| Getting Your Tropical Fish Home |
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Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Your fish should have been packed in a plastic bag with oxygen and then put into a dark bag or polystyrene box to keep the heat in. You should try and buy fish no longer than a couple of hours away. Fish can last over 24 hours if packed right but the longer you keep them in transit the more stress they go through. You should try and keep stress to a minimum to make sure the fish remain healthy. Once you get them home you should float the bags in the water and then open the bags up. This will help equalize the temperature between the water in the tank and the water in the bag. You should also keep adding little bits of tank water to the bag. Add just a little and then leave for five minutes before adding more. This will help acclimatize the fish to the water chemistry of the tank and even the ph and water hardness out. After doing this for about 20 to 30 minutes you should then gently release the fish to the tank and let them swim out of the bag on there own. Then you should leave them with the aquarium light on overnight. This will reduce stress because the fish can see where they are swimming and there surroundings and they will also see that there are no predators around. You should not feed them for around 24 hours to let them settle in and then over the next few days only feed sparingly. It will take them a couple of days to get used to the tank and feeding. It is a good technique to add the smallest and weakest fish to the tank first. This will prevent bullying in the aquarium between the fish. Please follow these keeps to keep the stress of your new tropical fish to a minimum. This will help the fish settle in faster and in the end cause you less stress. Rob owns a few blogs on aquarium fish and tropical fish and freshwater fish The Perfect Pet For You Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. ~George Eliot There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Bern Williams Is it that time? Your child has started begging for a pet? Or maybe you want a pet and you're just not sure which one to choose? Well.. before you just rush in and get a pet, you should make sure you're getting the one that suits you and your family. There are lots of options to consider. At many pets stores you can choose from pythons, rabbits, dogs, cats, fish, iguanas, or parrots. Each pet has different characteristics that could either make you love them or just get ridiculously annoyed. Some pets take a lot more work than others and some provide different forms of companionship. You wouldn't probably cuddle a snake, but many people still enjoy having them as pets. Make sure the pet fits into your lifestyle. Also, make sure if it's your child that's asking for a pet that it's not a passing fad. They may say they will take care of it and do all the work and really mean it! But if it's just a fad, you may find yourself with an extra chore and your child could be bored of it quickly. Do you want a dog or cat? Well.. your choice doesn't end there. If a dog, do you care about barking? Different breeds bark more than others. Size matters too. If you want a cuddly dog, don't get a Doberman. But if you want a smart guard tog, he may be the perfect choice. I've got a Poozer personally, which is a cross between a Schnauzer and Poodle, and she is smart, cuddly, small dog who doesn't shed or really cause allergies. But there are so many choices out there you want to make sure you pick the one that suits you the best. For cats different breeds can have different personalities. Do you want someone to play with frequently or more of the independent type. The choice is yours. If you do go with a dog or cat, you MUST think about allergies. They are so prevalent today that it's possible that you or someone in your family has them and doesn't even know it. If you have friends that come over regularly, you might want to make sure with them that they are not allergic to your future pet. There are so many types of allergies and allergies to pets is very common. Do you have to get rid of your pet if you find out you or someone else is allergic to it? Well.. you may have some options. 33% of the people that discover they are allergic to their pet choose to keep their pet anyway. Some who are allergic to their pets still choose to keep them. However, this can come at a cost. First, if your allergies are really severe, you may actually have to get rid of your pet. If they are moderate to low, you could possibly still keep your pet if you make a few changes to your lifestyle. There are many microscopic skin particles that fall off dogs, cats, rabits, hamsters, and other animals. These particles, known as dander, can spread throughout your home quickly and are the main source of allergies. Make sure you clean everything very thoroughly and often to reduce the amount of unseen dander in your home. Also, don't sleep with your pet. The whole time you're sleeping you could be breathing in that dander and making your allergies worse. Don't even allow pets in your bedroom at all to make it a good place to sleep. You should still wash your blankets, sheets, and pillow cases frequently because dander will still find a way into your bedroom. Remember, you spend 1/3 of your entire day sleeping so that room is important. Whatever your choice for a pet, make sure it fits into your lifestyle. You will find it hard to keep your pet and love it if you have to change too much for it. No matter what though, your pet will be with you through thick and thin and be a constant companion when others may leave. They can also provide hours of enjoyment. Love your pet and your pet will love you! It is an important and popular fact that things are not always what they seem. For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons. ~Douglas Adams, The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy Jake Randal also maintains comfy-bargains for great deals on pajamas, boxers, and more. kids-bargains has the best selection of children's toys, comics, and heros anywhere. Cat Litter Box Health Considerations Cats are the most popular pets in the United States. According to the latest version of the U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook (2002 Edition) there were almost 70 Million pet cats in the United States. Why are cats so popular? There are as many answers to this question as there are cat owners, but the low health risks cats pose to their owners is certainly near the top of this list. Even though the potential health risks cats pose to people are small, it is important that cat owners are aware of these risks and understand how to reduce them. The majority of all risks stemming from cat ownership are associated with the cat litter box and/or cat feces. There are two categories of risks. The first category contains health risks posed by bacteria and parasites to both cat owners and their cats. The second category contains injuries resulting from an automatic litter box or self cleaning litter box. Primarily the health problems experienced by cat owners or their cats come from the first category and the most significant of these risks is called Toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a tiny parasite called Toxoplasma gondii which can be found in raw or undercooked meat, unwashed fruits and vegetables, dirty cat litter boxes and outdoor soil where cat feces can be found. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 60 million people in the United States may be infected with the Toxoplasma parasite(1). Fortunately, very few people ever experience any symptoms because a healthy person's immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. However, pregnant women and individuals who have compromised immune systems, such as individuals infected with the HIV virus, are at risk and should take precautions to avoid being infected by the parasite. For people in this group a Toxoplasma infection could cause serious health problems to the individual or to a pregnant woman's unborn child. Again, most of the 60 million plus American's infected with Toxoplasmosis parasite will never experience any symptoms. Most of those who do experience symptoms will simply think they have the Flu as the most common symptoms include swollen glands, fever, headache, muscle pain, or a stiff neck. For those in the high risk group, Toxoplasmosis can cause damage to the brain, eyes and internal organs. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, children born with Toxoplasma gondii can suffer from hearing loss, mental retardation, and blindness with some children developing brain or eye problems years after birth(2). The CDC estimates that 400-4000 fetuses are infected with the Toxoplasma gondii parasite each year and as many as 80 infants die from Toxoplasmosis annually(2). So how does an individual contract Toxoplasmosis? A Toxoplasmosis infection is caused by ingesting the Toxoplasma gondi parasite. Most cat owners are infected with the parasite by accidentally ingesting infected cat feces. This happens when a person touches their mouth after handling a cat litter box, working in a garden or sand box or touching anything that has come in contact with cat feces(3). People in the high risk group may wonder whether or not they should give up their cat to avoid infection. According to the CDC, it is not necessary for cat lovers to give up their cats, but it is important for them to protect themselves from infections. The USFDA makes the following recommendations for avoiding infections(2): 1) If possible, have someone else change the litter box. If you have to clean it, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water afterwards. 2) Change the litter box daily. The parasite doesn't become infectious until one to five days after the feces are deposited in the litter box. 3) Wear gloves when gardening in a garden or handling sand from a sandbox because cats may have excreted feces in them. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water afterwards. 4) Cover outdoor sandboxes to prevent cats from using them as litter boxes. 5) Feed your cat commercial dry or canned food. Never feed your cat raw meat because it can be a source of the Toxoplasmosis gondii parasite. 6) Keep indoor cats indoors. Be especially cautious if you bring outdoor cats indoors. 7) Avoid stray cats, especially kittens. 8) Don't get a new cat while you're pregnant. Safer Child, Inc. makes the following additional recommendations(4): 1) Have your veterinarian test your cat for the Toxoplasmosis parasite. If you cat is infected, you may want to consider having someone else keep your cat during your pregnancy. 2) Keep sandboxes covered to prevent cats from using the sandbox as a litter box. 3) Be aware of neighborhood sandboxes as the parasite can be brought home on shoes, clothing and toys. Similar to Toxoplasmosis, Escherichia coli (commonly called E. coli) can infect humans thru contact with feline fecal material, although the primary means of infection is thru ingestion or raw or undercooked meats. E. Coli is a bacterium commonly found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. Almost all strains of the bacteria are harmless. However a few strains can produce powerful toxins and cause severe illness, especially in children under 5 years of age(5). Symptoms usually include diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In children under 5, 2%-7% of E. coli cases can cause kidney failure. Fortunately, E. coli is easy to prevent. Using the preventative measures, outlined above for Toxoplasmosis will greatly reduce the risks of you or your children contracting an E. coli infection. In addition to these human risks, there are a few health risks cat litter boxes actually pose to cats that cat owners should be aware of. Just as a dirty litter box poses health risks to humans, cats are equally at risk if forced to use a dirty litter box. Since cats stay clean by licking themselves, allowing a cat's litter box to get too dirty can cause infections when a cat cleans it's paws after using the dirty litter box. The most common infection is a urinary tract infection, and although this type of infection is rarely fatal it can be very uncomfortable for your cat and will most likely require treatment by your veterinarian. Finally, a lesser-known health risk to cats is actually caused by cat litter itself. What many cat owners do not realize is that some types of cat litter can be harmful or even fatal to their cat. Both clumping and non-clumping litters pose health problems to cats. Clumping cat litters are probably the most popular type of cat litter because of their convenience, hygienic qualities and the fact that clumping litters are required for use in self-cleaning litter boxes. Unfortunately, some clumping litters can be harmful to cats. Clay based clumping litters can contain the mineral sodium bentonite, which can be harmful or fatal to your cat. It is best to avoid using clay based cat litters, especially with kittens. Wheat or corn based clumping litters such as Swheat Scoop, World's Best Cat Litter and Littermaid cat litter work very well and are non-toxic(6). By their very nature, non-clumping litters do not absorb and isolate a cat's urine or feces like clumping litters do. As a result, it is much harder to keep your cat's litter box clean when using non-clumping litter. When using non-clumping litter it is important to frequently clean and disinfect the litter box itself to reduce the chance of bacterial buildups that can cause urinary or other infections in your cat. The second category of health risks covers injuries caused by an automatic litter box or self cleaning litter box. Occurrences of this type of injury are rare, but they can happen. An automatic or self cleaning litter box does just what it's name implies. Usually between 10-15 minutes after a cat uses the litter box, the litter box automatically cleans itself by "sweeping" or "raking" the cat waste into a sealed compartment or bag. For cat owners, injuries can occur if a small child or toddler plays with the automatic litter box during the cleaning cycle. All major brands of automatic litter boxes contain sensors to prevent the cleaning mechanism from activating when a cat or other foreign object is inside the box. However, children can still be injured if they put their hand inside the cleaning mechanism in such a manner as to avoid the sensors. Although these types of injuries are very rare it is best to take precautions. Placing the litter box in a location where your cat can get to it but small children can't is an easy method. This is good advice for any litter box as this is the best way to keep children from contracting one of the illnesses described earlier in this article. If you can't keep the automatic litter box out of a child's reach then it is best to put the litter box inside a litter box cover. There are many types of covers and all of them will help prevent a child from reaching the litter box and the cleaning mechanism. A final option is to unplug the litter box or put it into a "manual operation" mode. Both of these options will require the cat owner to start the cleaning cycle whenever necessary. Although this reduces some of the convenience of an automatic litter box it certainly removes the danger to children. Automatic or self cleaning litter boxes are completely safe for almost all cats. However, most manufacturers recommend that the litter box be used in "manual operation" mode for cats under 5 lbs. Cats under 5 lbs many not be large enough to activate the sensors and the cleaning mechanism could cause injury. Since most adult cats weigh over 5 lbs, it is only necessary to use the "manual operation" mode until kittens grow to 5 lbs. This article is not intended to dissuade anyone from owning a cat. 70 Million cat owners can't be wrong; cats make great pets! So, if you already own a cat or are thinking of becoming a cat owner it simply makes good sense to be aware of the health risks associated with cat ownership. Understanding the risks can definately increase the enjoyment of cat ownership. (1)Toxoplasmosis Fact Sheet; http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/toxoplasmosis/factsht_toxoplasmosis.htm (2) While You're Pregnant – USFDA http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~pregnant/whiltoxo.html (3) Toxoplasmosis – An important Message for Cat Owners; http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/toxoplasmosis/toxoplasmosis_brochure_8.2004.pdf (4) Safer Child, Inc.; http://www.saferchild.org/pets&.htm (5) Escherichia coli O157:H7 Fact Sheet; http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/escherichiacoli_g.htm (6) Stanford Cat Network's – Guide to Caring for Your Adopted Cat or Kitten; http://www.stanford.edu/group/CATNET/articles/careguide.html#litter Author's Bio: The author is a long time cat lover who currently owns and operates LitterBoxesandMore.com; a business specializing in high quality automatic litter boxes or self cleaning litter boxes. LitterBoxesandMore.com also offers other specialty cat products such as pet strollers and indoor cat fences. Come visit us at http://www.litterboxesandmore.com. |
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