Getting into Birding

I grew up with a love of birds, instilled in me by my paternal grandmother.  I spent a lot of time with her as a little girl, and everywhere we went, she would point out different species of bird and ask me what they were. I loved it!  It even went so far, in my funny little girl's mind, that I thought I could tell the difference between birds of the same species I saw around my house, and I would name them and talk to them when I played outside.  When my grandmother passed away, I was 9 years old.  I inherited her field binoculars and bird book, the same binoculars and book we used when we went anywhere to look at birds.  Now, I'm 24, and my parents bought me a very nice pair of binoculars for Christmas. So, what did I do?  I took up bird-watching, or birding, of course! I'm still very much a beginner, but I'm loving everything about delving into the world of birds.  It's not just about what birds you see, identifying said birds.  It's about the time spent to find an elusive bird, even if it turns out to be a common sparrow.  It's about watching the bird's behavior, taking your time, understanding what they're doing.

The best resources I've found for anyone interested in bird watching are the Sibley Guides (written by David Allen Sibley) and the Audubon Society.  I own several guidebooks, field guides, and other literature on birding from both of these sources.  There is also a Sibley phone app that I am looking into purchasing, which (in addition to having field notes on the birds) has sound recordings of bird calls and songs.

I've been on a few bird watching excursions since receiving my new binoculars, and have since listed the species of birds I was able to identify.  My list now stands at 22 different species, and I know that I will add to that every day.  I will post pictures that I took on these excursions soon.  In the meantime, here are generic pictures of some of my favorite birds:

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Western Bluebirds - male/female

American Goldfinch - female

Black Phoebe

Downy Woodpecker - female

House finches - male/female

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Spotted Towhee (I've also seen it called Rufous-sided)

Rat Care: Housing and bedding

In the care of any animal, the first thing you need to know is what kind of housing and bedding are needed for your pet.  Today I'll talk about the different types of housing available for rats, the amount of space needed, and the types of bedding you can use.

First, lets talk about the kinds of housing available.

The most readily available housing for rats is the wire cage.  Cages can be bought in many sizes and styles, and they are great for hanging toys, food and water dispensers, and many other fun things for customizing your rat's home.  There are a few things to be aware of when choosing a cage.  The first is bar spacing, that is the amount of space in between the bars of the cage.  Rats have an amazing ability to squeeze themselves through small spaces.  If your rat's head might be able to fit through the bars then the entire rat will be able to fit through the bars and escape.  I recommend you use bar spacing no more than 1/2 inch apart.  The second is the material the cage is made of.  Rats love to chew, similar to birds (specifically parrots), and they will chew on the bars of the cage.  Metal bars can give your rat metal poisoning.  Thankfully, most cages sold will have coated bars that are safe for your rats.  The last thing to be aware of is that wire cages often have wire floors.  Wire floors can cause a condition in rats called bumblefoot, which is an inflammation and infection in the foot.  There are also many advantages to wire cages.  Like I already mentioned, they are widely available in many shapes and sizes, so it's easy to find something that works well for you.  Rats also love to climb the bars, and it's very easy to create a fun, interesting environment for your rattie to live in.  Finally, these cages are also quite easy to clean.

Another popular home for your rattie friend is an aquarium or terrarium tank.  Tanks don't have bars that your rat might squeeze through, nor do they have wire floors that could cause bumblefoot.  However, tanks can get dirty and smelly rather quickly, as they don't have very good ventilation. Tanks need to be thoroughly cleaned more often, and they are not quite as easy to clean as a wire cage is.  You also have to get a little creative with hanging toys and food and water dishes in a tank.

There is a third option for housing, which is the homemade rat home.  There are many rat forums out there which discuss this option.  The biggest key to creating a homemade rat home is to make sure it is not something from which your rat can escape, and that it can be cleaned thoroughly.  Rats can and will chew through wood, and they do not discriminate where they urinate, so porous floors are not a good idea as they will soak up urine and won't clean.  I have seen rat homes made from bookshelves, dressers, cabinets, etc.  The floors can be lined with shelf paper and covered with bedding, or made from a durable plastic.

So those are some options for housing.  Now I'll talk about bedding.  Bedding is as wide and diverse as cages, perhaps even more so.  There are some definite bedding no no's.  First off, softwood beddings, like pine and cedar, can cause respiratory issues in rats.  There are oils in softwoods that cause infections in a rat's respiratory system.  There are many good bedding options for our rats though.  Paper based beddings, such as Carefresh or Kaytee beddings.  Others types of bedding are corn cob, hardwood pellets, or cloth.  Keep in mind that any bedding you use should be changed often, and if you notice a smell, or mold, then the type of bedding used should be switched to something else.  I will also caution you against using scented or perfumed beddings, as these, similar to softwoods, can irritate and inflame the respiratory system.

Finally, I want to talk about the space requirements of your rat.  Many cages advertised as rat cages are much to small to house your rat, unless your friend spends more time out of the cage than in it.  Rats need at least 2 cubic feet of space, preferably 2.5 cubic feet. This equates to a cage about 1ft x 2ft x 1ft. This is the minimum for 1 rat.  Rats are social animals, and I would recommend keeping at least 2 together.  This, of course, increases the size requirement of your cage.

I personally have a 40 gallon tank in which I house my three little girls.  The tank is about 6 cubic feet, but I also allow my girls the run of my room for a period every day.  I have observed their habits, and my lazy girls sleep all day while I'm gone, and then love to run around and get let out once I'm home.  I also keep many toys for them to chew and explore in their tank, but I will talk more about toys and keeping your rat happy in another post.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please post them in the comment box below.