A Bubo Bubo
More commonly known as the European or Eurasian Eagle Owl, this is one pet your neighbours would notice. With a wingspan of up to six foot, the Euro Eagle Owl is the largest owl in the world. The Euro owl has a buff coloured plumage, with hints of tan and dark brown at the wing tips and over the body.
The Bubo Bubo comes from all over Asia and Europe, but you’re most likely to see one when visiting a birds of prey display.
These predators can be bought from breeders, but if buying one as a pet careful consideration needs to given to the enormity of the responsibility involved. Most likely, when buying an owl, it would be ‘imprinted’, which means that the bird is domesticated to a certain extent. Owls do not love their owners and care only about their next meal, so it’s not like owning a dog. Also, you can’t toilet train them- and they smell a lot!
The set up for an owl is expensive; you need an aviary, a suitable perch, a large water bowel (which is about £40) and a plentiful supply of dead, one day old chicks. That’s not to mention the jesses, glove, leash, swivel and creance.
A wonderful, majestic pet, not for the faint hearted. We bought our Eagle Owl, Sam, as an eight week old baby from a reputable breeder, and we’ve never looked back
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Rhea (South American Ostrich)
The Greater Rhea is a ratite, and comes from South America. It is similar to an ostrich, except a little smaller, five foot at its tallest, weighing in at around 60lbs. The Rhea is an omnivore, enjoying a wide range of vegetation and insects in the wild. In captivity, Rhea eats Ostrich food as adults, supplemented by fresh fruits and vegetables.
Rhea reaches sexual maturity at around the age of two. Males incubate the golden eggs lain by the female, and also raise the young once born.
Rhea are shy but curious creatures and very mischievous too. They love to nip at anything sparkly so earrings are a no go when they’re around. Rhea are notorious for eating things that they should not, like pebbles, nails and glass, however this rarely seems to affect them. Our baby rhea, Romeo and Juliet, make us howl with laughter (and pain) when they try to eat our toes!
Our rhea graze in the day, and then get taken in at night, although they are happy out in even the most bitter of temperatures. A very easy pet to care for, as long as you have the space for them to run.
Turtles
Turtles are a bit of a pest in some countries, mainly because people would buy them as coin sized pets, and then watch in horror as they grew to the size of a large dinner plate. Turtles are fantastic creatures, although not the cute cuddly kind that most people would love to own.
Turtles live in water for 50% of the time, and bask in the sun for the rest of the day. It is advisable when buying a tank for a turtle, to buy one that can be divided into a land and water area.
Their diet consists of anything you can give them! They eat fruit, veg, insects, bloodworm, normal turtle food sticks, chicken, fish and prawns. In the wild they are the ‘bottom feeders’ of nature, literally eating anything that they can get their beak into.
As pets, turtles are so easy to care for. As infants they need a high protein diet to avoid any shell deformities, and as adults they will eat mainly veg and fruit. The tank needs heating, and a natural source of sunshine or UV light for the strength of their shells. The filter is the most important part of the tank. Turtles create A LOT of waste and so ‘just any old’ filter isn’t going to cut it. If the filter is not strong enough the tank will stink really badly after just a few days, as opposed to when an effective filter is used and the tank needs cleaning every month.
Our ten year old Red Eared Slider, Shrink
An African Clawed Frog
African Clawed Frogs are the escape artists of the amphibian world. They live in water all of the time, so I suppose one expects them to swim and not jump, but they can really jump high! As well as being very clever at escaping, these frogs can be a little aggressive when placed in a tank with fish. The African Clawed Frog will eat smaller types of fish very easily.
Our frog Pinky’
Chinchillas
Chinchillas look like large, super cuddly rodents. Chinchillas do not like to be bothered during the day so are not an ideal pet for many. At night they are hyperactive and noisy, running around and jumping until the early hours. Because of their active nature, chinchillas need plenty of stimulation in the form of toys and climbing blocks. They love to chew, so edible wooden toys are perfect.
Temperature is a really important factor when caring for chinchillas. Chinchillas cannot sweat, so therefore they will need cooling down on particularly hot days. Most pet shops sell marble blocks, which can be put in the freezer, and then in the chinchilla cage.
Chinchillas cannot be bathed because of the density of their fur, so several times a week they will take a ‘dust bath’. They absolutely love to roll around in the dust and make a mess.
Their diet is very important as chinchillas cannot have any fat. They should be fed strictly on just chinchilla mix, with one raisin and a small slice of apple given as a treat weekly.
Our chinchillas keep us awake all night but we adore them anyway!
Chinchillas, when tame, are wonderful pets to hold and cuddle, and fun to watch.
A standard grey chinchilla
Chipmunks
Chipmunks are extra fast and madly active pets. They look like miniature squirrels, with very distinct, striped markings. Chipmunks need LOTS of space. Pet shops often sell them with cages just a little bigger than a hamster cage; however this is not enough room for them. We keep our chipmunks in an indoor aviary, which we roll outside during the sunlight hours for them to enjoy the day.
Chipmunks eat just about anything. Chipmunk food consists of nuts and seeds; however this should not be their only food supply. They love dried dog or cat food, which is also good for their teeth. Chipmunks also enjoy fruit and vegetables.
Chipmunks are extra friendly, but care needs to be taken when paying them attention because they like to escape! They are so fast you would never find your chipmunk again if it got outside.
A very rewarding pet to own.
