A cat exercise wheel is a large wheel that a cat either runs on or walks on for exercise or play. A cat wheel looks like a large hamster wheel: the wheel turns from the weight of the cat. [1] A wheel can be used for enrichment or to exercise high energy indoor cats. The wheels are generally 120 cm in diameter, with a depth of 25 cm.[ citation needed ] There are several pioneering brands, such as Cat One Fast and Tirica Wheels.[ citation needed ]
Many cats are kept in homes or small apartments, and they do not have opportunities to run in the outdoors or burn off extra fat. In addition, overweight cats may develop diseases such as diabetes. A cat wheel can assist cats in burning extra calories. [2] Activity and play is good for cats. Playing will help keep an indoor cat's body toned and keep its mind active. [3]
Because cats are traditionally not walked on a leash or let outside, they can become obese without enrichment and exercise. [4] Cats love challenges that stimulate their minds and bodies and it helps keep behavioural issues at bay. [5]
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing animal cruelty. Based in New York City since its inception in 1866, the organization's mission is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States."
A virtual pet is a type of artificial human companion. They are usually kept for companionship or enjoyment, as people may choose to keep a digital pet instead of a real one.
The golden hamster or Syrian hamster is a rodent belonging to the hamster subfamily, Cricetinae. Their natural geographical range is in an arid region of northern Syria and southern Turkey. Their numbers have been declining in the wild due to a loss of habitat from agriculture and deliberate elimination by humans. Thus, wild golden hamsters are now considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However, captive breeding programs are well-established, and captive-bred golden hamsters are often kept as small house pets. They are also used as scientific research animals.
A treadmill is a device generally used for walking, running, or climbing while staying in the same place. Treadmills were introduced before the development of powered machines to harness the power of animals or humans to do work, often a type of mill operated by a person or animal treading the steps of a treadwheel to grind grain. In later times, treadmills were used as punishment devices for people sentenced to hard labour in prisons. The terms treadmill and treadwheel were used interchangeably for the power and punishment mechanisms.
A dog park is a park for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners.
A companion parrot is a parrot kept as a pet that interacts abundantly with its human counterpart. Generally, most species of parrot can make excellent companions, but must be carefully managed around other common pet species like dogs and cats as they might be hostile towards them.
Cat food is food specifically designed for consumption by cats. As obligate carnivores, cats have specific requirements for their dietary nutrients, namely nutrients found only in meat, such as taurine, arginine, and Vitamin B6. Certain nutrients, including many vitamins and amino acids, are degraded by the temperatures, pressures and chemical treatments used during manufacture, and hence must be added after manufacture to avoid nutritional deficiency.
The most common species of domesticated hedgehog is the four-toed hedgehog. The Algerian hedgehog is a separate species of hedgehog.
A fancy mouse is a domesticated form of the house mouse, one of many species of mice, usually kept as a type of pocket pet. Fancy mice have also been specially bred for exhibiting, with shows being held internationally. A pet mouse is inexpensive compared to larger pets, and even many other pet rodents, but mice are comparatively short-lived: typically only 2 to 3 years.
A hamster wheel or running wheel is an exercise device used primarily by hamsters and other rodents, but also by other cursorial animals when given the opportunity. Most of these devices consist of a runged or ridged wheel held on a stand by a single or pair of stub axles. Hamster wheels allow rodents to run even when their space is confined. The earliest dated use of the term "hamster wheel", located by the Oxford English Dictionary, is in a 1949 newspaper advertisement.
Littlest Pet Shop is a toy franchise and cartoon series owned by Hasbro. The original toy series was produced by Kenner in the early 1990s. An animated television series was made in 1995 by Sunbow Productions and Jean Chalopin Creativite et Developpement, based on the franchise.
Behavioral enrichment is an animal husbandry principle that seeks to enhance the quality of captive animal care by identifying and providing the environmental stimuli necessary for optimal psychological and physiological well-being. Enrichment can either be active or passive, depending on whether it requires direct contact between the animal and the enrichment. A variety of enrichment techniques are used to create desired outcomes similar to an animal's individual and species' history. Each of the techniques used is intended to stimulate the animal's senses similarly to how they would be activated in the wild. Provided enrichment may be seen in the form of auditory, olfactory, habitat factors, food, research projects, training, and objects.
The white-crowned parrot, also known as the white-crowned pionus in aviculture, is a small parrot which is a resident breeding species ranging from eastern Mexico to western Panama.
Cat behavior is a cat's behavior and responses to events and other stimuli. Cat behavior includes body language, elimination habits, aggression, play, communication, hunting, grooming, urine marking, and face rubbing. It varies among individuals, colonies, and breeds.
Toys specifically marketed for dogs to play with come in many varieties, including dog bones, puppy toys, balls, tug toys, training aids, squeaky toys, discs and frisbees, plush toys, and sticks.
Cat play and toys incorporates predatory games of "play aggression". Cats' behaviors when playing are similar to hunting behaviors. These activities allow kittens and younger cats to grow and acquire cognitive and motor skills, and to socialize with other cats. Cat play behavior can be either solitary or social. They can play with a multitude of toys ranging from strings, to small furry toys resembling prey, to plastic bags.
The Foldex cat, also known as the Exotic Fold, is a breed of cat developed in the Canadian province of Quebec. Currently, the breed is recognized by only one cat registry, the Canadian Cat Association. The foundation stock of the breed is the Scottish Fold and the Exotic Shorthair. Foldexes are medium-sized cats with a rounded face, short legs, and folded ears. The latter are the defining feature of the breed. Their eyes are well-rounded and wide open, with pair of ears with small and smooth-edged tips. They are described as intelligent and sweet. They were first registered as New Breed by the Canadian Cat Association in 2006 and then finally granted the Championship status in 2010.
Cold-weather biking, cold-weather cycling, or winter biking is the use of a bicycle during months when roads and paths are covered with ice, slush and snow. Cold weather cyclists face a number of challenges in near or below freezing temperatures. Urban commuters on city streets may have to deal with "[s]now, slush, salt, and sand", which can cause rust and damage to metal bike components. Slush and ice can jam derailleurs. Some cyclists may bike differently in winter, by "slow[ing] down on turns and brak[ing] gradually" in icy conditions. Gaining traction on snow and ice-covered roads can be difficult. Winter cyclists may use bikes with front and rear fenders, metal studded winter tires and flashing LED lights. Winter cyclists may wear layers of warm clothes and "ea[r], face, and han[d]" coverings may be used. Specialized winter bikes called fatbikes, which have wide, oversized tires that are typically inflated with low pressure, are used in snow trail riding and winter bike competitions.
A hamster cage is an enclosure designed to house one or more hamsters. It is recommended that hamster cages contain at least 100 x 50 cm although there is some evidence that hamsters experience less stress if housed in larger cages. Commercially available pens are made of wire or plastic. Some pet owners house their hamsters in aquarium tanks, and some make their own pens out of wood. Laboratory hamsters, commonly known as Laboratory Syrian hamsters, are housed in pens designed for scientific use. There are also special pens designed for hamster shows.
A pony ride is an opportunity for children to ride real ponies for a short time, usually seen at fairs, guest ranches, zoos, summer camps, private children's parties and similar places. Children on pony rides do not handle the pony themselves, but they need to be old enough to sit up straight and hold their head up without support. Pony rides may be given on individually hand-led ponies, or in a group of ponies, usually four to six, placed on a "pony wheel," a small type of hot walker that leads all ponies in a walk on a small circle so that fewer handlers are needed. Safety is a paramount concern and insurance companies consider pony rides to be a high-risk activity. There are concerns about the welfare of some ponies used for pony rides.