How to Take Care of Fish - 3 Great Beginner Tips

Nobody knows how to take care of fish automatically but with a few tips and pieces of advice, you'll soon see that it is not difficult at all. In this article, I'll tell you how to make sure you have happy, well behaved fish that live for a long time.

Tip 1 - Mixing Fish

Every species of fish is different. Some prefer to live on their own. Others are more social. Some will fight if put together - this is quite common for males but can even occur between two females.

Fish sharing an aquarium should generally be of a similar size. If you place one fish with another that is much smaller then it stands a good chance of losing a few fins and may even be eaten, even if you are feeding your fish well!

Often, it is a good idea to mix regular tropical fish with bottom feeders like catfish. As they do not compete for food (tropical fish tend to aim for the surface of the watter) then these species are usually highly compatible tank mates.

Tip 2 - Environment

Fish don't like to be stressed. Some species are totally unsuitable if you have children, for example, as the stress can kill them.

Fish should generally be kept away from large groups of people, loud music and direct sunlight.

You should also find out what kind of water your fish like. Many people overlook the temperature of the water and also its acidity.

If you don't regulate both of these carefully then your fish may get stressed, live a short life and fail to breed.

Tip 3 - Cleaning

Cleaning is a necessary part of keeping fish. Again, how often you clean depends on the species of fish you are keeping. Regardless, the good news is that you don't have to move your fish out of the tank to perform cleaning.

Obviously, when the water looks murky then the water needs changing. However, some species demand more water changing than others. For example, many cichlid experts will perform a water change on a daily basis.

There is a lot of bad advice out there that recommends changing the water once per week. For most species, this is not enough. You should be looking at doing water changes between three and six times per week.

Bengal Kittens

The Bengal is a hybrid, resulting from the crossing of a domestic cat with an Asian leopard cat. The name Bengal doesn't apply to the cat until the fourth generation, when they are considered to be the most stable and domesticated. Most pet Bengals are wild only in looks, not in personality. This breed is muscular, energetic, active, alert and intelligent. They get along wonderfully with other family pets.

Today Bengals are about the size of a large domestic cat. Female Bengals average from 7 to 11 pounds at maturity, while the more heavily muscled males can average from 11 to 18 pounds at maturity. They are known for their beautifully spotted or marbled coats with high contrast between the pattern and background colors. Bengals come in two coat patterns, spotted and marbled. The spotted should be formed in a random and horizontal pattern rather than vertical. Rosettes are preferred over plain spots but good contrast is more important. The marbled pattern should flow horizontally, and should resemble marble. Their colours come from the wild--black, brown or rust on bright shades of tan, gold or mahogany. Like its wild counterpart, an ivory version of the Bengal is called a snow. The preferred pattern is leopard spots, not tabby stripes, on legs and ribs. Ivory-to-white undersides and small, rounded ears also are desirable.

Temperament is of primary concern, both to breeders and to pet buyers. Modern-day, carefully bred kittens have loving, outgoing personalities. The instinctive suspicion of the wild cat has been bred out through careful selection. The two main things breeders look for are sweet temperament and a beautiful, wild appearance. First-cross (F1) hybrids are often shy, nervous, untouchable cats, much like their wild ancestors. Like mules, first-generation hybrid Bengal males are infertile, but their F1 sisters can reproduce. In subsequent generations, males are fertile so out crosses to domestic cats are no longer needed. In fact, they are undesirable because breeding back to domestics dilutes the wild inheritance.

Well-bred Bengals are affectionate, purr enthusiastically and are exceedingly intelligent, a trait probably inherited from the wild cat's natural selection for jungle survival. They use the litter tray, like to climb and run, and are quick and curious about everything. Bengal owners report that their cats retrieve, learn tricks and love water, sometimes coming right into the bath or shower to play with human toes. When Bengals are excited, their tails fluff up into massive raccoon-like tails. Even as adults, Bengals are entertaining and playful, but as in other breeds of domestic cats, they vary greatly in appearance and behavior. In general, skittish, fearful kittens seldom become affectionate pets, but they may bond to certain family members. Bengal kittens often go through an ugly stage of fuzzyness between 2 and 6 months of age in which the clearly contrasted markings are spoiled and blurry.

This muting is probably nature's way of protecting the young; baby cheetahs go through a similar fuzzy stage. Then, depending on the seasons, the fuzzy coat falls out and the coloration returns, unless, of course, the kitten was gray (tawny) at birth. All Bengals must have a black tail tip, regardless of body color. The marbled has no counterpart in the wild, and in captivity no two marbled Bengals are alike. The pattern may be sharply defined patches of color; reminiscent of a stained glass windows, or flowing, twisting streams of clear color. Domestic Bengals are no different than any other domestic cat when it comes to care and feeding.

Pet Food Marketing - How to Get Your Treats Noticed!

Pet food marketing, in case you haven't noticed, is fiercely competitive. I was in a Pet Smart just this week and when I found the dog treat section - it looked like a giant glossy wall of advertisements - a 9 foot wall, shouting different claims at me. I just stared in amazement and thought - how do pet owners wade through the wall-o-treats full of pet food marketing mania and decide what to buy. So, I asked a guy who was standing there, also looking somewhat shell shocked. He said "I buy the duck flavored ones. My Joey will not eat anything but those, and they're all out." He was waiting for the pet store worker to come from the back room after checking for any stock back there. They were out back there too. Joey's owner was crushed. Said he would come back when the next shipment was to arrive.

Some things sank in for me and reiterated to me some basic concepts that I have learned in my dog treat baking:

1. Dog treats is an extremely competitive business,
2. Dog owners, much like their 4 legged companions are very loyal,
3. Setting yourself apart from the pack of other bakers is one of the most important parts of building your successful business.

You have to get noticed, get customers excited about your treats, and make the sale. Pet food marketing or specifically, dog treat marketing, is about taking a customer from thinking "oh that is a cute / neat / great product" to "oh that is a cute / neat / great product. I need that for my dog." Think about that for a minute. You want people to NEED your treats. You want your customer be be just like Joey's owner - standing at the wall-o-treats, determined to find that one kind and willing to come back later in the week because they didn't have it.

Let's be honest. Most of you aren't slaving away working 2 jobs, staying up all hours of the night scouring the web for help because you're bored. And I know that many of you are in fact working that hard. Most likely you are

• Very passionate about your dog(s)
• Love all dogs for that matter
• You have passion to make great treats
• You wouldn't mind generating a decent income from customers buying your dog treats and enjoying your hard work

So, how do you get noticed? How do you take all this passion and turn it into a successful business that brings you fulfillment. A good strategy to market your treats is critical to making this happen. Some things to consider as you get into pet product marketing and specifically dog treat marketing. Understanding each of these activities and going through each of these exercises will help you to better define where you want to go and how to reach your customers and have them say "I need that dog treat (your dog treat) for my dog."

Build a better dog treat
One way to set yourself apart from your competitors and build a solid pet product marketing plan is to build a better dog treat than is out there today. Is there something unique about your dog treat? No allergens, no fat, low calories, different shapes, specialty flours / ingredients, decorated gourmet treats, organic, you use "orange blossom honey" and hand stone ground chicory root flour - do any of these apply to your product? Do you oven bake your treats in a brick fire oven? Is there something about the way you prepare them that no one else is doing? Building a unique product may open up a group of customers that no one else is tending to. This is definitely one way to effectively start your pet product marketing plan. This is called niche marketing.

Define your market
Where do you plan on selling your dog treats? This will help you build your dog treat marketing plan. Defining how, where and to whom you want to sell your treats will be critical. If you plan on selling your dog treats at a local farmer's market every Saturday, then the packaging you might select, the ingredients you might want to use would be very different than if you wanted to sell your treats at a local independently owned pet store. Or, if you plan on selling your treats at a vets office or selling them in a gift boutique - all of these situations would warrant very different strategies.

For example, at the farmer's market, I may have the treats open to the air in the traditional market place style with little paw print paper bags to place the treats in as people purchased the treats they wanted by the ½ pound, where as in a boutique, I may want to display my treats in a very cute basket display, and in the vets office - a very traditional carton type package may work best. The customer at each of these places is probably looking for very different types of products as well. So how you market your pet products to those individuals will differ. Build your treat for the people who will be shopping where you sell.

Know your competition
So, in order to build a better dog treat, you need to know what everyone else is building, especially those folks that are on your turf. We can call this pet product marketing research. Go to the places that you want to sell and look at what the folks are doing that are already there. Talk to the pet store owners and find out what they like about certain treats, and what they don't like. Use this information to help you decide what you want to do differently. Be sure to understand the prices that your competitors are charging and what their pack size is. Evaluate their display and any literature that they may have provided the store owners.

You can even buy some of the competitor's products and take them home and try them out yourself. Don't just limit your assessment to the treats - really check out the packaging too. Is there an issue with the packaging, can you build a treat that goes in a more environmentally friendly package than your competition? Dissecting your competition is a critical part of being successful in the market place. And even after you have gotten your products out there, making sure that your competition isn't reclaiming your territory will be important. Your will need to continue your pet product marketing research. This exercise of walking the stores, surfing the web and reviewing competitive product is important.

Out price your competition
Another way, besides building a unique dog treat, to effectively market your dog treats is to out price your competition. You may not have to build anything unique - your price may be so good that the store owners / customers will jump at the opportunity to use your product. Using pricing to help sell your products is one strategy to building your customer base. Your margins might be a little less than your competitors, but you can make up the difference in volume.

Support your products
One of the things that we learned going into independent pet stores and talking to owners about what made products successful was the in store support that we provided along with our treats. They said that having some kind of sign / pamphlets / in store promotions were all keys to success in the pet stores.

So if when you bring your dog treats to a store owner to sell your products, you also bring a neat display idea, some signs to hang up, and you commit to coming once a month to do a sampler display for 2 hours on a Saturday so that their customers can try your treats - they LOVE that. You are helping them to sell the products that they carry - and at the same time, sell your own products.

At a farmer's market - you may also want to do a free sampler Saturday - and give away some of your treats. This gets people excited about your products, and also they get to trust you. You standing behind your products, providing support to store owners or letting dog owners have their dogs try your products will go a long way to building a loyal customer base.

An Introduction to the Pet Travel Bag

The pet travel bag is currently one of the most popular types of carrier for dogs and they are available in a wide range of sizes and designs. Whether you are looking for something that is functional, fashionable, or both, you are sure to find exactly what you are looking for. While most models are purely for short distance travel, these days you can even purchase those that make the perfect pet airline travel kennel. The following will fill you in on everything you need to know about these handy products so you have the best chance of picking out the perfect pet travel bag for you.

Probably the most basic type of pet travel bag is a small, purse like product that you can wear over your shoulder. These are highly in fashion right now so they come in all different types of types and colors to choose from. These are the perfect way to take your puppy or small dog with you wherever you go and you will be sure to get a lot of attention as well. When buying a bag such as this however, you want to pay attention not only to the appearance but to the different features as well. Make sure that it is large enough for your dog with an opening that allows you to pet your dog. Mesh windows are also a necessity.

On the other hand, if you will be shipping your pet by air in the near future, then you will need something that is a little larger, such as shipping crates for large pets. You want to make sure that whatever you buy is approved for use by all the national airlines so you will not be denied passage on account of this. You also want to purchase a pet airline travel kennel that is large enough for your pet to move around in because he or she will be in there for a long time. A padded bottom is a great added feature that will help to keep your pet comfortable.

Finally, in the event that you will be driving your pet to its destination, then a simple carrier will probably be sufficient. Again there are many different types available so it should not be difficult to find the perfect one for your pet. When it comes to larger dogs, it can be tempting to simply let them roam your vehicle freely, but keep in mind that this can be dangerous. If you get into an accident they will not be restrained and could be killed or injured.

You should be able to find the perfect pet travel bag for your dog or cat either online or in a brick and mortar store. Just make sure that the one you choose has all the necessary features.

His dad was a shipping magnet and because of that, Marc and his family had to travel with him constantly.He gained a lot of knowledge through that. With his dad's influence he went into importing and exporting and this kept him on the road. He is settled in one place now and find it most fulfilling in writing articles.view more articles at http://www.pettravel101.com.

Cat Health Problems - How to Spot Them Early

With the love, affection, playfulness, and companionship that your cat or kitten provides comes the responsibility of taking good care of it. Your cat or kitten relies on you for its health and well-being. As part of taking care of your cat or kitten, the following is a short and easy yet very useful mini health exam that you can give your cat or kitten in between visits to your veterinarian.

This exam can be performed once a week or once a month as needed. Make this little home checkup an extension of the normal physical attention you pay your cat and it will not even know that it is being "examined". It does not matter where you perform the exam, as long as both you and your cat are comfortable. If your cat usually is not allowed on the kitchen table or counter, do not examine it there, as it may be confusing and stressful. A good idea is to do it while you are doing some grooming or petting.

Ears: Gently pull the ear flap slightly up and back, and look at the inner surface and down into the ear canal. The ears should be clean and light pink in color. Any discharge, redness, swelling or odor is abnormal. A very dark residue may indicate earmites. Do not attempt to clean your cat's ears, improper or incorrect cleaning can worsen an ear condition or even cause trauma or infection. If anything looks or smells really bad, a visit to the vet will be necessary.

Eyes: With your cat facing you, examine the eyes. The eyes should be bright and clear (not cloudy or dirty), and the pupils should be of equal size. There should be little if any tearing at the corners of the eyes. Any more discharge from the eyes is abnormal. Gently roll down the lower eyelid a little bit with your thumb. The inner linings should be pink, not white or red.

Mouth and nose: With your cat facing you, gently raise the lips with your fingers to examine the gums and teeth. The gums should be pink, not white or red, and should show no signs of swelling or bleeding. The teeth should be clean, without any brownish tartar. Smell your cat's breath. Although most cats do not have good breath, a strong and offensive odor is abnormal and may indicate a problem. Excessive drooling can also be a sign of oral disease. Finally make sure there is not a discharge from the nose, which can indicate a problem to be checked out.

Skin and coat: While petting your cat, feel around for any unusual bumps, lumps, scabs, swellings, or sensitive areas. The coat should be full and glossy, and should be free of bald spots, matted areas, and sores. If you need to cut off some hopelessly matted hair, be sure to used blunt-tipped scissors, or take the cat to a professional groomer or your vet. Also check the cat's fur for fleas and ticks, usually visible as black flecks.

Important rear end check: With your cat facing away from you gently lift the tail and take a look at its rear end. Use a moist paper towel to clean away any feces or other dirty material. If you see yellowish or tan objects about the size of rice grains, these are most likely packets of tapeworm eggs, and this requires treatment!

Ribs and weight: If your cat seems to be bonier, this is a sign of weight loss. Watch for changes in your cat's eating or sleeping habits, and let your vet know of your findings if you feel they are significant enough.

Breathing: If your cat's breathing is loud, labored, or wheezing, this is not a good sign.

Litter box: If you see any mucous, blood, worms, or anything else unusual in the litter box, this is definitely a problem.

If your examination reveals any of these problems, consult your vet as soon as possible. Remember that this mini health exam is not meant to be a substitution your vet's professional examination and consultation. Your cat should be given a complete professional physical examination at least once a year.

Your vet will be checking things like temperature, pulse, actual weight, respirations, lymph nodes, vision, hearing, blood pressure, muscle tone, and more. With the combination of your vet's annual or semi-annual complete physical examination, and your own weekly or monthly mini health exam, you can help ensure that your cat's health problems are detected before they start to cause obvious disease.

How to Train a Dog to Walk on a Leash

This article will give you some dog leash training tips to make it both relaxing and fun for both of you. Any successful method of teaching a dog will reinforce your relationship with your pet as well as train.



The leash/collar method is the most popular, as there are thousands of dogs who are city dwellers, and maintaining control over your pet is vital in this type of setting, as unexpected situations can arise at any time.

The type of breed you own will determine its unique personality and which style of training will work the best to achieve your desired results, but leash training a dog for the most part has proven successful in all breeds.

Before beginning this type of method, keep in mind that the leash is a tool and is not to be used forcefully against the dog. It is there to guide and correct your pet while training. Once he learns your commands it will take very little effort to control his movements.

Your dog must first trust and accept you as his leader before any training will be successful. If there are control issues, these must first be corrected or your efforts will fail and professional help should be sought.

When leash training a dog, various degrees of force are necessary, depending on the situation and correction needed. To stop dog pulling leash, tug quickly and forcefully while sternly saying "no".

When he attempts to deviate from your course, gently tug him back into place and praise him when he obeys. This type of training teaches the canine a particular movement desired by the handler.

When you have the ability to place your pet into a position he does not wish to take, and be able to do so with very little effort, your dog is fully trained. Once this is achieved, your canine will obey you even when the leash is not present.

Off leash training will be the next step, where your body is the tool, and your hands and eye contact will guide the dog. It is amazing to see what a dog can learn, when you take the time and effort into training.

Canines used as "working" dogs such as police, rescue and personal aids all undergo extensive leash training and are valuable assets to any community. Once your furry friend has been properly taught he will be just as valuable to you, whether in the ring or out for a casual walk around town.

Danny Taylor of DogTraining-User-Reviews.com, specializes in helping new pooch owners get the info that they need to help train their new best friend. Danny, a professional dog trainer himself, leads his team of dog obedience trainers to constantly review new training methods, and programs in the market and make sure you get the best value products that work for you. Check out actual user reviews and feedback of the most popular dog training programs at DogTraining-User-Reviews.com.