5 comments about How to Build Animal Housing: 60 Plans for Coops, Hutches, Barns, Sheds, Pens, Nestboxes, Feeders, Stanchions, and Much More.

1. Great projects, concise writing, great way to add to your design ideas for building "homes" for your "crew".



2. This book is more for the professional builder then for the do it yourself. I would bother with this one unless you have the skills to build it.



3. I bought Carol's book about two years ago; now it's battered and ragged because it's been hauled around the farm so much, propped up on things as we use its designs to make new stuff. This is one of my all-time favorites. If you live on a small farm and you're a do-it-yourselfer, you NEED this book!



4. This book is absolutely fantastic for those who are just starting out. There are plans and pictures for every style and taste you may be searching for. It's easy to read...with great graphics.



5. As a hobby, I enjoy capturing wild animals and putting them in cages. But I am fairly new to this hobby, so I do not own many cages. This book has helped me learn how to build my own animal cages.
   
   As a child, I enjoyed going to the zoo. But something was always missing in the zoo experience. Now that I am an adult, and capturing my own wild animals, I feel more fulfilled.
   
   When I see an animal in a cage, it makes me feel important and powerful, especially if I'm the one who captured the animal.

5 comments about Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits: Breeds, Care, Facilities.

1. I am a new rabbit keeper and was surprised that this book did not have more information on topics that interest me like wool and tanning. There are vague butchering instructions, but no illustrations to accompany them. There is too much emphasis on large-scale breeding, turning profits, and not enough practical instruction. I found much more information in Carla Emery's book, as well as other titles that focus on rabbits.



2. Excellent book, would recomend to any body who is thinking about raising rabbits. I wish there was more in there about raising them for meat.



3. This is a book designed for rabbit exploitation- meat and commercial breeding, etc. If you want to keep a healthy AND happy pet rabbit who will become part of the family, this book is not for you. Instead refer to Marnell Harrison's book or Kathy Smith's books on rabbit care and vitality. These books lean toward a stance that rabbits are creatures that should be treated like dogs or cats, and NOT like livestock, which they SHOULD!



4. This guide contains just about everything you need to know about raising meat rabbits. Although geared toward mass production, there is also some good advice for pet owners.



5. Storey's Guides are primarily written for producers and breeders of livestock, not for "pets" (although most deal with livestock animals as pets), and most Storey's guides give a certain amount of slaughtering information as well as recipes. Don't even pick this book up if you are offended by the concept of eating rabbits- this isn't the book for you. For people who want to raise, breed and eat rabbits, however, it meets a need. I've always found the Storey's Guides to be pretty good informationally speaking and the authors usually have extensive experience raising the animals concerned. This book may have a few light sections, but I think it's a good starting reference, perhaps the best out there at present. It's certainly better than any other rabbit book I've seen so far.

5 comments about Rabbits for Dummies.

1. If it is the forst time you have a rabbit or if you plan to get one home, Istrongly recommend this book as a reference to get the best years of your bunnies. As many people has certain misconceptions about rabbits, which they could be considered as cats or dogs in they way we look after them, this book is a real source of knowledge to start undertanding your long ears friends. Here you will find all the needed information about health, food, housing, what to do in case something is wrong, playing with them and their personalities. A good refenrence to know if by certains symptoms you need to get help from the vet, how to biuld your own hutch, how to interact with your rabbits, when to breed, travel with them and so other matters that would make you undetandyour rabbit as avery unique and singular pet. When having the right reference, you and your rabbit will live long years enjoying your time together.



2. This book is just terrible. Absolutely dreadful. It is the Touchy Feely Bunny Book. However, it will make good firewood for the winter.



3. Perfect for someone who has never had a rabbit. We have learned much!



4. As with all of the "Dummies" publication, this book provides very thorough, elementary information for would-be rabbit families. The imformation is broken down into chapters for ease of use. It offers insight into these amazingly complex animals, their care and distinct personalities.



5. This book covers every aspect of bunny care. Very thorough. I recommend it.

5 comments about When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care: Traditional and Alternative Healing Methods.

1. As a rabbit rescue I thought I pretty much knew everything when it comes to rabbits. Majority of the rabbits I take in are sick or injured so my vet and I have learned together.
   
   But even I learned a few new tricks. The chapter on medications is worth the cost of the book by it's self. I'm going to give a copy to my vet, I have the feeling even he could learn a thing or two from this book..
   
   Bunny Haven Rabbit Rescue
   A 2nd Chance 4 Easter Rabbits



2. THis book is a must have for rabbit owners. It serves as reference for when rabbits display symptoms that you may not recognize at first and it provides solutions that can save your rabbit's life!



3. The personal experiences and detailed care for disabled rabbits in this book is outstanding. Great job!



4. As a past owner of a special needs rabbit (my bun recently passed away), I know a lot of "wheel reinventing" happens to owners of disabled rabbits. This book covers important care topics to give your disabled or sick rabbit the best care possible early at the onset of the disability or illness.
   I hope many will buy this book for themselves or other rabbit owners or vets. God Bless



5. This is the book that rabbit owners have been waiting for. It covers everything from the basics down to what signs to look for in case of trouble. It's extremely well done. I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Rabbit Handbook, The (Barron's Pet Handbooks).

1. This book was written by a veterinarian and is recommended by my veterinarian. It offers great guidelines for medical care and makes medical conditions easy to understand which helps me work better with my veterinarian. In addition, there is valuable information on behavior, training, diet and housing.



2. I thought this book was great. I read all about the rabbit diseases, so when this book said that a certain symptom was normal I ignored. Now my rabbit is dead, and I know to go to my vet. Good as a starter book, but only that.



3. I bought this book before I adopted my first rabbit, just to make sure that I could handle whatever responsibilities come along with having a pet rabbit. The book gives you advice on which breed is best for you, what to expect as your bunny grows, what to feed, what not to feed, recommended toys, behavior interpretations, common rabbit diseases, symptoms and treatments. I still refer to it whenever I have any concerns. Nothing will substitute a vet visit when your bunny is sick, but you can at least have an idea when a vet visit is necessary. I also refer to this book as my bible. The information is concise and easy to understand, and also easy to find, as the book is very well organized. The only suggestion I would make is to inclue a picture of a Flemish Giant, because that is fast becoming a very popular pet breed. Other than that, the book is perfect.



4. I bought this book before I adopted my first rabbit, just to make sure that I could handle whatever responsibilities come along with having a pet rabbit. The book gives you advice on which breed is best for you, what to expect as your bunny grows, what to feed, what not to feed, recommended toys, behavior interpretations, common rabbit diseases, symptoms and treatments. I still refer to it whenever I have any concerns. Nothing will substitute a vet visit when your bunny is sick, but you can at least have an idea when a vet visit is necessary. I also refer to this book as my bible. The information is concise and easy to understand, and also easy to find, as the book is very well organized. The only suggestion I would make is to inclue a picture of a Flemish Giant, because that is fast becoming a very popular pet breed. Other than that, the book is perfect.



5. I received this book a few days ago and have basically read it from cover to cover.
   I feel the information in this book is for the most part accurate. One thing that I think should be added into all companion animal informative books (whether it be a book such as this, made for the average pet owner, or a book as a tutorial for beginning breeders) is more information on reasons to NOT breed your pet. The overpopulation of companion animals in this country is outstanding. By educating the uneducated regarding breeding this problem can be brought under control. I was happy to see that it was mentioned to not breed your pet, however I think a more in depth discussion of it should have been added.
   I thought the feeding guidelines were a little off as well, but I have seen much worse.

   4 stars to Karen Gendron and Michele Earle-Bridges for a great book!

5 comments about Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery (Ferrets, Rabbits & Rodents).

1. I have the previous edition of "the pink book", and knowledge has advanced in these species such that I desperately needed the new edition. An excellent text that is a must have if you see small mammal patients.



2. I got this book so I can better understand what the heck the vet was telling me about two of my ferrets. It is a reall good resouce for pet owners to learn more about the different medical conditions that will come up with owning a ferret. However, be warned!.... This book explains thing in terminology that a vet or a vet tech will understand. It is not a book for the average person per se, but it did help me ask the right questions and to be better informed. One vet I talked to uses this book as a reference quite often. I enjoyed going through this book and it was very educational.



3. As a ferret owner, you have the responsibility to know what diseases or cancers your ferret could get, and for making sure they get the proper treatment as soon as possible. Early diagnosis is the key. This is one of the best books you will find and it's more than worth the money invested. Every ferret owner should have a personal copy. Check with your vet to see if they have a copy as well, this is an awesome Christmas present. Read! Highlight! Consult! Together, you can extend the life of your ferret.



4. This is that kind of book , that helps you to increase your knowledgement.
   For every veterinary and student who work with Ferrets, Rabbits, or Rodents.



5. This book is the absolute best resource on the medicine of these species. The book is easy to follow and find specific information as necessary. Most illustrations are quite useful, although in black and white. The book is organized mostly by taxonomic groups. However, the book seems to repeat itself in some chapters as well as in different chapters, and sometimes, finding information may be indexed in more than one place only to find that they are all quite similar pieces of information. I HIGHLY reccomend this book, and its is the best amount of informtion at a very affordable price.

2 comments about Rabbits: Complete Care Guide.

1. We have three rabits and I gain a lot of knowledge regarding rabbits with this book. It is easy to read and has many information.



2. A lot of good information and some good photos. I have yet to find one definitive house rabbit guide, but this covers a lot of the basics: history, deciding if rabbit is right pet, adopting a rabbit, setting up living space and health. There is also a great section on rabbit behavior and behavior problems.
   
   Worth buying before or after bringing a rabbit into your home!

5 comments about Dwarf Hamsters (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. You will find unknown things about your furry friend, such as what they express with their body language, details on the different kinds of dwarf hamsters, health section, breeding section...it's a complete guide to understand your pet, and it has a great variety of pics!!!



2. I had been frustrated when looking for dwarf hamster information since so much that I found was focused on the larger size hamsters. This book solved my problems, plus is has species specific information (Campbell's versus Robo, etc). My one complaint is that they do not properly address the issue of diabetes in dwarf hamsters and even have pictures of Campbell's eating fruit.
   Regardless, the gem of this book is in the pictures. The photos are of Cute Overload quality and even the illustrations are adorable. Worth buying just for the photos!



3. This book has sooooo many details abouut dwarf hamsters. It tells of many tips and how-to's of taking care of your dwarf hamster pet. It also gives much information about understanding your hamster, what it needs, and about the history and origins of the 4 different types of dwarf hamsters. Another section includes the breeding of dwarf hamsters. It is very scientifical and educational and can really help you with your house pet.



4. Very informative book on dwarf hamsters. Wife and daughter both thought it was a very good book to start out with. What information it didn't have we found online. Overall they like it very much.



5. This book was an great resource for my dwarf hamster and helped me learn all I need to know about taking care of it. I totally recommend this book.

5 comments about Training Your Pet Hamster.

1. my daughter read everything she could get her hands on about hamsters. this book actually gave her some new ideas that other books didn't cover. no, you can't train your hamster to fetch or roll over, but thru consistancey and handling, they are somewhat "trainable".



2. Excellent product , found it very useful and easy to read and understand , my daughter used it with ease.



3. I would have given the book a lower rating but it was only bad because it was so bland. The author assumes that the reader is a seven-year-old and about 20% of the book is baby-talk. It doesn't go into much detail about training. In fact, "The Hamster Handbook" by Patricia Bartlett (also sold at amazon) goes into as much detail about training a hamster. This book doesn't include much other information about hamsters other than obvious things and is mostly vague. I don't recommend this book, but highly recommend "the Hamster Handbook."



4. This book is written mostly for young teenagers and will be great at interesting them in something not electronic!

   No offense to Nintendo or Microsoft, but there really is life beyond the cursor!

   I am one of very few in Egypt who bothers owning pets - I have a hamster, an African Grey Parrot (see my reviews on Keeping African Grey Parrots, and of The African Grey Parrot Handbook), plus two lovebirds, two cockatiels, two dogs, one cat and four tortoises. I thus have found Amazon a great source for pet keeping books.

   Another good book for hamster enthusiasts is HAMSTERS, A COMPLETE PET OWNER'S MANUAL. I have, though, chosen TRAINING YOUR PET HAMSTER as the must-have. Buy it before you get or give the pet hamster!




5. This is a pretty standard hamster care book. The writing style often gets a bit insipid, but the information is gotten out.

   For beginners, they'll get basic information.

   The title is misleading as hamster training isn't the focus of the book. There is a little on the idea of clicker training and conditioned response, but this part is very thin.

   In fact the book goes more in depth on the author's personal preferences for cages. They laud Crittertrail and SAM set-ups glossing over the cons of using these types (like these are easy for a Hamster to escape from), while presenting very minor disadvantages as major ones in other set-ups like 10 gallon aquariums (like cleaning it)or wire cages (can't use tubes). I'm afraid that having to take a bit of effort to hose a cage down, or providing alternative tunnelling toys are nothing compared to ESCAPING!

   They do not mention how much cage room a hamster actually needs. If they had this would discount their favorite cages.

   Still, that would only make this a 4-star book and I gave it 3.

   This is because when going over the information for choosing a hamster, they don't have their priorities straight. When talking about going to a breeder they list that breeders have breeds and coat colors not available at pet shops as the first reason. Then almost as an afterthought tag on a sentence that the hamsters would be hand tamed and used to humans.

   As someone who appreciates an animal for themselves this kind of attitude is extremely elitist and snobby. As if an animal's worth is only in its looks and the joy in having it is to show off that rare color or breed.

   In addition, much of what is said is taken off verbatim from various Internet sites. Based on the copyright dates of the book and update information on the websites I know it's not the other way around.

   Despite this, this would be a pretty basic book to get if you are thinking of owning a hamster. However, I would recommend the Hamtaro Hamster Care Guide instead.

3 comments about My Guinea Pig and Me (For the Love of Animals Series).

1. After reading so many guinea pig care books with often inaccurate to down-right dangerous information, this book was a delightful surprise!! Wonderful and truthful information about environment and care!

   I would have given it 5-stars but had to take one off for emphasizing the need for guinea pig companionship with their own kind and then *not* adequately dealing with prevention of the breeding. (The author, a behavioral biologist, believes in the animal's innate right to breed. Unfortunately, there are so many unwanted pets needing homes, it seems irresponsible not to address other possible solutions such as same-sex pairing.)

   Overall, though, this book ranks as one of the best that I've seen and any guinea pig lucky enough to have an owner that follows the guidelines in this book will be very happy and very spoilt indeed!




2. This book is pretty good at providing quality information. However, this book offers few tips about grooming, specific breeds, and safety information (ex: what they can't eat) This book has many good tips and great pictures. It also covers how to get acquainted with your guinea pig, which I have not seen in many other books. Overall, I would reccomend it highly.



3. This is a well organized book on guinea pigs for both the novice young owner and a more experienced owner. The graphic designs and page layouts are especially well done. "Tips From the Vet" are highlighted effectively for the reader and there is a sprinkling of humor throughout. Almost all phases of guinea pig care are covered in a practical manner for both adults and younger cavy owners. I recommend it highly.