5 comments about Ferrets For Dummies (For Dummies (Pets)).

1. I am so happy I bought this book! It was recommneded by some users on a ferret forum. What a good idea! So much information, I've referenced it a few times about my problematic ferret: he's a biter! Some useful information about switching diets, some recipes, ferret-proofing, etc. Good to have, excellend place to check for questions, and if you still have more- take what you learned to a ferret forum and they can answer your question more detailed! This is a must-have for any ferrent!



2. I love this book just as much as the first one. Everything was excellent. The seller was terrific as well couldn't have been better.



3. This book has lots of good information and it's easy to find. It works for the beginner or the experienced owner. It's my favorite ferret book.



4. I think the other reviewers have said it all. This is the most comprehensive introduction to ferrets I've seen yet in the several years that I have owned fuzzies. In response to other reviewers saying it is outdated: yes, it was. However, the latest edition is only a few months old. Even the newest edition may not contain every nitty gritty detail you need or want to know, but it is a great place to start so that you at least have some idea of how to identify a good source on the internet and what you should be searching for. If you are getting fuzzies, have fuzzies, or are thinking about getting fuzzies, you should read this book. You owe it to your little ones to have a basic idea of how to care for them, as ferrets are "exotic" pets and cannot be treated as other common household pets.



5. I brought this book to help us decide whether we were a suitable family to have a ferret. My son (aged 6) and I read the chapters that applied to us each night, and found this book answering all of our questions, and opening our eyes to things that we had not even thought of. Since purchasing this book we are now a ferret owing family, and we are still referring back to the book regularly (as we got a baby ferret). A must read if you are thinking about getting a ferret because it out lines the pros, but most importantly the cons of ferret care.

5 comments about Sugar Gliders (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. There is some information in this book that is outdated, particularly the part dealing with Sugar Glider nutrition. We know a lot more about the nutritional needs of Sugar Gliders than we did when this book was published in 1997. For example, MacPherson suggests it is fine to feed cat food to Sugar Gliders. That idea has been debunked for some time.
   
   It's an OK book to start with if you know absolutely nothing about Sugar Gliders. And it's only good because no new books with updated Sugar Glider information have been published recently. There is, however, a ton of solid, up-to-date information about Sugar Gliders available on the internet.



2. Very good book and it has a lot of info that you need to know it has most the info I already knew but a very good book for someone who needs some Questions answered.



3. great service very fast delivery and acurate.



4. This book is everything that you ever needed to know about a sugar glider! I am thinking about buying a glider and after reading this book i still do. It will be difficult, especially since it is nocturnal, but i bet anyone who tries can.
   This book says the nutritional needs and even a few mixes. It says EXCACTLY what you need if you're a new owner.



5. A very easy to follow book that indeed covers a large basis on what it means to care for sugar gliders. This book helps to combat some of the myths surrounding diet concerns and offers many wonderful pictures. Detailed and enjoyable to read.

2 comments about Rabbits: Complete Care Guide.

1. We have three rabits and I gain a lot of knowledge regarding rabbits with this book. It is easy to read and has many information.



2. A lot of good information and some good photos. I have yet to find one definitive house rabbit guide, but this covers a lot of the basics: history, deciding if rabbit is right pet, adopting a rabbit, setting up living space and health. There is also a great section on rabbit behavior and behavior problems.
   
   Worth buying before or after bringing a rabbit into your home!

5 comments about Proper Care of Guinea Pigs (Proper Care of...Series).

1. I have read 3 books on guinea pigs and this is by far the best & most "down to earth". The author has & loves guinea pigs. I have found that none of the books are particularly helpful in assessing gender.



2. This is a colorful book with lots of pictures and content but I wish it were less like a story and more factual.



3. I bought this book when I decided to adopt two sows, based on the reviews this book got. Later after I got the pigs I did some more research and discovered the Cavy Cages website and the Guinea Lynx medical online resource for guinea pigs which included a highly moderated forum so one can read the most up to date information on cavy care.
   
   I give Gurney credit because he touts the benefits of large cage size (he himself has a free-range situation with 37 pigs) and also because of the many high quality pictures of cavies. I have read around 20 books on guinea pig care, and his is by far the most accurate in terms of care, but sadly still lacking.
   
   The organization of this book leaves much to be desired. Although the pictures are delightful, sometimes they are so big and numerous that the text is oddly spaced and hard to read through. Also, the chapter names are vague ("beautiful beasties, to have and to hold".) There are no specific sections on food or adoption, which I believe to be two of the more important aspects of cavy care. Hay, good quality pellets and fresh fruits and veggies need to be part of a cavy's diet. And pet stores often get their pigs from a backyard breeder and/or give inaccurate advice to consumers.
   
   All in all, this is a mediocore book. I highly recommend that if you are looking into getting a guinea pig, do the online research first! Especially check out the two websites I mentioned. This book is nice to buy afterwards, but not for the information, just for the pictures.



4. A must read for any current or potential guinea pig owner! We (the TX Rustlers Guinea Pig Rescue) recommend this book to all our new guinea pig adopters.
   This book has many color photographs which helps in the depiction of ailments your piggies may suffer from, he also recommends treatments and advices on what products you can use to treat the more common / non life threatening conditions.



5. This is one of the best guinea pig books out there. There is a lot of information and many pictures to go with it. Being the owner of six guinea pigs, I do like to read a lot about them. I was trying to find a book that contained more than just words and cute pictures. (Although this book is packed with great pictures!) I had a skin condition on a newly acquired pig, and I really needed a picture or two to help me figure out what I was dealing with. This was the ONLY book out of the ten I own that showed pictures of two of the most common skin conditions - ringworm and mites. Although I do have a knowledgeable veterinarian, I do like to have something on hand that helps me to recognize common conditions so that I know when it's something I can treat or when it needs a trip to the vet. (This time it did - mites!) I wish I had bought this book early on in my guinea pig ownership. I recommend it to all guinea pig owners.

2 comments about The Chinchilla Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks).

1. This book tells you EVERYTHING you need to know!
   
   I read this book cover to cover and found it was FULL of interesting facts and information about Chinchillas.
   
   I recently took in two chinchillas that the owner could no longer care for. Before I bought this book, I knew nothing. Once I read the last page, I have since been able to teach others about proper Chinchilla care.
   
   I HIGHLY recommend this book for every beginner!



2. "The Chinchilla Handbook" makes a great companion book to Dr. Vanderlip's standard, "The Guinea Pig Handbook," by the same publisher. Profusely illustrated by Michele Earle-Bridges to enhance the well-organized, straightforward text, this book covers everything the novice (and veterinarian) should know about chinchilla history, suitability as pets, anatomy, housing, feeding, behavior, health care and reproduction. This comprehensive book concludes with information about color inheritance and the fascinating world of showing chinchillas competitively. A helpful list of chinchilla affinity groups and recommended publications precede the detailed book index.
   
   Among the many user-friendly features of the book are the well-organized tables and summary boxes which condense the essential facts about these charming little creatures into easy-to-find bites. The health management aspects of the book point the reader to the most common problems likely to be encountered with chinchillas, and practical advice about avoiding them and deciding when to seek the help of you local chinchilla veterinarian.
   
   A great, but compact, book for chinchilla lovers and veterinary staff alike, and a welcome new addition to the Barron's series of pet owner handbooks. It goes alphabetically on my shelf next to Dr. Vanderlip's manual's on "Degus" and "Dwarf Hamsters."
   
   Phillip T. Robinson, DVM
   Dipl. American College of Zoological Medicine

3 comments about Rabbitlopaedia: A Complete Guide to Rabbit Care (Complete Guide To... (Ringpress Books)).

1. The authors have a very British/European background, so I've enjoyed this informative resource from a new angle. The book is very well-organized. It especially shines as a medical resource for the casual rabbit owner: one of the authors is a vet who has a specialized rabbit clinic in her practice, and it has a very thorough section on problems, symptoms, causes, and treatments. There is also a nice section on alternate feeds and homeopathic herbs, though it doesn't go into thorough nutritional detail, for those who are interested in creating their own feed.
   
   Because of the European background, some familiar rabbits go by unfamiliar names, but there are a good many unfamiliar breeds as well, as well as descriptions of several now-extinct breeds.
   
   If you have a single house-rabbit, this probably isn't the best book for you-- but if you have a herd, this will be a very valuable resource as you incorporate the parts that are helpful and discard the parts that don't apply to your situation.



2. I love the section on rabbit diseases. Its very easy to look something up and it does cover a wide-range of diseases that most rabbit books don't. However, many of the opinions on rabbit care that the author has I do not agree with.

   From the very beginning the author states that young bucks are easier to keep and train than older animals and those of the female gender. After going through the teenage stages of several rabbits I swore off adopting a rabbit under the age of two. Older rabbits, in my experience, are more predictable and less destuctive indoor companions. As for gender issues, I haven't noticed a difference in ease of training between altered males and females.

   Later on she advises small rabbits as good pets for children. The hefty weights tend to be more laid back for kids. Sure, the kids have trouble picking them up, but kids shoulding be picking up rabbits anyways. Rabbits don't like it.

   As far as diet goes, a pet owner is advised to look elsewhere for information such as "The House Rabbit Handbook", or their website rabbit.org. The same can be said about her advice on house rabbits.

   There's some interesting information in this book, but I only recommend it to someone who is already quite familiar with the proper care of rabbits. As a beginner's book there is just too much bad information.




3. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning about their rabbits in depth. The book covers history, all aspects of rabbit care - pets (outdoor & indoor), show, breeding, meat & fur - types of housing, feed, anatomy, diseases, treatments and an extensive list of rabbit breeds. The chapters are kept short and to the point in an easy to read format.

5 comments about The Guinea Pig Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks).

1. Very nice text and pictures. As a handbook should, it has information you need to read. Great reference book to have.



2. "The Guinea Pig Handbook" is a great book not only to learn about piggies, but can also be used as a reference so it won't collect dust. As another amazon member stated, you should not use balls for guinea pigs because their spines are not that flexible, and a guinea pig should have at least 7.5 square feet in a cage, but besides this, the information is correct and very detailed. Plus, there's quite a few cute pictures of cavies! This is great for an adult.
   
   
   
   With this book and access to www.guineapigcages.com, you have all the resources you need to have happy and healthy guinea pigs!



3. We thought this was a good book. tells a history of the guiea pig as well as well as the vital information that you need to care for you guinea pig. My five year old asks me to read it to her. She wants to learn as much as she can about guinea pigs before she gets one.



4. I am very impressed with "The Guinea Pig Handbook". It is actually very well written, and the information is reliable and presented clearly. Unlike a regular text book, or the other manuals that I got from the library, this book gives a historical background on guinea pigs, as well as a reliable source of information for any of the questions or problems I ran into while caring for Bert (my guinea pig). According to my neighbor, who is a veterinarian (and the person that recommended the book to me), there is nothing at all to worry about with reliability of the information in the book. He told me that all of Dr. Vanderlip's books are a great source of information for the beginner and the expert because the information is always clear and reliable.



5. The Guinea Pig Handbook is an excellent resource for everyone who owns a cavy. I have purchased many Guinea Pig books, but this one stands out among all of them and is the one that I constantly refer to. The photographs are beautiful and the information is thorough and detailed. I highly recommend this book to all Guinea Pig owners, whether they have years of experience or they have just purchased their new pet.

5 comments about Training Your Pet Hamster.

1. my daughter read everything she could get her hands on about hamsters. this book actually gave her some new ideas that other books didn't cover. no, you can't train your hamster to fetch or roll over, but thru consistancey and handling, they are somewhat "trainable".



2. Excellent product , found it very useful and easy to read and understand , my daughter used it with ease.



3. I would have given the book a lower rating but it was only bad because it was so bland. The author assumes that the reader is a seven-year-old and about 20% of the book is baby-talk. It doesn't go into much detail about training. In fact, "The Hamster Handbook" by Patricia Bartlett (also sold at amazon) goes into as much detail about training a hamster. This book doesn't include much other information about hamsters other than obvious things and is mostly vague. I don't recommend this book, but highly recommend "the Hamster Handbook."



4. This book is written mostly for young teenagers and will be great at interesting them in something not electronic!

   No offense to Nintendo or Microsoft, but there really is life beyond the cursor!

   I am one of very few in Egypt who bothers owning pets - I have a hamster, an African Grey Parrot (see my reviews on Keeping African Grey Parrots, and of The African Grey Parrot Handbook), plus two lovebirds, two cockatiels, two dogs, one cat and four tortoises. I thus have found Amazon a great source for pet keeping books.

   Another good book for hamster enthusiasts is HAMSTERS, A COMPLETE PET OWNER'S MANUAL. I have, though, chosen TRAINING YOUR PET HAMSTER as the must-have. Buy it before you get or give the pet hamster!




5. This is a pretty standard hamster care book. The writing style often gets a bit insipid, but the information is gotten out.

   For beginners, they'll get basic information.

   The title is misleading as hamster training isn't the focus of the book. There is a little on the idea of clicker training and conditioned response, but this part is very thin.

   In fact the book goes more in depth on the author's personal preferences for cages. They laud Crittertrail and SAM set-ups glossing over the cons of using these types (like these are easy for a Hamster to escape from), while presenting very minor disadvantages as major ones in other set-ups like 10 gallon aquariums (like cleaning it)or wire cages (can't use tubes). I'm afraid that having to take a bit of effort to hose a cage down, or providing alternative tunnelling toys are nothing compared to ESCAPING!

   They do not mention how much cage room a hamster actually needs. If they had this would discount their favorite cages.

   Still, that would only make this a 4-star book and I gave it 3.

   This is because when going over the information for choosing a hamster, they don't have their priorities straight. When talking about going to a breeder they list that breeders have breeds and coat colors not available at pet shops as the first reason. Then almost as an afterthought tag on a sentence that the hamsters would be hand tamed and used to humans.

   As someone who appreciates an animal for themselves this kind of attitude is extremely elitist and snobby. As if an animal's worth is only in its looks and the joy in having it is to show off that rare color or breed.

   In addition, much of what is said is taken off verbatim from various Internet sites. Based on the copyright dates of the book and update information on the websites I know it's not the other way around.

   Despite this, this would be a pretty basic book to get if you are thinking of owning a hamster. However, I would recommend the Hamtaro Hamster Care Guide instead.

3 comments about Rabbit Health in the 21st Century: A Guide for Bunny Parents.

1. This is the second time I purchased this book. I owned the first edition and when the second came out, I had to have it. The book is greatly reassuring at 11:30 at night when your discover something wrong with your bunny and the vet won't be available until morning. My our case, the book enabled us to diagnose our bunny's diabetes, something that our vet missed even though she is a "bunny expert". A must for every pet rabbit owner!!!



2. Since rabbits are prey animals they hide illness really well. That's why its important for rabbit keepers to know how to see even the faintest signs of illness and what they mean. The book educates the reader on common illness and their treatments and more chronic illnesses. The author covers drugs, how safe they are, and what they do and discusses alternative medicine. The book has also been reviewed by a vet before publishing so the information can be trusted. This goes beyond what a standard rabbit care book, this is a rabbit health book. Use it as a supplement to a good rabbit care book like the House Rabbit Handbook or Rabbits for Dummies. I recommend this over the Rabbitopaedia, which has incorrect information in it.



3. This is a wonderful book for any bunny parent who wants to learn more about specific rabbit illnesses. I have referred to this book quite often when one of my bunnies seems "out of sorts". The chapters include Being Prepared, Common Rabbit Health Issues, Chronic Ailments and Aging Bunnies, Care of the Chronically Ill, Diagnosis and Conventional Treatments, Alternative Medicine, Knowing When to Say Goodbye, and Coping with Loss. When you know more about common rabbit illnesses, the more prepared you'll be if something does happen to your bunny.

5 comments about Let's Go Visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

1. I really like this book. It is a wonderful way to educate kids (and adults will enjoy it as well) about love, compassion, and respect for animals.
   
   We need to teach our kids while they are young, to treat animals the way that they themselves would want to be treated.
   
   What we sow in our children today, animals will reap tomorrow.
   
   So if we want to end animal abuse, animal cruelty, animal murder (euthanizing healthy animals) etc, in the future, it will ONLY happen, if we teach our kids TODAY, that animals are living, breathing, feeling, loving, soul-filled children of God, just like we human animals are.
   
   Trust me when I say that getting this gift for your child (or a fellow adult) will be a gift that keeps on giving and giving......because this book is about love, compassion and living in peace with, and taking care of, our animal friends.
   
   [...]



2. Animals are a huge part of our society; but, far too often, they are mistreated and cast aside. Luckily, there are sanctuaries across the nation who provide these particular animals with lifelong homes where they can live in peace and harmony with loving caregivers, and fellow animals. Nora Lee Kelsey takes us behind-the-scenes of one of these particular sanctuaries - Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
   
   Over the years, southern Utah's Best Friends Animal Sanctuary has become one of the biggest animal sanctuaries in the nation. Home to dogs and cats, along with the less typical rabbits, horses, ducks, pigs, sheep, and many more, Best Friends makes a difference in the lives of animals on a daily basis. While many visit the location each year, others don't always have the means or time to make the trip. With Kelsey's LET'S GO VISIT BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SANCTUARY, readers have the opportunity to do just that - from their very own homes!
   
   Laden with gorgeous color photos, LET'S GO VISIT BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SANCTUARY takes readers on a trip to Horse Haven, the Bunny House, Feathered Friends, Cat World, and Dogtown. At each stop, you have the opportunity to meet and greet with some of the residents of each area, learning their likes and dislikes, and glimpsing bits and pieces of what they do on a daily basis. After the trip is said and done, some of the Best Friends residents provide readers with tips on what they can do to help animals - even going so far as including websites you can visit.
   
   I have loved Best Friends Animal Sanctuary ever since I learned about it more than ten years ago, so I was thrilled when I learned that Nora Lee Kelsey had taken the time to pen a gorgeous book about the location. The many pictures bring the animals to life; while the information packed onto each and every page provides the reader with enough facts to become a Best Friends Animal Sanctuary wiz! Perfect for animal lovers to read at home with their families, or as an instructional tool in the classroom, LET'S GO VISIT BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SANCTUARY is a necessity for all. I could not have imagined a more perfect book. Two paws up!
   
   Erika Sorocco
   Freelance Reviewer



3. This colorful, friendly book is designed as a tool to help children, ages about five to eight (my guess), to learn about animal sanctuaries, animal shelters, and, in a subtle, gentle way, about the ugliness of animal abuse. I can easily imagine this book being used in a classroom of first-graders or second-graders.
   
   The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is an enormous refuge, for abused animals of all species, located in Utah. This book basically explains the nature and purpose of that sanctuary and, by extension, the nature and purpose of animal shelters and sanctuaries everywhere. The book, which is fifty-two pages long, accomplishes this by providing a verbal and photographic tour of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, describing the animals there, giving you the stories of how they ended up there, and how the animals are cared for, while they live there. I appreciated how the photographs and the text definitely emphasized the animals. The book did not end up being a piece of promotional literature, that glorified the one facility, as if they were the only facility engaging in the support and caring of animals that have been abused or neglected.
   
   Most of the book, if you calculated the area covered by writing versus photographs, is dedicated to beautiful photographs, with the written explanations and captions being smaller. However, the writing is clear, concise, and worded in ways where children are going to understand the ideas, without feeling that they are being talked down to. The writing also does a nice job of giving children enough information about how animals are sometimes mistreated or neglected, without getting so graphic that the children might be traumatized. The tone of the writing is that it assumes that children will usually care about, and sympathize with, animals, and I see that as accurate.
   
   The photography is also fairly balanced, in that it does not portray the animals at the sanctuary as a collection of perfect specimens of petdom. It shows, and talks about, some of the difficulties that a potential adoptive family might face if the animals were brought into that family. I will that the photography is done in such a way that many children will likely, after seeing this book, want to bring a pet into their home. There appears to be a large number of highly photogenic animals at the sanctuary, or else the photographer did an excellent job of being patient and catching the animals at their best.
   
   As I stated above, this book is meant to introduce us to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, as well as to a series of books, with the same photographer, writers, and source material, but aimed at different topics.
   
   There is a section, near the end of the book, that describes different kind of projects, for children and school classrooms to do, to help local animal shelters and sanctuaries. I really like that this section was included, as I can see children understanding and appreciating the book a lot, and immediately wanting to know what they can do to help. The section was done well, as all of the ideas mentioned are very feasible projects for a classroom or a school to do.
   
   I am hoping, and suggesting any who might read this, who is connected to this series, that future topic for books include:
   
   A description of good animal care, especially from a child's point of view.
   
   A discussion of what children can do, if they believe that animals are being abused or neglected.
   
   If I had a list a flaw, there is one small omission. When the book describes how people come to own dogs, it describes pet stores and "puppy mills" (not favorably) and animal shelters (favorably), but makes no mention of puppies obtained from responsible, caring breeders. I can imagine a child, whose family owns a dog obtained from a good breeder, wondering if his or her family obtained their pet in a good way or a bad way. That is a small point, that a teacher or parent could easily explain, but the book could have easily mentioned it.



4. This work hits on a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Animals have played a very important part of my life for over sixty years now and they are just as important to me now as when I received my first puppy when I was about three years old. My wife and I have been very involved with our local humane society for many years now. That being said....
   
   This work takes the reader for an inside look at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary located Southern Utah. Thousands of animals have been helped through this organization and Ms. Kelsey has given us a child's eye view of its workings, mission, needs, and indeed, delights. The book is designed to be read to children, and more specifically, is ideal for groups of children, although it is an absolute delight for the adult reader also. The photographs are quite professionally done and are works of art themselves. The author's easy style, humor and obvious enthusiasm for her subject shine through on ever page. She takes us on a verbal tour, supplemented by wonderful photographs, through this great organization. The author takes great pains in explaining the socialization process of these animals, stressing not only their physical needs, but emotional as well. This is a bit different than some of the works in this genre. We are given a peek at the different areas of this sanctuary, the bird house, horse area, pigs, dogs, cats, et al. Some individual stories of these critters are told as well as the source for many of the animals helped here.
   
   This book is certainly designed for the class room. Its easy reading style and humor will be appreciated by the children. Each page is full of useful information and the photographs are well coordinated. Many questions are asked which are ideal for taking the children into a discussion. The author has also provided pages full of ideas for class projects, given some great web sites for further research, and above all, has infused an enthusiasm into her work which is rather contagious. Volunteerism is stressed here and the point is well made that everyone can do their little share to change what has become almost a national tragedy. Now don't misunderstand that statement. This is not a "sad puppy book," something that I find difficult to read to younger children. Everything here is upbeat and positive while still being quite truthful about the plight of these unwanted animals.
   
   A WORD OF CAUTION: I am retired now and spend most of my days acting as a substitute teacher in local schools. We live in an area, Southern Missouri, which is more or less the puppy mill capital of the known universe. This is something my wife and I have fought for years and years. The author is quite harsh, and well she should be, when addressing this subject. The problem comes, in my case, where I will have a room full of about 25 students, and out of that 25, at least six or seven will have parents or grandparents who make their living as puppy mill owners. I plan to use this work at those schools, but I also plan to do a bit of verbal editing when this portion of the book is read to the students. While they need to know about such things, I am not about to be critical of their parents in front of their fellow students. Goodness knows I have had many heated conversations with the parents of these kids on this subject, indeed having been instrumental in shutting a few down, but don't feel the children should be subjected to the same line as I would give their mom and dad.
   
   That being said, I cannot recommend this work highly enough. It is an absolute wealth of information and a delight to the ear and eye. The author has done a wonderful job here. I do wish there were more organizations out there like Best Friends...we certainly need them.



5. I am a children's book author AND a regular volunteer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. I am also the editor of this book. To be frank with you, the book needed little editing! Nola's writing is fresh, funny, and full of heart. I knew her when she was a dog caregiver at Best Friends, and I was deeply moved by her love for animals. This love shines on every page of Nola's book. It is indeed a book for people of all ages. Highly recommended!