Prairie Dog Pets Catching On Fast

Prairie Dog Pets Catching On Fast AG WORLD Ag World 20-3-19 To Western farmers and ranchers who struggle yearly against damage caused by big colonies of prairie dogs, there's probably no animal on earth that seems more worthless. So it may come as a shock to them to learn that prairie dog breeders are doing a booming business selling the pesky rodents as pets. "They're becoming more and more popular all the time," says Linda Watkins, an Oklahoma breeder of exotic and unusual animals. "This year we expect to sell 10,000 pups worldwide." Here are a few of the tips she has on raising prairie dogs as pets: • First, prairie dogs are illegal to keep as pets in some states. You'll have to check with the fish and game department in your state. • Prairie dogs breed only in burrows, so they won't breed in captivity if kept in a cage. • You can set up your own colony out-side only if you first build an underground barrier to keep them in one spot. • They love and demand attention and can be litter box trained. • Feeding is easy. Use hamster pellets, fresh fruits and vegetables, dog food, pea-nuts, sunflower seeds, hay cakes. • Cages have to be made of wire since they'll chew through plastic. They should be caged when not attended, but should not be left alone for long. • Make sure your prairie dog has been dipped at least once in flea pesticide. • Make sure your prairie dog has been handled a lot from an early age (six weeks on). Wild adult prairie dogs do not make good pets. Watkins sells prairie dog pups about the size of a small Guinea pig for $65. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Glasgow Enterprises Ltd., P.O. Box 431, 1820 N. Washington, Elk City, Okla. 73648 (ph 405 225-2000, fax 2024, E-mail glasgow@itlnet.net.

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