If anyone has been following this blog all this time, they already know this, but...
A Real Menagerie is now a closed blog. All the posts will be left here, but I will not be adding new content.
I have a new blog now: New & Strange
Goodbye, readers.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Tintin
Tintin is working on whistling the Andy Griffith theme song! I'll post a video when she gets really good at it!
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Pet Scams Part 2: Puppies
It's been a while, but I'm back with part 2 :)
Purebred puppies are EXPENSIVE, hundreds, even more than a thousand dollars for one. Just as with the Macaws, there are online scams involving puppies.
From my research, there are several "red flags" that suggest that an add for a puppy may be a scam, as well as the ones already mentioned about Macaws
One of the most common puppy scams is when the puppy is listed online, often free or for a low cost. The catch? You just have to "pay for shipping". These puppies are often in Africa, especially in Cameroon, though they may be said to be located in the US. It is simple to get someone to send you money for a puppy or for shipping, and then not send them the animal.
If the add is on Craigslist and contains a phone number, try doing an internet search for it. I did that once, and found that a puppy seller supposedly living in my hometown was actually from France.
A cute puppy picture doesn't mean that the add is legitimate, for scammers often use stock photos. I saw one puppy that was to be shipped from Arizona (one warning sign, since it was on a Missouri Craigslist), but the picture showed a puppy in front of a jungle or a rain forest.
By far the safest approach to getting a puppy, if you aren't getting it from a breeder or shelter, is to NEVER buy a puppy, or any animal, that has to be shipped to you. And be cautious about getting a puppy, especially a purebred and expensive one, off Craigslist.
Purebred puppies are EXPENSIVE, hundreds, even more than a thousand dollars for one. Just as with the Macaws, there are online scams involving puppies.
From my research, there are several "red flags" that suggest that an add for a puppy may be a scam, as well as the ones already mentioned about Macaws
One of the most common puppy scams is when the puppy is listed online, often free or for a low cost. The catch? You just have to "pay for shipping". These puppies are often in Africa, especially in Cameroon, though they may be said to be located in the US. It is simple to get someone to send you money for a puppy or for shipping, and then not send them the animal.
If the add is on Craigslist and contains a phone number, try doing an internet search for it. I did that once, and found that a puppy seller supposedly living in my hometown was actually from France.
A cute puppy picture doesn't mean that the add is legitimate, for scammers often use stock photos. I saw one puppy that was to be shipped from Arizona (one warning sign, since it was on a Missouri Craigslist), but the picture showed a puppy in front of a jungle or a rain forest.
By far the safest approach to getting a puppy, if you aren't getting it from a breeder or shelter, is to NEVER buy a puppy, or any animal, that has to be shipped to you. And be cautious about getting a puppy, especially a purebred and expensive one, off Craigslist.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Pet Scams on Craigslist- Hyacinth Macaws
I often look at Craigslist, and find it interesting to look for scams in the pet section. I see adds on Craigslist Pets that are obviously scams all the time. In this post, and the next, I will address some common scam techniques and how to avoid them.
Adds for Hyacinth Macaw are virtually always scams. For those of you who don't know, Hyacinths are huge vibrant blue parrots. They are rarely seen outside of zoos and cost tens of thousands to buy.
Adds for a free Hyacinth Macaw are scams. Absolutely guaranteed. No one in their right mind would give away for free something worth 10-20 thousand dollars!
If the add calls the bird just "parrot" or "macaw" or "macaw parrot" it is almost certainly a scam.
If the add has a picture that has been used on another website, it is a scam.
These adds almost always have pictures of these beautiful birds. That means nothing! These photos are either stock photos or stolen from other websites!
Here is an example of a HM scam add.
"I have a female hyacinth Macaw that I needs to be re-homed. She is very sweet, tame parrot. I work extra hours and am unable to spend time with the bird. The parrot is 2 years old and will easily adapt to a new place."
Note the mistakes used in the add. Almost all scam adds that I have seen have spelling and/or grammar errors. A lot of pet scams are based in Cameroon, Africa, or other non-English speaking countries.
It would also seem more legit if the add mentioned, for example, the bird's name. The bird is referred to as "female hyacinth macaw", "she", "parrot", and "bird", but never using a real name for the pet. Most legit-seeming pet adds mention the name of the animal.
Scam adds often seem to have a "story" about "why I am getting rid of the pet".
This is another scam- even more obvious than the first!
"home trained ,very friendly with kids and other home pets.comes with accessories and play toys."
Note that there is no capitalization nor distinct sentences.
Also note the use of "home" when "house" would be the more appropriate word. "home trained", "home pets".
Parrots are rarely "house trained" as are dogs. Yet many scam adds say that their Hyacinth Macaw is.
In fact, many scam adds for parrots and scam email replies (which are found online on some scam reporting sites) have reference to the bird being house broken/trained, walking a leash, being spayed or neutered, up to date on shots, and other terms used to describe dogs.
If you desperately want a Hyacinth Macaw (which make very poor pets for most people, by the way), find a legitimate breeder. The breeder should have a website, or at least an add on a bird-specific selling website. The breeder should also try to make sure you will properly care for the bird, and will charge a high fee.
The main way to prevent a scam is to see the animal IN PERSON! Another common scam tactic, apparently used very often with puppies, is to claim to send the pet by air plane while you pay by Western Union.
I will address this further in the next post.
Adds for Hyacinth Macaw are virtually always scams. For those of you who don't know, Hyacinths are huge vibrant blue parrots. They are rarely seen outside of zoos and cost tens of thousands to buy.
Adds for a free Hyacinth Macaw are scams. Absolutely guaranteed. No one in their right mind would give away for free something worth 10-20 thousand dollars!
If the add calls the bird just "parrot" or "macaw" or "macaw parrot" it is almost certainly a scam.
If the add has a picture that has been used on another website, it is a scam.
These adds almost always have pictures of these beautiful birds. That means nothing! These photos are either stock photos or stolen from other websites!
Here is an example of a HM scam add.
"I have a female hyacinth Macaw that I needs to be re-homed. She is very sweet, tame parrot. I work extra hours and am unable to spend time with the bird. The parrot is 2 years old and will easily adapt to a new place."
Note the mistakes used in the add. Almost all scam adds that I have seen have spelling and/or grammar errors. A lot of pet scams are based in Cameroon, Africa, or other non-English speaking countries.
It would also seem more legit if the add mentioned, for example, the bird's name. The bird is referred to as "female hyacinth macaw", "she", "parrot", and "bird", but never using a real name for the pet. Most legit-seeming pet adds mention the name of the animal.
Scam adds often seem to have a "story" about "why I am getting rid of the pet".
This is another scam- even more obvious than the first!
"home trained ,very friendly with kids and other home pets.comes with accessories and play toys."
Note that there is no capitalization nor distinct sentences.
Also note the use of "home" when "house" would be the more appropriate word. "home trained", "home pets".
Parrots are rarely "house trained" as are dogs. Yet many scam adds say that their Hyacinth Macaw is.
In fact, many scam adds for parrots and scam email replies (which are found online on some scam reporting sites) have reference to the bird being house broken/trained, walking a leash, being spayed or neutered, up to date on shots, and other terms used to describe dogs.
If you desperately want a Hyacinth Macaw (which make very poor pets for most people, by the way), find a legitimate breeder. The breeder should have a website, or at least an add on a bird-specific selling website. The breeder should also try to make sure you will properly care for the bird, and will charge a high fee.
The main way to prevent a scam is to see the animal IN PERSON! Another common scam tactic, apparently used very often with puppies, is to claim to send the pet by air plane while you pay by Western Union.
I will address this further in the next post.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
What EVERY Dog Owner Needs to Keep on Hand
A bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide (henceforth called "HP") !
HP is basically a mild toxin. It causes no permanent harm, but it will cause the dog to vomit. It is safe, but only if it is a 3% solution.
We bought a 32 ounce (1 quart) bottle of 3% HP, for (Mom guessed) less than $2. It has probably saved Spock's life of two occasions. It was a great deal.
So under what circumstances should you induce your dog to vomit using HP?
If the first dose does not work after 5-10 minutes and second- and- if needed- third dose can be given.
*This article does not constitute veterinary advice. Remember to research before trying any method to induce vomiting.*
HP is basically a mild toxin. It causes no permanent harm, but it will cause the dog to vomit. It is safe, but only if it is a 3% solution.
We bought a 32 ounce (1 quart) bottle of 3% HP, for (Mom guessed) less than $2. It has probably saved Spock's life of two occasions. It was a great deal.
So under what circumstances should you induce your dog to vomit using HP?
- If the dog has swallowed an object large enough to potentially block their intestines
- If the dog has, in the last two hours, drank some antifreeze
- Certain other medicines or toxins (look it up before inducing vomiting!)
- Any time a vet tells you to
- Bleach or other poisons that can burn the dog worse if he vomits
- Sharp or pointy obects
- Choking
- Already vomiting
- Unconscious
If the first dose does not work after 5-10 minutes and second- and- if needed- third dose can be given.
*This article does not constitute veterinary advice. Remember to research before trying any method to induce vomiting.*
Monday, December 9, 2013
Spock and Bird Pictures
Here are some of the most recent pictures of sweet little Spocky!
Yes, Spock is in our Christmas pictures.
Here are some really good pictures of my flock. They were just positioned perfectly!
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| Spock looking precious |
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| Those awful eyes! In my next post, I'll document how to fix them |
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| Spock loves to shake hands. Since his legs are so short, he extends the entire leg. |
Here are some really good pictures of my flock. They were just positioned perfectly!
Saturday, November 9, 2013
A year (almost) of Spock
My sweet little Corgi, Spocky, turned one year old recently. Right after Thanksgiving we will have had him for one full year.
We have had many adventures with this short-legged dog, including a four day vacation, many short walks and longer hikes, and just watching him grow about 8 times larger.
We used to weigh him on a kitchen scale. He is far too big now. We used to be able to catch him easily. He now can usually outrun a human. There was a time when jumping off a two-foot-high bed was out of the question. Now he is an amazing jumper.
We plan to celebrate Spock's "Adoption Day", as we do not know his exact birthday. I have not decided exactly how we will celebrate.
We have had many adventures with this short-legged dog, including a four day vacation, many short walks and longer hikes, and just watching him grow about 8 times larger.
We used to weigh him on a kitchen scale. He is far too big now. We used to be able to catch him easily. He now can usually outrun a human. There was a time when jumping off a two-foot-high bed was out of the question. Now he is an amazing jumper.
We plan to celebrate Spock's "Adoption Day", as we do not know his exact birthday. I have not decided exactly how we will celebrate.
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