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| Sunday, 7 November 2004 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Squirrels bond strongly with owners
Squirrels will be rather solitary but in truth they are also incredibly interactive. They bond strongly with the owner and this person becomes their best friend (and as someone once said their 'best tree'). It is a relationship which requires both dedication and commitment. Squirrels must be provided with a proper and varied diet, as well as the proper amount and type of exercise. Good mixtures to feed your squirrel include vegetables and many fruits. Parrot food is another good choice since it has many seeds that squirrels like.Also make sure there is a constant supply of water for your squirrel. Put water in a heavy dish or in a water bottle attached to the side of the cage.Provide your squirrel with branches throughout the cage so he can exercise and feel more comfortable. To ensure the health of your pet, make sure you thoroughly clean the cage. To make the squirrel feel more at home, put wings, leaves, grass and barks on the bottom of the cage. Squirrels' teeth grow constantly throughout their lives. So you should make sure that they are provided with chewing material. Squirrels use their sharp teeth for protection. When a squirrel has had enough of play, if you aren't smart enough to recognise the signs, they are not adverse to sinking those little teeth into your finger, and those powerful jaws that split nutshells can easily drive them right down to the bone. Squirrels love being released from their cage and having a chance to play with you. And one of their favourite games is to pretend that you are a tree. But be careful of their razor-sharp toenails because the result would be some painful scratches. You must consider any potential interactions if you have other pets or even small children. Squirrels are smart animals and they can be very brave and do a lot of damage quickly if they feel threatened and have nowhere to retreat. Make sure not to cage these little critters all the time. Without adequate exercise, running, jumping and climbing, their skeletal structure will deteriorate. As with all animals, squirrels can become ill. But you can do your best to avoid this, simply by taking good care of your pet. It is true that anyone would love to have a pet squirrel but the truth is they do not make good pets because squirrels are wild animals and their favourite place of habitation is wooded areas. If you really love them, help to save trees and let the wild and green remain as it is. There are plenty of other animals that need a good home and the love you have in your heart. ____________________________________________________ Does your pet have dreams?
Scientists were once of the view that only humans had dreams because only they experienced the kind of sleep cycle where dreams take place. This sleep is known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Now they have found that animals too experience REM sleep. Have you ever seen your sleeping pet dog or cat quiver, twitch, growl and move its legs in the running motion? If you have, that means your pet was dreaming. What it was all about no one really knows. Perhaps its re-living in dream form the most recent events of its life. Sleeping cats and dogs spend about 36 per cent of their total sleep time in REM sleep. This is much more than we humans do. Now does this mean your pet dreams more? Who knows. The young of animals experience more REM sleep than adults. Research is conducted to find out more about what really happens when animals are in REM sleep. There are those who say that the twitching and growling of animals during sleep has nothing to do with dreams but are uncontrolled muscular spasms. What do you feel when you observe your pet in such a situation? |
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| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
Do you love to have a squirrel as a pet or are you already taking care
of these wonderful little critters? But always remember, taking care of
squirrels and ownership of them is something altogether different.
Squirrels are companions, not pets. The amount of attention required is
akin to that of a baby or a very small child.
Want to know if your pet dog or cat has dreams like you do when
sleeping? The answer is yes. New research has provided evidence that
animals do dream. But it's not clear why they dream and what they dream
about.
