The Billy Lids

If space in your home is an issue but you still want some animal company, here are three ideas for pets which don’t take up too much room, that you may like to consider.

Chihuahua

The smallest of all dogs rapidly spread around the world in the early 1800s. The breed is unmistakable, weighing less than 2kg, with a large domed head, prominent eyes and large ears. Chihuahuas are often intolerant of strangers but they are bright, alert and intelligent dogs within the family circle who will defend their territory with force beyond their size. Grooming is minimal but they do appreciate warmth in the winter. An ideal house dog for the older person, though most tolerate children quite well.

Hermit crabs

An unusual crab that literally carries its own home wherever it goes - the body is adapted to anchor within a shell. Spare shells are essential when they moult. Management is simple: a glass tank, the base lined with coarse gravel or grit; a bowl with fresh water and a bowl with salt water. Hermit crabs feed on vegetables and fruit with a pellet or flake supplement available at pet stores. It is essential not to overfeed them and to maintain a humid environment needed because crabs breathe through gills. In the wild hermit crabs spend most of their time above the shoreline but wander down to the sea every few days for a bath.

Children’s python

Don’t be put off by the thought of a snake, these are delightful pets. You’ll need to purchase your reptile from a breeder and obtain a licence to keep it. It’s also worth seeking advice from the local herpetological society to set up the vivarium (snake enclosure): A ply structure 1 m long and 50cm wide and tall with a glass front is ideal. Two lights placed at opposite ends of the enclosure are needed to provide infra-red heat at 26-28 degrees Celsius and the correct range of ultraviolet light. This allows the snake to move in and out of the heat. Cover the base with a natural substrate like desert sand or use a recycled paper type cat litter. A shallow water container will help with shedding when your python grows into new skin. Food is important. Use only thawed frozen mice from pet shops with Pet Industry Association of Australia (PIRA) accreditation. Feeding live prey can teach your pet to strike and worse still, pass on internal parasites.

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Socialising your puppy can have a profound effect on their development and their general behaviour. Your puppy should have exposure to many different experiences.

Puppies are naturally very curious and because of their openness to experience new sounds, smells and sights, it is a wonderful time to expose them to things they are likely to encounter during their lifetime.

Your puppy should first be introduced to your family and allowed to become familiar and comfortable within his or her environment. Children must be taught to handle a dog gently. It is important that the puppy is taught that all humans are ahead of him/her in the family hierarchy.

Before you and your puppy venture out into the world, ensure your puppy is fully vaccinated. It can take between 7-10 days after the last puppy vaccination before adequate immunity is reached. Consult your vet health care professional for further information relating to vaccinations.

• Expose your puppy to different environments by taking them out and about in public as often as possible.
• Take your puppy to your local vet for a cuddle and a weigh-in from time to time. The puppy will then associate the trip to the vet with a positive experience.
• Introduce your puppy to lots of different sounds: loud music, vacuum cleaners, garbage trucks, sirens and general household noise. Many dogs have a real fear of fire works, so try to desensitise your puppy to these sounds if you get the opportunity. A recording of various sounds may assist you.
• Enrol your puppy into a reputable puppy pre-school class. Ensure that training is based upon positive reinforcement methods.
• Allow your puppy to play and socialise with other fully vaccinated dogs. Ensure they are closely supervised. Many puppies try to establish a hierarchical order, so if you feel things are getting out of hand then it’s time to intervene.
• Run your hands over the puppy’s body, and apply pressure to the limbs.

Many dogs are protective of their feet. This can be useful if your vet needs to clip the claws or inspect the foot for any reason. Lift his tail and get him/her used to having the tail touched should he/she needs his/her temperature taken. Apply pressure to your dogs’ ears, so they may be checked and cleaned. Allow your dog to become familiar with having his/her eyes looked at and opening his/her mouth. Be patient and gentle and reward your puppy with positive reinforcement.

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Kittens are the most wonderful, tiny creatures on earth, but they come complete with insatiable curiosity, which can be their downfall unless you stay one step ahead. They are naturally clean animals so toilet training for kittens is usually a simple procedure. Plus, there are ways to save your well loved furniture from those pesky little claws.

Start toilet training your kitten from about eight weeks of age. Begin with a small litter tray which they can scramble into with ease when you coax them towards it. Make sure they have room to dig. Be prepared for accidents, kittens may not always make it to the litter box on time. Try having several litter boxes around for your kitten to encourage good toileting habits.

It doesn’t take long to house train a cat. At your local pet store, you’ll find a huge array of boxes, trays and varieties of litter.

• Crystals
• Paper
• Clay (attapulgite)
• Clumping clay

Scratching is a natural part of being a cat. So, when your cat runs her claws down the new lounge, she’s not being destructive out of spite, she’s just being a cat.

A scratching post is a must. If she’s scratching the furniture, it’s not a bad idea to temporarily cover or remove the object of abuse. Part of the reason for scratching is to leave her scent by the way of the glands in her paws. So, if possible clean the original target and spray catnip on the scratching post.

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Although the wide range of pet mice available these days may appear to be completely different from your average brown house mouse, they are very much the same. The main differences are in coat colour and appearance.

It is believed mice have been domesticated for thousands of years, with interest in breeding and fancy mice starting in China around 300 A.D. During the 1700s, the Japanese worked extensively on breeding new colours, and visiting Europeans took these mice back home. Today, there are clubs around the world that hold shows for mice enthusiasts. Just like dogs, cats and other animals, mice are exhibited and judged on their appearance. Today pet and fancy mice are as popular as ever.

Mice are often very quiet and easy to handle. They are easy to pick up by the base of their tail or the scruff of their neck. Even very young mice can be moved for cage cleaning, as long as they are replaced as soon as possible and the parents are tame. Mice do bite so care must be taken not to annoy them.

Mice are easy to look after and should be kept in same sex pairs or groups to avoid unwanted offspring. They are able to breed from 6 weeks of age with a gestation period of 3 weeks. Their colour is visible at approximately three days; their eyes open at approximately 10 days and their ears enlarge at approximately 18 days.They generally live for 1 to 2 years and are fully grown at around 3 months.

Where Will They Live?

A simple wire cage with a plastic floor or a glass tank with a wire lid will make an ideal home for your pet mice. Avoid wooden cages. Minimum cage size for a pair of mice is 45cm x 30cm with at least 25cm depth, giving them plenty of room to stand upright. Remember, mice can squeeze through very tiny gaps, so make sure there are no spaces wider than your little finger otherwise your mice could escape.

Your mouse cage should be kept out of direct sunlight and away from draughts.

Shredded paper nesting material should be provided, along with dust-extracted wood shavings. Always provide a nest box filled with shredded tissue paper. The cage should be cleaned once a week - a small litter tray can be provided to encourage a hygienic environment, and always replace a little of the old bedding and nesting material for familiarity.

What Will They Eat?

A good quality commercial rodent mix makes an ideal core diet for your pet, but care should be taken not to overfeed as Mice can easily get fat. This can be supplemented with small pieces of fresh fruit and vegetables. Mice love sunflower seeds occasionally and also enjoy tiny amounts of carrot, apple, and broccoli. Contrary to myth, they don’t need dairy products like cheese! Clean fresh drinking water should always be available from a gravity bottle.

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First, collect some frogspawn in a jar. It can usually be found at the edge of a pond in early summer. Keep the frogspawn in the pond water.

Tadpoles need to take oxygen from the water so it is better to put them into a container which has a wide top when you get home. Scoop up plenty of pond weed to put in the container as well, and put in one or two large stones. Later on, as they begin to turn into frogs, the tadpoles will need to climb out of the water to breathe.

Watch the tadpoles as they hatch from the frogspawn. At first, they eat the jelly surrounding their eggs, then tiny animals in the pond water. Keep them supplied with plenty of fresh pond weed and pond water.

As their legs appear, feed them with little pieces of raw meat, but don't leave uneaten bits to rot in the water.

Once their front legs begin to grow and their tails start to shrink it's time to return them to the pond where they will gradually spend more time out of the water, as they develop into adult frogs.

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Collect one or two worms from a garden or field. If you water a little patch of grassy ground this will often bring worms to the surface.

Fill a large jam jar to 2.5 cm (1 inch) from the top with alternate layers of damp sand and soil. Place a few leaves on top and cover the sides of the jar with brown paper so that the worms will burrow near the sides of the glass without being put off by the light.

Put the worms on the top of the leaves and then leave them. After a day or two, remove the brown paper and have a peek at the patterns made by the burrowing worms.

Place a worm carefully on a piece of paper and watch it stretching and contracting its body to move itself along.

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Spiders can be caught in bushes or in the house. Collect them up in a cardboard box so they are not harmed.

You can only keep a spider for a few days so it will not need feeding, but if you can trap a small fly it will provide the spider with a tasty meal.

Carefully place the spider in a jar that will give it plenty of room, with a lottle pot inside it containing wet cotton wool. Keep the cotton wool moist.

Give the spider a small stick with several branches and perhaps it will weave a web for you.

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