We know you love pets as much as we do. We're always scouring the Internet and bookshelves to find the most fun and insightful books for pets out there today. We've got dogs, cats, farm animals, and even hamsters covered on this list. Check out 10 of the books we've loving right now at PetSugar. We hope you love 'em as much as we do!
It's a pig party! Now we've seen cute little oinkers here, before but the latest pet craze over in the UK are micropigs, bred down from a mixture of the miniature potbellied pig, Tamworth, Kune Kune, and Gloucester Old Spot varieties. Fanciers say they can be easily litter-box trained, grow equivalent to a medium-sized dog (45-60 pounds), and are fine for allergy sufferers since they have hair not fur. There are a couple catches: they must be sold in pairs — double trouble? — and, at this time, only overseas.
Do you think micropigs will eventually make it big, or should I say small, Stateside? Just don't go making any swine flu jokes around the lil ones.
I may not peruse the halls of the MoMA every weekend, but I can appreciate art when I see it. Especially when the subject is animals! Artist Federico Uribe was inspired by ordinary objects to make these amazing farm animal sculptures, which are now on display at a Colombian gallery.
Take this cow for example — made up of soles from hundreds of shoes, they were molded and shaped to look like grazing livestock. But Federico doesn't stop at footwear. He's using mops, belts, and office supplies to complete his work. Check out a few more examples in the gallery above!
So a pygmy goat walks into a bar . . . well, maybe not into a bar, but along the streets of San Francisco! Over the weekend I met this little pygmy goat in a trendy area of the city, and his owners couldn't be prouder. I'm not quite sure how you'd register a pygmy goat as a pet (or where you would keep it, and how you'd prevent him from eating all of your important documents), but he sure was cute. Not only cute, but he was personable — he walked right up to passersby and wanted to nudge and play with a few dogs as well!
What do you know about pygmy goats? Find out in this short and sweet quiz.
I vividly remember a childhood birthday party I attended at a farm where they had lil chicks in a plastic kiddy pool – they were unbelievably soft and sweet. It's definitely the most recent experience that I played with these downy animals, but also the last time I visited a farm. How many of you have owned chickens either as babies or as egg-laying, alarm-sounding adults?
Yesterday, California passed the most far-reaching farm animal treatment measure to ever be placed on the ballot.
Proposition 2 passed with an estimated 62 percent of the vote in early returns and will affect 20 million farm animals in California, America's largest agricultural state. It requires farmers to give animals space to turn around, spread their wings, stand up, and lie down.
This ballot measure, which was sponsored by the Humane Society of America, goes into effect in 2015 and will entail, among other things, phasing out gestation crates for breeding pigs and veal cages for calves. Opponents, however, fear that the measure will actually bolster the market for cheaper, out-of-state agriculture where farmers aren't under the same regulations.
Did you vote on this measure? How do you feel about this animal rights victory? Do you think it sets an example for other states?
That's right! Not a new puppy, Reese and fam took home a new piggy . . . and, seriously, how adoro is the little oinker?! While adopting a pig can be a challenge for many families – piggies need plenty of space to roam – if owners keep a close watch on their eating habits, a potbellied pig should end up weighing no more than 100 to 150 pounds. Methinks Atticus and Coco Chanel will have some new playmates for walks around the neighborhood! Check out piccys from their grand ol farm visit over the weekend when you read more
If you're dreaming of farm animals but you're lacking the farm, these enclosed homes are perfect for backyard egg layers! Your pet chicken won't feel cooped up in a classy eglu, and she'll have a detachable, fenced (fox-proof!) run for more strutting. Created by UK-based Omlet, there are two models – chickens and rabbits – offered stateside. Each chicken eglu ($515 including two birds and $495 without) includes a slide-out tray for cleaning, a roosting area, and a nesting box . . . if you're dreaming of omelets for real, you can run out to collect eggs from your own property and get started in the kitchen!
I'm happy to see a couple of these nice homes in the US and I'm hoping more will become available here soon. Last year, the company released that Eglu Cube (seen at the top left) and even offers useful Omlet courses run by an "eggsperienced egluowner" in England (ha!) to cover all the everyday skills required to look after your new feathered friend.
Wow, am I punchy in all this nasty weather!? Even though there are no acorns to fall on my head, rain and twigs are enough to make me think the sky is falling. As I'm scratching out a living here, I wanna know how well you recall chicken sayings – match the right phrase to the picture shown above. Are you scared . . . or I should I say chicken? Doing well will definitely give you something to crow about!
Old MacDonald had a farm – do you? Some people are lucky enough to have the space to include outdoor animals at their homes or have had those farm animals as a kid. So, excluding those furry, feathered, and finned friends that live inside, I'd love to hear either what you have or what you'd crave!
