Category Archives: environment
If You Find a Baby Animal
In our part of the country we are still getting snow, but we are warming up slowly to Spring. Personally, it can’t come soon enough for me. I’m tired of being cold and I’m tired of being locked inside. In many parts of the country though, Spring is in the air and warm days are already arriving. The winter environment is coming alive with the wonders of Spring.
Spring means baby animals and it seems every year we either hear about a baby bird that has somehow fallen from the nest or we actually find one ourselves. We also seem to hear every spring about lost baby mammals. Then the question becomes, ‘what can I do to rescue this baby?’
Following is some very good advice thanks to a pet forum that I belong to;
What to do First:
The first priority if you have found a baby wild animal is to locate the nearest wildlife rehabilitator. Wildlife rehabbers are skilled in caring for wild babies (and injured adults) and returning them to the wild. They have veterinarians on-call, proper facilities for the babies to develop normally, and they don’t mind the lack of sleep. (Baby mammals, depending on size and age, will need to be fed every 2-4 hours around the clock. Baby birds usually need every-half-hour feedings from sunup until 10:00 pm, sometimes later.) Everyone should have a list of their local wildlife rescue places and vets who take in animals for them; it makes things easy when the need arises. You can usually get a list from your vet and sometimes these kind people are listed in the phone book.
Specifically for Baby Birds:
If you find a baby bird on the ground and can put it back in its nest, you should do so. The mom won’t smell you on the babies and abandon them, she’ll just be relieved that her chick is home. If an entire nest is destroyed, you can even make a nest in a basket and put the babies in that. (We did this when the wind blew a robin’s nest out of a tree. The babies grew up fine.) A baby bird who is fully feathered out and hopping around, almost flying, is a fledgling and should be left alone–just keep an eye out so cats don’t get it, and it’ll be flying very soon.
If you can’t put a baby bird back in the nest, put it in a small dark box (darkness reduces stress), keep it warm, and bring it to a wildlife center or an intake vet as soon as possible. Unless you’ve hand-fed birds before, don’t try to feed it. Birds’ airways are in an odd place (floor of the mouth, right behind the tongue) and it’s easy to miss the throat and accidentally drown/choke them. Don’t try to give a baby bird water, either: they get all their moisture from food, and they aren’t coordinated enough to drink liquids without choking yet.
Any bird that’s been in a cat’s mouth is in danger from bacteria, and must be brought to the rehabber for treatment, even if the nest is in reach.
Here is where you can find an avian vet; http://www.aav.org/vet-lookup / Your local avian vet will almost certainly know how to contact your local rehabilitators, for mammals as well as birds.
Specifically for Baby Mammals:
For baby mammals, the first thing to do is make sure it’s actually an orphan or abandoned. Some animals, like deer and rabbits, leave their babies alone while they go off to eat. If the animal’s in a den or a nest of grass and doesn’t look gaunt, chances are it’s not abandoned. If you *know* the animal is orphaned or in trouble (see a dead mother on the side of the road, your cat brings it in, whatever) carefully put the baby in a towel-lined, secure dark box and bring it to the rehabber or intake vet. If the animal is a baby raccoon, don’t handle it bare-handed! Raccoons can have a skin parasite that is deadly to humans; use gloves and towel it to pick it up. Again, don’t feed the baby critter, as tempting as it may be; many animals need somewhat specialized formulas, and opossums need extra-special formula because they can’t digest lactose. Regular human formula is too high in iron for baby wild mammals, and without a scale and growth charts and all that good stuff it’s hard to know if the baby is getting enough to eat.
Helpful Internet Sites:
Bunnies: http://www.webbedworks.com/messingerwoods/babybunny.htm
Birds: http://www.webbedworks.com/messingerwoods/babybirds.htm
Fawns; http://www.webbedworks.com/messingerwoods/fawn.htm
Animals Tablet Connection
The cat ate the mouse!
Communicating with animals and members of the other species that share our world has long been both embraced and scorned by human beings. I guess it all depends on the way a person was raised to think and feel about the world.
While some humans believe we are a part of this world and have a place on it that should coexist with the environment and animals around us there is another train of thought. That train runs on what I consider a track to destruction and is now in the process of being derailed.
The other human mindset is that somehow and by some force we are preordained to be masters of this world and can do no wrong. They think that there is nothing else intelligent in the world or the universe. Their faith states that they can plunder, destroy and kill to their hearts content and still all will be forgiven and they will be provided for.
I was raised by open minded people. More than once as a child I was told that animals could communicate with people. My mom taught me that all you had to do was listen to and observe them. If you open your mind you can see that animals do communicate, if not in words, then in emotions. They feel love, pain, fear, hate, jealousy and loyalty. They let you know if they are happy or sad, excited or tired.
I have always been very close with my animal friends. I try to listen to and understand their feelings and in return I honestly believe they try to understand mine. Therefore I feel that I share a closer bond than many people do with animals.
Several decades ago animal intelligence and human patience combined to begin a dialog between mankind and the animal kingdom. Gorillas began to learn sign language. Suddenly they had an intelligent voice that we could comprehend. The most famous of them is of course Koko. She is a gorilla that I have seen throughout my life expressing herself. She has communicated love for those around her. Sorrow for the loss of her baby, a kitten she called Ball, and the entire range of emotions.
Recently our advanced technology has allowed not only more communication between primates and mankind but with other species as well. This new tech is also allowing captive animals to communicate with others of their own kind via the internet.
I find this not only an amazing development but believe it may actually be marked as a “wonder of the world” for the technology era as the great pyramids are for our past. It is truly amazing.
Orangutans in captivity no matter how “natural” their habitat is are still living in captivity. Thanks to items like video conferencing on ipads these apes may soon be having regular virtual play time with relatives and friends in other zoos. From Yahoo News:
But even more interesting possibilities present themselves once a number of zoos have their orangutans acclimated to using the iPads. Zimmerman said he hopes they will be able to use Skype or the iPad’s FaceTime feature to communicate remotely with orangutans at other zoos during “play dates.” Zimmerman said he recently visited Jahe, an orangutan at the Memphis Zoo who used to live at the Toronto Zoo. When Zimmerman showed Jahe a photo on his iPhone of some of her relatives still living in Toronto, she appeared to recognize them.
“Given an opportunity to demonstrate that intelligence, it’s pretty amazing,” Zimmerman tells Yahoo News.
The biggest obstacle for now is coming up with the funding to purchase more iPads. Orangutan Outreach refuses to use its funds on the tablets, saying its priorities must be toward conservation and helping to rescue orangutans that are victims of violence in the wild.
The ipad is giving a voice to other creatures as well. Many enlightened humans have long claimed that there is intelligence in our ocean that predates primates. Now organizations such as Speak Dolphin are introducing our high tech to ocean dwellers with surprising results.
A dolphin named Merlin became one of the first of his kind to use an ipad and now programmers are challenged to keep up with him. From boingboing:
Last week, a young bottlenose dolphin named Merlin became the first of his species to join the growing number of enthusiasts using the Apple iPad. Dolphin research scientist, Jack Kassewitz of SpeakDolphin.com, introduced the iPad to the dolphin in early steps towards building a language interface.
“The use of the iPad is part of our continuing search to find a suitable touch screen technology which the dolphins can activate with the tip of their rostrums or beaks. After extensive searching and product review, it looks like our choice is between the Panasonic Toughbook and the Apple iPad,” Kassewitz explained. “We think that once the dolphins get the hang of the touch screen, we can let them choose from a wide assortment of symbols to represent objects, actions and even emotions.”
One thing that is very new is that you may not even have to visit a zoo or the ocean to start interacting with the animal kingdom. If you read this blog there is an excellent chance that you can explore a new world in your own home.
Call me crazy, but I know that my cat talks to me. I will not call you crazy if you say you talk to your cat.
Now you can pit yourself in an IPad game against your cat. This is taking things way beyond the fluffy string and is pitting you one on one. Mano Vs. Gato. From ABC.
The game is simple enough: At one end of the screen the human slings a piece of animated cat food onto the playing board.
The goal? Get the item across the screen into a goal box before you cat stops it by putting its paw on the item.
It’s sort of a 21st century air hockey table for you and your favorite feline friend.
Sound like fun! Could it be the beginning of another form of communication? Only time will tell. I do warn our human readers though, the cats are kicking our so called superior species behinds!
Yes, your kitty who has long yearned to kill the angry birds or spread out your solitaire cards has proven that they have learned computer technology. By a rate of almost two to one the kitties are beating the tar out of the peoples. Read the stats at geekologie.
Granted it’s a game specifically designed for you to compete against your cat (or a stray that hisses and tries to bite you if you touch it!), but it’s not like the cats came up with it or anything. Created by Friskies and debuted at SXSW, ‘You Vs. Cat’ is a game you play against your little feline friends. Or, if you don’t have a cat, your dog. Your dog will suck though. Your fish? They will just die. Your roommate? He’ll just download the ‘How to Always Win at You Vs. Your Cat App’ and cheat his face off because he’s a jerk. Based on the people who have competed against Buddy (above) so far at the convention, the cats are smoking humans 2,091 to 1,250. Me? I’m smoking banana peels because my friend told me they’d get me high. “GW? Those are bananachips.” Whole Foods’ bananas were all green!
The options for knowledge from species far older than our own are beginning to open up. It is not only amazing but mind boggling.
These creatures are expressing self awareness, thoughts, feelings and emotions now. How long until we reach a true dialogue with them?
They have obviously been communicating with their own kind the entire time. It appears that we were not intelligent enough to understand them so now they are the ones bridging the gap. They have found a way through our technology for us to finally begin to hear them.
At this moment we are communicating with other forms of life. We are learning from them and they from us. Or is it just now they are able to educate our young species? Only time will tell.
It is clear that we have encountered intelligent life not from some alien world but right here at home.
The question is what will they think of us?
Destruction of their world? Mass murder of their kind? Genocide? Greed? Corruption? Pollution? Toxic waste?
Are these questions we will soon be asked about….do they even care and enjoy a pleasure we have lost? Do they just seek to live in peace, enjoy life, love, breed and die?
No matter what it is apparent that soon we will be held to a measuring stick and compared to the other intelligent species that share our world.
The following video is of wild cats playing the cat game on an IPad.
From the description of the video on You Tube:
On January 20th, 2011 the folks at the Conservators’ Center in Mebane, NC took our iPad Game for Cats to find out if exotic cats like iPad Game For Cats just as much as their domesticated cousins. It turns out, they do!
FAQ:
Q: What are the types of cats shown in this video?
A: The tigers and lions are easily recognizable. But what about the other cats? Well the smaller “house cat” size ones are called Geoffroy’s cats. The cat with the funny ears is a caracal. And the slender, playful spotted cats are called servals. You can view more pictures of these cats and more at the conservators’ center’s website:http://www.conservatorscenter.org/animals.cfm
Q: What iPad game are they playing?
A: The game is called ‘iPad Game for Cats’. It was originally designed for house cats. It is free to download and you can get it here:http://www.ipadgameforcats.com/
Flea Control Part II
In this second flea control article we will discuss some options for removing a flea infestation from your home.
In my opinion an infestation can be as small as seeing one or two fleas a day up to and including having thirty or forty of the nasty little guys jump you as soon as you walk in the door. Yes, I have seen homes become that infested. I always recommend swift action when fleas are seen in the home because the way that fleas breed the difference between a couple and a mob could be as little as a few weeks.
In the case of a minor infestation, quite often all that is needed is repeating the steps I laid out in the first part of this article: pet bathing, thorough vacuuming of the house or a spruce up carpet cleaning.
With a moderate to major infestation you may wish to consult with a professional to insure a quick solution to the problem. The two professionals most homeowners consult are; number one the pest control expert, AKA the bug guy, or number two the carpet/furniture expert, AKA the carpet guy. Both are well equipped to handle the problem for you, but they do it in different ways.
Now I want to state that I have no experience in the use of commercial or residential pesticides. My knowledge of that industry comes from friends in that industry combined with customer feedback.
At first, The bug guy will be less expensive. He will spray around both outside and inside your house and leave with the promise to be back in a month to spray again. The pesticides are left behind to kill the fleas, but they only kill the fleas exposed to them. Those fleas nested in protected areas that were not sprayed, like inside your sofa or between your mattress and box spring, will remain and continue to be a problem.
Second, the carpet guy whose cost will be higher. For a major infestation I recommend the following:
- Clean all carpets, move all furniture and clear plus clean all closets.
- Thoroughly clean all furniture, mattresses and box springs.
- Clean all drapes.
The more thorough you are the better your results.
With the steam cleaning you have broken the breeding cycle of the fleas by removing their eggs and larvae. You have also killed off the majority of the adults. Many cleaners now offer “flea control”, but the products they offer are not pesticides. The product I use kills the flea eggs and larvae and will drive the adult fleas out of the area. It is a sodium-borate compound that is mixed with water and applied to the fabric or carpet with a sprayer. The manufacturer says it works for up to one year. But I have found it to only be fully effective for six to eight months. Depending on how aggressive you want to be with this method your cleaner could spend a full 8 hour day at your 3 BR house or 2 – 3 days at your mansion if you own one.
I know there are many more options for flea control. Everything from sonic waves to tea tree spay. The bottom line is that it is your home and how you choose to keep fleas at bay is your decision. I have only addressed what I feel are the two most obvious choices. I know for many people pesticides in the home are not to even be considered and I tend to agree with them. If you are sensitive to chemicals or have immune system problems, please remember you do have options that will work as well as pesticides.
Brian has 20+ years experience in carpet and furniture care and founded Eco-Clean in California. He works with environmentally friendly products and consults on Indoor Air Quality issues, and specializes in maintaining homes for those who are chemically sensitive.