As Winter gets underway, wild mice and rats enter houses more often to escape the cold and rats are also seen in increasing frequency in peoples gardens. However, while this can be a matter for concern, there are ways that you can humanely remove these uninvited visitors rather than calling the local exterminator. He will put down anti-coagulant poisons which cause a long slow death and a great deal of suffering to the mice and rats as well as the poison being potentially dangerous to you, your family and your pets.

How can I tell if I have rodents in my house?

House Mice will leave a cloying ‘acetamide’ smell; other mice leave little odour.

Gnawing : Rodents need to gnaw constantly to keep their teeth trim and they will gnaw on most things.

Tooth Marks : Larger marks made by Rats who can gnaw through soft metals such as aluminium or lead.

Droppings : a rats poo is 12mm long and often tapered at one end. A mouse poo is half the length and thinner.

Greasy Marks: Rats and House Mice leave dirty black smears along well travelled routes especially where the have to squeeze under objects.

You may also hear the scamper of little feet above your head as they scurry around your loft.

What Problems can they cause?

Rodents generally cause minor problems in houses, such as furniture damage, food nibbling and a few electrical and insulation damage. Some rodents however are good house guests and cause NO damage at all.

Chewing wiring is the main concern which can lead to electrical faults and expensive repairs.

Prevention

Do not call the exterminators! They get rid of the rodents in a cruel way which prolongs suffering and in the long term does not get rid of rodents from entering your home.

Exterminators use anti-coagulant poisons. These cause a slow painful death over around five days to the rodent. The anti-coagulant literally stops the rodent forming any blood clots, so it bleeds to deaths ? blood will come from its eyes, it nose and other orifices and will also fill its so that they drown in their own blood ? this is a horrible way to die.

Problems with the poison also can occur if the rodent is eaten before it dies.

Anticoagulants are notoriously non-selective and have the potential to kill domestic dogs and cats, wildlife, children, and even grown adults.

And while the anti-coagulants may work in the short term by killing any rodents in your home, your house attracted rodents before and so it will attract more. The key is prevention ? and is the easiest and best long term solution. Repair broken air bricks and holes in external walls. Fill any floorboard hole, replace damaged skirting boards and remove any nesting materials. Don’t leave food rubbish in bags in your back garden, always put it in a bin! Rats are notoriously good opportunists and leaving out food bags will only encourage them into your garden.

Also, although it may be environmentally friendly to throw out any rotting fruit or vegetables on to your soil to decompose, this again will attract hungry critters.

How do I get rid of unwanted visitors?

There are indoor devices such as sensors which use electromagnetic interference or ultrasound to drive rats and mice away. They emit a sound inaudible to the human ear but one that is awful to a rodent ? the noise will literally drive them away. You plug them into any plug socket and let it get on with it! However, do be careful when using these sonic repellents – don’t use them if you have bats in your loft as this will drive them away. Also if your neighbour has a ?small furry? such as a hamster or pet rat or mouse, make sure you don?t plug the sonic repellent in a party wall as the sound may travel through the walls depending on how your houe is built.

Live capture traps are also good. Set them up in your loft with a strong smelling piece of food in it such as piece of sausage or strong cheese. And check on the trap twice a day.

Once you have caught the rodent, do not release him or her in your back garden – they will simply come back in! Get in your car and drive at least 2 miles away – otherwise they will be back in your house before you are! GRIN!

Jason Hulott is co-owner of CavyRescue, The UK’s First dedicated Pet Rat Charity. We provide a huge array of articles on Pets Rats and other Small rodents. Why not sign up for our Monthly newsletter? Visit CavyRescue now.

Buying a new fish tank heater can sometimes be perplexing due to all of the options that are available. There are a couple of places that you can go for help when looking to purchase a fish tank heater. It is essential that if you do not know what anything about fish tank heaters that you do a lot of research or seek the advice of an experienced professional. Friends or neighbors experienced with fish tanks can prove to be valuable resources.

These resources can be found in a number of places, and most of them are free of cost. A fish tank heater is very important to the overall health of your fish, so you want to make sure that you get the set up that is appropriate for your tank. Your fish need a certain temperature in order to thrive and the correct fish tank heater will make that happen for you.

The first place you may want to go to for help is your local pet store. They usually have someone who can help you pick out a fish tank heater. Be sure to take the model information of your aquarium, so they can help you to pick out the right heater. Most of the time, you will get the fish tank heater with your tank, but sometimes this is not true. Of course it is easier to buy a heater at the same time as buying the tank. This way you can have everything you need in order to choose the fish tank heater that is right for you. This will not be an issue for all tanks, as some come equipped with their own heaters that are sized for the particular tank you are purchasing.

If you do not have a local pet store that you can go to for advice, be sure to check the internet. If you type fish tank heater into your favorite search engine *mine is Google), you will have enough information to keep you busy for at least a couple of hours. Search some of the sites and print out the important information. Keep any information that may be useful when choosing which fish tank heater to buy.

If you are looking to buy a fish tank heater, remember to get advice from a professional. Both pet stores and the Internet are a great place to start. You can even search Ebay and other auction sites on the internet.

Keith Londrie II is a well known author. For more information on Fish Aquariums, please visit http://www.fish-tanks-information.info/ for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith’s own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/

Maine coon cats are an American classic, a contribution to our history and culture that only Maine could provide. This hardy, handsome breed of domestic cat was established at least 150 years ago, and its unique characteristics developed as it adapted to Maine’s own unique characteristics. And as America has become a nation of animal lovers, the Maine coon has only become more appreciated.

Maine coons are one of the oldest natural breeds in North America and are regarded as a native of Maine. Around the origins of the Maine Coon cat swirls a fog of legend and conjecture as obscuring to reality as the fogs of its homeland, says Marilis Hornidge in That Yankee Cat–the Maine Coon. Of the many legendary tales of the Coon cat’s beginnings, the one most completely discredited is the best known, the mating of the raccoon and the domestic house cat. This is, of course, a physical impossibility.

Most Maine coon breeders believe that the breed originated from matings between pre-existing shorthaired domestic cats and longhaired types brought to America from overseas by New England seamen or by Vikings. We know from history that the old sailing ships kept cats for rodent control, and Maine was a commerce area, so it is not difficult to imagine how this could happen.

Maine coons are tall, muscular, big-boned cats, with a long, rectangular body and deep chest. Males commonly reach 13 to 18 pounds; females, normally about nine to 12; they may continue to grow until three to five years of age. They have long muzzles and long teeth. All of these traits would have given them an advantage against competitors as well as predators.

Maine coons, with their heavy coats, are well suited to the harsh New England winters. Adult Maine coons have a three-layer coat; in winter, their undercoats thicken. They have long guard hairs to keep off the snow and repel water, and a long, bushy tail to wrap around themselves for warmth. Maine coons have large, furry feet (all the better for walking on snow); furry, tufted ears that stay warm against the cold; and extremely long whiskers, which help them stay clear of brush that may entangle their long fur.

According to the Maine.gov website, Maine coons’ voices set them apart from other cats; they have a distinctive, chirping trill.

Initially appreciated for their rodent hunting skills, they were also highly admired by the families of Maine for their friendly personalities and high intelligence, and began to take on an important role as pets. As they became a more important part of New England culture, it became a popular pastime for families to admire, pamper, and brag about their cats.

In the mid-19th century, the Maine coon became a special exhibit at many county fairs in Maine, thus becoming America’s very first show cat. Maine coons come in almost all colors; although the classic brown tabby may be the first that comes to mind, they can be red tabby, silver tabby, tortoiseshell, black and white–almost anything except the Siamese pattern and a few others.

As Cat Fancy Magazine says, Maine coons are a furry piece of American history.

Lisa J. Lehr ? 2006

Lisa J. Lehr is a freelance writer and Internet marketer specializing in direct response and marketing collateral. She holds a biology degree and has worked in a variety of fields, including the pharmaceutical industry and teaching, and has a particular interest in health, pets, and conservative issues.
Please visit her blogs at http://mymaine.blogspot.com and http://warmfuzziesanimalrescue.blogspot.com.
If you?re looking for a copywriter, go to http://www.justrightcopy.com. Just Right Copy–because words sell.

When you look around for a smaller dog that is going to be a great addition to your family and is easy to take care of you will want to check out the dachshund for a pet. That is because the dachshund is a pet that will not get very big and will be easy to train when you put your mind to it.

That is a great deal of help when you are a busy person that will not be able to help out your family much when it comes to training your new dachshund. That is because they are easy to train for people of all ages because they listen to what you want so that they are going to end up making you happy.

That is one real good thing about the dachshund is that they are going to do almost anything to make their masters happy in the end. They are the kind that loves to take rids when you are willing to offer them one. You may want to watch if you have some power windows in your vehicle though.

If they seem to be watching your every move they may figure out how to open the window and then you will end up with your windows down all the time. Another thing about some of the dachshunds is that when they are in the vehicle you are not going to want to let it running because you may end up locked out of your vehicle when they end up stepping on your power door locks by accident.

This would not be very good if your only set of keys is in the vehicle that is now locked and running with your dachshund in it. Then you may say that it is a good idea for them to end up stepping on the power window button so that they window will go down so that you will be able to get in your vehicle without needing to do any damage to it. Then you will also be able to get your dachshund out of the vehicle without any fear of scarring them too much because you need to break into your own vehicle.

When you are going to purchase, a dachshund for your family you are going to want to know that they are a very smart breed and will be able to learn almost anything that you would like for them to learn. So take the time to teach them all the tricks that you love to see them do so that you can be vary proud of them and they will know it because of your reaction to the job that the dachshund did for you. You are going to want to check out all the beautify colors that the dachshund is so that you will be able to make sure that you are going to get the one that you really want for your family.

Kari Eriksson is an infopreneur and very found of dogs. He has grown up with dogs of all kinds and has now put up information online about dachshunds. The dachshund site can be found at http://www.dachshunds-online.com

Why We Like Dogs Better Than People

Most dogs are less exasperating than people. Think about it:

Has your dog ever asked you for your car keys?

Has your dog ever asked you for a loan?

Has any dog borrowed your tools and then not returned them?

Has your dog ever ignored you when you come home from work? (If so, get a new dog.)

Has your dog ever not thanked you for what you do? (Well, didn?t you see his tail wagging?)

Has your dog ever asked you why you want him to do unnatural things like walk between your legs while you are walking, to stand on his hind legs, to jump through your arms when you hold them like a loop, or to play dead?

Did your dog ever ask you if you wanted him to guard your property?

Dogs are perfect except I have never got one to pay board and room─except by unconditional love.

Okay, the article was rejected for too few words. Let?s try a poem if I can dream one up here.

If your dog bites your hand

When you feed him,

It?s not a dog,

It?s a ferret.

If your dog hates your cats,

Barks all night,

And poops on your rug,

It?s a dog.

That aught to do it!

The End

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine, Jones is Executive Representative of International Wealth Success. He calls himself Taylor Jones, the hack writer.

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.bookfindhelp.com (IWS wealth-success books and kits and business newsletters / TopFlight flagpoles)

Some people are so attached to their pets that they wouldn?t dream of asking them to simply curl up on the floor to go to sleep. Pet owners, especially dog owners, have created an industry for dog beds that rivals the bedding industry for humans in both creativity and profit margins.

Just as dogs come in a variety of sizes — from toy Chihuahuas that fit in the palm of your hand to Great Danes who are large enough to command most of the back of that family SUV — so do dog beds. The very first designs for dog beds stressed comfort and ease of cleaning for the small, medium, large and extra large pooch in your life. Today there is a dizzying array of options for dog beds. There are dog beds designed to look like real beds so the lucky canine doesn?t feel left out, dog beds designed to look like real furniture, and dog beds for that aging canine, designed to accommodate his creaking bones and stiff joints. There are dog beds made out of fabrics designed to blend in with the d?cor of your home and there are dog beds that can accommodate a dog who likes to stretch out while he naps versus the type who prefers to curl up into a ball.

No longer is it sufficient to simply walk into a pet store, find a comfortable looking bed for Rex, choose a color that matches your d?cor, (or his) and leave. Today you have to take many factors into consideration when making decisions about your dog?s sleeping quarters.

The first thing to think about is where in the house you intend to place the bed. Some people put the dog?s bed in the living room, so the dog has a place to lounge other than the family sofa. Other people put the dog bed in their bedroom, so the dog can be close without needing to jump into their bed. Some other things to consider are the size of your pet, and his sleeping habits.

There are also extras such as eucalyptus treatments and cedar filling (both to repel fleas), foam filling for the comfort of arthritic animals, and various Velcro attachments. Washing and cleaning are factors to take into account as well, both in terms of everyday wear and because of the dirt incurred from other uses for the bed such as a carrier liner or car seat protector. Gone are the days when buying a dog bed was simple and easy, but the tradeoff is a truly mind-boggling array of options.

Dog Beds Info provides detailed information about small and large dog beds, as well as designer, orthopedic, and discount dog beds. Dog Beds Info is the sister site of Bird Cages Web.