For those people who love having pets, but just don't have enough room to keep a dog or cat, you may consider caring for a hamster. Just because hamsters are in a small environment, this does not mean you have no responsibility caring for your pet hamster. Here are several things to make sure you address when you make the choice of adopting a hamster.

1) Housing Environment
Some hamsters are very territorial and can only live by themselves. If placed in a cage with another hamster, they will end up fighting each other until one or even both of them dies. So when you house your hamster, make sure that he/she has the right space. You should only place hamsters in strong wire cages or glass tanks, as they will chew any wood or plastic. Make sure that the cage does not have space enough for your hamster to escape from. If you use a glass tank, place a wire lid on top and secure it in place. When they sleep, hamsters prefer to be placed within a box which keeps them warm and comfortable.

2) Hamster Food
Just like most other pets, you need to feed your hamster on a daily basis. You can purchase hamster pellets and give them approximately one tablespoon per day. If you want to mix it up, you can feed your hamster foods other than hamster pellets. Good choices are fresh fruits and vegetables like a piece of apple, cauliflower or a tiny bit of leafy greens. They also enjoy eating fresh grains, nuts and even sunflower seeds. Make sure the bowl you put the hamster food in is strong enough so they can't chew or flip it. Also make sure to give your hamster clean, fresh water daily. Pet stores sell hamster water bottles that you can attach to their cage.

3) Hamster Happiness and Exercise
Place a layer of bedding on the bottom of your hamster's cage or tank. You have your choice of different materials such as shredded pieces of paper, processed corn or other non-toxic and absorbing materials, which can be found in your local pet store. Don't use any wood shavings with a strong aroma. Place a wheel so your hamster can get some exercise. Hamsters find joy in climbing through tunnels and pipes. It is also important to provide something for your hamster to chew on. This is so that he/she can gnaw on this material and keep their teeth at a healthy level.

4) Cleaning Up
Make sure to maintain a clean environment for your hamster. Take out any uneaten food and remove all bedding that has been soiled on. Replace it with new bedding. On a regular basis, wash the floor of the cage or tank to keep germs at bay. Keep the food and water dishes clean. Your hamster does not have a huge environment to live in, so it's important to keep the space clean.

5) Holding Your Hamster
For the most part, hamsters are good at letting you hold them. If you start when they are very young and hold them in the proper manner, you should not have any problems. You can acclimate a young hamster to you by holding it safely and feeding it special snacks. When you pick up your hamster, cup your hands under your pet and pick him/her up. Make sure to hold your hamster gently so he/she does not feel threatened. Hold you hamster close to you so he/she feels safe.

It is very important for us people to take care of somebody else. That is why from the early age on we have pets. Cats are among the most popular creatures to keep at home. There are several things about cats which you should keep in mind when organizing a place for them at your home.

What you should remember about cats

The first one is that cats like to play. They jump and run around the place several times a day. Most notoriously, they like to do this at night when you are asleep. The thing is that cats need exercise to keep their superb musculoskeletal system in good shape. They are also natural hunters, and that is just what they do.

The second attribute of any feline is that they like to observe. You may have noticed that your cat can freeze and become completely immobile while contemplating some 'inferior' creature, such as a bird or fly. Because of their love for survey and their need to be in the center of everything (while participating in nothing), they have a passion for high spots. Desk surfaces, window sills, book shelves, mezzanine beds are always their favors.

The third feature of cats and kitties is that they like it cozy and comfy. They have a great love for fur coats and fluffy carpets – more than you can imagine! Warming your lap seems to make them happy too!

Why do we need to remember this? Because knowing what your pet likes and needs will help you make them happy. Despite all the popular presumptions, cats are very grateful creatures. They just don't like to show it. You should, however, be sure that they will appreciate your care and attempts to make their life better – through purring in your lap or comforting you at sad times. You may indeed start thinking about things that would definitely bring joy to your cat.

A perfect place for a kitty

Remember those three feline characteristics from the beginning? Playfulness, observation, and love for comfort. These are three main things you need to be wary of when building a cat house, or a cat tree, as some calls it. It is not a complicated thing to make which requires almost no knowledge of handiwork. Moreover, you can easily construct one from stuff that you find at home.

Most cat houses have a set of essential elements – a house itself or anything resembling a cave or a hollow, a pillar to climb, and a couple of platforms. Most of them can be built of regular household items: a yoga mat, a wicker basket, a bookshelf, a chair, a rag, and even a ladder. You can do anything you like with these, but the main principles you should comply with are below.

– It is best to use wooden a board to build the construction, as wood is natural material, and it will be better for your cat's health.
– Every platform must be soft and comfortable: your pet will spend time sitting there.
– The cat should be able to sharpen claws against the construction or any part of it.
– The condo provides a little daredevil with an ultimate playground. Thus, don't forget to decorate pillars or platforms with cat toys.

There might be a slight problem with all the space that cat tree occupies in your home. Still, your feline needs a personal spot to hang around when it gets tired of people. You should respect that. Just build a house for your creature, and be ready to a portion of cat's appreciation.

We all know the old saying „You can’t teach an old dog a new trick”. And many of us usually tend to believe it. But you can’t be more wrong about it. You can definitely teach any dog a new trick; you just have to know the „trick” on how to do it.

Reward the furry little fellow

You just have to remember that the base of any trick, task or whatever you’d like to teach your dog to do is the reward that comes after he/she does it right. For every little accomplishment give something back, and this something should usually be a piece of snack (dog snack, of course) or just anything he she/likes to eat. This way your dog will know that the next time he/she does the trick right, there will be a nice tasty reward waiting. And this is driving forth the motivation to do just about any trick at any age.

You’ve just got a dog and you’re more than happy playing with your furry friend. When it comes to feeding time you might think: “Well, aside dog food, I can give him/her all of the goodies that I eat”. That’s not right at all, not even by a long shot. Your pet friend has different needs and a different body than you, so he/she gets to eat food that’s good for their system. Yes, there are many things that you can give him, but all seasoned dog owners know there are some which can make their beloved pets feel terribly sick.

Everybody loves chocolate…

Every human, that is. And maybe our furry friends do too. But it is NOT good for their health. Chocolate contains caffeine, which, if eaten by your dog, can cause him/her abdominal pain, severe agitation, muscle tremors and in high amounts can even lead to seizures and death. So you should definitely know better than to leave a chocolate bar or two lying around in your dog’s reach. And if caffeine is the problem, don’t even think about the damage coffee could do to your furry friend.

Pets become a large part of your family dynamic. When you first start seeing the early signs that your pet is aging, this can be a hard concept to accept. As your dog or cat gets older, make sure to carefully monitor their health for physical and behavioral differences. Keep a record of your pet's routines and entertainments. When your write this information down, you will have something to go back and compare any changes to. These are some of the most common changes and conditions that can affect your aging pet.

1) Cognitive Dysfunction
Cognitive Dysfunction, or CD, is similar to the human disease of Alzheimer's. CD can have symptoms such as confusion, changes in levels of activity, socializing troubles and disruptions in memory.

It is beneficial to stimulate your pet's mind on a regular basis. One way to do this is to make use of a toy you can put food in which will cause your pet to have to think in order to get to the food. Doing this will keep your pet's mind sharp.

2) Arthritis
Just like humans, pets can be afflicted with arthritis. There is really no way that is 100% effective in preventing this disease. Your pet can develop weakness in the joints. When your pet has arthritis, he/she will have a hard time when trying to stand up. You may notice that your pet is walking in a different manner. Cats may tend to sleep for longer periods during the day.

To help make your cat or dog more comfortable, install a heat lamp over your pet's bedding. It will also help ease their muscles if you put a heating pad on low to medium setting on your pet's bed, preferably under a thin blanket or towel.

3) Weight Gain
Just like with humans, pets may lose the amount of muscle they have as they age. Metabolism begins to decrease and leads to weight gain.

As your pet reaches a certain age, you can switch to a different food made for senior pets. These foods have higher protein content than foods made for younger dogs and cats. They also have a lower amount of calories, which helps them not gain so much weight. Senior pets will sometimes have problems with constipation, mostly cats. A good solution to aid in the digestive process is to feed your cat or dog more meals throughout the day, but in smaller portions.

4) Incontinence
A common symptom of your aging pet is a problem with controlling his/her bladder. If your pet is suffering from persistent urination or numerous accidents, a grave illness may be the cause. Your dog or cat could be dealing with the onset of kidney failure or brain tumors.

Check with your vet to find out what you and your pet are dealing with. To help prevent accidents, place more litter boxes and pee pads in your home, generally near places where your pet tends to rest.

5) Hearing/Vision Loss
As your pet ages, you may be noticing that he/she is not reacting to your voice anymore or lacking the ability to see hand commands.

For those pet's who are having vision problems, speak to them more often than using non-verbal cues. Make sure to provide an adequate amount of light in your home, so your dog or cat can use whatever sight they have left to its maximum potential. If you are dealing with a pet with hearing issues, consider the use of a flashlight to make him/her aware of what you are wanting.