Pets
Fumes From an Overheated Nonstick Pan Can Kill a Pet Bird Before the Cook Notices Anything
PTFE fumes from an overheated nonstick pan can kill a pet bird within minutes, and the pan is not the only source in the house.
animal health
9 articles
Homesteading and Food Craft
A Beekeeping Starter Kit Covers the Box and the Suit, Not the Mites Behind Many Colony Losses
A beekeeping starter kit supplies the box and the suit, not a way to monitor varroa mites or the apiary paperwork some states require.
Pets
A Bearded Dragon Starter Kit Can Hide the Heat Rock and Sand Vets Warn Against
Bargain bearded dragon kits often include a heat rock, a weak UVB bulb and loose sand — the parts reptile vets most often warn new owners to replace.
Pets
A Betta in a One-Gallon Bowl Lives in Ammonia Its Water Cannot Dilute
A betta releases ammonia into the water nonstop, and a bowl has no filter to process it. What the nitrogen cycle does, and how to cycle a tank before the fish arrives.
Homesteading and Food Craft
A Brooder Heat Lamp Is a 250-Watt Bulb Over Dry Bedding. A Heating Plate Changes That.
A 250-watt heat lamp over dry bedding is a leading cause of barn fires; a radiant heating plate draws a fraction of the power. What extension and fire-safety guidance say.
Pets
A Crate That Is Too Big Fails at the One Thing a Crate Is For
The instinct is to buy a roomy crate. For a puppy that defeats house training, and for an anxious dog the latch — not the size — decides whether it stays shut.
Pets
Indestructible Is a Marketing Word. Ask What Happens When It Fails.
Every chew toy eventually fails. The question that decides whether that is a nuisance or a vet bill is what shape the pieces are when it does.
Pets
Most Litter Boxes Sold Are Too Small for the Cat Buying Them
Cats that stop using a litter box are usually not being difficult. The box is frequently too small, too covered or too few — and all three are fixable for very little money.
Pets
A Collar Puts All the Force on the Narrowest Part of a Dog
A collar is fine for a dog that does not pull and a real risk for one that does. A harness fixes that and introduces a different failure — escape — which is entirely about fit.