Bad cats - good pictures

•  If a cat does something, we call it instinct; if we do the same thing, for the same reason, we call it intelligence. - Will Cuppy - Funny cat thieves

• There's no need for a piece of sculpture in a home that has a cat. - Wesley Bates

• The trouble with cats is that they've got no tact. - P. G. Wodehouse 

• Cats' hearing apparatus is built to allow the human voice to easily go in one ear and out the other. - Stephen Baker

•  Cats always know whether people like or dislike them. They do not always care enough to do anything about it. - Winifred Carriere

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The discus is a social fish

The discus lives in large groups in their native waters, and has a very advanced social behaviour; they are one of the few real schooling cichlids. Remember to keep this in mind when starting care for discus; always purchase a group of animals. They need the social interaction to develop their character to its best potential.

Currently, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the original colour variants in pet shops, only the Heckel is sometimes imported. Most of the discus fish you encounter today are captive bred colour variants. At this time the list of described colour variants is nearly endless. Some of the discus colour variants have lost their stripes and therefore their natural ability to communicate in the school. But as always these new variants are finding their way to the aquarium hobbyist quickly for exceptionally high prices and this will stimulate the breeders to try to find a new one. One of the advantages of the captive bred discus is that they are now much easier, not easy, to maintain as the imported ones. They are much more tolerant concerning water conditions.

It is getting increasingly easier to keep discus with new technology to improve water quality and health of discus fish which could be the cause of the rise in demand. New dealers and breeders are growing rapidly and even small aquatic shops are stocking a range of Discus.

They are beautiful but yet still remain a challenge to keep and breed with the later been very rewarding and will even pay for the hobby. Most people that keep Discus will at some stage want to breed them as it is a great experience.

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Pets have wide range of healthy benefits

There are several benefits associated with the keeping of pets. Studies conducted by psychologists from Miami and Saint Louis universities have shown that pets have wide range of healthy benefits to most ordinary people. Studies have shown that people who own pets were better adapted to changes in the social and economic spheres than those who without pets. It was also derived that pet owners were far ahead in inter-relationship than those without pets. On the same vein, they were better placed to handle loneliness and other human relation deficiencies. Thus they could cope well and maintain self image amidst tensions. Contrary to previous assumptions, it was proved that pet owners had better interrelationship among their brethren than what was initially believed. It was established that, among those who were HIV- positive, those with pets faired better compared with those who didn't had.
Depending on a research conducted from people of different financial status, it was proved that those who owned pets faired better than those without regardless of the prevailing circumstances. Through this research, it was proved that in the midst of social and economic upheavals, those with pets were better adapted to withstand changes than those without. Pet owners were found to be more interacting and understanding than those who were highly educated and with higher annual turnovers. The study proved that whereas majority assumed that pet owners were preoccupied with pets at the expense of the human relationships, the reverse is the truth. Pet owners had better interacting skills than those without making one to feel better when in their company.
Those who owned pets faired better than those who didn't in a wide range of circumstances. Regardless of the social and economic differences, those who own pets are better and well adapted than those without. In fact pet owners seem to have an upper hand when it comes to matters of social and economic changes. Living with pets, helps one to develop better communication skills which brings understanding and quality relationships. It is now quite clear that, every one should have a pet for the purpose of improving his interrelation skills among other benefits. With that said and done the overall benefits of having a nice pet will not only ensure that you gain self esteem but will most likely contribute to your well being in the long run.
Whereas the issue of owning pets was viewed from an external point of view, it has now been proved that pets play an important role for human health as well as his general welfare. The next time you feel discouraged and out of place it might be because you have poor inter -human relationships which isolate you. The best way out would be for you to consider looking for a pet. This will not only provide for you a close companion, but will teach you some important lessons which will enhance your way of dealing with others. The overall benefits of such a venture will attract friends to you to ensure that you no longer feel lonely or isolated.

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Discus fish : Water

Water Preparation
If after testing your water you are happy that it fits the water chemistry required to keep Discus Fish you can do a couple of things. You can simply add a treatment like Tetra Aqua Safe which will take out chlorine, chloride and some metals. You can also use a heavy metal filter which will take out all heavy metals and make the water perfect. Or you can mix the two like I do to save on time and money If your water doesn’t match and you have poor water to start with, you will need to filter it through a Reverse Osmosis unit. These can cost a packet, but are worth it if you need them. This filtration process will remove a very high percentage of heavy metals, chlorine, pesticides, silica, nitrates and most of the Total Dissolved Solids, it will also lower the pH of freshwater. The product water, as with distilled water, on its own is unsuitable for Discus. The reason for this is that there are no salts in this water which would buffer any drops or peaks in pH. What you do is add to it a supplement containing electrolytes and salts, or some de-chlorinated tap water. Better still mix RO water with a percentage of water prepared with a HMA filter. The exact percentages to mix really are determined by your geographical location, but as a rule 75% RO to 25% tap is usually about right.

If you wish to breed Discus Aquarium Fish and to care for the fry you need a supply of very soft water, in order to keep the water very soft, i.e. less than 50 ppm; you use less tap water in the mix. But a word of warning, soft water is very unstable and must be changed daily to avoid pH crash.

Water changes
It is very important to change the water in your Discus tank on a regular basis, in a display tank I recommend around once or twice a week and with the later for breeding tanks and anything up to once a day for growing on tanks. I like to change in between 20-40% of the water in the tank but in the fish farms in the Far East they change 100% of the water once a day in the growing on tanks with great results. The reason for this is that discus like other fish, secrete a hormone into the water that inhibits their growth. This allows the fish to stay appropriately sized for the volume of water it is contained in. It is for this reason that wild specimens and those subjected to abundant water changes grow to such large sizes. When changing the water clean the bottom of the tank and suck up all of the debris on the tank floor but try and disturb the Discus Fish as least as possible. Once they feel more secure, you can clean aggressively, but do not cause them stress by being noisy about it, just remember that sounds are amplified in water as it is a much better conductor of sound and shock.

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Discus Fish Photo Gallery

 

 Daddy defending his young

Mommy with young

 Baby Discus after being fed brine shrimp

 Powder Blues

 New Strain - Red Centurion (based on pattern on gill plates)

 Pigeon Blood - Reds

 Pigeon Blood - Reds

 Discus in pairing out tanks - Turquoise Greens

Discus in pairing out tanks - Turquoise Greens

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Sinking Fish Food for Discus

 There are different types of discus fish foods, which mainly contains three categories: frozen food ,dry food and live discus food. These can be further classified as slow sinking food ,sinking food and floating fish food. Since discus, fish are mostly mid water feeders slow sinking fish food for discus is most preferred.

Different types of sinking fish food for discus are:

Pellets: Small and mostly round shaped, pellets are both sinking and floating. Giving dry pellets to fish can cause them to bloat therefore soak them in water for a little while before feeding.
Granules: These are smaller forms of pellets are can be fed in the same way you feed the pellets. Flakes: Flakes come under the category of top floating food but if you pinch them a big before feeding they sink down.
Wafers and tablets: These are one of the most popular forms of sinking fish food for discus. They have a very well balanced ingredient content. Although they sink rapidly but since they are small enough to be eaten in one bite the fish eat them up quickly. Also they don't cloud the water.

 Gels: These are pre-processed slow sinking food for fish. These than be thawed, then mixed with homemade food or other frozen food and then frozen again to feed the fish. They can be used to give your fish a varied diet.  
Slow sinking discus fish food is preferred because then the fish can reach it easily. If the fish sinks too fast then they will not be able to reach it and it will rot in the bottom and can harm the fish.

 Discus fish follow a routine and therefore you have to keep in mind to feed them at fixed times every day.

Also, since discus fish like to follow a routine therefore feed them at regular intervals and give small feedings at a time.

They like to eat frequently and hence if you give them feed only once or twice a day.

Any variation from the routine will make them confused and disrupt their system.

Harry Koots is an experienced Aquarius and he has been teaching people on how to successfully breed Discus.

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Information about better air quality for pet allergies

Pets, particularly cats and dogs, produce many allergens which for most people have little no effect on their health. But for some, it can be very distressing and can cause severe respiratory problems, skin rashes and other medical conditions.

Interestingly a recent survey has found that despite being allergic to pets, one-third of people that suffer from pet allergies actually have at least one pet in their home. Even when advised by a medical practitioner to avoid contact with pets, only one out of five people gave up keeping a pet. The survey also found that over one third of the people surveyed admitted to getting another pet after one had died, even though they knew they were allergic to them.

People often refer to the cause of a pet allergy as being from the animal's hair. It has been proven that it doesn't matter what type of hair a dog or a cat has the animal still produces allergens. It is fair to say that allergens are sometimes on the hair of the animal and therefore if the hair drops from the animal it can float around a bit.

A pet produces allergens from glands on its skin. They dry on the animal's hair and become airborne and a person then breathes them in. Allergens are also produced in an animal's mouth and are therefore present in the saliva. If the animal licks its fur, then they get transferred and dry on the hair and become airborne and, if an animal licks a person, the allergens stay on the skin and dry and gain become airborne.

If you or a family member suffers from pet allergens, but it is not particularly severe, then there are a few things you can do to reduce the airborne allergens entering a person's respiratory system. Remember, the allergens from pets are mainly airborne so you need to clean the air in your home.

Air purifiers are very helpful, but they need to be placed in rooms where the pet is generally and if the pet is allowed into several rooms then you will need several air purifiers. However, you need to get purifiers that have high efficient particulate air (HEPA) filters. These filters can remove 99.7 percent of airborne particles, therefore reducing the number of allergens floating in the air.

Filters must be regularly cleaned or replaced to ensure they remain effective. It is also recommended that, despite using electrical energy, air purifiers should be left to run continuously.

Vacuum regularly to get rid of animal hairs and again ensure your vacuum has a HEPA filter, otherwise the vacuum will suck up the allergens that have got into the carpet and blow them out into the air making the matter worse.

Check out http://www.rabbitair.com/air-purifiers-for-allergies.aspx for more information about better air quality for pet allergies in your home. Visit RabbitAir online. Rabbit Air is a manufacturer of air purifiers. Their philosophy is to create the best purifiers available that also have a great design aesthetic.

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How to take care of your pet

take care of your pet

Hygiene

this is one of the hardest parts in taking care of your pet, hygiene is very important and one must not neglect it. Dogs need washing regularly; you can use plain soap or use specialized shampoos for animals. Pet supplies such as shampoos, hair brush, conditioners and such can be easily bought in special pet stores and suppliers.

Regular exercise

One must need to regularly walk your pets, especially dogs, which are inherently very active animals. Never cage them up indefinitely, which will be cruelty to animals, give them time to exercise, a regular jog or a leisurely walk can really ensure the healthiness of not only your new additions to the home, but yourself also. Pet supplies for walking your pet like leads and chains which are durable and strong enough to restrain even the largest animal from running wildly everywhere can be bought in pet stores.

Adequate food

This is their most important need, adequate food for their sustenance. Remember that animals also need rich supply of healthy foods in order to maintain a healthy life. You can get pet supplies especially healthy selection of food in the nearest store. One must provide adequate food and not overfeed or underfeed. Many pet owners save money for their food by feeding them leftovers but this will not give them their nutritional needs, if you really want them to be good looking and healthy, give them nutritious food.

These are some of the most important points that one must consider in taking care of your pets. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jade_Jennison

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Discus Fish Breeding

To breed the Discus Fish, a bare bottom tall 20 or 27 gallon tank is best. A vertical surface for them to deposit their eggs on is best because discus lay their eggs just like angels. If so desired, a potted plant or two can be added to the breeding tank. This will provide shelter for the pair, but this isn’t critical. An outside power filter should be used to pick up an debris in conjunction with a sponge filter for the biological waste.
Discus come from the warm, soft, acidic waters of the Amazon River so naturally they’ll thrive if these conditions are replicated in home aquariums. The ideal conditions for breeding of discus are: the pH at 6.5 and the temperature at 86 F. if alterations need to be made to the water chemistry it should be done prior to the water being added to the tank.  Water changes should be done weekly for general maintenance, however a small water change should be done every day, or, at least, every second day. Frequent water changes increase appetite and promote mating activity in discus. This is why discus will often spawn shortly after a water change.
Good water quality must be maintained if the discus are to have large appetites.  Spawning discus should be fed frozen blood worms, frozen or live brine shrimp, Tetra Color Bits, live white worms or beef hearts.  Care must be taken with beef heart to make sure nothing is left over because it will quickly foul the water. Never feed tubifex or black worms to discus at any time, as they will introduce parasites into the tank.
A breeding pair will lay eggs as often as every week and as many as fifteen times. They will usually go through two spawning cycles a year. The eggs are free-swimming and take about 48 hours to hatch. Upon becoming free-swimming the fry will move to their parents’ sides, and start feeding off the mucous secretion that are produced by the parents during this time. The fry will feed off their parents’ sides for as long as you leave them together, but newly hatched brine shrimp should be offered after being free-swimming for five days.
Remove fry between two and three weeks after reaching the free-swimming stage. If left in with parents the fry will start ripping off scales and bits of flesh from the parents. The parents will spawn shortly after fry are removed. Put the fry in a tank of their own and feed them six or more times a day. Newly hatched brine shrimp and chopped blood worms are the best food. The first few weeks there will be noticeable daily growth. Be sure to do a partial water change every night after the last feeding in the fry tank.
For more information click here for Discus Fish Secrets

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Pet GPS Systems

Pet GPS Systems

Pet GPS systems can be useful for pet owners who usually let their own cat or dog to run free at home. Compared with a conventional ID tag, a dog GPS system consists of a tag that can be monitored via a GPS satellite. If your pet happens to try to escape, all you need to do is actually enter the particular tag data right into a web site, and the precise locale of your dog or cat will appear onscreen. Using an internet map internet site or an auto GPS system, you can use this info to find your pet. In terms of family pet location choices, pet GPS systems are the method of the longer term.

Like a collar, dog GPS systems can be put on around the neck. Your dog GPS collar has a integrated chip, with a receiver that you simply maintain at your house or another risk-free place. If your current puppy goes missing, you just turn on the house receiver and observe the motions of the pet. You may get inside your car with the receiver to find the exact location of your pet if you wish. In this way, you can be sure your dog is rarely too much out of view.

Pet tracking systems are light as well, in order to place less of a burden about your pet's throat. Cats, for example, have tiny, tender necks, and as such can not bear the weight of a large pet GPS collar. Pets over ten pounds will make use of a light-weight monitoring system.

You may also set up a security zone about your property having a pet tracking system. When your family pet excursions outside the house, you'll receive an alert via textual content, e-mail, call, or whatever else you choose to setup. You can always make certain that the system is fully charged and able to manage whatever problems come its way through setting up the system to transmit you alerts if the electric battery is running minimal. A single downside of the alert system, nevertheless, may be the fee that some businesses demand to utilize the device. The charge usually amounts from $7.00 - $10.00 per month, and a small fee about $1.00 for each additional pet that you opt to include. Prior to settling on a final location system, ensure you look around.

Pet tracking systems are best for dog owners that do not possess a great deal of land for his or her pets to run about in outside the house. Condominium owners with animals will find pet location systems to be really useful, especially in huge cities where there are lots of dangers which pets can easily come across. A pet GPS system may not be for you if you are living on a farm or other rural area in which your dog can simply wander away. In such locations, it is also nice to let your puppy run free.

Are you considering understanding much more about pet GPS systems for your pet? You ought to certainly look into our site for additional info on Tagg Pet Tracker.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6983000

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