Pet Buzz

A visit today to Boongala, a beautiful native plant garden in Kenthurst surprised me  with the appearance of a small flock of dainty little  Owl Finches (Taeniopygia bichenovii). Surprising because they are seldom seen in the Sydney surrounds. In fact, the garden's owners say that people come from far and wide just to see these little birds flying about their 11 hectare property. The  Owl finch  (Taeniopygia bichenovii) is found in dry savannah, tropical (lowland) dry grassland and shrubland habitats in northern and eastern Australia. They are sometimes referred to as Bicheno's finch, and also as Double Barred Finch. Owl finches can be bred in cages or aviaries, in pairs or in colonies of 3 or more pairs. They have been bred in standard breeding cages and in longer flight cages. They will take a variety of nest boxes,  and baskets with a real preference for the baskets. They will use dried grasses, coconut fibers, feathers and strips of paper in...

  I was amazed to come across a huge flock of Corellas on my walk back to my Hotel at Caves Beach. There must have been about one thousand grazing on a field of flowers. (Watch video above). These a well known in Australia and offered as pets at about $1000, for a suitably reared and innoculated pet bird. I was looking at a bird flock that looked like a million bucks! The Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea) is one of the small species of cockatoo.  It’s feathers are white, a small rim of pink-orange feathers around the bill and yellow feathers under the wings. The bill and feet are bone-colored. The crest is small and white. The blueish naked patch around the eye is much bigger than in other species. 

 This species is one of the most common species of cockatoos in the wild. It occurs in Australia, mostly on open fields and is increasingly common in urban and agricultural areas. This species is one of the few species of animals that thrives because o...

On a recent trip to Fiji, I met this young man with several Fijian Iguanas clinging to him. He offered me the chance to photograph them for a small fee. While they are often seen in Fiji, their numbers are small due to de-forestation in the past and introduced feral animals I was surprised to discover this rare creature is available as a pet in the UK. It’s pretty unusual and breeders will ask $3000AU per pair. It may be available elsewhere in the world. I don’t know.  The Fijian Crested Iguana is a diurnal creature that lives in the shade of trees and seeks sunlight/heat on cool days. It has the ability to rapidly change colour from green to black when threatened.  Bright green is standard. It changes to dark green and then to black if the threat is extreme. It will ultimately resort to an expansion of its neck, a bobbing of its head, and it will pounce itself towards the potential threat.  They move from tree to tree using the overlapping branch...

Cujo Dressed by Pawsify Gone are the days when Cujo was happy  with a new leather collar.   Now, there's fur collars, beanies, sunglasses, jewellery-like identity tags, hats and of course dresses.  I can't get him out of bed early since I bought him and his brother matching pyjamas.  far fetched apparel far fetched apparel He stares at his reflection in every shop window, squinting through his designer sunglasses.  He doesn't even chase cats anymore, just meanders after them, walking like they do, swaying about, showing off. He just wants to be on the catwalk.                  pawsify pawsify far fetched apparel far fetched apparel fur4fur pawsify pawsify Check out the instagram sites captioned under the pics for great doggie apparel.  Our Instagram site is HERE .

I remember my first encounter with this cute tree frog was on the golf course. It called from way up in the branches of a Red Gum. I wasn't even sure it was a frog. It could have been a bird or small animal mocking me as I lined up a tee shot. But it left an impression, because the shot was a good one. Laughing Tree Frog (Litoria peronii) The Laughing Tree Frog  (Litoria peronii) is a common tree frog found in South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, Australia. It is kept as a pet; in Australia, this animal may be kept in captivity/zoo with the appropriate permit. I next discovered it in my garden, where I was able to get some good photos and a video (above). The call of Peron's tree frog is a high-pitched cackle, giving it the common names: the "laughing tree frog" and the "maniacal cackle frog". The frog is found in forests, woodlands, shrublands, and open areas, often far from a water source. Laughing Tree ...

I just read this wonderful, fun book. Here's what the Amazon review had to say; "Cats are beautiful, secretive, and independent ... but what are they trying to tell us? Even the most loyal cat owners are often baffled by their own pet's behavior.   Dr. Gary Weitzman's  fun book helps kids understand what cats are trying to communicate by their body language and behavior.  So if you've ever wondered what Fluffy means when she's purring or moving her tail emphatically from left to right - this book is for you! It's full of insights, expert advice, and real-life cat scenarios, and showcases more than 30 poses, so you'll soon learn what each meow and flick of the tail means!"  BUY HERE HOW TO SPEAK CAT

The Water Dragon lives around creeks and rivers on the East Coast of Australia and is usually fairly timid, eating small animals and insects and occasional fruit.  But when this particular dragon  stumbled upon the "good life",  the rules changed.  This guy, who we'll call "Drogo" watched us carefully for many months from his hiding places in the garden. Then one hot summer morning, the swimming pool became too much to resist.  From that moment, he became a "Pool" Dragon ( lizardus entitleus) . Insects were replaced by tropical fruit  the garden rocks were no longer his resting place, preferring the warm tiled pool surrounds. The Australian description "flat out like a lizard drinking" became his. The Good Life for a Lizard Flat out like a lizard drinking Drogo has become  completely tame.  Honey I'm Home The treats we give him, e.g. banana, apple, grapes, boiled egg, and cric...

Do they love each other? Well probably, deep down. The natural instincts of dogs and cats, and their signals and behaviours that they use to communicate are different to each other and can be mistaken for aggression, fear, or dominance. Dogs have a natural instinct to chase their prey. The cat’s instinct is to flee, or in some cases stand their ground and hiss. But, I would suggest, when these two are living closely together an entirely different scenario can be experienced. Please take a moment to follow this link:   Do Dogs Secretly Love Cats?