HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hinz@picard.med.ge.com (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987)
Subject: Re: Jonny Cat Litter / Ferrets
Organization: GE Medical Systems, Magnetic Resonance
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 06:17:11 GMT

Jyri L. Palm (palmj@vccsouth25.its.rpi.edu) wrote:
: 
: Other importanant info:
: 
: "100% natural clay mined from a rare deposit makes Jonny Cat
: especially absorbent."
: AND THEN they have a section for "Other Uses" of Jonny Cat:
: "GARAGE SPILLS-sweeps up oil and grease and reduces stains"
: "TRASH CANS-a layer on the bottom reduces odors and discourages flies"
: "REFRIGERATORS [!!!!!!!!!]-an inexpensive nontoxic odor absorbent"
: "GARDENS-enhances water retention and soil aeration, promotes growth"
: 
: All this from a cat litter!  Who could ask for more!
: 
: Dr. Pepper bottle, to find ONE MORE little tidbit:
: 
: "(!)WARNING: CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE. CAP MAY BLOW OFF CAUSING EYE OR
: OTHER SERIOUS INJURY.  POINT AWAY FROM PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WHILE OPENING."
: 
: So remember, when you buy Dr. Pepper, be careful!  AT ANY MOMENT, WITHOUT
: WARNING, it may just explode!

Yes, but what happens if you pour the Dr. Pepper INTO the Johnny Cat Litter?
FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM?
--

Dave Hinz  -  Opinions expressed are mine, not my employer's.  Obviously.
Pherrets are Phun!! 
hinz@picard.med.ge.com


Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: megm@sco.COM (Meg McRoberts)
Subject: Re: Litter training a rabbit
Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 18:14:27 GMT


In article <1992Aug09.033439.13781@bmerh85.bnr.ca> myhui@bnr.ca (Michael Hui) writes:
==> A year ago we had great fun describing what food we feed our beloved
==> Bun.  Now, let's do a net survey on how each of us (un)successfully
==> house-trained our Bun.

Rasta Rabbit was about 1-1/2 years old when we adopted her.
She had spent about three months at our vet's, during which
time she had faithfully used the litter box.

When we brought her home, it took a week or so for her to
get comfortable enough in the surroundings to reliably use
the litter box, and we had to keep several around.  I suppose
she hadn't quite selected *THE* spot yet.  Because she was
already housebroken and we were fairly novice rabbit owners,
we just let her select a spot, then put a litter pan there.

A couple weeks after she got reliable with the litter box,
the bunny hormones clicked in.  Among other undesireable
social behaviors was a total disregard for the litter box.
At least she selected a piece of linoleum so it was easy
to clean up.  It took a few weeks for us to realize what
was going on, then we had her spayed.  It took about four
months for her to fully return to her previous personality,
but within a week of the surgery she had returned to the
litter box.

Five months after we adopted Rasta, we moved across country.
Rasta flew on ahead and stayed with the new vet until I got
here, then a few more days until we could move into the new
house.  Again, it was a week or so before she got at all
reliable about the litter box, and another 2-3 weeks before
she narrowed it down to just two (the new house has two stories
and she needed a box on each floor).

16 months ago, Rasta twisted her back somehow and was completely
paralyzed for a while.  We have no idea how she did it -- she was
just paralyzed one night.  About a month before this, she got
rather unreliable about the litter box, so i've wondered if this
wasn't an early sign of spinal cord problems.  She has since recovered
mobility, but the spinal cord injury involved the "grey matter" and
she remains largely incontinent now.  Daily doses of phenylprop have
halted the constant dribbles, and she's now to the point where she does
most of her business while she eats.  I'm suspecting that this is some
primitive instinct -- according to The Private Life of a Rabbit, wild
rabbits do not soil their warrens but do their business when they go
outside to eat.  We keep absorbent sheepskin-like material around
the food areas to simplify the cleaning.

Rasta is still regaining functionality after the spinal cord injury,
and we are trying to reintroduce her to the litter pan.  So far,
we haven't had much success.  We put her in the pan with food or
put food in the pan, and she grabs the food out and takes off.
My next step is to try a corn cob litter.  She used to use clay
kitty litter, but i'm wondering if that isn't harsh on her feet
(which have had some problems over all this).

meg
From: ackerman@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Ron Ackermann)
Newsgroups: rec.pets
Subject: Re: Info request on foxes
Date: 21 Aug 92 20:11:15 GMT
Organization: Boeing

In article <1992Aug20.061359.26506@mr.med.ge.com> hinz@picard.med.ge.com (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987) writes:
>bproden@ualr.edu wrote:

>: Has anyone here had any experience raising foxes as pets?  
>: 
>: Brian P. Roden
>
>As far as I know, they are considered wild animals and may be illegal to keep
>without the proper permits.  Check with your state's DNR or wildlife & game
>commission to find out.

I can't really shed any light on foxes as pets, however I just got off the
phone with British Columbia (Canada) Tourism.  We are going camping in B.
C. in a couple weeks, and want to take our ferret, Amber, along with us.
I called to check what shots/paper work we would need.  According to her
rule book "Foxes, skunks, raccoons, and ferrets ..." don't require anything
except that they be personal pets, and be in the possession of their owner(s).
They don't require a certificate of health, proof of rabies vacination, or
anything else.  They also appear to consider foxes etc. as potential pets
(however that doesn't mean that all of them would be legal for a resident
to keep as a pet).
-- 
Ron Ackermann  DoD # 0462
ackerman@bcstec.ca.boeing.com
RTE,ETR

Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: chipg@access.digex.com (Chip Gallo)
Subject: Re: A new ferret owner's father
Followup-To: rec.pets
Summary: Quit Whining
Keywords: ferrets, training of ferrets
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 15:02:12 GMT
Expires: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 04:00:00 GMT

In article <1992Aug14.000607.27995@microsoft.com> craigdo@microsoft.com (Craig Dowell) writes:
>I made a huge mistake and bought my daughter a ferret for her birthday two
>months ago.  I'm about ready to start asking for recipes for ferret stew.

Sounds like someone made a "huge mistake" and didn't help you by selling you a good book like FERRETS by Chuck and Fox Morton or telling you how to contact the local ferret club. 
>
>I have three problems with this thing:
>
>	Getting underfoot on the stairs.  I'll step on it and kill it or
>	it'll trip me and kill me.  (It's chasing my feet

Keep it in a cage. Have a specified ferret-proof "play area." Ferrets love to chase feet so get accustomed to this.
>
>	Digging up all the plants in the house.  They're all going to be
>	dead soon.
>
See "play area" above.
>	Every corner in the house has ferret feces in it seeminly within
>	seconds of the animal being released.  It sometimes does its
>	business within a few feet of the cat's box but rarely makes it
>	actually in the box.
See "play area" above.
>
>Any suggestions as to how to humanely train this little $#!+ not to do
>the things I have listed?  Or alternatively, any recipes?
>
Foot chasing, digging and defecating are not necessarily going to disappear from the pet's life style and habits. Some ferrets never dig; others love it and will dig when presented with the opportunity. The litter training ability also varies from pet to pet. Start with a small, controlled space such as a bathroom. Put the ferret and a litter pan with litter in it in the space. Reward the ferret for using the pan. Place old feces in the litter to give the clue that  THIS is where such matter goes. Graduall
y expand the area, as the pet successfully deposits feces in the pan. Beware multi-level homes with only one pan. Ferrets at play will "forget" if the pan isn't nearby. In fact, townhome owners will use gates or other obstacles to segregate the weasels to one floor.

If you don't bar-b-que the ferret, I suggest you join one of the ferret clubs, either local or national. The American Ferret Association (AFA) has a good support organization for owners; Ferret Unity and Registration, while not a club, does have a newsletter that supports owners. Ferrets Northwest, a regional organization, may have a chapter in your area. 

AFA, P.O. Box 3986, Frederick, Md. 21701; 301-898-3228
FURO, P.O. Box 844, Elon College, NC 27244
Ferrets Northwest, 4351 86th Ave. SE, Carol Lane, Mercer Island, WA 98040-4124  
There is also an active ferret support forum on GEnie. Call 800-638-9636 for signup info. Ferrets are under the Pets area.

And good luck . . .



Newsgroups: rec.pets,alt.folklore.urban,alt.sex
From: forda@gtephx.UUCP (Andrew Ford @ AGCS, Phoenix, Arizona)
Subject: Re: How to Care for a baby mouse
Organization: gte
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 18:21:31 GMT

In article <1992Aug10.030306.29804@PA.dec.com>, snopes%club33@stlth.enet.dec.com (snopes) writes:
> 
> In article <1992Aug7.173543.16586@unislc.uucp> 
>   chris@unislc.uucp (Chris DelPrete) writes:
> 
> >Hi there rec.petters!  Is anyone out there into mice?  Or rats?  I found a
> >couple of baby mice about a week ago. . . 
> 
>  [Questions about care and feeding of baby mice deleted]

Well, I don't know much about raising baby mice, but
for Christ's sake, DON'T HAVE SEX WITH THE POOR LITTLE THING!
[That *couldn't* do it any good!] 8^) 8^) 8^) 8^) 8^) 8^) 8^) 8^)
-- 
"25 States allow anyone to buy a gun, strap it on, and walk down the street with
no permit of any kind: some say it's crazy.  However, 4 out of 5 US murders are 
committed in the other half of the country: so who is crazy?"   -  Andrew Ford
gtephx!forda@enuucp.eas.asu.edu  OR  !uunet!samsung!romed!enuucp!gtephx!forda
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: kjt34420@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Kristin J. Thommes)
Subject: Re: Exspot -- warning to cat owners
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 22:16:18 GMT

One more thing to keep in mind about all flea-control products is
that if they do not say they are intended for use on cats, they 
probably are not safe to use on them.  So READ THE LABEL!! It only
takes 2 minutes of your time and could save your cat's life. 
Make sure it says that the product is intended for cats and/or
kittens.
-- 

Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: K_LEPA@unhh.unh.edu (Kristen   Lepa)
Subject: Re: Jonny Cat Litter / Ferrets
Organization: University of New Hampshire
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 06:18:38 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.12

In <exuptr.340.714335726@exu.ericsson.se> exuptr@exu.ericsson.se writes:

> In article <1992Aug20.062036.26628@mr.med.ge.com> hinz@picard.med.ge.com (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987) writes:
> >I shit you not.
> 
> Isn't that a little blue flower?  Shit-me-nots?
> 
>  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     "This must be Thursday.  I never could get the hang of Thursdays"
>                                                        - D Adams
>   - Patrick Taylor
>     Ericsson Network Systems
>     exuptr@exu.ericsson.se                       "Don't let the .se fool you"
>     alternately, exuptr@ZGNews.Lonestar.Org


Maybe you should try Correctol, the gentle laxative...

	-K
Xref: sparky rec.pets:2842 alt.best.of.internet:66
From: bob@reed.edu (Robert Ankeney)
Newsgroups: rec.pets,alt.best.of.internet
Subject: Re: Jonny Cat Litter / Ferrets
Date: 20 Aug 92 21:09:48 GMT
Article-I.D.: reed.1992Aug20.210948.25894
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon


     And my favorite warning appears on a box of those cloth roller towels
in restrooms.  It says something like:

     Warning!  Improper use may cause serious injury or death!

How, I wonder?  Well, maybe if you stuck your head inside and jumped...

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Ankeney                 | "Yield and overcome.                |
...!tektronix!reed!bob         |  Bend and be straight.              |
...!tektronix!bob@reed.EDU     |  Empty and be full."    - Lao Tzu   |
Newsgroups: rec.pets
From: mas6d@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU (M. Anne Shackelford)
Subject: vietnamese pot-bellied pig
Reply-To: mas6d@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU
Organization: University of Virginia Computer Science Department
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 18:35:39 GMT

Does anyone know anything about vietnamese pot-bellied pigs?  I have many 
questions:

1) Are they good pets?
2) Are they clean?
3) What do you feed them?
4) How large do they grow?
5) How many years do they live?
6) If you are allergic to dogs and cats, will you be allergic to these?
7) How much do they cost?
8) Anything I'm forgetting.



Thanks,

Anne
mas6d@cs.virginia.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: updike@force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com (Todd F. Updike)
Subject: Gouldian Finches
Reply-To: updike@force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com
Organization: LMSC, Sunnyvale, California
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 03:05:47 GMT

Hi there, I'm new to this group.
Is there anyone out there who knows about Gouldian FInches ?
I just purchased a male and female pair about a month ago.

In general, they are very happy, and I have a nice nest in the cage,
which they are BOTH showing a lot of interest in, but they only 
*separately* check it out.
 If the male goes in a stirs it up, and then the female trys to go
in also, the male makes some strange sounds that sounds like he's
mad, and the female quickly comes out.

Basically, I'm wondering if they "like" each other and will mate/lay eggs.
My gut feeling is they don't.  They often do "beak fighting".
However, I KNOW the male is very interested because he does his funny
courtship dances on the perch (jumping up and down, etc), and yet they
still beak fight like I said.  They always sleep together though each nite.

Should I give them more time or do you think they will never really
like each other ??

Any info is appreciated, thanks !


Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: cu@island.island.COM (Charlotte Upchurch)
Subject: **** Scarlett Macaw for Sale
Organization: Island Graphics Corp.
Distribution: ba
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 16:28:44 GMT


MALE SCARLET MACAW FOR SALE TO GOOD HOME


Nicholas is about 4 years old. He was
born up north at Raintree Macaws and he was a hand fed baby
and is tame. He has a very limited vocabulary, but can be taught
more.

We are asking $1500 for him, including cage and water bowls,
but we are more concerned that he get a good home where he will
get a lot of attention, so we can negotiate on the price.

If interested, please email me at cu@island.com.

Thanks.
Charlotte
From: nivek@terapin.com (Kevin Bierl)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Emu - 2
Date: 20 Aug 92 13:43:55 GMT
Organization: BBS

To the person who asked - "What is an Emu?". It is the second largest bird in
the world [Ostrich #1]. They come from Austrailia. Sorry I deleted your message
before I could reply.
 
                               Nivek.terapin.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: dunne@rtsg.mot.com (Jim Dunne)
Subject: Re: Budgie losing feathers
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 14:25:49 GMT

In article <1992Aug14.153058.1573@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> kaw4t@fulton.seas.Virginia.EDU (Kent A. Watsen) writes:
>Hi, my bird has been losing quite a few small, white feathers recently.
>I assume they are coming from his neck since that is the only part which
>is white.  Is this normal?

   Sure, it's normal.  But the white feathers are usually the down
   underneath the surface feathers.  Shaped like an asterisk or
   coosh-ball, right?  Get out the dustbuster...

   jed
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: rjg@umnstat.stat.umn.edu (Robert J. Granvin)
Subject: Adding a second bird
Organization: School of Statistics, University of Minnesota
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 04:45:03 GMT

When you've got only a single bird, especially something like a Cockatiel
or other good bonding bird, adding a second bird can cause a lot of 
negative results - from the birds bonding with each other, losing you
_two_ pets, jealousy, even physical violence.  So I never added a second
bird in fear of the negative aspects.

I've been "babysitting" a parakeet now for about a week.  This is the 
first "intrusion" my tiel has known in all of her three years.  What 
I've found is that the introduction of another bird to actually be
beneficial, in this case.

The parakeet likes my tiel's larger, much more playfully equipped cage
a whole lot better than hers.  I open up both doors, and my 'tiel goes
for the cage top.  The keet goes straight for the tiels cage to play
(and get to the better food, the swing, bells, cuttlebone and other fun
stuff... Much to the 'tiel's chagrin, I think... :-)

I kinda feel a little sorry for my tiel... The parakeet clearly wants to
be friends.  He follows her around all the time and goes everywhere the
tiel goes.  Even flies chase when the tiel goes airborne.

The tiel, on the other hand, acts a little more like a 16 year old with
a new license who has to drag a little sister around with his friends.
:-)

The second bird has given my tiel some verbal company during the day, plus
made her a better "pet" when I'm around.  I realize she's positioning for
favors and exhibiting a little jealously, but that comes off as her being
more affectionate and has a stronger interest to follow me around and keep
tabs on me, as it were.  This is a good thing, because she has been
developing some very annoying habits and screams to get attention.  Even
the ploy to ignore her doesn't work.  It just encourages her to try
harder.  Since the keet arrived, she has dropped all those tactics
completely.  The tiel is even getting interested in food other than seed
because the keet seems to have no problems with it, and a cockatiel will
never let a parakeet one up itself (though this parakeet knows how to open
the door... Just not how to prop it up so she can get out, yet.  She uses
it right now as a "door knocker."  When she raises and drops the door a
lot, it means she wants out... Right up there with my sister's cat who
learned to knock on a door when it wanted in... With it's forehead... :-)

So at least in this case, if anyone is contemplating the addition of a second
bird, the results may be positive.  It's worth trying a birdysitting job for
a week or two to test the waters.

If nothing else, they're really damn amusing.  :-)

"Hi!  You don't exist.  Hi!  You don't exist.  Hi!  You don't..."

-- 
Robert J. Granvin                                       School of Statistics
rjg@umnstat.stat.umn.edu                             University of Minnesota
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: rjg@umnstat.stat.umn.edu (Robert J. Granvin)
Subject: Re: Lesser Sulphur Crested Cockatoos
Organization: School of Statistics, University of Minnesota
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 15:46:09 GMT

In article <1992Aug19.051018.17275@unislc.uucp>, chris@unislc.uucp (Chris DelPrete) writes:
|> I have the chance to buy a lesser-sulpher crested cockatoo for a discounted
|> price.  I am interested in the conservation/breeding needs of this species.  Is
|> it endangered?  Is it threatened?  Is it worth setting up in a breeding
|> program. This bird was neglected to the point of losing any "pet quality" it
|> ever had.  I am thinking of rehabing it and giving it to the local aviary for
|> captive breeding.  Any thoughts?

I was watching a bird show at the local zoo here a couple of months ago
and they talked about the Cockatoos.  They indicated that the sulphur
crested is not endangered, but has been seriously reduced.  Apparently
they were once a LOT more prevalent in the wild, but were considered the
same as pests and were widely poisoned.

What its current state is, I don't know.  Other than going from a bird
considered a plague to something I can't afford to obtain ...

Grumble.

-- 
Robert J. Granvin                                       School of Statistics
rjg@umnstat.stat.umn.edu                             University of Minnesota
From: Stephen.Ceideburg@f501.n914.z8.rbbs-net.ORG (Stephen Ceideburg)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
Subject: Re: Rusty bird cage - HE
Date: 12 Aug 92 16:37:04 GMT


MTM>At the Midwest Avian Research Expo, in KY on July 11 & 12th, one
MTM>of the presenters mentioned that they paint all of their cages
MTM>black with Rustoleum paint.  Of course this is the nontoxic,
MTM>no-lead Rustoleum.

     Good tip. I've been wondering about this myself as I have a
 rusty cage to deal with.

MTM>Steel wool will probably remove enough of the rust so you can
MTM>put a decent finish on it.

MTM>Just for your info, This person said they paint the cages black
MTM>so that the bars don't reflect a lot of light and the bird
MTM>doesn't have to stare through shiny white or chrome bars all
MTM>day.  This sounds reasonable to me.

     Also, It makes it easier to see the bird from outside the
 cage.


 * SLMR 2.1a *            You bounced HOW MANY checks?!!?

 * Origin: SeaHunt BBS, San Francisco (415-431-0227) (8:914/501)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: ajd@itl.itd.umich.edu (Arthur Delano)
Subject: Breeding finches
Organization: finches are stupid gits but i love them anyhow
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 17:12:21 GMT

I have a large cage with two zebra finches and four society finches.

Last week, one of the society finches laid five eggs -- we don't know
which one, because all four of them take turns setting on them, altho'
we have our suspicions.  At night, despite the fact that when the last
pair of society finches were introduced to the cage, a new nest was
installed, the four of them still pile into the same nest with the eggs,
crowded so badly that a couple usually can only fit half-in, while the
nest next to it remains empty.  At the opposite end of the cage, our
two zebra finches finally became parents to four eggs two days ago.
Unfortunately, they seem to have abandoned the eggs, as they do not
set on the eggs.  When they were first laid, one of the society finches
used to sneak into the nest to set on them, but the parents would chase
him out.  Now, the eggs are not tended and in fact it appears that the
zebra finches are rebuilding their nest over the eggs.

Does anybody have suggestions as to why they are behaving this way?

AjD
Newsgroups: rec.pets.birds
From: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry)
Subject: Re: Milk on bird's diet ...
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 15:19:09 GMT
Reply-To: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry)
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation, Herndon, VA

In article <ROBERTS.92Aug20114211@studguppy.lanl.gov>, 
roberts@studguppy.lanl.gov (Doug Roberts) writes:
> Well, maybe you are, but not in this case, I think. I've been told by
> avian vets that liver disease in parrots caused by a diet too high in
> fat is all too common. Parrots, though, are like people in that they
> seem to like best what isn't good for them. You should see my Severe
> Macaw, Maggie, whip her head around at the sound of a potato chip bag
> being opened...

A really good rule of thumb is to not give the bird anything that it wouldn't 
have in its "native habitat".  I haven't seen too many birds milking cows, or 
eating potato chips in National Geographic shows :-).  Everybody gives their 
birds a treat once in awhile, but a steady diet of this stuff can be a 
problem.  My vet told me of an amazon parrot who dropped dead at age 7 of 
hardening of the arteries because of a diet of very high cholesterol.