Monday, March 28, 2011

Tips to keep pets healthy and happy

Khaya is no longer a kitten, he is now 1 year and 3 months old.

I haven't written much on this blog, been busy concentrating on my business but thought I would give you some things I have learnt from my pets.

To keep a budgie happy and healthy - you can tell by the sounds that they make. If it is a whistling singing, chirpy sound, then that is a good sign:

Vary budgie food, I add milletts and budgie treats to her actual bowl of food to give her variety. She has a shell thing to chew on, to keep her beak healthy and it comes with vitamins.

Use the lice spray once a week on her (40 cm away) and on the cage. Their seeds attract lice.

Empty bowl of food everyday, they crack the seeds and leave what looks like a bowl full of food, but it is often just empty shells.

Budgies are desert birds and retain their water, change the bowl every day.

And clean cage once a week, the seed thing again, attracts lice and mice and germs.

Cat: How you can tell whether it is well and happy, no abrasions or wounds on skin, no dirt on skin/fur, they purr when they are comfortable and are not begging for food.

I do the same thing with Khaya, I vary his food. I try out different types of biscuits and wet food. He mainly gets dry biscuits apparently this helps with teeth maintenance.

I change his water once a day and provide him with cat grass. I also try to find food with vegetables, just to keep him healthy.

Clean cat litter once a week. Obviously by this I mean change completely, I clean cat litter all the time, but once a week, like with all my other pets, I clean tank, cage, cat litter etc

Khaya has a flea collar, he gets bathed every few weeks and because he has long hair he gets brushed and I use dry shampoo on him once a week. He doesn't mind.

And I play with him everyday, cats need the attention.

And the 3 fish, I clean out 25% of their tank a week, clean the tank's glass every few days, feed them twice a day, add plants so they can eat and it gives them variety.

I keep them happy by cleaning their tank, keeping the water clear (I use special salt and cleaning agents from Japan for this).

It sounds like a lot of work, but it isn't. They all get fed the same time every morning. Everything gets cleaned and cleared once a week. They all get attention every day of some kind.

I talk to the budgie and let her out when I can - the cat has tried to eat her. And Khaya the cat rules the house and gets away with every thing. The fish are the hardest, I am slowly learning how to keep them healthy and happy without over doing it.

Tell me your tips to have healthy and happy pets?