about

♥♥♥♥♥♥
The name is Leah. I live in Cincinnati, OH. I really love to give advice! I have been here since November of 2004. But prior to joining here, I was always been seeked for advice. Still to this day, my primary concern is always helping someone out in need.

I am likely not the best columnist here, but I can quarantee I am very dedicated and concerned when I answer a question. If I answer a question you're not satisfied with, I will ask why, so I can try my best to change my answer. I only give people information that I know; not information that I might know. And if I notice a columnist giving you a wrong answer, you'll know I'll be correcting their response!!

I do allow everyone and anyone to ask a question. I may have listed favorite categories, but I really have no preference. I do love making new friends!! It's no problem to contact me by e-mail or IM. I do have a Myspace, and I will gladly give it out if asked! If you ever need advice, if you feel like ending it all, if you feel like no one cares, I am here!! Talk to me.. I will listen and I will help you!!

♥Leah

advice

Okay so my hamster is def. pregnant.
Can someone tell me everything i should know about baby hamsters?
Please and thanks.
:)

I'll tell you everything you need to know! As requested, I will give you more info on them =]

Since the hamster is now pregnant, she is likely gonna be very defensive. Limit holding her or anything, because she can bite. Make sure she is filled with water and food daily. They eat like pigs, no lie. Have her as comfortable as possible. Make sure she and the cage is clean daily, so the pups can have a nice environment. I'm sure you'd hate to be born next to feces and urine =]. That can carry diseases.

Make a nest for the mother. I tore up pieces of kleenex tissue (it's safe), and she tore it up to smaller shreds herself and made a nest. It's amazing. Just hand it to her and she'll do the rest. Gestational period can go from 9 days to 2 weeks. Sometimes later; sometimes earlier.

Pups can very from a few to almost 15. When my hamster gave birth, she gave birth to about 12 pups. They're small, bald, and they are very squeaky. Noisy little things... The mother will nurse them up to at max two weeks. While they're in the nursing stage, never ever touch the pups or the mother. Touching the pups can change their scent, and the mother will assume it's not hers and will eat it.

Nasty part is, mothers do eat some of their young (It's natural). Sometimes all of their young. They do it because to get rid of the runts (the weak and helpless ones) or because she has too much to handle, and can't take care of all her pups. It's pretty darn gross. I hate to be blunt, but you'll sometimes see leftover limbs around the cage. They also do it to get some protein in her diet so she can get stronger, and have protein for her young. So almost always the mothers eat some of their young. Be prepared.

Without trying to touch them, clean the cage daily. They are messy. Pups will sometimes wander away from the mother during the nursing stage. This is normal, and don't pick it up, and bring it to the mother. She'll find the pup and drag it herself back to the nest (it's cute).

During nursing stage, the mother will be lethargic and pretty hungry. She needs her nutrients and water while nursing. Make sure she's filled with food and water at all times. She is still one defensive protective mother during nursing, so be careful. Reaching your hand near her, she can bite.

After the nursing is done, weaning may begin. You'll notice the gender of the pups and it's important you separate them afterwards so you don't breed more (unless you want to). You can keep them or take them to the pet store to be sold (or sell them yourself). I chose to keep them.

That's the basics of pups. If you need info after 2 weeks, you can always post a question to me =]

Good luck.

In fact, I took pictures of the mother and her young if you'd like to see them:

Mother: http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y209/xXxMCRFan15xXx/Snowie_Mama3.jpg

Pups: http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y209/xXxMCRFan15xXx/Hamster_pups5.jpg

Pups #2: http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y209/xXxMCRFan15xXx/Hamster_pups1.jpg

Pups #3: http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y209/xXxMCRFan15xXx/Hamster_pups4.jpg

Mother in her nest: http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y209/xXxMCRFan15xXx/Snowie_Mama2.jpg

They are kinda blurry I know. I used my mobile phone to take these pictures, and this was like 3 years ago. But they are pretty small.

Hope I helped! =]

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So i have another question about hamsters.
I'm sorry if it gets annoying! But i want to take good care of my hamsters. So i woke up and found blood in the cage. Does this mean she is in heat? So can she mate?
Please answer soon!

Small blood spots would mean yeah she is in heat. And yeah she can mate.

If you're seeing a lot of blood, you need to take her to the Vet.

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Okay so like i said before,
I have two hamsters.
Black bear hamsters.
I'm pretty sure they like eachother.
So yeah,
How do i know when the female is in heat?
I know it's every four days or whatever,
But i don't know when it started,
So i dont know?!
AGH im so confused.
Someone please tell me when my hamster's in heat?
Please and thankss! Respond soon! :)

Only way you can really tell is when she discharges blood. It would be very small spotting. Usually major lethargy comes with it too.

I used to care for hamsters for years, of many species (and both genders)from the second of birth til their death. So I would know.

If you need to know for mating purposes I can help you with that as well.

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my cat has this really bad cough and im not sure if its a hairball. we cant afford to take him to the vet. what should i do?

I'd foremost try to get food with hairball treatment inside. And look for foods that help the digestive tract. Also get a multivitamin as well.

With no money, seek the local SPCA to see if they can check into what's going on. And may offer some advice.

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my cat ran away and im extreamly upset about it have any advice, to sorta get over it ??

I would really first try finding your cat. Put up signs, and look around nearby.

They actually say cats have a sense of where their home is. Most instances they'll come back soon if they're in need of water or food. This is true. My old cat was an outdoor cat, and she would remember where she lived and came back. How else would you think they'd come back?

An indoor cat is a bit different but they still have an idea of where they live.

A question someone asked a year ago from Yahoo! http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080117172133AA7q1g7
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071212131707AAgVl61

Both answered. You'd be surprised what cats are capable of.


Within a week or two, I would go to a pet shelter/SPCA to see if they have your cat.

If it's been a few months, your cat is likely gone.. from unfortunate events that happen to runaway pets.

If no luck, you can always seek a close friend or relative for advice on the grieving and mourning process.

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my cat has been having muscle spasiums what do I do?

If your cat is old, and has been getting them just on occasion, there's not much you can do.

If your cat is healthy and has been getting them several times a day, I would go see a vet.

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Yesterday morning, my 16-year old Kerry-Blue passed away, and I'm absolutely heartbroken. Last year, my 9-year old Schnauzer passed away, so I know what it's like to lose a pet.

But my question is, if any of you have lost pets ever, what have you done to cope? I've been spending a lot of time with my 7-year old German Shepard/Irish Wolf Hound mix, and with my cats, too, and it's definitely helping, but I just wanted to know other ways I can cope.

Thank you so much. =]

I know how you exactly feel.

When I was 14 years old, I lost my cat, Whiskers. She was 13 years old, so I basically had her my whole life. I grew up with her, and we became so close. I could never fit in at my old elementary school, because I moved to a different town. Nobody liked me, nor accepted me. I had my cat who I could go to anytime. Every time I ran to my room and cried, my cat would apparently sense it, and she would come to me, and lay right next to me. I suddenly felt so much better. I loved her so much.

One night my family and I were at the drive-in. My Uncle called, and told me my called was just hit by a car. The car was speeding down my street, hit my cat, and ran off. Still to this day I hold a grudge to that person.. how can you be so cold?? We got home as soon as possible. I ran to my cat, and hugged her and cried. She was in shock, blind, her jaw was severely dislocated, and coughing blood. We got to the vets, and they couldn't do anything for her. I wanted her to live so bad. But if I let her live, she would be relying on medications and IVs because she can't live and breathe on her own.. she'd be blind and unable to walk properly. I was so devesasted, but I had to let go, and let God take care of her. She was put down that night. On our way home.. all I did was sob, sob, and sob. I couldn't even sleep.. all I did was cry. My mom had to hold me and try calming me down.. they even got me sleeping pills.. but it did nothing. I laid there, crying.. but felt numb.

Everyone knew I was close to Whiskers. She was like my best friend. To cheer me up a little, my local library put up this In memory of thing in there, to help remember my cat. My neighbors actually did that for me, because they loved her too. She was a friendly cat.

For the grieving process, it took awhile for me. You could never replace someone like Whiskers, ever. It took me a few weeks to end the crying. After that, every night I would lay down and pray to God and ask how she was doing, and to promise me He would take good care of her.

Months passed, and I was feeling better. Two years later, I got a cat named Slinky. She resembles Whiskers a lot but with a whole different personality. She's playful, and energetic. Even though I still miss Whiskers to this day, I love them both equally very much.

I coped by praying to God, and talking to people who were able to relate to my story. A girl across the street from me had the same experience. My street is off of a road.. it's a 25 mph limit, but gosh, so many stupid people go down that road doing 60 mph.. In fact, I had quite a few wrecks next to my house.

I still go to God on occasion, to check up on her. Don't get me wrong, I am not crying over her every day, but I always think of the happy times.. and it makes me smile. I was very lucky to have a cat like her. And I am luck to have Slinky too. All animals are precious.

Spend all the time you can with your present dog. You never know when his/her last day is. That's what I do with Slinky.. every day is a precious gift. Please don't waste it.

I wish you the best of luck, and I will pray for you. I know it's hard, but your dogs are definitely in a better place now.

Leah

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18/f

I just got a female dwarf hamster on Monday, and have done pretty much everything so far.

Yesterday I noticed her left eye was shut a little bit, but I picked her up and she was fine and opened it. However, today I just got in from dinner, and her left eye was closed again. Her right eye is fine, it's just her left eye is closed.

I went on some sites and they said her eye could be irritated from dust and other contributes. I tried to wipe her eye with a warm washcloth like it said but she would nip at me and go back to her spot.

I'm going to call the vet right now and leave a message since it's 9:50 at night and I know she won't be in. Does anyone know anything else I can try to do? I'm going to keep trying to do everything I can to help my hamster until the vet calls me.

I'm just worried about my hamster and I don't want anything bad to happen to her. Thanks.

Ohh I know how that is.. I have had a dwarf hamster before. Those things are so snippy!

My dwarf hamster did that, too. You are doing the right thing of putting a warm wash cloth on it. Yes, it can be dust, and it can even be urine. Dwarf hamsters like to hang out in their urine sometimes and gets it in their eye. Gross, I know.

You should try cleaning out the cage, and use dust free sheddings. It's maybe a dollar or two more but it will help prevent any kind of allergic reactions or irritations.

Dwarf hamsters are so adorable! They're sneaky little critters too. Well good luck on your hamster!

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i have this kitten, she's about 6 or 7months old, i've had her since she was born because she is the kitten of one of my other cats. anyway she's always had good health but recently she's been throwing up all her food. this happened two days ago and again tonight. she also has diarhea, gross i know. i recently switched food but we always switch the food so i dont know if thats the problem. the other cats are fine with the food. but i was wondering if there was anything i could give my kitten to settle her stomach??

My kitten was the same way. Some causes would probably be she consumed something poisonous (plants in the house, chemicals, and food not meant to be for cats).

What helped my cat get better was to give her a nice warm bath, using no soap or cat shampoo. Just warm water. Also, give her PLENTY of cold water to drink. Drinking water helps the stomach. And don't try giving her food because kittens don't really eat up on food while sick, but just set a little portion of food next to her and a lot of water. Let the kitten rest.

If the problem persists or worsens for a day or two more, really get the Vet because it could be something serious.

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Okay so im getting this kitten and its a boy but i dont know what im gonna need for him as far as supplies so can anyone give me a list of things i will need for him and 2 more things 1st one does anyone know the best brand food for kittens? 2nd thing does anyone know any good names for a baby boy kitten?

Thanx in advance:)

I went through the same thing when I got my kitten.

For food I highly recommend Purina Kitten Chow. It's high in vitamins and it contains vital antioxidents for your kitten's growth. My cat loved it when she was a kitten!

For boy kittens names, I personally like:

*Midnight
*Star
*Stripes
*Gizmo
*Doodle
*Wally

I also came across a great site for naming male kittens:http://www.cat-names.us/spitter.asp?menu1=Nicknames&select2=1&gender=b&Submit=Submit

They have like hundreds of names to choose from, plus a naming guide if you still can't decide.

Hope I helped =]



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oke well my dog has too much ticks and when my mom and dad take them out then they come again and so they dont do it anymore and i love my dog and so i would love too pet him but i hate ticks

so will you give me advice on how too get ticks a way

thanks

There are quick simple treatments to help remove ticks off your dog. I had a smiliar problem with my cat, however, she had fleas really bad! So I bought her some spray to kill fleas, ticks, and mosquitos. It's water-proof so that it lasts longer, and it kill the parasites within 5 to 10 minutes. What I use is Hartz flea and tick spray. I also have tried the Hartz monthly drops on my cat and it got rid of the parasites within days. Also, to maintain a healthy environment, clean your dog's sheets, or clothes, etc and give him/her a bath at least once a week to keep the infestation down.

If however, you are on a tight budget with products for your dog, there are flea/tick brushes out there that if you brush your dog regularly with it, it will maintain and decrease infestation. And bathe your dog in mild soap and warm water, since Ticks do not like clean hair and soap.

Hope I helped =]

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i just got a dawrf hamster and like ive had hamsters b4 just not dawrfs so its kind of weird cause they are small! and like i dont know i just got it like yesterday but i mean it like seems to hate me or whatever..any hints? please i dont want to give it away or anything!!

I currently have a dwarf hamster. She is pretty cute, but she is mean as well. Dwarf hamsters particularly, can be mean and it can be for the following reasons: Hamster is either not used to the scent of you or dislikes the scent of your hand, hamster could be just a baby (4 weeks to 3 months) and babies are picky about scents and environment, and the hamster could be scared or nervous around you.

Some ways that helped me was to first feed it through his/her cage by giving them treats or seeds. Then slowly try picking the hamster up. But first make sure there are no fragranced scents on your hand. Hamsters hate it. So wash your hands in just water to get it off if you have any.

Don't disturb it during the day as much as you can since hamsters are nocturnal (sleeps during day and is awake during night) and during the day they can get grumpy. So if you want to pet your hamster or play with it, try the evenings. I know Dwarf hamsters can get even more grumpy when awaken sometimes.

Hope I helped =)

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Hey, I have a 3 month old hamster and she was pregnant, VERY pregnant. She was so fat that she could barely walk. She had 4 babies on July 6th, and wouldn't take care of them, so they all died!!! :[ But, she is still huge and still has a nest, and gets nippy at me when i try to pet her. Could she STILL be pregnant with more babies?

Thanks

Yes, it could take a couple of weeks to either get all the hamster pups out or it could be excess body fluid in the hamster. And I have experienced this before about hamster pregnancy and care. I take care of hamsters so if you have any more questions about hamsters you can always leave a question and I will be glad to help!

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My dog just got put down. I miss her so much, how do I learn to forget about her?

I am deeply sorry to hear about that. It is at most times difficult to get over a pet or person that you love. And I know how you are feeling. My cat had to put down a year ago and to this day I miss her, but what I did was go through a grieving process. First you got to understand that life goes on, and there are things out there to overcome the feeling. Like try getting another dog, maybe a cat. Or spend more time with your family and friends and talk about how you are feeling. That almost always helps. Don't let this interfere with your everyday life. And know that your dog is in a better place.

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almost a year ago i got a 3year old cot i was so happy but i was not there when my dad brought her home i came home week later to find my cat hateiing me loveing my dad i dont no wat to do because i really want her to like me any suggestions?

That happens to me sometimes. Usually those kinds of things take time but feed your cat 2-3 times a day. Encourage to play with her and buy her some cute toys for her. Also, pet her several times a day and offer her treats. Just know these kinds of things take time, so just don't gave up hope since you only had her for a year or so.

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I have a 2 year old guinea pig who is white and SO cute. He stinks up my whole bedroom and my mom wants to get rid of him. I love him and I just wanted to know if there was any special cages that they have or odor sprays. Also how much they cost. Thanks a bunch!

you can actually get pet shampoo and spray to reduce the odors in the cage. you can also get bedding for it that can absorb moisture from the pet. the shampoos and other care products are inexpensive (the ones I got for the guinea pig I once had was only 5 dollars each for a big bottle of shampoo and spray, and the bedding is cheap as well, it is only a few dollars for a big bag.

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How can I, a female under the age of 16, help abused, neglected, homeless, etc. animals? Every shelter that I;ve heard of requires you to be 16 to voulunteer and I cannot adopt another pet. (I've asked, pleaded, begged). I'm thinking of raising money or donating supplies and setting up boxes at random places around my community (continue with what my girl scout troop started) Any advice or suggestions?

Well there are still many organizations to volunteer in. PETA is an awesome and effective organization that lets anybody at any age (13 and up) to help animals. They ship you packets, and brochures how to start, and where to begin.

If you're under 13, don't worry! Like the other person said, you can create your own organization or club at no cost. Just get some friends to join you and advertise it around. Just because you're under 16 does not mean there's no possible way to help animals.

And [without signing up to PETA] they have information on how to get started and such. (www.peta.com). I joined them, myself, and they're very informative and helpful.

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