Product Description
Filled with invaluable information, health care, training tips, and insight into a rabbit's personality, this book helps rabbit owners keep their rabbits healthy, happy, and living longer. Some of the helpful information you'll find inside includes:

* Up-to Date Information* Fascinating Historical Facts* Tips on Choosing the Right Pet * Helpful Resource Guide* Emergency First Aid Tips* Fun Activities and Tricks* Simple Training Tips* Diet and Nutrition* Communicating with Your Pet* 100 Full-Color Photos* And Much More... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great rabbit book for newbies
This is one of the better pet rabbit books that has been published recently. It is very well balanced, simple to read, and very informative about keeping rabbits. It covers all aspects of rabbit onwership, from rescue, to breeding and showing. I would recommend this one for any pet owner, rescue worker, or breeder.

Rabbit Care Guide
The book is excellent the price was fair for all the information the book gives you on rabbit care. The delivery is fast so I give the whole thing a A+++++.

A helpful guide
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.

A Great Rabbit Book
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! ... Read more

Product Description
Rats is a TFH Publication. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

use book with CAUTION !

This book was not written by any " rattie " professional . It was
comprised to fit into a collection of books for AnimalPlanet.
This book contains information which could be harmful ( even fatal)
to a pet rat. AnimalPlanet HAS in fact been contacted to pull ( or
revise ) this book. Please feel confident in purchasing any 4 or 5 star
rated pet rat book that Amazon does offer. These books , as you can see
are written by rat experts and enthusiasts much to the delight and
gratitude of happy pet owners.

Animal Planet Rats by Julie Mancini
This book is poorly researched and is filled with inaccuracies that could both harm and even kill....yes, kill your pet rat. Unfortunately it
was simply put out to complete a quote/unquote , PET CARE LIBRARY book series for Animal Planet. The desire to create an informative and helpful tool for "new" rattie owners was NOT the intention of this publication.
This book was finally approved for "release" this week and I just received a copy early today....I've had it for only hours now and have already contacted the executive offices at Dicovery/AnimalPlanet to bring this to their attention as I believe it was not their intention to in anyway harm pet rats. It is my belief that when this all comes to light (very soon I'm sure) that Animal Planet will themselves pull this book from distribution in an effort to escape any lawsuits and scandal that would certainly arise from any pet rat deaths directly linked to the pet care information given in this book.
Caring pet owners should feel confident in purchasing the standard
"well researched" books on rat care offered here on Amazon and locate these in accordance with their outstanding reviews and 4 and 5 star ratings. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care
This is my second response for a rating. The seller was prompt in sending book, the book was in great shape upon arrival. I would recommend this seller to anyone and I would buy again from this seller.

Mandatory reading for anyone caring for rabbits
I volunteer in a rabbit filled animal shelter and this book covers almost every issue that comes up even in young rabbits.Worth every penny.I am going to get a 2nd copy to donate to my local library too.

Give a copy to your vet for Christmas
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

Great!
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!

Great info for those dealing with disabled rabbits
The personal experiences and detailed care for disabled rabbits in this book is outstanding. Great job! ... Read more

Product Description
The author tells how to distinguish pure-bred dwarf rabbits from mixed breedsÂ--which often grow to full size. She also advises on feeding, caging, health care, and teaching children to handle these delicate animals. BarronÂ's extensive line of Complete Pet OwnerÂ's Manuals presents information for non-specialist animal owners and prospective owners, with facts about each animalÂ's origins and traits, as well as advice on purchasing, housing, feeding, health care, and much more. Each book is individually written by a trainer, breeder, veterinarian, or other animal specialist. Titles in this series cover every popular breed of dog and cat, freshwater and marine fish, many bird varieties, and virtually all other animals that are kept as pets. All books are filled with handsome color photos and instructive line illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Dwarf Rabbits Complete Pet Owner's Manual
This slim book offers a surprising amount of valuable and practical information. I love the great ideas and photos of how to set up an adventure playground, and how to provide plenty of activities to keep your rabbit happy.Really this book is fantastic for any rabbit owner, not just those with dwarf breeds. As a gardener I also love the table on page 33 which outlines the type of plants (including twigs)which can be offered to your rabbit, and which plants to avoid.
Plenty of helpful, practical and creative tips(and great photos) to ensure the health and well being of your pet rabbit.

Should definitely read before getting a dwarf bunny
The book's design and photos are very pleasing (& very cute!).The author offers much useful and easy to understand advice.If you're looking into getting a bunny or just became an owner of one, I highly recommend this book because it will make you & your bunny's lives easier.It gives you tips on how to bond with your bunny, what to do and what NOT to do with him/her.I made the mistake of not having read this book before raising my bunny.I did things that I thought were completely normal to do (I have 2 very small dogs & have had many animals before) but were totally inappropriate when it comes to rabbits.Just being caring and loving is not enough.You need to learn to care and love the right way to ensure a happy and enjoyable life for the both of you.

Dwarf Rabbits
I read the paperback edition, which I enjoyed immensely. The information is presented in a way that is easy to read and understand. The pictures are precious! The cutest rabbit in the world is on page 9, a purebred Thuringian dwarf.I wish I could find a rabbit like that one! If you read this book, you will definitely want a rabbit for a pet.

Unfortunately I was late!
I am sorry that I did not buy this book before Ibought my rabbit. I wish I had read it before doing so many mistakes. I recommend you to read this book before buying this lovely creature, at least not to hurt it against your will.

This book helps you get started with your rabbit.
This book helps you get off to a great start with your new rabbit, great clor pictures and easy to read. I loved the pictures and the information was valueble to me I am now looking forward to buying my first rabbit thishas helped me feel more confident about my decision. ... Read more

Product Description
The guinea pig is a unique and endearing small animal with an intriguing history.This book is a practical resource to help the new owner develop the best care plan for his or her cuddly, docile pet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

"OK" book
This is the first book I purchased after getting my new Guinea Pig. It is very informative on how to take good care of your pet. I still am though, going to check out other Guinea Pig books as well to see how they compare. One thing about this book is that it talks about the "show" Guinea Pigs. Meaning how to take care of your pet when you want to enter it in a show. I just want the "pet" side of it. I dont plan to enter my pet guinea pig in a show any time soon. I actually never knew they even have Guinea Pig shows!Bottom line, good book overall, just some sections you would skip and get to the pet side of things.

Great book
This was a great book for my girls to have.They just got 2 new baby guinea pigs for Christmas

new piggy owner
i liked the fact that the only thing cheap at Petco was this book :) being a new guinea pig owner i wanted to learn all i could to keep a happy, healthy pair of piggys. it had in depth information about just about everything i could think of. the C&C cage idea was in there as well, me and a friend are going to attempt it :) i would recommend this book to anyone starting out with piggys :)

Guinea Pigs (APL Pet Care Library)
I borrowed this book from the library after adopting a Cavy (Guinea Pig.) I liked it so much, I decided to buy one. It is very informative and detailed. For instance; Guinea Pigs are not Pigs, nor are they of the Swine Family. They are Cavies. (Cave - ees.) This book only rated four stars because it lacked One item I considered Vital Info.: How to identify the Gender of your Cavy. All books I read on Cavies recommend keeping @ least TWO Cavies, as they are social animals. But you don't want to keep a male & a female together, unless you wanta "gazillion" babies. (Yes, Cavies are of the same Family as Rabbits.) Other than this oversight, this is an excellent book, filled with color pics,and vital info. Highly Recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
These popular pocket pets require specific care to ensure their health and happiness.This book details proper handling techniques and all necessary care information required for any owner who wants to make these tiny creatures part of their family. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Best overall book about hamsters
This was the best book I had seen about Hamsters.What made this book so good was the many color pictures and kid friendly style.In my local pet store the book was priced much higher than what I ended up paying.

A must have for new hamster owners.
I used to own a dwarf hamster as an adult, but I didn`t raise him by any book.Now that I have children, I wanted to get some for them.At first, I was going to get the robo dwarf hamsters.They are so cute.Then, I read the book and watched the pet store clerk handle the dwarf hamsters.The book was right, those things were too quick for little children to handle.We went with the winter white hamsters, instead.Great choice.They are much tamer and slower than the robo dwarf.Thanks to the book, it helped us make our first important decision.

The book is well-written for first time hamster owners.It goes over all aspects of care, including choosing the proper breed, housing, bedding, feeding and general care.It answered all my new owner questions, like how many hamsters can I put in a cage?What kind of treats can I feed it?And very importantly, what do I do when the hamster gets loose?I found it to be thorough and complete.It is filled with colorful photos and a list of some useful resources, like hamster societies and internet sites.

I had my 7 year old read some parts of the book so that he would know what to expect.It is written at a level he can read and understand, yet it's not too simplistic for an adult.

I highly recommend this book for anyone buying a new hamster.

An ideal introductory guide
I only wish I'd had an invaluable concise guide like this 20 years ago when I had a short-lived pet hamster (whom I found out years later had actually been two hamsters; my parents secretly bought me a second after the first died, but the second died even quicker).Probably the first mistake most otherwise well-intentioned people make with a pet is not doing their homework before getting the animal.Buying any pet, particularly a small one with such unique needs and traits as a hamster, should not be something done on impulse.This brief but information-packed book covers all of the bases, hopefully improving the odds that any potential hamster-owner will know what they're doing and won't contribute to the animal's early death.

Topics covered include scientific information about the hamster in general and specific domesticated breeds in particular, diet (it was news to me that hamsters are omnivores and not herbivores!), children and hamsters, finding a lost hamster, breeding, housing, toys, training, when to see a vet, grooming, common types of illness and injury, and handling.There are also adorable pictures of the little guys on nearly every page; like many people, my only experience with the animal had been the Syrian hamster, and hadn't known they come in nearly so many different colors and markings.The back of the book provides a list of resources, such as various hamster societies, rescue groups, and emergency services.Though a serious downside to the pet is that they only live between a year and a half to three years, otherwise they're really described as an ideal low-maintenance pet.The biggest chore associated with their care is regularly cleaning the cage and bedding; they ordinarily don't even need to see a vet, get vaccinated, have their coats brushed or trimmed, have their nails clipped, or even get bathed.Their short lifespan could even be seen as a positive, since they're not as long-lived as other pets such as rabbits, dogs, cats, ferrets, or salamanders, whom children often get bored of and dump on their parents, or who end up being cared for by the parents when their owner goes away to college.Overall, this book paints a picture of a fascinating little rodent, whom I wasn't old or mature enough to fully understand or appreciate when I originally had one in my care. ... Read more

Product Description
Teaching children how to be responsible pet owners, DK's Small Pet Care guides are the most child-friendly guides to the key aspects of small pet care. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great pictures but a lot of inaccurate information
This is a nicely produced book - too bad it's not a good one. Large photos on every page should convince everyone of the joy of owning a pet - there are many pictures of children playing with their pets, illustrative photos of both children and adults cleaning cages, and much more.

Unfortunately, even some of the pictures contain misinformation. For example, in the section on rabbits, the daily diet paragraph of text suggests "a handful of raw cabbage or a piece of celery should be plenty." And the photo shows not only many vegetables that will cause gas, such as cauliflower, it also shows a big wedge of iceberg lettuce. As every well-informed rabbit owner knows by now, iceberg lettuce is useless nutritionally, high enough in water to possibly give your rabbit diarrhea, and leaf lettuce is a much better idea. Celery is likewise not a great idea - the strings in it have been known to get caught between teeth, which can lead to malocclusion, and some rabbits have even choked on them.

The text for rabbits also suggests "stale crusts of whole-wheat bread" for treats. And the main advice for housing is an outdoor hutch, with barely a paragraph given to keeping your rabbit indoors as a house rabbit.

Incidentally, the book was written in England, so although there appears to be an effort made to write in English that will be understandable to Americans, there are some items that are still likely to be confusing for American children: breed names for some rabbits and guinea pigs are different; food pellets are differently shaped and colored than most American brands, and so on. Also, it should be noted, the English background probably contributes to the author's preference for keeping rabbits outdoors. The climate in England does not have the extremes that the much larger North American continent has. The weather in Buffalo, NY would be far too cold to keep your rabbit in an outdoor hutch all winter, and the weather in San Antonio, TX, far too hot in the summer - rabbits would die of heat stroke. The English background also shows in the mention of chipmunks as an alternative small pet; in most of the US, chipmunks are not only not pets, but you'd need a specific wildlife permit to be allowed to keep one.

The misinformation in the guinea pig section is just as extensive as the rabbit section. Again, vegetables are recommended that are known to cause gas, or to be nutritionally useless for guinea pigs, or to have caused other problems, and although the text briefly mentions that piggies need vitamin C, there is nothing at all pointing out which veggies and fruits are high in C. The emphasis, as with the rabbits, is on keeping guinea pigs in outdoor hutches, with barely a paragraph on indoor cages.

I do not know as much about hamsters as I do about guinea pigs and rabbits, so I can't tell whether all the information in the hamster section is valid. However, the "healthy treats" section especially recommends yogurt drops - which are mainly sugar and are NOT a healthy treat for any pet, despite the "yogurt" in their name.

There are some good points about this book: the great photos showing lots of interaction between kids and their pets, perhaps the book's strongest point. And for each pet, the section on toys and play has pictures of a great variety of toys, all of them appropriate for the pet, and many of them suggestions that an inexperienced pet owner wouldn't have thought of. Every pet has a lengthy section on seeing a vet, basic healthcare, signs of illness, and when to call a vet.

It's difficult for anyone to try to write a short book that covers several animals. It's best for the potential pet owner to choose a book that is all about ONE species of pet, and contains more details about that particular animal than a scattershot book like this. I would also suggest that anyone looking for a good book on pets check the country of original publication, and look for a recent copyright date. For most Americans, although this book is brand new, copyright 2005, it does not meet the other requirements of being specific to one pet and being specifically written for US conditions. ... Read more

Product Description
Ages 6 to 12 years. Hamsters sleep all day long and when they wake up in the evening they are looking for fun! This book prepares young pet owners for what to expect from these nocturnal rodents. This book includes: which cage is best;nutritious hamster food; great toys for play time; handling hamsters; sleeping habits; keeping hamsters healthy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is one of few books I would actually recommend.
This book is fairly accurate (especially in comparison with the other books I have read!) and is a good book to start with for a new gerbil owner.While the original version is out of stock there is a new editionreleased recently. It has a pink cover with an argente golden/cream(cinnamon) gerbil on the front, written by the same author, etc. It'sexactly the same with a few new pictures, and also very good. ... Read more

Product Description
From basic care to fun games, this book shows rat owners the way out of a maze of questions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

THE essential book on pet rats
I purchased this book before purchasing a rat as a pet and I'm so grateful that I did. This book gives the reader every essential detail that he or she will need to know about taking care of a rat and making sure it leads a happy, healthy, and long life. If you purchase this book, you're set. This is the only one you'll need-- it's all in there!

Book Review: Care Guide
This was a really great, informative book that I would recommend to anyone who owns, or is thinking about becoming the owner of a rat. They are stigmatized, but they make great companions, and this book will help you to make your rat sociable, and teach you how to keep them healthy. It's written by a major expert in the field so I trusted her advice and it has proved valuable. Rats: Complete Care Guide

Great Info
It's very informative and it answered all of my questions. I would recommend this for anyone interested in having rats as pets!

Excellent
Detailed. Accurate, excellent information. The author's extremely knowledgeable. If you have a rat, a good book to have.

Best book on rats!!
I am getting rats and wanted to make sure I did tons of research first.I looked online and was impressed with Debbie Ducommun's website so purchased this book.

This is the most complete collection of information I have found on rats.She covers all aspects of rat care and ownership.I am so glad I read this before getting my rats and will keep it as a reference.

A must read for any rat owner...or anyone thinking of getting rats! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Not for people who want a happy pet rabbit
Maybe I missed something in the listing that would have told me that this was written regarding British show rabbits, which are treated little better than meat rabbits, and would have made me think twice about purchasing it. If you want a happy healthy rabbit, you should have a house rabbit, and the rest of my review is in regards to this book's usefulness to someone with such aims.

The best part of this book is the listing of everything that can wrong with your rabbit or that you might be worried is wrong with your rabbit (for example, it lists molting and then tells you how completely normal that is, which was thoughtful). But given the abundant misinformation or disregard to rabbit happiness in the rest of the book, I still plan to read through that section thoroughly, highlight what I haven't heard of before, and ask the local rabbit adoptions woman how correct it actually is.

The part on history was also interesting, but the author gives waaay too much credit to accounts that have only been documented once or twice. Because, you know, no one EVER lied about the amazing features of their animals back in the middle ages. (The best example is the author's fascination with the hooded rabbit and total belief of claims that it can withdraw into itself like a turtle into its skin -despite the painting included of the hooded rabbit not showing enough loose skin for that- and even having bred holes in its skin to see through its folds -something that is not only impossible but would have exposed the creature to an infinite number of diseases, making it undesirable as livestock, which is what it was.)

The author gives only a brief mention to proper house rabbits, and is thoroughly disparaging about it, but only gives two reasons for her attitude. 1) In order to keep the rabbit from spraying your house, you must "rob it of its sex." Well, how would you like to be locked in a tiny cage by yourself your entire life with an undying and overzealous sex drive? In comparison, being neutered in exchange for freedom and friends doesn't seem like such a bad deal, does it? 2) It's somewhat more expensive. Look, if you can't be bothered to spend money to keep your pet happy and healthy, you shouldn't have it. Go take care of yourself first, and wait to get a rabbit when you have more income. Keeping it locked up and unhappy just because you can't afford to provide better but can't stand not having a rabbit is stupid, selfish, and inhumane. If you wouldn't do it to your pet dog or cat, don't do it to your PET rabbit.

I also found it laughable that the author was disparaging about the fact that house rabbits need exercise to stay healthy and how inconvenient that is. House rabbits have an entire house to find their own exercise, which is something they love to do. This woman honestly believes that a rabbit living in a cage doesn't need any exercise and is perfectly healthy without room to jump or play?

If you're going to get this book, buy it dirt cheap, and don't follow any of the keeping advice. Use it for medical information, but even then ask your rabbit-experienced vet or local HRS chapter about it's information before deciding on any course of self-treatment.

Who is this book good for? People who care more about having a pretty display item than a happy pet, people who want quick and easy money breeding without care to the animals' well-being, and people who need an easy, cheap meat supply.

Rabbits
This book came in a speedy manner and it was in the condition stated. Thanks.

Informative and a New Perspective
The authors have a very British/European background, so I've enjoyed this informative resource from a new angle. The book is very well-organized. It especially shines as a medical resource for the casual rabbit owner: one of the authors is a vet who has a specialized rabbit clinic in her practice, and it has a very thorough section on problems, symptoms, causes, and treatments. There is also a nice section on alternate feeds and homeopathic herbs, though it doesn't go into thorough nutritional detail, for those who are interested in creating their own feed.

Because of the European background, some familiar rabbits go by unfamiliar names, but there are a good many unfamiliar breeds as well, as well as descriptions of several now-extinct breeds.

If you have a single house-rabbit, this probably isn't the best book for you-- but if you have a herd, this will be a very valuable resource as you incorporate the parts that are helpful and discard the parts that don't apply to your situation.

Great for information on illness, but not so hot on care.
I love the section on rabbit diseases. Its very easy to look something up and it does cover a wide-range of diseases that most rabbit books don't. However, many of the opinions on rabbit care that the author has I do not agree with.

From the very beginning the author states that young bucks are easier to keep and train than older animals and those of the female gender. After going through the teenage stages of several rabbits I swore off adopting a rabbit under the age of two. Older rabbits, in my experience, are more predictable and less destuctive indoor companions. As for gender issues, I haven't noticed a difference in ease of training between altered males and females.

Later on she advises small rabbits as good pets for children. The hefty weights tend to be more laid back for kids. Sure, the kids have trouble picking them up, but kids shoulding be picking up rabbits anyways. Rabbits don't like it.

As far as diet goes, a pet owner is advised to look elsewhere for information such as "The House Rabbit Handbook", or their website rabbit.org.The same can be said about her advice on house rabbits.

There's some interesting information in this book, but I only recommend it to someone who is already quite familiar with the proper care of rabbits. As a beginner's book there is just too much bad information.

From a hard core house rabbit fan
I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning about their rabbits in depth.The book covers history, all aspects of rabbit care - pets (outdoor & indoor), show, breeding, meat & fur - types of housing, feed, anatomy, diseases, treatments and an extensive list of rabbit breeds.The chapters are kept short and to the point in an easy to read format. ... Read more

Product Description

Chinchillas are playful,"on-the-go" rodents that thrive in environments in which they can be kept busy. Learn how to develop a functional routine for your tiny friend, along with vital information on keeping him properly fed, well-groomed, and in good health.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

All you need to know
I am a University student studying in zoology.
Before buying my own chinchillas I went through many books, but this one in particular was the most complete.
It gave me all the basic needs in owning a chinchilla with the little extras.
It is simple and the information just sticks to you with the many images illustrated inside this book.
It encourages you to care for your chinchilla and makes you feel confident in going forward to purchase one of your own.
I highly recommend this book.

Pleasantly surprised
After this publication hit shelves, it was brought to my attention that one of my sites, The CHINformation Organization Forum (http://www.chinformation.org/forum), had been listed as a web resource. I was honored, but a bit apprehensive, knowing that most books contain incorrect and even dangerous information regarding chinchillas. Promotions of the site are great, but I did not want to be associated with a publication that had the potential of doing more harm than good.I purchased the book and read it cover to cover and was very pleasantly surprised!It could stand to have better pictures of chinchillas, since most of the chins pictured are less than ideal, and it states that introducing adult females is easier than introducing adult males, which I tend to disagree with, but it's over-all pretty well written.I would recommend this book in addition to lots and lots of online research to prospective chinchilla owners. ... Read more

Product Description
Ages 6 to 12 years. Mice are one of the most undemanding pets for young children. There are, however, some very important responsibilities that owners should be aware of. The simple text and beautiful images in this book show: the various colours and varieties of mice; making a good home; socialising mice; properly picking up a mouse; keeping a mouse healthy; mouse safety. ... Read more