Small Wonder: Five Mini-Animals That Make Great Pets

By: Annie Tucker Morgan (View Profile)

On April 22, 2010, Tiz A Miniature Horse Farm in Barnstead, New Hampshire, made headlines nationwide when it became the birthplace of the world’s smallest stallion, Einstein. The six-pound, fourteen-inch-tall foal beat out the previous world-record holder, a dwarf horse named Thumbelina, by three pounds to secure his title. Since then, we’ve all been ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the pint-size pinto while watching the farm’s YouTube video of him trotting around his new digs.
Einstein is no doubt eating up his fifteen minutes, but when the frenzy over him subsides, there’s a whole host of other miniature animals clamoring for your attention—and possibly a bed in your family room (or at least your backyard). Lose the lapdog—these downsized four-legged friends prove that good things come in small packages.
Micro-Pigs

Photo source: Scienceblogs.com/zooillogix
Weighing only nine ounces at birth (and yielding perhaps half a strip of bacon on their best day), micro-pigs have become more and more popular as house pets ever since Victoria Beckham reportedly bought two of them for her husband, soccer phenom David, for Christmas in 2009. Their small size belies their big price tag—the piglets can fetch $1,200 a pop—but their long life span (nineteen years, on average) makes them a sound investment for people with porcine propensities. They’re also known for being loving, intelligent, and nonallergenic, but be warned: they don’t stay small forever. They won’t achieve the same proportions as their full-size counterparts, but adult micro-pigs can weigh up to fifty pounds and be a foot tall—in other words, not exactly the best bedfellows.
Fennec Fox

Photo source: Wikimedia Commons
With a mature weight of only three pounds—about half of which comprises their oversize ears—fennec foxes are mostly wild but, if trained carefully, have the potential to become domesticated and behaviorally similar to dogs: they can learn to fetch, walk on a leash, use a litter box, and come when called. Quick-moving and extremely active, fennecs thrive on constant exercise (always in an enclosed area, as they’re prone to escaping) but also love basking in the sun. These sociable creatures are friendly to their owners and strangers alike, but their boisterous nature may prove too much for other house pets to handle. If you’re in the market for one of these mischievous animals, be prepared to commit to a rigorous training and socialization regimen.
Miniature Donkeys

Photo source: Wikimedia Commons

Miniature donkeys are renowned as desirable pets for children, physically disabled people, and the elderly, thanks to their robust health, their communicative nature, their loving personality, and the strong attachments they form with their owners. They also require very little space: up to ten donkeys can live on one acre of land. These animals generally stand between thirty-one and thirty-eight inches tall and, when cared for properly, have a life span of twenty-five to a whopping forty years. A word of caution: miniature donkeys are native to the islands of Sicily and Sardinia and are reputedly difficult—though not impossible—to import into the United States because of Department of Agriculture quarantine restrictions.

Via http://www.divinecaroline.com/22063/98174-small-wonder-five-mini-animals-make#ixzz1YyINDEbt

Pygmy Goats

Photo source: Wikimedia Commons

Originally from Africa, pygmy goats began appearing in the United States in the 1950s. Easy to raise, affectionate, and playful, the goats make appealing companions for everyone from suburban families to 4-H members. Kids start off at only two to four pounds; full-grown goats can weigh ten times that much but typically don’t exceed seventeen inches in height. As agreeable as they are, pygmy goats do have some special needs: they’re very social creatures, so if you’re considering buying one, make it two; they hate the rain, so you’ll need to provide them with a well-sealed outdoor sleeping enclosure; and they’re very vocal, so alert your neighbors to your intentions before you bring these animals home.

Muntjac Deer

Photo source: Guppiecat (cc)

Also called barking deer, Muntjac deer are the oldest known deer, dating back to prehistoric times and originating in southern Asia and China. Two smaller species in this family, the Leaf Muntjac and the Reeves Muntjac, have been bred in the United States since the late 1990s; the Leaf deer weigh ten to twenty pounds, the Reeves twenty to twenty-five pounds. Once Muntjacs acclimate to their surroundings, they make loyal, fun-loving pets who run and play tag with their owners, as well as follow them around the house and give them kisses. They can live inside or outside or as indoor-outdoor pets (install a doggy door in your home and let them have the run of your property) and can be litter-trained within one day, just like kittens. If you decide to allow your Muntjac deer to roam freely, be aware that these agile animals can jump very high—most Leaf Muntjacs can clear five feet and can easily climb stairs—so take precautions to deer-proof your home, just as you’d secure it for your young child.

Animal Instincts
As adorable as these diminutive animals are, don’t lose sight of the fact that acquiring one as a house pet requires significant foresight and research. In addition to reading up on your prospective companion’s special dietary, shelter, and training requirements, be sure to familiarize yourself with the legal ramifications of housing such a unique pet in your particular geographical location, as well as any federal guidelines regarding importing the animal into the United States, if applicable. If you’re in the clear on those fronts, move on to tracking down a veterinarian in your area who’s knowledgeable about your pet’s specific health needs and able to treat any ailments that befall the animal. By putting in the extra effort on the front end, you can have your very own Einstein for years to come.

Via http://www.divinecaroline.com/22063/98174-small-wonder-five-mini-animals-make/2#ixzz1YyII8M9l

Fast Five is a must-see for car enthusiasts (and any diehard action junkies)

4.5 Out of 5 Stars

Even though it’s been a mere 15 weeks at the helm of “Now Showing,” it’s time for me to call it quits as The Lumberjack’s movie critic. Graduation is approaching, and it’s my time to say goodbye not only to movie reviews, but to the paper as a whole. I can honestly say it was a good run, but one that unfortunately came too fast.
Speaking of fast (see what I did there?), Justin Lin’s Fast Five was the perfect film to write about for my last review. Combining all the elements of a summer blockbuster with surprising depth for a racing franchise, I’d argue Fast Five is the best of a series that started nearly 10 years ago.
Fast Five stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker as Dom Toretto and Brian O’Conner — two men on the run after Dom’s jailbreak at the end of Fast & Furious. Dom and Brian, along with Dom’s sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), flee to Brazil, but following a train heist gone wrong, the three plot revenge on local crime lord Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida).
Reyes, a corrupt businessman who essentially runs Rio de Janeiro, has 10 safe houses around the city, which hold his finances. Dom plans to milk Reyes dry of his finances and puts together a team of past associates, including Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson reprising his role from 2 Fast 2 Furious), Han Lue (Sung Kang from Tokyo Drift) and Gisele Harabo (Gal Gadot from Fast & Furious).
Unfortunately for Dom and crew, DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is hot on their trail. Is there enough time to pull off one last job, or will Dom and crew finally meet their end after living on the edge for over a decade now?
Despite being a series that started hot with high-octane races, The Fast and the Furious franchise has eased up a bit on the driving in its previous two installments. Fast Five has approximately one race in it, but that doesn’t stop the action; on the contrary, Fast Five has some of the best action sequences I’ve seen this year, and the film does a nice job expanding beyond its original demographic. A fight scene between Diesel and Johnson is just one of many scenes that succeed in getting the action rolling.
Lin also deserves credit for crafting a visually appealing film set in beautiful Rio. Like he did with Fast & Furious, Lin brings a real urban, gritty feel to the film that does a good job complementing the rough world of crime and street racing. Fast Five’s driving sequences are once again top-notch (despite little actual racing, there is quite a bit of driving; think of Fast Five as more of a heist film than your traditional racing flick).
Surprisingly, one of the film’s greatest strengths is its plot. Fast Five does a great job connecting with previous films in the franchise, which is a nice treat for fans who took the time to watch the originals. Yes, some of the plot (and action sequences for that matter) borders on the absurd, but give credit to the actors who manage to pull the coolness out of each corny moment.
Speaking of acting, Fast Five sports some of the series’s best performances to date. Diesel is still the badass we know from the original The Fast and the Furious, but he adds a surprising level of depth following the (spoiler alert) death of his girlfriend in the previous film. Walker is also solid, drawing from his turn from cop to criminal with nice subtlety. The only real new addition to the franchise, Johnson, does an outstanding job complementing Diesel’s character as a cop with attitude. The rest of the cast does a good job stepping back into their roles for nostalgia’s sake, but Fast Five’s success comes from its leads and their ability to add depth to their characters five installments into the franchise.
In the end, I was pleasantly surprised with Fast Five, considering I thought it would be a summer blockbuster full of top-notch action, only to lack in substance. Instead, by simply drawing upon the core staple of its predecessors, Fast Five succeeds in ushering in the summer with a nice blend of action, humor and heart.