Taking care of small pets

New Delhi: Mice, rabbits, tortoises, turtles hamsters and a variety of birds and fish are increasingly seen as options for pets apart from usual dogs and cats.

Petkeeping is seen as an upcoming trend and is seen as appealing to humans of all age groups, more so for those who are out for work the whole day, says Dr Geeta, a veterinary surgeon whose new book talks about taking care of small pets.

After writing two books one each on dogs and cats, Dr Geeta's third book "Care of Small Pets" focuses on imparting basic knowledge about keeping small pets at home.

The book, published by the National Book Trust of India is divided in four sections.

There is emphasis on mammals like rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and mice in the first section. Section two deals with reptiles like tortoises and turtles while the remaining sections provides information on birds like budgerigars, parrots and fishes respectively.

"Care of small pets can be a guide to help the future owners to make a selection of their ideal pets. These pets are stress busters and can communicate with the humans as the cats and dogs do. My book is a dedication to all the small pets who have given me a chance to treat them," Dr Geeta said.

The author thinks that owners lack basic information and tends to educate them on petty issues like food to be fed, the temperature or the vaccines at which the animals should be kept to mention a few.

"I think that the owners should have basic information because most of the owners who keep small pets do not know how to take care of them. They do not have knowledge about the kind of food to be given, the temperature at which these animals should be kept or the kinds of vaccines which are to be given to them," she says.

Right from choosing the pet to selecting the breed and their maintenance, the book focuses on minute details of keeping pets and to treat them when they are ailing.

The book, which was released here recently also educates the owner about the sexual habits of the pets.

"The vets are not taught a lot about small pets. The book provides information about the pet that he is going to buy or for any reason if the owner is not able to go to the doctor then he should know about the basic rules to treat his or her pet," she says.

Highlighting the conditions in which rabbits are kept, the author explains the place where they should be kept and what should be given them to eat.

The book also gives details about the different breeds of rabbits such as Dutch, English, Netharland Dwarf, Dwarf Lop etc.