DIY: Jack-O-Lantern Designs—Cats, Rabbits, Dogs, Ferrets, Rats, Mice, Fish & Reptiles

I’m a big dork about Halloween.  I really love it!  Here’s a repost of a big collections of patterns you can use to make a jack-o-lantern for almost any pet.

I love carving something different each year on our pumpkins and, though I’m very fond of cats, I thought other pets should be represented too.  Here are a variety of patterns for a bunch of different animals that should make some pretty nifty jack-o-lanterns.  And, yes there are more cats.  Just click on an image for a larger version to print or download.

And don’t miss these cat stencils and these dog breed stencils. Or you can make a stencil from your own photos of your pets.

Have a fun Halloween and keep your furred & feathered friends safe!

Cats

 

Rabbit

 

Dogs

Ferret

 

Rats

Mice

 

Birds

 

Fish

 

Reptile

DIY: Rat Condos From Ikea Furniture

People are so clever!  Today I bring you 4 easy DIY rat condos,cages or hutches from modified Ikea furniture.  You can, of course, use other furniture too and these homes will also work for other small pets with some possible adjustments.

If you don’t already own something that would work for these condos, you still may not have to pay full price.  Ikea furniture is often found at thrift stores and garage sales.  I bet there’s also a lot of Ikea furniture thrown out by collee students at the of the school year.  Don’t forget to check the Returns section at Ikea before paying full price.

First up is a rat cage made from Billy shelves.  They left it divided into 3 sections—storage, younger rats, and adult rats.  You could also cut holes in the shelves if you wanted to connect the different levels.  They add a lip to each shelf which will help keep anything falling out of the cage like bedding or food.

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The rat condo made from Gorm shelving looks good and has room for some storage.  I like that they added wheels to make it easier to move and clean around.  It looks like they made the doors themselves, but that’s pretty easy.  Home Depot and Lowes will cut your wood for you for free if you don’t have too many cuts to make.  The “L” brackets at the corners are a good idea for strength and durability.  You don’t want your condo doors to fall apart!

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This elaborate rat condo made from an Ikea Kullen wardrobe uses other Ikea products as components for the interior, like the tunnels, litter boxes, and houses.  This condo has lots of connected level and is flexible, so you can move things around as needed.

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Another rat condo from a different Ikea wardrobe, the Aneboda.  The shelves aren’t permanently fixed so you can change things around for different configurations.  I love the flexibility, so you can keep things interesting for your animals.

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Finally, check out these ideas for repurposing other inexpensive Ikea products for your rats or other small animals.  This post gives numerous product suggestions for bedding, litter boxes, play, and infrastructure.  The ubiquitous plastic bag holder also works as a bed or lounging platform.  Great ideas!  I’m going to look at Ikea a little differently next time I’m there.

Don’t miss these other nifty Ikea based DIY pet projects:

(Please note: I am in no way connected to Ikea.  Other than I shop there and like all their pretty paper napkins.)

Friday Fun: Shih Tzu Rescued From Rocks

Not exactly fun, but a very happy ending.  Long distance paddle boarder, Charlie Head, spotted the little Shih Tzu stranded on rocks by the incoming tide.  Charlie interrupted his attempt at a 600 mile row from Cornwall to London to rescue the very lucky pup.  No one on shore was aware the dog was out there.

Many dog owners seem to think their dogs don’t need to be kept safe around water.  However, even the strongest swimmer is no match for rip tides and any dog will eventually tire & drown in just calm water.

Hypothermia is probably the biggest threat to a dog’s safety in water.  A dog’s coat loses its ability to insulate well when wet.  The water doesn’t need to be extremely cold for hypothermia to set in.  Temperatures that would be fine on land can be deadly in water.

A water temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) often leads to death in one hour, and water temperatures hovering at freezing can lead to death in as little as 15 minutes…Water at a temperature of 26 °C (79 °F) will, after prolonged exposure, lead to hypothermia.

Get your dog a good life jacket!  One that is secure and keeps their head above water—not all of them are good.  I’ve posted previously about our favorite life jacket.

Michael Vick Has A New Dog

I don’t quite no what to say.  Michael Vick confirmed he is again a dog owner.  I find it unreal he is allowed to have any pets.  He was banned from having dogs only while he was on probation.  I always want to be sure I know what I’m talking about, so I read over the Summary of Facts from the plea bargains of Michael Vick and his co-defendants, Purnell A. PeaceQuanis L. Phillips, and Tony Taylor.  That made for some pretty sickening reading.  Gut-wrenching.

I also came across the USDA Inspector General’s Office report on their investigation.  This is what would have come out in court if these men hadn’t plead guilty and I don’t remember ever seeing this in the news coverage.  It’s particularly applicable to his suitability for having a pet dog.  This section describing his use of to known family pets as bait dogs is particularly chilling:

Unfamiliar with the horrors of bait dogs?  Do a google image search on “bait dog”. Warning, it’s graphic .  Imagine the worst wounds possible—the reality is even worse.

The report goes on to detail dogs being killed by hanging, shooting, drowning, electrocuting, and slamming on the ground until the dog’s neck & spine were broken.

This barbaric shit went on for 5 years.  And now he has another dog.  I don’t care how much speaking he does on animal welfare, someone who does these sorts of things, hears the sounds these poor dogs made, is broken.