Prairie dogs

Pra irie dogs

A to el spread out underneath can help pre ent escape

A firm hold – complete concentration

First, I close all doors in case it runs off. I put the fingers of one hand around the back of its neck and under its armpits. My other hand keeps a firm hold of one of its upper thighs. I keep up my guard and never relax my grip. Even then, if it starts to play up, it may slip out of my grasp. In case that happens, I have a towel spread out on the table beneath. If I think I’m losing control, I quickly wrap the animal up in the towel.

Hold firmly.

Support its bottom ith one hand. I f it starts to play up, tighten your grip. Data

Length: 35–45cm

Character:

soon gets used to people. N orm a lly lives in a group, so wh en it ha s conta ct with y ou it trea ts y ou a s one o th e ga ng.

齧Prairie dogs are very mischievous and have powerful front teeth and sharp claws. They are really difficult to deal with, but in spite of being pretty wild and even less co-operative than a cat or a ferret, their behaviour is often very cute, and they get very fond of their owners. People like the contrasts in their character and they are very popular as pets.

Although they are not currently imported into Japan, large numbers were imported for the pet trade in the past and now the market is supplied with domestically bred animals. With so many about it’s not unlikely for a neighbour’s prairie dog to find its way into your house someday. If you don’t catch it quickly, it could make a real mess, so it’s a good idea to learn how to pick them up and hold them.

With a to el rapped around the animal and only its head sho ing, I check its eyes and the inside of its mouth.