your feelings bottled up in order not to cry and betray signs of “weakness”. Facing up to your feelings and discussing them in proper company is always a step towards recovery. One can also do things that might feel like honoring the memory of their pet, like putting up an inscribed headstone on its grave or observing its death-day by feeding stray animals.

Some people feel that finding a new pet is the only solution to filling up the void that has been left by the departed. However, taking up a new pet immediately after the death of an old one is not always a good idea. One always needs some time to get a grip over oneself and bring the emotional turmoil under control. Getting a new pet too soon might bring make one feel that the new animal is illegitimately trying to claim a place that it has no right to or that loving it is disloyal to the memory of the old pet. The rest of the family as well as other pets, if any, also need to get used to the idea of sharing a personal space with someone new, who will probably not be the same as the one they have lost. In time, however, a new pet helps to deal with the loss and highlight the good times you have spent with your old pet more vibrantly than the sadness brought about its passing away.

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That the relationship shared by a pet and its owner is symbiotic in nature and mutually rewarding is a well known fact. Psychological research has probed into the depths of this bond over the years and attempted to explain the dynamics underlying it, which has in turn led to quite a few interesting results and revelations about the owner. Did you know that the kind of pet you choose says an awful lot about your own self? Or that pets are the key to long term happiness and good health, proven scientifically?

Of the large number of studies conducted on the choice of dog-breeds and the human personality, one of the most well known is the survey conducted by Lance Workman and his colleagues, who assessed 1,000 dog owners via an online questionnaire on behalf of the British Kennel Club. The study served to measure people on the big five traits of personality; agreeableness, extroversion, conscientiousness, intelligence and neuroticism (emotional stability). Dogs were grouped according to the Kennel Club norms; gun dogs (like the Labrador or Golden Retriever), hounds (such as the greyhound), pastoral breeds (German shepherds and collies), terriers (for example the Staffordshire bull terrier), toy dogs like Chihuahuas, utility breeds like bull dogs and working breeds like the Doberman.

Even Sherlock Holmes had acknowledged the fact that the manner and personality of a dog are in many ways a product of the owner’s personality. The above mentioned survey serves to prove exactly that. They found the most extroverted people owned pastoral or utility breeds, while those who were most agreeable owned toy dogs or gun dogs. The most emotionally stable people tended to own hounds. The authors found that toy dog owners were also the most imaginative people. Those who scored higher than average on intelligence usually own working dogs.

The research findings also dealt a blow to the existing stereotypes. For instance, they illustrated that owners of toy dog breeds measured high on openness creativity and intelligence instead of being air-brained as is popularly believed. In fact, even Einstein owned a Pomeranian which would be classified as a toy dog. Similarly, terrier-owners turned out to be more agreeable than the rest. Workman concluded that while searching for a pet, people look for something in them that they can relate to, a reflection of their own self, even if they do so subconsciously; much like the search for romantic partners. Pets also seem to reveal certain personality traits in people that are otherwise elusive.

The discussion has so far been restricted to dogs alone but choice of cats or other animals as pets may have just as much to say about one’s personality, right down to one’s favorite Beatle. A university of Texas study found that people with a weakness for felines tend to be more independent, creative, adventurous and somewhat more prone to anxiety. However, there are a few common traits found both in cat and dog people, viz. both kinds of people like to talk to animals, feel close to nature and are generally optimists.

The dog or cat you own says a lot about the kind of person you are. In fact, you choice of pet can even determine your salary or career position! Studies have shown that top level employees like CEOs or senior VPs are likely to be dog owners while those with huge a salary-six figures or more- tend to own snakes or other reptiles. Bird owners seem to be the ones most satisfied with their jobs. Fish owners appear to be the most engaging, optimistic, hopeful and introverted.

The effect that pets have on their owner’s health is an issue that has been much talked about and been the basis of a number of discussions. It has been found that pets, especially dogs, serve to meet an individual’s social needs whether or not human social support is plentiful in his or her life. This is to say, pets complement and not compete with the social support received by an individual. Pet owners in general have better psychological well-being.

Dogs have a profound impact on human health. A research conducted on the same issue by Serpell in 1991 involved two groups of people getting a new pet (either a cat or a dog), the behavior of who was compared to that of a control group who had not acquired any pet, over a ten month period. The control group did not undergo any significant change in their physiological or psychological well-being during this time. However, the pet-owning group, especially the ones who owned dogs, reported lee minor health problems and increased overall well-being. In a similar study conducted on 1000 British dog owners, it was found that 55% of the subjects reported feeling “more relaxed and less stressed” while 44% felt “happier and more optimistic” after spending time with their pet. In fact, studies have even proven that animal assisted therapy is more useful in the prognosis of mental disorders. Researchers compared the results of a self-reported anxiety scale after patients had received animal-assisted therapy and traditional therapy.  The researchers found that animal-assisted therapy reduced anxiety levels for hospitalized patients with various psychological disorders, but traditional therapy only reduced anxiety levels for those hospitalized with mood disorders.

It is the bond you share that matters. It is quite clear that the key to a large part of your happiness lies with your pets and it is your responsibility to look after this source of your well-being as much for your own good as theirs. It may be amusing to read about how pets become a choice that can go so long a way to determine your behavior and personality, but the conclusions given above can be more misleading than accurate despite all the research work. Notwithstanding what your pet says about you, it is the bond that you share with it that matters above everything.

The post Pets and You appeared first on Pet Attack.

Cats and dogs, though adorable in their own unique ways, come with their own baggage and some people often find it difficult to adjust with the tougher side to keeping them as pets. Among other things, these animals need a lot of space and their fur can cause health problems ranging from asthma and allergies to more serious hazards like diphtheria if proper vaccination is not done. There is, of course, no need to lose hope as the world of animals is wide and varied and it takes only a bit of patient research to find the right pet, suited to your every need and convenience. A solution to the no-dog-or-cat problem can come in a number of forms. Birds and fish are the most common departures from the usual fetish for canine and feline companions, though hamsters, rats and ferrets are quite popular as well. I shall restrict myself to my views on birds as pets in this write up, lacking experience, as yet, with most of the other creatures I mentioned.

Birds are a constant source of joy to their owners.

Colorful, intelligent and a constant source of entertainment and relaxation, birds bring joy to their owners in every way they can. Birds do look easier to take care of, inexpensive and space-savvy but in reality, the picture is quite different. The most important thing to be kept in mind while deciding on keeping a pet bird is that a bird is not merely a living ornament for your drawing room needing nothing but the regular supply of food and water. Rather, their needs are just as great as those of larger animals. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from when going for a bird, but it is recommended to first time bird owners to start off with the smaller species like budgerigars, cockatiels or love birds to get a grasp on bird behavior before moving on to the more problematic (while at the same time more interesting) species like cockatoos, macaws and large parrots. Birds are pretty witty but they need to interact with humans a couple of hours regularly to put their brains to the fullest use. This responsibility shouldn’t be looked upon as a mere pastime but considered as a commitment. It should be remembered that it’s unnatural for birds to be caged up, and if left to themselves for long periods of time, they become loud, disturbing and often engage in self-mutilating activities out of negligence and frustration.

Birds should not be caged up all day.

Engaging in conversation or interacting with birds proves rewarding for owners as well as they are quick learners and can be taught phrases and songs and be made to obey voice commands like “go into your cage” or “go to sleep”, with remarkable ease. Birds do create less mess than terrestrial animals but their mess does not necessarily remain confined to their cages either as maybe presumed. Rather, the floor and walls around the cage can be expected to become littered with bits of food and bird droppings. Also, the cage needs to be cleaned regularly failing which it gives out a strong, nasty smell. Owners are also advised against keeping the bird confined to the cage 24 hours a day. People who have the requisite time and enthusiasm only let their pet birds into their cages at night allowing them free reign of the house during the day. While putting food and water into the cage, and also while allowing the bird out of it, it must be ensured that the bird does not escape through an open window or door. Exotic birds are brought into human habitation for the sole purpose of being kept in captivity and taken care of by others. Cruel as it may seem, these birds won’t survive a day in the urban sky. Birds do not need grooming as they can very well take care of their own feathers and coat. But they should be provided with sufficient wooden toys so as to keep their beaks in shape. It is advisable that the owners take the pain to spray clean them or give them a bath in clear, filtered water on a regular basis to keep them healthy and clean. Birds not only make understanding and intelligent companions, they also actually dress up your house with their beautiful plumage of vibrant colors. They are relatively inexpensive to feed and care for and hence are affordable to a larger number of animal lovers.

Birds make intelligent companions.

If well looked after, birds tend to live for a very long time, thereby lowering the risk of the heartbreak one suffers after the demise of a beloved pet dog or cat. In fact, often birds tend to outlive their masters. While small birds are lovable and lively, large parrots hold an altogether different kind of fascination to bird lovers. The idea of having a smart talking bird as a companion might seem to be a very good idea, but these birds are wild, destructive if not properly supervised and require more attention than most people are capable of providing. They require as much space as any large animal and training them is not a piece of cake. Acquiring such birds is also difficult as owning them is illegal in many parts of the world. Often, without understanding what they are signing up for, people acquire such birds, only to give them up to rescue shelters later on. Hence, one should research properly and get their hands on all the information they possibly can before getting such a bird. Contacting parrot rescue shelters should give all the information required and also provide a homeless bird to an interested owner if need be.

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Have you ever looked into the eyes of your dog and had this feeling that he or she is staring right into your soul? That you are but an open book to your pet and that it understands you in a way no one else does-your highs, your lows, your bliss and your blows? Well, it’s not for nothing that a dog is called man’s best friend. Studies have shown, time and again, that dogs empathize with human beings to an extent which is equivalent to the empathetic experiences of a 2-4 year old child.

Research has found that dogs possess social and emotional qualities lacked by even the closest of our ancestors like apes or chimpanzees. Researchers believe this is because dogs have descended from wolves, which are highly social animals that like to function in groups. Domesticated dogs undergo biological changes like tameness which makes them empathize with humans more. Breeds which are trained to do complex tasks such as hunting or herding animals may give them a better understanding of the human psyche. This makes dogs empathetic not only to humans but to other animals as well. Once, I heard my 6 year old English Cocker Spaniel, Tinni, making a huge racket in the middle of the afternoon, running all over the house and barking like a maniac for no apparent reason. A little further investigation revealed that she was doing this in an attempt to bring to our attention the plight of a street dog who had fallen into the high drain behind our house, seemed unable to get out of it and was whining pitifully. Had Tinni not   come to his rescue, he would not have survived. Another time, a 4 month old Labrador pup was brought to our house and Tinni immediately lay down in front of it and offered to suckle it.

Contagious yawning is a phenomenon which occurs only in those species which are capable of empathizing like humans and apes and, even then, within a single like species only. Dogs provide an exception to this rule. Pet dogs respond more to their owners yawns than to that of strangers and what’s more, they can even tell fake yawns apart from real ones and respond accordingly.

Lots of studies have been conducted regarding empathetic behavior in dogs. In one such experiment conducted by the Goldsmith University, UK, concerning 18 dogs, a situation was constructed with the dog’s owner, a stranger and the dog itself. The owner and the stranger were required, alternately, to laugh, hum in an odd way, or cry. The purpose was to see whether dogs sought comfort or, rather, sought to comfort. It was seen that 15 dogs responded to the person in distress, irrespective of whether that person was their owner or the stranger.  This quite unequivocally proves that dogs are more likely to empathize and comfort a person rather than seek comfort for themselves. Gregory S. Berns, director of the Emory Center for Neuropolicy in Atlanta, Georgia, has also found that dogs respond better to human stimuli than to inanimate objects in their surroundings like the ringing of a bell, that is to say, they like interacting with us just as muchwe like interacting with them. Thus, the emotional relationship shared between dogs and human beings is symbiotic in nature.

In fact, the wheel turns the other way too. In a study conducted on 240 subjects, all white men and women between the ages of 18-25, the subjects were asked to read a fictional news story involving several objects being beaten- a child, a 30-something adult, a puppy and a six year old dog. The responses of the subjects showed that they felt as much empathy towards dogs as they did towards children and more than they did towards human adults. Most people justify this feeling by the fact that dogs have no agenda, they care for you, love you and greet you with enthusiasm and affection irrespective of how you treat them. They never backstab you or conspire against you and their love for you extends beyond a plate of food, which is more than what can be said of humans these days.

The web is flooded with instances where a dog has risked its own life to save another one, human or otherwise. A dog in Chile braved a highway full of bustling traffic to drag its injured companion safely out of the harm’s way. Another canine hero in Melbourne risked a burning house to save four helpless kittens from the fire. There are countless examples of dogs risking their lives for their human masters. In a truly heroic feat, Roselle, a yellow Labrador sniffed her master to safety from the 78^th floor of the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001. Honey is an English Cocker Spaniel who had rushed out of an overturned SUV to get help and rescue her owners from within when she was merely 5 months old. Shana is a wolf dog who diligently dug out a tunnel in the snow that was trapping her elderly masters and dragged them back to their houses during a snowstorm. Brutis, a golden retriever and Zoey, a Chihuahua, both sustained snake bites while wrestling poisonous snakes away from young children. And, in probably the most incredible display of a dog’s heroics in a moment of their owner’s crisis, Belle the beagle literally bit 911 into her owner’s phone when the diabetic man had collapsed from a seizure. Apparently, she had been trained to bite down on the dial-pad in case of an emergency!

They say, when all else fails, hug a dog. There is now scientific evidence to prove that the comfort this gives you is not self-imagined but actually reciprocated in a better way than you could have hoped even of any fellow human being.

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It is said that the temperament of pets is in part determined by the way they are treated by their owners. This can be turned around on its head so that we can conclude that the kind of animal kept by a person as a pet can be a commentary on the person’s character. In fact, the most common application of this hypothesis is found when pet lovers form new relationships, and one of the fundamental questions asked on first dates is, “Are you a cat-person or a dog-person?”  The more common characteristics of affection, loyalty and sincerity associated with owning dogs and cats have been discussed several times. However, human attraction towards power and magnificence also manifest themselves in their choice of a pet.

We choose to keep pets from a fundamental need to connect, to love and be loved in turn; to have someone to care for and hence feel needed in the older years of our life. Just like we are offered a number of choices in forming relationships outside our family, we are not denied choices in choosing our right kind of pet. It’s a two-way process between humans and animals, whom to love and whom to love more, to finally determine the kind of pet that would meet one’s needs emotionally and spiritually. While most of us are happy to have dogs, cats, rabbits or guinea pigs as pets, there are some who walk the extra mile and get themselves pets that are, to the common mass, dangerous animals who are best viewed when they are behind the bars.

Big cats like tigers, lions, lynxes, bobcats, etc. exude a general sense of power, royalty and extreme beauty. As cubs, they are just as adorable as puppies or kittens. But unlike them, tigers and lions grow up to be more than 230 kg in weight requiring 7.5 kg of raw meat every day. In most parts of the world, the trading of these animals as pets is an offence punishable by law. Even so, around 12,000 tigers are kept as private pets in the US alone.

Now, keeping exotic pets does seem very flashy when viewed from a distance but the real deal is much more difficult than one can possibly imagine. Exotic animals are habituated to live in the wild, which means they require a large amount of free space to move about. Their natural instincts prompt them to mark their territory by spraying urine and displays of aggression at being mishandled are much more dangerous than those shown by smaller domestic animals. They have a musky smell which is more pronounced when they spray urine to mark their territory. They are predators with sharp claws and teeth, and strength that can easily overpower a human being. Finding a vet to care for these animals is also difficult. Caring for such animals is hard and expensive, and more often than not frustrated owners are found to give them up to zoos and national parks, thereby creating a sense of mistrust in the animals regarding human beings and doing more harm than good.

If treated and cared for properly, on the other hand, these animals grow up to be just as affectionate and loving as domestic trainable pets. Contrary to popular belief, studies have come up with statistics proving that the danger of injuries from domesticated exotic animals is just as much, if not less than, injury from bites or scratches from dogs and cats. A Brazilian family has a video on YouTube showing off the seven magnificent tigers they keep as pets and making it look like a piece of cake. To them, it is but natural to have a large predator prowling their bedrooms and going swimming with them. They even leave it to the tigers to give their kids piggy-back rides. There are even instances where tigers and lions have gone to extraordinary lengths to care for and rescue their owners from danger.

The fundamental thing is, therefore, striking the chord of mutual love and trust between the owner and the pet. Size doesn’t matter if the considerations of spirituality and emotions are taken care of. Understanding your pet, whether it is a cute poodle or a majestic Bengal Tiger is the first step in forming healthy relationships between yourself and the animal. Although large predators can kill easily when provoked, if a deep bonding exists between the animal and its owner, the owner rarely gets hurt. Needless to say, it is mostly the responsibility of the owner to form a bond as deep as this with the pet.

As I mentioned earlier, a number of laws exist for preventing illegal trade in such big animals, especially the ones that are endangered. Keeping exotic pets is as conspicuous an activity as any, so interested people will do well to run by these regulations before deciding to keep them as pets. Although the internet has many sites boasting of having the license to trade in these animals, getting your hand on one of these animals is much more than a click away and it is advisable that you contact the local zoo or national park instead. In India, it is illegal to own or keep tigers or lions as pets when they grow up but one can keep cubs as long as they remain harmless and don’t pose a fatal threat to human life.

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Your average English cocker is but as even tempered, amiable, affectionate, loyal and loving as you can ever hope it would be. The ideal cuddle machine, a cocker is most pleased when it is engaged in the act of pleasing you. Never will you get another living thing as devoted to the cause of making you happy as a cocker spaniel, no matter how harshly you treat it, although aggression stemming from such harsh treatment might find a way of showing itself in its manners in other ways. It goes without saying that in a world where the subtler emotions of life are beginning to get lesser and lesser importance by the day, such unconditional love is a thing to be prized by most people.

If you get yourself the pet when it is over one year old, that is, after it has already spent some time with an owner, you need to be careful the first couple of weeks as the dog remains miserable and might show aggression by chewing up everything within reach at having been separated from its previous owner. You need to be patient with it, show it that you will take care of it just well much as its previous owner and thereby gain its trust. This phase of adjustment lasts for only a few weeks if treated properly after which the dog learns to redirect its affections towards you, although its love for its first master never really fades away.

Young cockers are playful, and are wonderful companions for kids in the house. They are trainable, and love to chase balls and sticks around the place and bring them back to you. Toilet training takes some time and some amount of harshness is necessary to make the dog understand the difference between right and wrong. This can be done through the process of classical conditioning, where the dog is rewarded with a treat for doing the right thing and punished for getting it wrong. They easily blend into your family and are affectionate to everyone. However, they reserve their best behavior and harbor the most fondness for the principal care-giver, that is, the person who feeds and grooms it. They like being pampered and you wouldn’t be surprised to wake up in the morning and find your dog sleeping peacefully and snugly beside you on your pillow.

Cockers have a lovely coat of long, shiny fur which needs to be brushed and combed regularly to keep it free from tangles and dirt. As its ears hang down like two ponytails on either side of its head, the inner ear gets very little ventilation and hence, it is necessary to clean it with spirits and ointments(as prescribed by the vet)at least twice a week. Failing this, they incur infections which later may lead to loss of hearing or prove fatal to their health. Cockers are also prone to eye infections and cataract formations. The eyes should be daily cleansed of mucus with a piece of moist cotton wool to prevent this from happening. Cataract operations are risky at older ages and should be undertaken if and only if the vet is a certified expert in this field.

Female dogs require more attention with respect to health, especially during their mating season. During this time, they remain irritable and a bit aggressive. Instead of losing patience and getting angry at the mess they create, it helps to find them a proper mate and keeping the house as clean as possible until the mating season is over. If your cocker gets pregnant, take extra care to keep her out of harm’s way. The gestation period lasts for about two months on an average at the end of which she should be kept under the supervision of an experienced vet. A cocker’s litter comprises 6 puppies on an average. The mother is, not surprisingly, very protective of her children, especially if any of them happens to die during the process of her giving birth. The mother may even try to take her children away and hide them from her owner in trying to protect them from further harm. It is very important to keep the kennel clean and hygienic during this time to prevent the puppies from attracting germs and infections. Also, they should be fed on the mother’s breast milk for at least 2 to 2 and a half months after which they may move on to cereals.

Cockers are native to colder, temperate countries and hence, while bringing them up in tropical regions, it should be kept in mind that they need to release as much heat as possible from their system. Their diet should be light, rich in protein and low on fat as they gain weight easily. Biscuits in the morning and a heavy lunch comprising boiled chicken and rice works fine in the Indian climate. At night it can be given a couple of chapattis for dinner. Care should be taken, however, to prevent it from eating anything harmful, especially chocolates, even if it seems to enjoy them. This sometimes becomes difficult as cockers seem overly enthusiastic in tasting everything their owners eat and proper training needs to be imparted to rid them of this bad habit.

A cocker is a joy to its owner in more than one way, but one cannot expect to reap such joy out of nothing. So, take care, keep loving and being loved!

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