Ananasfreak

Your Pet Chinchilla And Environmental Stress

Environmental stress can affect your pet chinchilla in different ways.  This type of stress results in either health or behavioral issues.  Your pet can experience the following:  anti-social behavior that includes biting, fighting, spraying urine, fungus, or irritation of the eyes.  Your pet can also feel angst toward other chinchillas, biting the fur, gnawing on their cage or even depression.

Unless you know in advance, you won’t necessarily detect that one of these actions can come from environmental stress.  You usually find out when the behavior or illness becomes a chronic issue.  If you are not aware of the issues of environmental stress, your pet may be more prone to suffer the after-effects.

If your pet is hyper, environmental stress will just compound the way they’re already feeling.  In order for them to get a grip, behavioral rehabilitation would help them regain their footing.  Of course, if your pet is already easy-going, then rehabilitation is not necessary.  Environmental stress can affect how the chinchilla was treated, before and now.  Environmental stress can affect your animal if they were abused or handled badly.  This in turn, can cause them to exhibit anti-social tendencies towards the next owner.

If your pet is experiencing boredom, this may eventually suffer from stress.  Your pet should be in an environment where there is some movement and noise.  On the other hand, enduring constant loud noise can take its toll on them, also.  It’s better for them to have noise, but it should be at a moderate level.  This way, if they do experience noise out of the ordinary, such as people, thunderstorms, etc., they’ll know how to handle it.  Your pet has to have a happy medium between the two extremes (boredom and chaotic noise).

Your pet will have to make adjustments if they came from an environment where there was boredom or chaos.  They’ll have to make adjustments to the unfamiliar and unknown.  Like a human being, your pet will feel strange because all they know at the moment is the environment to which they were accustomed to.  It may take your pet at least a week to regroup.  You can help by putting them in a quiet room with some soft jazz music.  There should be no other pets in the house while your pet is getting acclimated to different surroundings, including the owner.

Giving your pet this transition time is crucial and imperative because if they came from a chaotic environment, they will have to learn to relax and if they came from a boredom environment, they must have time to get in the groove to handle noise in a timely manner.  If they take on too much too quickly, your pet can get overwhelmed, causing additional stress.

You will have to learn to be sensitive to their needs and get a sense of when they might be ready.  It’s always best to start out small and gradual, then work your way up with your chinchilla.  This way, your pet can accept the gradual transition with ease.

Cell phones, just about everyone has one, right? On the other hand, if you’re like some you’ve been holding off committing to a cell phone because you’re afraid of receiving an outlandish bill of overages, fees and charges that you didn’t see coming. Sound familiar?

If you need to have a phone available while you’re out and about for either business calls or personal reasons, this it’s probably a good idea to get a cell phone. However, before committing to any phone it’s a good idea to search out the many options available before taking the plunge. There are two most basic options to choose from: Prepaid verses a Monthly Plan.

Prepaid Plans: When you will only use your cell phone on occasion then it’s a good idea to consider a prepaid phone, but look into several different companies very carefully as they vary greatly, which can absorb your minutes like a sponge.

__Coverage: Can you get service where you need it without extra charges, such as roaming tower access fees, extra taxes?

__Service Access Fees: Some companies charge a daily access fee, which could end up being more expensive than a monthly plan.

__Activation fees: Prepaid phones shouldn’t have an activation fee.

__Cost per Minute: Some companies offer lower rates for buying bulk minutes, but check to see when the minutes expire (this is the popper) and if they roll over if not used when adding more minutes to the phone.

__Are there any other fees, taxes or other charges for making/receiving calls?

__In what increments are minutes charged for making/receiving calls. Some companies charge a whole minute for just using a small fraction of a minute; others round it off to the nearest minute…this makes a huge difference in how long your minutes last.

__Is there a requirement to keep purchasing minutes in order to keep the same phone number? Some companies don’t allow you to keep the same number if you fail to refill your minutes after a specific time.

__Phone cost? Usually, prepaid phones cost very little. If you lose a phone or it breaks it can replace it fairly inexpensively, but you’ll most likely have totally different phone number.

Monthly Plans: Monthly plans require a contract (usually at least two years) and you agree to pay the charges under the terms of the contract. Before signing any contract, read it carefully–never rely on a salesperson’s verbal statement–get it in writing.

__Coverage: Find out exactly where you can make phone calls without incurring extra charges, such as roaming, tower access fees, taxes and such. Some companies offer nation-wide free long distance and with no roaming fees. This is a definite plus. Check to see if the company frowns on the majority of the usage outside your area. Some companies may kick you off their plan if you roam too much.

__Phone Features: Some plans require you to pay for extra services when more features are included with your phone such as text messaging, email, web surfing and more. These charges can be for incoming and outgoing usage.

__Plan Types: There are basic plans that offer single usage and family plans that you can share minutes. Compare and consider the plan type carefully. Perhaps, having a family plan would cost less in the long run. Look at all the benefits before deciding.

__Corporate/Business Discounts: Some companies offer discounts if you either own a business or work for certain companies. Don’t forget to ask if you qualify.

__Extra Charges, taxes and fees (both from the phone company and the state/federal, etc…for all usages. Some companies add extra usage fees, so check it out.

__In what increments are your minutes charged? Again, some companies charge a whole minute for using a smidgen over a minute; others round it up to the nearest minute.

__Contract Duration: Make sure you know how long you are obligated to the contract and what penalties will be charged if you choose to end it. There is usually a small grace period (from 14 to 30 days) to try out the phone service and if it doesn’t suit your needs you can cancel your contract (this is called buyers remorse).

Only you know which type of cell phone service fits your needs. It’s silly to pay more when you rarely use your cell phone, but on the other hand, if you are traveling in areas that a prepaid doesn’t get service it may be better to go with a basic monthly plan so you can actually talk to someone when you use your phone.

Both the scientific community and everyday people around the globe are diligently looking for alternatives to the fossil fuels that have driven the world’s energy needs for hundreds of years.

Everyone knows that those fuels are nonrenewable and send tons of pollutants into the earth’s fragile atmosphere every second. Everyone also knows that we simply cannot go on this way—but what can you do to try to cut yourself loose from the energy trap that has kept us in its grips for centuries? It’s a question more and more Americans are asking themselves every day. Here’s a basic primer on the alternatives that are available.

First, you can use solar energy to heat your home and provide hot water for household use. It can also be used to generate electricity via photovoltaic cells. The technology is constantly improving and it’s possible that recent breakthroughs in electricity generation will both increase the efficiency of photovoltaics and bring down the cost of the electricity they produce.

Wind power is becoming an increasingly important source of electricity in Iowa, Texas, and California, which lead the nation in wind energy generation, but nearly all states are investigating the possibility of adding wind generated power to their arsenal. There are also house-sized units available, and as the demand for them grows, they’ll continue to come down in price per unit and in installation cost.

Other forms of energy are less accessible to the average homeowner, but you can use mass-produced forms, such as ethanol, E85, or soy-based diesel fuel in your vehicle to cut down on fossil fuels and to lessen the amount of pollution you contribute to the environment.

Hydrogen fuel cells are still in the experimental stages, but many experts continue to insist that they’ll eventually represent the wave of the future in powering our vehicles. Time will tell, but the point is that you can take advantage of alternative fuels right now without waiting to see what happens on the hydrogen front.

Another important plus for turning toward alternative fuel sources is that there are sometimes significant tax breaks to be obtained for converting all or part of your home to something other than traditional fossil fuel-based energy sources.

Regardless of which alternative energy source appeals to you, before you begin shopping, take some time to look into possible tax incentives that may help offset a portion of their initial cost.

Selling your original artworks is extremely exciting and satisfying. However there is more to selling artwork than just slapping paint onto a canvas and shipping it off to a successful buyer.

Whether you are an amateur painter who only sells a few paintings a year, or a professional artist who works diligently every day, the business side of your art practice should not be ignored.

Maintaining accurate records, presenting your artworks skilfully, and providing relevant information to your buyer shows professionalism and integrity to you as an artist. These are just as important as the actual artworks and indicates that you take your work seriously. Not only will the buyer validate their purchase, but it will also increase your chances of repeat business, commission orders and word-of-mouth promotion.

You can conduct professional, cost effective and simple artwork sales by using the following art business tools:

1. Recording artwork details.
Record details of your finished artwork in a logbook or file. Include details such as artwork size, medium, support material, title, inspiration and price, and take a clear photograph of the completed artwork. Allocate and record a unique reference number to each artwork. This reference number can be written on the back of the artwork and on any other documentation.

2. Artist statement or biography.
Provide the buyer with a copy of your artist statement or biography. It could include information such as your inspiration, methods, preferred medium, genre, education, representation, exhibition history and a small photo of yourself or a representative artwork. Keep your statement brief, concise and in simple English.

3. Certificate of Authenticity.
A certificate of authenticity will give the impression of uniqueness to your artwork, and give the buyer a sense of value to their purchase. Include the artwork title, size, medium and reference number. It is important to validate the certificate by signing and dating it.

4. Artwork swing-tag.
Whether you have sold your artwork, sending it to a gallery for consignment, or loaning it to an exhibition for display, always attach a completed artwork swing-tag to the back. On one side put your contact details such as name, address, phone number, email and website. On the back record the artwork details such as title, size, medium and price. A swing-tag completed in the artists own handwriting is always preferable.

5. Sales receipt.
Provide a handwritten receipt for each artwork sale. Include on the receipt your contact details and tax number (if applicable), the buyers contact details, and the artwork title, size, medium and price. An artwork specific invoice/receipt book is ideal for this purpose and shows professionalism and validity.

By using the tools above your buyers will see you as a serious, qualified artist who takes pride in both your artwork and your art business.