George my chinchilla

George is my very furry, super soft, friendly and curious chinchilla. George will be five years old on Monday May 31st. At first when I got him, many people were unsure of what exactly a chinchilla was. They said he looked like a mix of animals. He looks like he's part mouse, part bunny, and part squirrel. I just find him all around cute. Chinchillas like rabbits are part of the rodent family. I've had rabbits before but I prefer having a chinchilla. Chinchillas are super clean. Did you know they love to bathe themselves? That's right! George enjoys taking baths. It's like a treat for him. It's not a normal bath like you and I would have. Chinchillas bathe in a white volcanic sand. This is also why there fur is so soft. I mean incredibly soft. I love petting George and resting his fur against my cheek. Here's a link on information about chinchilla bathing.

I always get asked where chinchillas come from. Chinchillas are originally from Peru. Specifically the Andes. They are very quick and great jumpers. Chinchillas have very strong back legs like rabbits do. What I like the most about the chinchillas is that they do not have any claws. There hands and feet have no claws and no nails. Just imagine your fingers without any nails. That's what a chinchillas paw feels like. Here's a link for more information on chinchillas.

I already mentioned that George loves to take baths. A bath is like a treat for him. I have him take about two to three baths a week. However, George also likes other treats. He loves these dandelion snacks that I give him. I also give him raisins. Chinchillas will go crazy over snacks. George always comes out to greet me and to get his snack. I don't like saying no to him, but I have to make sure that he doesn't have to many snacks. He has to have a balanced diet, which includes pellets, plenty of water, and plenty of timothy hay. I also have to make sure he has some wood to chew on. Chinchillas like rabbits need to chew on something. There front teeth never stop growing so they have to chew on wood to keep them healthy and from growing too long. Here's a link to food enjoyed by my chinchilla.

Here's a video I found on a chinchilla getting petted. George loves to be petted too. He looks just as happy as this chinchilla in the video does.

My friend Tiger

Tiger is an orange Maine Coon that likes to eat mangoes. He is 7 1/2 months old. My friend rescued him from the Baldwin Park Animal Shelter back in December. Tiger went from being homeless and caged in a shelter to having an owner who takes very good care of him. Tiger is actually now a little spoiled. He has many toys, gets groomed, and has plenty of "Tiger time" every day. Nevertheless, Tiger is a very sweet and loving cat. He'll give you cat kisses!!!



This is a picture of Tiger. Yes, he is sticking out his tongue. This act is what inspired this particular blog. When I saw him sticking out his tongue I couldn't help but laugh. I asked my friend if there was something wrong with him. I guess that got him thinking and he looked it up. Turns out that it's normal. Cats groom themselves with their tongue. It turns out, that they just forget that their tongue is sticking out. It usually only happens when their kittens,so if you ever see your cat with his or her tongue out it's a perfect opportunity to snap a picture. They look so silly.
Here's a link to some more information. Why does my cat stick his tongue out?

After looking up why they stick their tongue out, it got me thinking about their actual tongue. For those of you who have never been licked by a cat, it's different. I remember being at a friends house many years ago and his cat Baby came next to me and started licking my hand. I was taken by surprise and looked at my friend kinda freaked out. I was like..."Is your cat biting me?" He started laughing. He explained that that's how their tongues are. They are rough like sandpaper. So if you've never been licked by a cat, I just gave you a heads up. I found these links just in case you want to find out some more about cats and why their tongues are rough. Why does my cat's tongue feel like sandpaper? and Pawprints and Purr Inc.

Going to the Vet

Last Saturday I took Henry to the vet. Nothing major, just his regular check up and booster shot. I find him to be very interesting. I can never go to the vet by myself. He just can not go into his crate and in a moving vehicle. He has no problem with being in the crate...as long as it's not moving. So, I always have to carry him. This was easier when he was a kitten, but now he's all grown up, and I can't hold him and drive at the same time. So my solution is to have someone else go with me.

For this visit I took my friend. She had just got a new puppy. Her puppy's name is Coco. She is a chihuahua pug mix. She is very sweet and tiny. She is only 7 weeks old, well now she's 8 weeks old. So,my friend called me to ask when she should get her first shots and I told her that it was time, and that she should go with me. For those of you who don't know, it's crucial for puppies to get all there shots so that they don't get sick. You especially have to be careful with them getting Parvo. If your puppy gets Parvo, he/she only has a 20% chance of surviving. Just to let you all know, there is no cure for Parvo.

The visit went well. Both Henry and Coco did well. Coco was asleep most of the time, and Henry is fine as long as he's not in the car. I really like the vet I go to. I've always had a good experience. Here are two good vet places that I've gone to. Pico Rivera Animal Hospital, and North Figueroa Animal Hospital. Both of these places are not close to me, but I'm willing to drive. Although, North Figueroa does take a long time. This is why I usually go to the Pico Rivera animal Hospital. I should really find a vet closer to me.

Here's a link on vaccination recommendations, it tells you when a puppy should get them and what exactly they are being vaccinated for.

Here's a picture of Coco, on her first visit to the vet.