5 comments about The Rat: An Owner's Guide toa Happy Healthy Pet.

1. If you are like we were, rookies with rats, buy this book. It taught us everything that we needed to know about pet rat ownership. It is an invaluable tool for those new to rats and a great refresher for the pro rat owners.



2. 
   This book is so much better than the "Barron's" series one. It is written in a way that kids and adults can understand. And I loved the humor sprinkled within. It felt like I was learning from a seasoned owner. =0) Nice personal touch! I learned much from this book and look forward to putting this knowledge to use!



3. Most of the information is good, but there are some things it recommends that I wouldn't. I thought the cages she recommends are a little small, and that some of the bedding wasn't appropriate. Other than that, it was all right.



4. This book has much good information about pet rats, but I didn't find some information I was looking for. There were very good tips on how to decide if a pet rat is right for you and on recommended cages and different toys rats like and don't like. We have two pet rats we bought at a pet store that look like the rat on the cover, but I had trouble determining what variety these are based on the descriptions and pictures. Also, the cage size recommendation was only for one rat, so I wasn't sure how big of a cage I need for two rats. In the Feeding Your Rat chapter, lab blocks and dog kibble were mentioned as staples, but the pet store had rat food which appears to be a mixture primarily of seeds and some food blocks. I couldn't tell from the book, whether this mixture of food was good for my rat. It would help if the book covered more information on what is available in pet stores and whether these are best for a pet rat.
   All in all though, a pretty complete book.



5. I have almost 50 pets, so I do a lot of reading on my special friends. This book is my favorite book about rats. I recommend it each time I sell a rat at the pet store I work at. It is wonderful to have on hand as a reference and to read just for fun. The chapters on health care and training are especially well done. Anyone who loves ratties should have this book!

5 comments about Dwarf Rabbits (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals).

1. The book's design and photos are very pleasing (& very cute!). The author offers much useful and easy to understand advice. If you're looking into getting a bunny or just became an owner of one, I highly recommend this book because it will make you & your bunny's lives easier. It gives you tips on how to bond with your bunny, what to do and what NOT to do with him/her. I made the mistake of not having read this book before raising my bunny. I did things that I thought were completely normal to do (I have 2 very small dogs & have had many animals before) but were totally inappropriate when it comes to rabbits. Just being caring and loving is not enough. You need to learn to care and love the right way to ensure a happy and enjoyable life for the both of you.



2. I read the paperback edition, which I enjoyed immensely. The information is presented in a way that is easy to read and understand. The pictures are precious! The cutest rabbit in the world is on page 9, a purebred Thuringian dwarf. I wish I could find a rabbit like that one! If you read this book, you will definitely want a rabbit for a pet.



3. I am sorry that I did not buy this book before I bought my rabbit. I wish I had read it before doing so many mistakes. I recommend you to read this book before buying this lovely creature, at least not to hurt it against your will.



4. This book helps you get off to a great start with your new rabbit, great clor pictures and easy to read. I loved the pictures and the information was valueble to me I am now looking forward to buying my first rabbit this has helped me feel more confident about my decision.



5. The color pictures are lovable and this book is simply brimming with information about how to take care of dwarf rabbits. Each section is informative and comprehensive. It certainly provided me with plenty of tips on rearing my dwarf rabbits.

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

1. I have been keeping mice for a year now and have become a breeder in my local area. I brought this book thinking that there would be more information in it. It only touches on most of the subjects it includes. I found that it makes a very good starter book, but it is sadly lacking in depth of content. It looks like it has a lot of information because of the number of pages, but each page is very small and contains little information. There are lots of good pictures to enjoy though. I would recommend this book to someone just starting out, but I would not recommend it to anyone who wants to know more than the basics about mice.



2. This book is a reasonable size with illustrations and pictures of mice, subjects that they talk about, and sometimes demonstrations. Examples:How to pick up an untamed mouse and how to tell the gender of your mouse.
   At times there can be a little too much information, but it really does tell you everything you need to know before and after you buy a mouse in every chapter.
   1.Intro To The Mouse
   2.Before You Buy
   3.Understanding Your Mouse
   4.Accomodations For Your Mouse
   5.Feeding Your Mouse
   6.Health
   7.Raising Mice
   8.Breeding Fancy Mice
   It also includes many tips, charts, checklists, and how-tos.
   All in all, it's the BEST book for mouse owners!! It may not be the easiest to read because of the small print and bunches of info, but it's the must read for mouse owners old and new even if you have to scan it for occassional of emergency info!!



3. I just bought two female fancy mice and this book has been most helpful. It has lots of useful information on housing, feeding, behavior, and even breeding. Plus it has lots of color photos. It is a very thorough book (written by a veterinarian) and I highly recommend it.



4. I read two different 'mice as pets' books before buying my first pair of fancy mice in 1999. Although the books provided the basics of housing and feeding, as well as some notes on what to do if my mouse experienced diarrhea, they did not prepare me for the illness that claimed the mice two years later.

   Dr. Vanderlip's book "Mice: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual" provides much more information concerning mouse health, including visual cues for various illnesses, and suggested remedies, even if they are only intended to make your mouse more comfortable while you contact your veterinarian. She also provides helpful tip-boxes and brief checklists for quick and easy reference on such topics as what to do, or not do, if your mouse escapes, as well as the kind of bedding, toys, and cage placement that best suits a mouse's anatomy and physiology.

   Her writing style is blunt and compassionate, and after reading this book, I feel much better prepared to be the responsible owner of happy and healthy mice.




5. Mice as pets? While many of us still think of mice as garden variety rodents, true mouse lovers appreciate the extreme diversity of this remarkably successful family of pocket mammals. Worldwide in their distribution, mice have adapted to most extremes of climate and geography.

   This mouse book brings together a wide range of pragmatic knowledge about mouse-keeping from veterinary researchers, hobbiests, and animal behaviorists--no small feat given the vast literature on these busy, entertaining and social little critters.

   If you are looking for a single source about feeding, breeding, housing and entertaining your favorite mouse, this manual will probably be a first choice. A comprehensive list of common ailments is included that helps to identify a sick mouse. Useful advice if offered in handy, table form on how problems can be prevented and managed, or treated by your family veterinarian.

   Since mice readily breed in captivity, another section provides an understanding of their reproductive cycle and useful details on pregnancy, nursing, weaning and development.Giving mice enriching activities is always fun and challenging; the section on housing, furnishings and feeding offers a wealth of details that make mouse-keeping interesting and entertaining.

   Even rodent-phobes will quickly be attracted to these gentle little creature armed with the knowledge that this generously illustrated, well-organized, user-friendly manual provides.

   Phillip T. Robinson, DVM

4 comments about Degus.

1. Since I had already spent countless hours on the Internet searching for information on the care of degus, I thought that this book may be a waste of my time. I ordered it anyway (the price was right & afterall it was the first published English book on degus). I was extremely surprised at the amount of information contained in the book. Those who already own degus will not be disappointed, and will be surprised at some of the information (which may be contrary to what some internet sites claim) in it. For those who are new degus owners, or thinking about becoming an owner, I dare say that you should not consider buying such an exotic pet until you have read this book. The book "Degus" references many scientific studies from which some of the information was gathered. This book will certainly improve your understanding of your pets needs, and the quality of care that you provide them. :)



2. A Complete Degu Book Degus are among the lesser-known pocket pets, but this little manual will soon change that. One of the marks of a good manual is its comprehensiveness, and this one is concise, easy to use, and packed with information. The complete range of essential knowledge has been brought together by the author, including virtually everything that one needs to know to select, house, feed, breed and identify common problems with this fascinating group of South American rodents. A Health Check Sheet gives Degu lovers an easy table of signs to look for that suggest medical problems, but this manual is really about how to prevent them. The emphasis of this book is on understanding and nurturing your Degu. Since much of caring for unfamiliar pets revolves around knowing what is normal, Dr. Vanderlip has taken particular care to describe, in simple detail, the expected norms, such as how Degus look and act from birth to adulthood, and what they do when they feel good. Veterinarians will find this to be a handy reference for examining and treating Degus, which are growing in popularity as small pets.

   This manual is loaded with illustrations on housing, feeding, handling and medical care. A particularly useful section describes all of the typical places in the household that represent hazards to these agile little creatures. The photos and drawings are excellent and show Degus doing what Degus do, which seems to revolve around being cute and fun loving most of the time.

   Phillip T. Robinson, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Zoological Medicine




3. Degus are among the lesser-known pocket pets, but this little manual will soon change that. One of the marks of a good manual is its comprehensiveness, and this one is concise, easy to use, and packed with information. The complete range of essential knowledge has been brought together by the author, including virtually everything that one needs to know to select, house, feed, breed and identify common problems with this fascinating group of South American rodents. A Health Check Sheet gives Degu lovers an easy table of signs to look for that suggest medical problems, but this manual is really about how to prevent them.

   The emphasis of this book is on understanding and nurturing your Degu. Since much of caring for unfamiliar pets revolves around knowing what is normal, Dr. Vanderlip has taken particular care to describe, in simple detail, the expected norms, such as how Degus look and act from birth to adulthood, and what do they do when they feel good. Veterinarians will find this to be a handy reference for examining and treating Degus, which are growing in popularity as small pets.

   This manual is loaded with illustrations on housing, feeding, handling and medical care. A particularly useful section describes all of the typical places in the household that represent hazards to these agile little creatures. The photos and drawings are excellent and show Degus doing what Degus do, which seems to revolve around being busy, cute and fun loving most of the time.

   Phillip T. Robinson, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Zoological Medicine




4. Degus are among the lesser known pocket pets, but this little manual will soon change that. One of the marks of a good manual is its comprehensiveness, and this one is concise, easy to use, and packed with information. The complete range of essential knowledge has been brought together by the author, including virtually everything that one needs to know to select, house, feed, breed and identify common problems with this fascinating group of South American rodents. A Health Check Sheet gives degu lovers an easy table of signs to look for that suggest medical problems, but this manual is really about how to prevent them.

   The emphasis of this book is on understanding and nurturing your degu. Since much of caring for unfamiliar pets revolves around knowing what is normal, Dr. Vanderlip has taken particular care to describe, in simple detail, the expected norms, such as how degus look and act from birth to adulthood, and what do they do when they feel good. Veterinarians will find this to be a handy reference for examining and treating degus, which are growing in popularity as small pets.

   This manual is loaded with illustrations on housing, feeding, handling and medical care. A particularly useful section describes all of the typical places in the household that represent hazards to these agile little creatures. The photos and drawings are excellent and show degus doing what degus do, which seems to revolve around being cute and fun loving most of the time.

   Phillip T. Robinson, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Zoological Medicine

5 comments about Your Guinea Pig : A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing.

1. This is a great resource for anyone considering owning or one who owns a guinea pig. It was very helpful for us. We learned about bathing our guinea and cutting her nails and so much more. Great for 4H Cavy project.



2. This book is great and give lots of great info on how to take care of your guinea pig.



3. This is a wonderful resource book for new AND experienced guinea pig owners, fanciers and breeders. The information is easy to find, easy to read and yet comprehensive.



4. The book is very useful for any guinea pig owners. There is a section on how to groom long-hired species. The most useful part is the section on illnesses and what to do in the event of the illness. Very Helpful!



5. This book has everything about Guinea pigs!!!!! It's really great

5 comments about Ferret Handbook, The (Barron's Pet Handbooks).

1. This was the book I purchased when I adopted Fuzzy, 5 years ago. It has all the information you need if you have never taken a ferret into your home and your life.
   Sadly, Fuzzy has passed away, as of two days prior to this writing. She lived for 8 years, (she was almost 3 years old when I took her home), and her health was excellent until her last year. She was my little buddy, and I took her with me almost everywhere.
   For those who would consider keeping ferret:
   -They are not like dogs and cats, they need to interact with you very closely. Give them as much attention as possible.
   -Ferrets are highly intelligent animals. Even if they seem indifferent, they really aren't. Young ferrets may seem more preoccupied with exploring the house, or playing with toys, but they still need your care and love (ferrets become more openly affectionate with age).
   -Because they are intelligent, and therefore curious, they will get into extraordinary mischief, and they do break things. A KEEPER OF FERRETS MUST HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR! In fact, weasel-mischief can be quite hilarious from our perspective!
   -Ferrets have very little fear, and very little sense of caution, they require your supervision to keep them safe! They can easily get lost or in an accident without your watchful eye! They need you!
   -Although cages are sold for ferrets, FERRETS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE CAGED for long periods. The cage is there to keep them safe when there are potential unsafe conditions, such as cleaning the house, etc.
   -Ferrets like to nip and bite. This is not because they are wild, vicious, or mean, its just the way they play and communicate with each other. They assume you are no different!
   -They also relieve themselves quite a bit, and require frequent cleaning of their living-spaces. If your gut or bladder was as tiny, you would "go" just as often!
   -Ferrets have a musty odor, but its not so bad, and you will get used to it. Besides, they are also soft, warm, and furry.
   Sadly, there are many ferrets that wind up with abusive and neglectful people. These kind of people brought a ferret home because they want to show-off, or some such thing. When they realize that caring for an animal requires work and compassion, thats where the trouble starts, and the ferret suffers quite badly. If you are not one of "those kind of people", and you care for animals, you will probably make a ferret's brief life very happy.



2. The best ferret book that I have ever bought or read. Has so much more than the other books out their. You will find more on ferret colors than anyplace else. More on health and care and feeding that I have found. And the best is the Understanding Ferret Behavior!! cant go wrong with that. The book jacket (on the back)says it all The Ferret Handbook The Information You Need to Raise a Happy and Healthy Ferret. Facts, advice, and fascinating insight tell you all you need to know and much more..



3. If you've never owned a ferret before or feel like you're not knowledgable enough with the fuzzies you have now, this is a great book. It covers all the basics one needs to know when caring for a ferret, or multiples. Including ferret proofing your home, basic training technics with multiple suggestions for different behavioral problems since no two ferrets are a like and will respond differently and many many other topics. I enjoyed this book and found it very informative since at the time I purchased it I felt I needed to learn more about my sweet little fuzzies and sure did! A great book.



4. This book tells you about everything you need to now about Fuzzies, carpet sharks, or Ferrets.



5. I just lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvve this book it described everything I needed to know!

1 comments about Getting Started: Clicking with Your Rabbit.

1. I was working on "c'mere" and when Miss Bunny came, I clicked and accidentally clicked right next to her ear. She ran away and thumped for about 15 minutes! I felt so bad. So please - don't click near your bunny - their ears are very sensitive. It hurt when I clicked next to my ear so I'm sure it hurt her ear a lot. I'm going to try the i-click and see if it's quieter. I do find it difficult to manage holding the target stick, treats, and clicker all at once, so I'm hoping I can use the i-click with my feet. You can see my cute bunny here: [...]:) I've been doing simple tricks with my bunny for a while and she's having a hard time connecting the clicker to treats. I realized that I always said, "YAY!" when she did her trick, so maybe that's a better option for her then the clicker, but now I understand better how to train her and we're making progress on new tricks.

2 comments about Textbook of Rabbit Medicine.

1. I HIGHLY reccommend this book to anyone interested in rabbit health, veterinarian, pet owner or rabbit breeder. I am the latter and found this book to be incredibly useful. One will need a basic knowledge of general biology to get their way through the book. I've raised rabbits very successfully for seven years. After reading this I changed many things I thought i had been doing right but now, thanks to the book, I am getting even better results. Its well worth every penny. I've won awards for rabbit knowledge so I had no idea that I'd learn a thousand times more from this book. i've actually taught our veterinarian a few things as she is the one who recommended the book to me. I've learned the most amazing and useful facts that have worked wonders, and they are the simplest things. Who knew that regular honey had healing properties strong enough to cure my rabbits severe case of ulcerative pododermatitis? he was so bad off the vet thought that i was crazy to not put him down. but I'm happy to say he's very much alive, 4 months later and is able to live an almost normal life. this is only one of millions (I mean MILLIONS) of useful little facts that will completely changed the most skilled rabbit fancier's way of looking at things. this book has saved the life of one of my rabbits and has given me sucessful suggestions for treatments to several other problems that even my vet who is a 25-year rabbit breeder herself didn't know. i urge you to get this book. It really can save the lives of rabbits and teach the most knowledeable person many new things



2. Rabbit medicine is a difficult subject to cover. Although our knowledge has increased greatly in the last ten years, there is still much we do not know. Harcourt-Brown does a very good job of describing medical problems that are common in rabbits, and provides information on treatment. She also provides valuable information on biological characteristics and husbandry.

   The only thing that I would have liked to see more of in the book are pictures. Otherwise, the book has been a valuable addition to my library, and I will definitely purchase any further revisions of the book. I recommend the book highly to anyone interested in rabbit care who has some knowledge of veterinary medicine.

5 comments about Hamsters (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals Series).

1. This book has been a great guide for my 9y/o. He has read it cover to cover and even goes back to it when he has questions. Highly recommended.



2. This books is full of high-quality, cute pictures of hamsters. But also, the information within it is very good. I've been keeping pet hamsters for over ten years. I read this book shortly after I got my first hamster, and I keep on returning to it for its useful information. The books is very well written. Any new hamster owner will find it full of great information.



3. The best guide to hamsters that we have found so far is this Complete Pet Owner's Manual. It also gave me the impression that the series had other successes besides this, after determining the quality of this one. The manual is most assuredly complete, covering: Maintainence, dietary supplements, dealing with the loss of a hamster, and specific behavioral signs. There are more sections in there that are also very interesting to know. These are very specialized and popular pets, and this covers the void for excited owners of their first hamster. If you already own other manuals about the hamster, this one is likely to be somewhat redundant.
   Ranks much higher in binding quality also. The "Happy Healthy Pet" owner's guide series has very cheap cardboard binding, and will fall apart in a matter of months from heavy use. "The Essential Hamster" has pretty good paperback binding, but not as firm as this one. There is a single other hamster manual being sold in stores and online, but it's paperback quality is not very good. Buy this first for good information and binding quality for hamster purchasers.



4. This is a good book that probably ought to be required when you buy a hamster for your youngster. You should buy this one for yourself, and TRAINING YOUR PET HAMSTER for the recipient of your gift! Then all of you can take good care of the hamster, learn more and more with each passing day, and have fun all the while without using a computer game 24/7!



5. This is a helpful guide if you are interested in keeping hamsters as pets or if you just want to become familiar with them. Written by Otto von Frisch, it was released in 1998. There are 64 pages, and it is in softcover format. Five chapters are included. I like the layout of the manual, the information, and the impressive color photos of the hamsters. There are handy charts, tables, and sidebars. Examples of topics covered are physical characteristics, sensory capabilities, buying a hamster, housing, breeding, handling (seven rules are included, for instance), nutrition (for example, ten important feeding rules are stated), behavior, and health. The tables--which are interspersed throughout--discuss hamster breeds at a glance, hazards for the hamster, and recognizing ailments and illnesses. There is a page that displays the ten golden rules for hamster care along with another page that outlines the hamster's body language. Also, two pages are devoted to an expert who gives answers to the ten most frequently asked questions regarding the keeping of hamsters. I find this to be a useful publication.

5 comments about The Essential Ferret (Essential (Howell)).

1. In all my years of ferret farming never have i, or my ferret, been so satisfied with a good bedtime story as 'The Essential Ferret'. Although the Ancestory isnt quite correct as Brian pointed out, it is a thoroughly engaging read and personally i rate it alongside 'Middlemarch' and 'Crime and Punishment'. Brian is my ferret. If i was to give one criticism, it would be the lack of exciting ferret fun filled photos. Although a ferret in a photo aint no real ferret, its still mighty exciting to gaze at. 'The Essential Ferret' is somewhat reminiscant of 'The Secret Weasel' by Deborah Dingos in that it also is a book. Strange considering weasels and ferrets are so similar also! This masterpiece is truely...essential.



2. This was a really good book with good facts and great pictures.Its a great book for people thinking about getting a ferret or reserching on their new ferret.It has the basics as well as the fun and intresting thigs such as Ancestry,Getting to know Your Ferret,and colors of the Ferret. I recomend this book to begining ferret owners of all ages!!!



3. This was a really good book with good facts and great pictures.Its a great book for people thinking about getting a ferret or reseching on their new ferret.It has the basics as well as the fun and intresting thigs such as Ancestry,Getting to know Your Ferret,and colors of the Ferret. I recomend this book to begining ferret owners of all ages!!!



4. This book was highly informative and I am a veteran ferret owner and consider myself knowledgeable. It's not a complete Bible on ferrets or ferret owning, but if you only choose one book, let this be it. :)



5. Betsy Siino's book is an edited-down copy of "The Ferret: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet" by Mary Shefferman. I can find NO new material in this book; indeed, except for the removal of parts (i.e. "editing"), it is word-for-word the same. The use of a new title and the publication under an editor's name (Siino) is a shallow and greedy attempt to confuse the consumer and steal their money by suggesting they are purchasing a new book about ferrets from a new author. The lack of clear reference to the original author, Mary Shefferman, is unethical and repugnant (although apparently legal). While I highly recommend Shefferman's book, I suggest that people refuse to purchase this volume--not because of the content--but because of the unethical marketing strategy. How would you feel if someone took YOUR book, edited out parts, stripped off your name, then published it under an editor's name? The only motivation I can find for this is pure greed. Please, if you want a book on ferrets, buy a different title. Boycott this book.