Bird talk

My niece wants to take care of parakeets. Are there any basic rules for caring for these kinds of birds?

Jennifer Ramos

There are several varieties of parakeets. There are small ones like Love Birds, and bigger ones like the Ring Net. Of course, you need a cage that is appropriate for your parakeets – one that is big enough to give them enough space to move around and play.

Parakeets can be fed a variety of fruits like banana, ripe mango, papaya and guava. You may also give them Millet seeds, or other seeds that pet shops usually sell in packets. Give your birds clean water every day in a container, which could also serve as a bath basin. Clean the cage everyday. Always check if they have consumed their food. Promptly clean their pee and poo. Loss of appetite and ruffled feathers are signs that something is wrong.

Mice-Catching Dog

We’ve had dogs for ages. But I was just wondering why some of our dogs are good at catching mice and the others aren’t. Is this normal?

Jasper Reyes

Nature designed dogs to be predators – that is, to catch smaller animals for food. While dogs have been domesticated ages ago, some of them still behave according to their basic instincts.

An animal’s instinct to catch something is what we call his "prey drive."

As we watch them run after anything thrown their way, chase, catch and shake a toy to kill, we are seeing a dog’s prey drive in action.

Different dog breeds manifest various intensity of this prey drive.

Terriers, for instance, were intended to hunt rats, hence their high prey drive.

Actually, dogs should not be encouraged to chase and eat mice or rats. A dog’s cage must be secure so the small imps will not enter and have access to the dog’s food and drinks.

Dogs that are out of their cages or without a leash should be provided with clean space to live where mice and rats don’t dwell. Sanitation is a must, otherwise, dogs would be prone to diseases borne by rats and mice.

Late Bloomer?

The family decided to keep two puppies of our dalmatian. They are now seven months old. They’re both pesky but fun. But one of them doesn’t bark at all, except when he gets mad. He’s not deaf. Is this normal or is he just a late bloomer?

Joseph Camia

Dogs, like humans, are mammals but with distinct character traits. In humans, we can see one of several siblings turning into a loner, or being less talkative and outgoing, or a tendency to be slow in making decisions, or does not talk unless necessary. Dogs, too, sometimes exhibit some of these character traits.

If you want to test your puppy, put him in a dark room for several hours and see if he will not bark. Barking is one way for dogs to call attention or to show appreciation for something done or given to them.

Dogs bark when they are hungry or thirsty, when they want to go out to pee or poo, or when they see strangers.

Barking is a form of communication for a dog. It is also a behavior influended by genetics (a predisposition to exhibit a certain behavior), learning (founded largely on experience), and environment (the dog’s particular situation at the time).