That Pet Blog That Pet Place Pet Blog

Top of the morning to you all.  There be seas of green on the horizon, and what better way to embrace them than to celebrate with some of our favorite Irish breed dogs.  These dogs are beautiful, and all lucky enough to be Irish.

Irish Red Setter

These beautiful dogs are known for their long, silky auburn colored hair.  Irish Setters are known to have an amazing temperment, so they would be perfect in a household with children.  Being an avid hunter, setters need to remain active.  Don’t leave them unattended outside either, because they will find ways to entertain themselves.  They crave human interaction, so if you’re looking for a dog to go on adventures with look no further.

Irish Red and White Setter

The Irish Red and White Setter doesn’t fall far from the red setter, though it is believed that the red and white was the original setter breed from the 17th century.  Sadly, Irish Red and White Setters almost became extinct due to cross breeding.  Luckily enough the breed was saved by the efforts of Reverend Noble Huston.

Irish Wolfhound 

The Irish Wolfhound (or as I like to call it, the Jim Henson dog) is one of the oldest living dog breeds.  Originally referred to as Cú Faoil, wolfhounds were bred as hunting dogs and often given as gifts to nobles and other important people.  Don’t let the size of the wolfhound scare you.  These dogs really are gentle giants.  Though they aren’t considered to be guard dogs, I think the size alone can be rather persuasive.

Irish Terrier

Irish Terrier’s are one of the oldest breed of terriers, and is the fourth most popular breed of terrier in Ireland and England. Irish Terrier’s are extremely active, so they are better suited with a family that loves going for walks, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Irish Terrier’s are great with children, and train extremely well.

Irish Water Spaniel

Thought to be a descendant of Dobhar-chú, the Irish water Spaniel sure has come a long way.  Irish Water Spaniels are perfect dogs for people who may have allergies, due to its dense curly hair, because they shed very little.   Irish Water Spaniels make great family dogs, and can be quite comedic when performing ordinary tasks.

We love dog breeds of all shapes, sizes, and regions!  Thank you for reading, and we hope that you have a safe and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Let’s face it, the majority of us spend our time on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   I personally have the pleasure of using these platforms to help keep people in the loop of all the exciting events, sales, and pets that come to That Fish Place – That Pet Place.  Throughout my day I can’t help by getting a little distracted by some of the awesome pets that everyone has.  Some of these pets have even skyrocketed to social media fame.  In honor of those pets, I would like to share with you my top five favorite pets from social media.

Photo Courtesy of Hamilton the Hipster Cat’s Facebook.

Hamilton the Hipster Cat

Hamilton the Hipster Cat grew a catstache before it was cool.  This adorable little guy was a rescue that currently resides in San Francisco, California.  With over 115,000 followers on Facebook and 340,000 on Instagram, Hamilton is a force to be reckoned with. I just can’t get enough of that cute little catstache.

Photo Courtesy of Boo the Pomeranian’s Facebook.

Boo the Pomeranian 

I didn’t think it was humanly possible to squeal for five minutes straight without collapsing from exhaustion, but that is exactly what I did when I first saw Boo.  One look at Boo, and you can see why he holds the title of “World’s Cutest Dog.”  Boo is by far the cutest little ball of fluff that I have ever seen, and with over a million followers on Facebook and Instagram, I know I am not the only one who feels the way that I do.

Photo Courtesy of Grumpy Cat’s Facebook.

Grumpy Cat
You might be living under a rock if you have yet to experience the majesty of Grumpy Cat, aka Tardar Sauce (yes, that is her real name).   Grumpy cat got her famous face likely due to feline dwarfism. She doesn’t let that stop her, and with over 8 million followers on Facebook, 1 million on Instagram, and 50, 000 on Twitter it definitely shows.

Photo Courtesy of Marnie the Dog’s Facebook.

Marnie the Dog

Marnie is what love at first sight means.  Found on the streets in dire need of some TLC, a wonderful woman came and swept Marnie off of her feet and into all of the affection she could ever need.  Though Marnie walks with her head tilted to the left (a result of Vestibular Syndrome), she is perfectly healthy and full of life! Marnie has even recently starred in some commercials for Fresh Pet. With over 300,000 followers on Facebook, over a million on Instagram, and 100,000 on Twitter, it’s very obvious that Marnie has melted the hearts of many, and is sure to be around for a long time to come.

Photo Courtesy of Lil Bub’s Facebook.

Lil Bub
Last, but certainly not least, my favorite furry kitty of social media fame is none other than Lil Bub.  One look at her, and you just can’t help falling in love.  Lil Bub was born with several genetic mutations, one of which causes her tongue to always stick out. What makes Lil Bub a lil extra special is that her owner, Mike Bridavsky and Bub partnered with  ASPCA, to create the Lil Bub’s Big Fund.  Money raised by merchandise, appearances, and other events are split up by the ASPCA and in turn donated to animal rescues all across the country.  Lil Bub is living proof that special needs animals are equally awesome to any other pet.   You can see more of Lil Bub on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.

Do you think you have the next big social media star?  Feel free to share pictures of your stars on our Facebook page!

Though most people try to avoid encounters with skunks, there are those who actually seek out these black and white mayhem-makers as companion pets, comparing them in personality to cats, dogs, and ferrets. Skunks are rising in popularity due to their intelligence, carefree personalities, and (believe it or not) cleanliness. Pennsylvania and most other states require a permit to keep a captive skunk as a pet. Before deciding to bring a skunk into your family, do your research and be sure you can handle their requirements. Read More »

A Virginia or North American Opossum, Didelphis virginiana, purchased from a fur farm for $5.00, was my first “large” wild animal pet.  I’ve since raised many orphaned youngsters, several of which became tame enough to use in educational programs.  So I’ve always had an affinity for North America’s only marsupial…but my enthusiasm is not shared by many.  I was, therefore, greatly surprised by the recent fame of a cross-eyed Opossum named Heidi, who resides in Germany’s Leipzig Zoo.

The First Opossum “Star”

Heidi’s journey to the zoo is interesting in and of itself – orphaned in North Carolina, she was reared at a nature center and eventually found her way to a zoo in Denmark, and from there to Germany.  But the key to her popularity is the appealing look of a face dominated by “unique eyes”.  Read More »

Researchers at South Carolina’s Wofford College have announced that a Border Collie has been trained to identify over 1,000 objects.  Surprisingly, the clever dog, “Chaser”, can also differentiate between objects and actions involving them – grasping, in essence, the concept of nouns and verbs!

Surpassing Her “Trainers”

Summarized in a recent Behavioral Processes article, the Border Collie experiments are expected to shed light on just what it is that dogs understand when we speak to them.  The researchers (or ethologists, as animal behavior specialists are known) pointed out that they stopped introducing new objects at 1,022 due to time constraints – Chaser seemed willing and able to learn more.  In fact, her ability to remember all the objects seemed to exceed that of her human trainers! Read More »

The African Pygmy Mouse (Mus minutoides) is a charming little rodent suitable for those with some mammal-keeping experience…please see Part 1 of this article for more on its care and natural history.

Substrate

Pygmy Mice burrow in the wild – provide yours with 3-4 inches of pine shavings into which they can dig.  They will construct enclosed nests, often shared by several individuals, of dry grass or pet nesting material.

Self-constructed burrows are preferable to plastic caves or nest boxes.  Pygmy Mice have high metabolisms – condensation from respiration can build up on shelter walls, causing a damp, unhealthy situation (this helps them gather water in the wild – please see Part 1). Read More »

Recently, I was approached by a woman in the mammal room. She asked me if we had “Black Bear” hamsters available for sale.  I explained that some of the hamsters we have in the room were indeed black. The patron insisted that what she was looking for was a special breed of hamster, that were bigger and made better pets. She appeared rather annoyed that I didn’t seem to know what she was talking about.

Knowing this story all too well, and having heard it several times before, I was forced to politely explain that the “black bears” are not a different breed, just a plain old Syrian that happens to be black. She simply fell victim to a clever marketing strategy lots of pet stores use, naming hamsters and other pets in cute,clever ways to make them more appealing to unsuspecting customers.

The woman looked thoroughly surprised.

“You’re kidding! I paid $25 for the last one I had, and the pet store swore it was some kind of new and improved breed!”

The reality is that the five main types of hamsters sold in pet stores are the Cambell’s Dwarves (also known as Siberian or Russian Dwarves), Winter Whites, Chinese, Roborovskis, and Syrians. The most popular and largest pet hamster is the Syrian, but very few pet stores actually label them as such. They can be called anything the pet store wants to call them: Common, Golden, Black Bear, Teddy Bear, Angora, Honey Bear, Panda, European, Sable, or just plain Fancy. No matter what you call them, all these hamsters are all the same species.

Many hamster breeders and pet stores may claim to have developed a breed of hamster that is supposed to be healthier, friendlier, or larger than “regular” hamsters. In actuality, they breed Syrians for color (or even just pick that color out of a litter of several different colors) and give them nicknames that may be more enticing to consumers. Often the new title allows these animals to be advertised at higher prices, too.

In our small animal room, we often get requests for certain “breeds” of hamsters and it often takes some convincing about temperament, size, and rarity of said breed. I explain that we carry a variety of colors and patterns within our hamster selection that could technically be labeled in all sorts of exotic ways, but we choose the more generic term “Fancy” to avoid confusion. It seems to be quite a shock to those who’d been out on a desperate hunt for the one “rare breed” their child just has to have. All along they could have picked a perfectly good solid black hamster under the label of “Fancy” for half the price of what some other pet stores charge. Don’t be fooled, a hamster by any other name can still be just as sweet!

The common Syrian Hamster is the most common pet hamster on the market today, known for coming in many colors and patterns, in both long and short hair types. This hamster prefers living alone and can make a good companion for children and adults as long as it is handled gently and with regularity. An adult hamster will reach about 7 inches long and live anywhere from 2-4 years if given proper care. And of course, all hamsters enjoy a running wheel, chew toys, and plenty of tubing and hide-outs to explore and rest in. Hamsters can be great pets for the right person, no matter what the name.

When thinking of house pets, pigs may not immediately come to mind. Most often we associate pigs with kid’s movies, farms, mud, and…bacon. However a few species of domesticated pig have grown in popularity considerably since the 1980’s, when people began to keep for a new kind of house pet. A pet that would be intelligent, affectionate, easy to train, and above all, clean. The new trend would turn heads…Potbelly Pigs! A few weeks ago I saw one of these little critters first hand, on the end of a harness, proudly strutting down the dog toy aisle with his short tail a-waggin’, and I had to stop and gawk. I will admit pigs have always intimidated me because of their large size and loud vocalizations, but after getting to know a few pigs first hand and doing a little reading, I must admit the thought of having one is pretty appealing. Let me share with you a little about the care of the most popular type of pig, the Pot-belly. Read More »

In 1984 a new breed of cat became recognized into the International Cat Association, and since then it has become one of, if not the most popular cat breed in the United States today. I am of course talking about the sleek and stylish Bengal, which is in my opinion the Maserati of cat breeds. Originally crossed from the wild Asian Leopard cat, this cute, adventurous, and sometimes trouble making feline has worked its way into the hearts and homes of cat enthusiasts everywhere, including mine. Detracting from my usual blogs on small animals, I’d like to share with you a little bit about this cat and why I ended up with one.

The genetic make-up of the original Bengal went further than just an average house cat and a wild animal. They share traits with many other breeds including Egyptian Mau, Burmese, Abyssinian, and the American Shorthair. The producer of the Bengal breed was an American named Jean Sudgen, who crossed a black tom cat with a female Asian Leopard cat in the 1960s. From then on, further crossing experiments eventually gave way to the breed we know and love today. The Bengal combines the beautiful patterns of wild cats with the affectionate, adaptable personality of the domesticated cat, giving cat lovers a little taste of the wild with the convenience of being able to keep their pets just like any other house cat. Read More »

Pygmy Mice, Ground Squirrels, Civets – all sorts of interesting small mammals have found their way into the pet trade and are regularly being bred.  Please see Part I of this article for a look at my favorite, the Flying Squirrel. Today I’d like to introduce several others that I’ve enjoyed keeping and learning about.

Note:Please see Part I of this article for health-related and legal considerations.  Read More »