No comments about CHIPMUNK (Pet Owner's Guide).

1 comments about Step-By-Step Book About Guinea Pigs (Step By Step).

1. This thin book has only bare bones information that is now mostly out of date. The photographs have all appeared in several other TFH published books about guinea pigs over the years. For example, photos of red cedar being used as bedding AND cages with wire mesh bottoms are included. It is now known that red cedar is one of the worst bedding materials for guinea pigs, and that wire mesh bottomed cages can often cripple or kill guinea pigs. The best thing going for this book is the CARTOONS! Yes, guinea pigs may seem cartoonish enough, but these dozen or so cartoons will definately make you look at your piggy differently! If you're looking for guinea pig caretaking information, don't look in here. If you collect guinea pig books and want to see something a little different with the cartoons, then step over to it.

No comments about Raising a Healthy Rabbit (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin, a-259).

No comments about Rabbits: How to Take Care of Them and Understand Them (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

3 comments about The Really Useful Bunny Guide.

1. My family has been professionaly breeding & caring for rabbits for over 20 years. I was very disatisfied with the quality of books available for my pet bunny customers and was seriously considering writing my own book. Then I found this book and was thrilled! It is exactly what I would have written myself. I recommend it to everyone who takes home a pet bunny (with the reminder that the author is from England and not to worry about the vaccinations listed for the two diseases that the USA is fortunately not plagued with). Every bunny owner should have this book!



2. This book is one of my most recommended rabbit books. It is easy to read and gets right to the point. It tells you in plain language why your rabbit does what it does, it gives great tips on what to do and what not to do for your rabbit, and it is packed with useful facts and information on rabbits and bunnies. I can hardly suggest a better book, especially for beginners, than this one. It is perfect if you don't like to read a lot of filler. It tells you just what you need to know.



3. This book was loaded with house rabbit information and tips on how to train and understand your rabbit. It was also very accurate except for the cedar/pine shavings warning & the statement that nearly every unspayed rabbit gets cancer. Although uterine cancer is common and the risk increases with age it isn't accurate to say every unspayed doe will get it. Otherwise I found the information useful, a much better book than the HRH.

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

1. It has some good basic info... but lacks specific in depths about rabbits.



2. This was my first rabbit care book. It is typical of the ones you find in pet stores etc. It is relatively thin and has a lot of glossy rabbit pictures in it and good basic care information. Since getting it, I have found it to be a little vague in some areas of rabbit nutrition, mainly the need for timothy pellets, the mainstay of the rabbit diet, and the evils of calcium in a rabbit diet. Other than that, it is a good, inexpensive, colorful rabbit book that I did enjoy reading.



3. I bought this book a couple days before getting my bunny. We have now had him for 3 days, and I am looking for a more detailed book now. It was good because it shows pictures of bunny types, is easy to read, and easy to reference.
   The downside, it only has a little information on everything, it is a thin book. I want another one with tons of information, but this one is good for kids and referencing.



4. It was an okay book, but none of the information was anything I hadn't already read on websites for free. The heading here also says it provides everything about training, but I didn't find any training advice other than getting it to stand up, stuff I don't consider training, my rabbit does those things naturally. It doesn't discuss chewing at all. I was very disappointed.



5. If you're thinking of adopting a rabbit, this is the perfect book to get for a new pet owner, seeing as how all of the information that it contains is broken down simply, in a language that is untechnical, and easily understood by rabbit owners and lovers of all ages. RABBITS: A COMPLETE PET OWNER'S MANUAL, is filled with tons of different information that rabbit owners need in order to care for their new bunny. From info about a rabbit's origins, life cycle, temperament, to info about selecting the perfect rabbit for your family, information about feeding, purchasing a cage, health care, accessories, and more.

   As someone who loves rabbits, and has owned a Holland Lop named Cinnabun for 6-years, I know first-hand that this book is a must-have. In fact, just last week, this book saved Cinnabun's life. I noticed that Cinnabun was acting strangely, and looked up his symptoms in Monika Wegler's RABBITS. I soon found out that Cinnabun was suffering from Snuffles, a deadly upper respiratory infection. The vet informed me that had one more day passed, Cinnabun would have surely died. It has now been a week, and Cinnabun is not only feeling better, but is back to his old ways, and I have this book to thank. The easy-to-understand chapter about health care is amazing. A true must-have!

   Erika Sorocco

No comments about Hamsters, Gerbils, Guinea Pigs, Rabbits, Ferrets, Mice, and Rats: How to Choose and Care for a Small Mammal (American Humane Pet Care Library).

2 comments about Guinea Pig: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet.

1. This book covers all aspects of guinea pig ownership, and presents it in an easy to read, easy to find what you're looking for way. There are differnt sections for indoor and outdoor guinea pigs, so however you are going to keep your pig you get information how to in this book. Then there are sections to help you understand the guinea pigs lauguage and body launguage, showing, breeds of piggies and alot of other things. There is a list of common health problems that guinea pigs have with descriptions of the symptoms. One thing I found very helpfull was the section on how to introduce a guinea pig to other pets, and how to potty train them.
   I read this book over and over again not just for the information but also for the nice pictures and the great way that a guinea pigs wonderful personality that guinea pigs have. If you have a guinea pig you should have this book.



2. FINALLY!!! A book devoted to the joys of pet guinea pigs--not breeding fuzz factories, not commercial commodities, but COMPANIONS! Proves guinea pigs are playful and fun--they don't just sit there. A joy to read--especially for those of us who remember Audrey when she was the editor of Horse Illustrated. Engaging, informative, helpful text written by a true lover of animals. The illustrations are also lavish, helpful, at times hysterical and heavy on cute. Also has a big listing of books, clubs and a tiny website listing--still, very accurate. The only quibbles are that housing piggies outdoors is information grudgingly given as Audrey advocates keeping them indoors. No information about pregancy and raising young is to be found, as she advocates letting breeders do that. However, so many people find that their new piggie just happens to be pregnant, not due to any planned breeding, that this information is needed for those caring piggy slaves who have no idea what to expect. Still, quibbles aside, a must have book for those who love guinea pigs.

4 comments about Mice: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual.

1. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone thinking of purchasing mice for pets, whether you're a first timer or an experienced mouse owner. However, there are two trouble spots I'd like to point out first:
   
   - Concerning the section about "mouse condos": Biefeld asserts that a simple flat table with no walls of any sort can make an excellent home for mice. I strongly advice against this. Many mice will jump off the edge of tables regardless of the height to the floor (especially in their "jumping stage"), and sometimes mice are, quite simply, clumsy, and will tumble off the edge of ledges involuntarily. A cage / aquariaum will serve your mice much better as a home.
   
   - Biefeld also somewhat idealizes the concept of taming your mouse, stating that playing with it while young will make it so comfortable with you it will want to be picked up. This is simply not true. You can play with a young mouse in the gentlest fashion and still have it scurry away from your hand for the rest of its life. Also placing your hand / finger motionless in front of a mouse in a cage is often an invitation to get bitten. Not that this should discourage you in any way; it's simply instinct. But don't expect your mouse to become like a dog.
   
   Other than these points, the guide is fantastic. Covers almost every area you could possibly need, including mouse anatomy and nutrition, breeding habits and pregnancy, genetics, mouse behavior and social interaction, different types of mice, and various other areas. I find myself constantly going back to the book to look up one thing or another. Highly reccommended if you own or are going to own mice.



2. This is perhaps the best book out there regardig mice as pets. It has cage set up suggestions I have not seen anywhere else and is full of information that puts the needs of mice above all else. This book is a must if you keep mice or are thinking of getting a mouse.
   D.S



3. Bielfeld's books isn't bad. It has more depth than most of the books on mice out there. It isn't written for elementary school students acquiring a first pet who might have been reading only 1-3 years. However, this still isn't sufficient as the only book you'd need if you have pet mice. While it goes into genetics, the material is not helpful (either for someone just starting out with no understanding of genetics or someone who is past the basics and wants more information about genetics and mice). The information (and drawings) on mice condos is entertaining but very misleading--it is not true that mice won't leap/jump to the floor (I've seen them do it plus youngsters in the "flea stage" accidently take some great falls). So the housing section has problems. Some of the more basic questions that a first-time mouse owner would want to know (how much to feed mice? what kind of bedding to use?) this book ducks. While there are a lot of pages on breeding, they are of no use to either a first-time owner with an accidental litter wondering how to keep the pregnant doe healthy or what to do/not do with the litter or someone interested in intentionally mating mice for several litters. While there is an extensive section on healthcare and disease, I found it to be of no use because it's so general. Common problems mouse owners may often encounter aren't mentioned while other issues I haven't seen in 3 years of mouse breeding are covered.

   In summary, this book has more detail and depth than many of the other mouse books out there in the mass public. But is insufficient as a sole resource for first-time mouse owners. And those seeking more advanced information (on genetics, care of colonies, breeding) will be disappointed by the lack of specificity.




4. This book is a fantastic guide to the world of pet mice. It is simply said, and easy enough for young readers to understand. I, myself am only 13 years old! But "Mice" should be one of any pet lover's favorite books. It is highly informative and has fantastic photos and drawings that match the text. Great reading!!!

5 comments about Rats: All About Selection, Husbandry, Nutrition, Breeding and Diseases, With a Special Chapter on Understanding Rats (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. I recieved this book as a gift. I read it and immediately threw it out. It is a horribly misleading book that should not be sold at all. It states that rats will not come when called by name or that will not bond to you. Tell this to my 12 rats that do exactly that. The author knows NOTHING about rat temperament. Other statements about what you can teach your rats are just plain wrong. The trifling details that are given about rat care are not enough to fill a thimble. Any current ir prospective owner should get Debbie Ducommun's books, Rat health Care, and Rats for Today's Pet Owner (this is available here). Debbie is the "rat lady" and her books should be considered rat owners bibles.
   Just because a book is written by a vet does not mean it should be taken at face value. I give this book no stars because it deserves none. (no stars was not a valid choice, so I am telling you)



2. This book said that multiple rats would fight and did not recommend getting more than one. I thought that this was a really incorrect recommendation, rats are social animals. Unless a person can spend alot of time with a rat I feel that it is cruel to only have one and there are alot of rat lovers that agree with me. I have 5 male rats at one point, they got along really well. At one point some of them did start to fight, I tried natural remedies-which can definately work in some cases-but they continued to fight so I had the trouble makers nuetured and then everyone got along great! If you have rats that fight check out rat web pages for solutions, alittle bit of bickering is to be expected.



3. This book said that multiple rats would fight and did not recommend getting more than one. I thought that this was a really incorrect recommendation, rats are social animals. Unless a person can spend alot of time with a rat I feel that it is cruel to only have one and there are alot of rat lovers that agree with me. I have 5 male rats at one point, they got along really well. At one point some of them did start to fight, I tried natural remedies-which can definately work in some cases-but they continued to fight so I had the trouble makers nuetured and then everyone got along great! If you have rats that fight check out rat web pages for solutions, alittle bit of bickering is to be expected.



4. When I first got my very first rat, this book was really helpful and informative. Then, I got a second female rat that happened to be pregnant and I found that the book didn't have as much information in it as I would have liked to have known. I would reccommend this to anyone who is just starting out with their first rat. But, if you are planning on continuing breeding or keeping rats as pets, I suggest getting something more detailed.



5. I've had this book for a while, and while it is helpful, it is not the best book out there on rats as pets. It's not a bad price, though, and I have never heard anyone say that anything in it is flat-out wrong, so it may not be a bad supplement to the rat library. I wouldn't use it as my sole source of information.