Monday, November 19, 2012

Meet Our Garden Pets

I was asked by my kids one day why I always blog about things that I find interesting such as the garden and prodded me to post something about things they love as well. Since they are animal lovers, let me share what pets we have at home.

There are various colors and kinds of lovebirds but these peach-faced lovebirds are the easiest to care for. Their warm, happy color combination reminds me of a bromeliad bloom Vriesea or flaming sword. Kids feed them with sunflower seeds. A garden would not be complete without the sound of chirping birds.
Agapornis roseicollis
Peach-faced lovebirds
As their first pet, they had guinea pigs or cavy. Belonging to the rodent family, they are gentle and social animals. They love to be touched and coddled. They produce a wheeking sound everytime kids go near them. Perhaps it is their response when they get excited.
Cavia porcellus
Guinea pigs
Hamsters love to dig and stay in burrows so we provide them with wood shavings in their cage. They have pouch-like cheeks that can hold considerable amount of food. They store food in their cheeks and carry them where they want them to eat.
Cricetinae
Baby hamsters
Red-ear slider turtles have a distinctive red mark beside the ears. Their diet consist of insects and worms.
Trachemys scripta elegans
Meet Chewbacc, the newest member of the family, given to us by an aunt. I am not so much of a fan of Star Wars but I did watch the movie and remember vividly the names of the characters. Star Wars will always be a part of my growing-up years. A shih-tzu and poodle mixture, he was named after Chewbacca, the seven foot sidekick of Hans Solo in the movie.  This lovable and cuddly little puppy carries the same loyalty of Chewbacca to Hans Solo. How the kids adored him!
Chewbacc
Mixed shih-tzu and poodle




These Hands