2012 – Page 10 – GregRobert Pet Supplies Blog

How to Attract Finches

There are quite a variety of finch species. From the American Gold Finch, also known as the wild canary because of it bright canary yellow color and canary song to the Purple Finch that looks like it has been dipped in raspberry juice to the Lesser Finch that is only 3 ¾ to 4 ¼ in length. These birds are distict from other because of their cone shaped beak and undulating flight. Finches are cling and peck feeders. This means the feeder should not have perch, but should have something like mesh for the Finch to “click” to.

Many different styles of Finch Feeders are availble. Finches are attracted to nyjer or thistle. The Nyjer Mesh Finch Feederin the picture is a perfect Finch feeder. The fine 1/10 inch wire mesh cylinder is perfect for small clinging finches. The feeer is available in 2 sizes – Small: 9 ¾ inches high x 3 inch diameter with a ¾ quart capacity or Medium: 13 ¼ inches high x 3 inch diameter with a 1 quart capacity. This feeder can be hung from a tree or hook using the included 5″ wire loop hanger or
can also be pole mounted on any pole with a standard ¾” threaded adaptor. The Nyjer Mesh Finch Feeder has a lifetime guarantee and is made in the USA.

You can also expand your garden to attrach even more Finches. Several varieties of coneflowers and black-eyed Susan plants will attract Finches. Also, large sunflowers will do the trick.

And don’t forget to have plenty of water available. Not just for the finches, but all wild birds you are trying to attract. The water can be in the form of a bird bath. Be sure to keep this water full and clean.

Follow the information above and finches should be flocking to your yard.

In a Nutshell Series: The reason that extra carbon is needed in planted aquariums

This article is the first in a series of articles that GregRobert Pet Supplies is offering that have been dubbed “In a Nutshell Series”. These articles are concise, quick reads about the reasons behind what we do for our pets and how we care for our pets.

Plants need carbon to create their food (photosynthesize). We all learned about this in our freshman year biology classes – but relating this to our planted aquariums requires a few jumps of faith.

The plants in our aquariums obtain carbon from either carbon dioxide (CO2) or from carbonate hardness (KH). It is easier for plants to get the carbon from CO2, which is naturally present in your aquarium, but not usually at the levels needed to stimulate quick growth of your plants.

As CO2 levels are lowered, plants slow their growth. This naturally forces them to use the carbon from KH, which is the ingredient that holds pH level stable in the aquarium. (think about all those PH tests that you use for your aquarium). So, take it into account at the aquarium setup stage.

I personally love aquariums and also love fish tank’s premium fluval edge aquarium review, as that was the review which helped me decide which tank to set up at my new place.

When this buffers content is lowered, pH levels can change dramatically, which may severely stressor even kill fish.

This is why adding carbon to your aquarium that have plants is highly recommended and if you don’t add the carbon molecules – you put your fish at risk.

That’s it in a nutshell – try Seachem’s Matrix Carbon to keep your planted aquarium in balance.

Squirrels – Friends or Foes?

There are many fun things about squirrels. Squirrels are entertaining while trying to get food or playing with each other, especially a good game of tag. Squirrels are very important ecologically. Since squirrels bury nuts and seeds in preparation for winter, and will not eat even close to the amount buried, you can thank squirrels for the many plants and trees that sprout each spring.

It is important to know that squirrels have a great sense of smell, which is why they can easily find the food put out for birds. Squirrels also like to hoard food which is why you often see them running away with food in their mouths as they run back to their nests. Squirrels teeth are always growing and they must chew to keep their teeth from growing too long.

The best way to keep your squirrels as friends and not be mad at them for stealing birds’ food is to set up a squirrel feeder. Squirrels are very territorial animals. Squirrels will mark their feeder area as their own and in doing so will leave the bird feeders alone. It is important to set up the squirrel feeder(s) at least 15 feet away from the birdfeeder(s) and away from your house.

There are many types of squirrel feeders availabe. Some holders are for corn cobs, some for nuts and others for wild life seed. The Audubon Squirrel Munch Box Feeder in the picture can be filled with sunflower seed, corn, peanuts in the shell or squirrel or wildlife mix. For the entertainment of both the squirrels and humans, the squirrels will lift the hinged lid and grab the food inside. There is a plastic front so you can see how much seed is available. The wood lid protects the seed from the weather and the little front porch area gives the squirrel a place to sit. There are two pre-drilled holes for easy mounting on a post, tree or deck.

Keeping a filled squirrel feeder in your yard will entertain the squirrels and you, while keeping the squirrels out of the birdfeeders. Now, that is what I call a happy yard.

Petstrut.com – the Dog Thundershirt Low Price Leader

Can anyone say canine anti-anxiety?

Thunders hirt for dogs is synonymous to anti-anxiety for those dogs that suffer from anxiety related to large noises like those that occur during a thunderstorm or a firework display. It is widely acclaimed to aid in easing a dog’s anxiety during a thunderstorm, but few people know that it is effective in relieving a dog’s travel anxiety.

Depending on the intensity of your dog’s travel anxiety, a Thundershirt may be enough to solve any travel problems, just by itself.

Thundershirt has reduced symptoms such as severe shaking, panting, excitability, barking and even vomiting in dogs that previously had these symptoms during travel – either in the car or on an airplane.

With over an 85% success rate , why not try Thundershirt for your dog’s travel anxiety?

Thundershirt uses gentle, constant pressure to calm your dog – it is almost like giving your dog a consistent loving hug when he or she is frightened. It effectively aids anxiety, fearfulness, barking and more.

Before putting Thundershirt on your dog for the first time, we recommend offering a treat to your dog using the Thundershirt as a serving plate. Dogs will trust things that are associated with treats, so this is an easy way to create a positive association with Thundershirt for your dog.

SIZING

XXS 9″-13.5″ < 7 lbs.
XS 13″-18″ 8-14 lbs.
S 16″-23″ 15-25 lbs.
M 18″-26″ 26-40 lbs.
L 24″-32″ 41-64 lbs.
XL 31″-40″ 65-110 lbs.
XXL 38″-50″ >100 lbs.

Advanced Oral Care from Nylabone – Coming Soon!

80% of all dogs suffer from periodontal disease by the age of 3.
(Source: American Veternary Dental Society)

Preventative dental care reduces the risk of developing periondontal disease, which can lead to serious health issues for dogs and cats. The new Advanced Oral Care line of Dog and Cat products can help.

Establishing a daily routine of proper dental care may extend the life of your pet.
Nylabone offers a full line of dental care products for your pet.

From edible treats, to dental kits and tartar removers, Nylabone makes dental care easier offering solutions that will:

Clean Teeth
Reduce Plaque & Tartar
Freshen Breath

GregRobert is thrilled to announce that they are stocking Nylabone’s Advanced Oral Care line of dental products from Nylabone. Sign up for an alert to make sure you are first on the list when these brand-spankin-new products come in!

Exercise and Games with your Dog

It’s the end of January and cabin fever is rampant throughout much of the United States. Don’t you think your dog feels the same way?

As with people, dogs must keep their minds and bodies fit and active.

The ancestor of the dog, the wolf, covered up to 20 km a day. A dog which is involved with too little exercise is open to the same risks as humans by becoming overweight, putting too much strain on joints, and being at higher risk of cardio-vascular diseases, a weak immune system and increased incidence of skin diseases.

In order to maintain his mental health, it is important for the dog to have sufficient variety in his life and contact with other dogs. If you own just one dog, you should regularly look for places where many different, friendly dogs can meet off the lead.

If you are alone with your dog on a walk, occupy him with obedience exercises, games of “fetch” or exercises of skill. There are a huge selection of fetch and frisbee toys available on the market. So much so that it can be difficult to choose. We like the Dog Whisperer line of Dog Toys by Cesar Millan.

When you praise each accomplishment these exercise periods will make your dog very happy and more balanced! Be sure to check out DeListProduct for more great pet supplies and dog training products.

Your opinion please! GregRobert Pet Supplies Pet Site Redesign

We are reaching out to our wonderful customers, visitors and even a few strangers to find out if our site redesign is moving in the right direction.

Our designers have been working on creating an easier to use and aesthetically mor e appealing we

bsite since late 2011 and we recently launched the new version. What do you think? Is it easier to find things? Are the product images and descriptions better? Is there anything that you think we should be doing differently? After all, we are doing this for you – the customer or potential customer and we have thick skin! Please tell us what we are doing wrong and what we are doing right.

For starters, we are changing the navigation. The navigation is now evident in a consistent manner on the top of each page using mega menus. These are drop down menus that allow you to jump to a particular category and/or subcategory from wherever you are on the website.

Next, we have redesigned the individual product pages to make the images larger – but on some browsers this causes you to scroll down to see the options that the product may have and also the detailed description. Is this an annoyance or do you prefer to see a very clear and large photo of the product without clicking the enlarge button? Let us know what you think.

Finally our main category pages show images with the subcategory titles. We think that this makes it easier to visual what category a product that you may be looking for will land in. Are we right? Does it make it easier?

Next, we made our sale pages more evident, adding them to the Mega menus on top of the screen. We think that many of our visitors couldn’t find our sale pages and this limited the amount of money that you – the customer – could save.

We added “Plus Buttons” on all of our Add-to-Cart areas so that you don’t have to type the quantity in the input field anymore. Just use your mouse to click and increase the quantity.

Finally, on products that have multiple variations, we have added mini-images of all the variations on the main product page, so that you can view the product quickly without clicking to enlarge it. This gives you an idea of what the packaging or product may look like.

ANY INPUT YOU GIVE US WILL BE APPRECIATED! Thank you very much in advance,

The Staff at GregRobert Pet Store

Gourds? A Great Home for Purple Martins

TOP WILD BIRD PRODUCTS

Purple Martins are beautiful and practical birds to have living in your backyard.

These insect eating birds are more difficult to attract and maintain, but make useful tenants in any yard because their diet consists of high-flying insects. Throughout the years, Purple Martins have become completely dependent on humans to provide shelter for living and reproducing, so maintaining the proper home is essential.

Gourds are modern-looking homes for Purple Martins that have been around for many, many years.

They are easy to clean and maintain and Purple Martins love to nest inside them. Gourds can be placed on a gourd pole far from your home in the early spring to attract the scout bird.

Heath Manufacturing makes some great gourds for attracting Purple Martins and preventing Sparrows and other types of wild birds from trying to make them home. The Easy Clean Deluxe Purple Martin Gourd helps to keep Sparrows and others out and splits apart for easy cleaning. A drainage hole at the bottom also helps to keep the nest dry, which encourages Purple Martins to stay.

A gourd pole is essential for hanging up your gourds. The Telescoping Spiral Steel Gourd Pole is adjustable and made of steel for durability. It is important to check your Purple Martin gourds on a regular basis and this pole allows you to easily access the gourds because it can be lowered. The spiral configuration allows birds to easily enter and leave the gourd. Place pole at least 30 feet from a home and trees for a clear flight path.

Once you have set-up your pole with gourds, you may want to place straw, twigs and other nesting materials nearby to keep your Purple Martins happy.

Developing a Purple Martin habitat is not easy, but it is very rewarding and helps to continue the Purple Martin species. Rachel’s Robin has all your Purple Martin birding needs!

Can you stop thinking about insects as enemies?

TOP WILD BIRD PRODUCTS

We know, it’s difficult to think about the spider in your shoe as a friend, but there are alot of great things about insects – as your wild bird friends would tell you, if they could.

Let your mind wander and think about the beauty of insects – not just the butterfly! Dragonflies are gorgeous also and bring no harm to humans. The further south in the United States we wander, the more insect varieties seem to show up. Insects are of course, most diverse in the tropics.

And what about the beautiful flies that attack our pets and horses in the summer? (well, maybe they are downright ugly). Not many of us like flies because they carry a variety of disease. But … don’t forget that many of our most attractive birds depend on flies for their diet.

As spring approaches us, remember to leave a small part of your lawn or backyard area wild to create a natural habitat for insects. This will attract a wide variety of crawling, flying and hopping insects that pollinate flowers, gather nectar and eat some of the more pesky bugs.

But if you really can’t stomach all those insects in the yard and the birds really do love insects, think about stocking up on Pine Tree Farms Insect Suet Cake (shown to the right). These will really help in getting the birds back in early spring!

Your birds will thank you too!

On the New Year to do list: Disaster Supply Checklist for Pets

No one wants to think about a disaster happening – and that is an understatement. Being prepared in a natural disaster can be the difference between life and death and the life and death of your pets.

The biggest thing to remember in a disaster regarding your pets is to take your pets with you. Do not leave them behind, a disaster area is no place for a pet dog, cat, horse or other pet.

Every member of your family should know what is needed during the evacuation.

You need to prepare supplies for your pet.

It’s always a good idea to have a stock off non-perishables at home and have everything ready to go at a moment’s notice.
It’s a good idea to keep your emergency supplies stored in sturdy containers that can be carried easily (suitcases, covered trash containers, Vittles Vaults etc.).
Make sure all medications and medical records (stored in a waterproof container) are available and a first aid kit is packed also.
Sturdy leashes, harnesses and carriers to transport pets safely and to ensure that your pets can’t escape. Remember that your pet may have to stay in the carrier for hours at a time – so make sure it is large enough.
Bring a current photo of your pet for identification in case your pet gets lost.
Food, water, pet bowls, cat litter and litter box, and a manually-operated can opener if you use canned food.
Information on medical conditions and the name and number of your veterinarian should be packed in case you have to board your pets or place them in foster care.
Only bring pet beds and toys, if you can easily take them.

Other useful items include newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags, grooming items, and household bleach.