Small Animal Community / Forum Announcements and Introductions / Announcements

Critter of the Month

sow-sageLuvr — Wed, 01 May 2013 06:15:03 GMT

I never knew there was a Critter of the Month! How awesome it was to see My piggy CHARLOTTE Won.Thanks everyone!!!!

SmallAnimalChannel will be down tonight at Midnight

feathersnfuz — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:35:06 GMT

Hello everyone,

The SmallAnimalChannel website, Club and forum will be down for a few hours tonight starting at Midnight Pacific Time for a scheduled maintenance update. Check back around 2am Pacific Time Saturday morning to see if we are back up and running. This applies to all of the AnimalNetwork.com Pet Channels and FerretsMagazine.com.

Thank you for your patience while we work on the websites.

Please Keep On Topic of Critters

feathersnfuz — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:38:08 GMT

Hi everyone,

This is just a reminder that the pets that we consider to be critters or small animals include:rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice, hamsters, sugar gliders, ferrets, chinchillas, gerbils, hedgehogs, degu, flying squirrels, short-tailed opossums, skunks and other exotic small animal pets.

While you can definitely post about your other pets (cats, dogs, fish, reptiles, birds, etc) in the Off-Topic Discussion forum we invite you to create a forum account on one of our sister-websites to post about your other non-critter pets there.

Our sister websites include:

DogChannel.com
CatChannel.com
BirdChannel.com
HorseChannel.com
FishChannel.com
ReptileChannel.com
HobbyFarms.com (for livestock and other hobby farm topics)
UrbanFarmOnline.com (for urban livestock, urbarn farm and garden topics)

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Thank you.

FeathersNFuz Out On Maternity Leave

feathersnfuz — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 10:55:50 GMT

Hi Everyone!

I will be out on Maternity Leave starting next Monday (if not sooner). Which means I will not be able to assist on any messages or tech issues.

Don't forget you can contact your Peer Moderators with questions. Your Peer Mod is urofan.

The Ferrets Moderator will still be here. Also, the Assistant Moderator will be the person who will be assisting in my absence. You can send PMs to either of them with questions.

If you experience any technical issues you should still send an email to ChannelAbuse@bowtieinc.com and it will be directed to the right people to help you out.

Wish me luck and I'll be back in the Fall. []

Private Messages are back

critters-moderator — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:20:16 GMT

The Private Message feature on the message board has been enabled.

Please read over the rules for PM's (which can be found in the Message Board Rules located on the top navigational bar)

9. Abusing private messaging and message board
The message and private messaging system are for you to exchange advice, learn and have fun. Using the private messaging system and message board as a means of mass communication for solicitation is strictly prohibited. Report abuse to the Moderator by forwarding the private communication. We must have proof to stop future abuse.

This entails using the message board and private messaging system to recruit people for a community or cause. Deliberately using the board for this purpose calls for a warning. If this offense is repeated after being warned, the member will be banned.

Please send me a PM if you have any questions about the PM functionality.

- Critters Moderator

SmallAnimalChannel.com Will be Down Today at 8pm PT

feathersnfuz — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:22:52 GMT

The SmallAnimalChannel.com website and forum will be down for about 30 minutes tonight starting at 8pm Pacific Time for a scheduled maintenance update.

How To Contact Us

critters-moderator — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:48:11 GMT

If you have any comments, suggestions or questions, please contact our community moderator at ChannelAbuse@bowtieinc.com. For all technical questions, suggestions and/or concerns, please email SmallAnimalSupport@bowtieinc.com. Thank you!

CRITTERS MODERATOR

Jake and Jasper a Ferret Tale

JakeandJasper — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 08:37:57 GMT

My name is Alison Parker and I'm a filmmaker in Vancouver, BC. I also own two ferrets, Falcor and Frisco. I've shot several commercials for Marshall Pet Products featuring my own ferrets, and I volunteered my services to make a TV commercial for Legalize Ferrets and Pat Wright.

I am going to be making a short film in August called "Jake & Jasper: A Ferret Tale", starring Connor Stanhope who played Young Lex Luthor on Smallville, and my ferret Falcor as "Jasper".

In this film, Connor plays a boy struggling to cope with the death of his mother, and he finds solace in a ferret named Jasper.

I am running a fundraising campaign to help pay for an animal wrangler and a variety of animals such as a fawn, a wolf, an owl, and many more. The ferret community has already been overwhelmingly supportive. This is the film ferret owners have been waiting for, I truly believe that, being one myself. I want to show ferrets in a positive light for once in the media.

Would you consider making a donation to this film? Or even posting a link to it on your [WEBSITE/TWITTER], perhaps? We could use all the help we can get. We need to raise $10,000 in the next 48 days. We have raised $1,100 since 4 days ago when we started.

Jake & Jasper: A Ferret Tale -- IndieGoGo
www.indiegogo.com
A young boy struggling with the death of his mother finds solace with a ferret named Jasper.
Share

Thanks for you time!
Alison Parker
[quote][/quote]

FeathersNFuz is Back

feathersnfuz — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:13:30 GMT

Hello SAC Community!

I wanted to let you know that I’m back on the forums. Baby and I are both doing well. Thank you to all that sent congratulatory messages.

I’ve cleared out my inbox so feel free to send me PMs or questions again. And of course you can also contact the Ferrets Moderator.

FeathersnFuz Out Until November

feathersnfuz — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:19:46 GMT

Hello SAC Members,

I'm going to be out on maternity leave from Monday, Sept 27 thru Tuesday, November 9th. So please make sure not to send me any PMs or questions during that time period because they won't get answered.

The Assistant Moderator will be helping to keep an eye on the forum.

If you experience any technical issues with the forum you can use the Contact Us page and select "Technical Support."

I'll see you in November!

Camp Critter 2010 is here!

feathersnfuz — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:13:35 GMT

Camp Critter 2010 has started! Camp Critter is a virtual camp for critters and their owners to participate in fun activities and to earn Club Critter points.

Log in to your Club Critter account and register for Camp Critter today!

http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/camp-critter/2010/default.aspx

Got Cats?

feathersnfuz — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:19:03 GMT

Do you also own cats? Increase your cat knowledge and learn what makes your cat tick by enrolling in SmallAnimalChannel.com’s sister website CatChannel.com’s Cat College, brought to you by Eukanuba.

Cat College is a 3-month curriculum that will give you the foundation for understanding and caring for your cats. The Cat College 2010 Valedictorian will win a year’s worth of Eukanuba cat food from PetCo Bottomless Bowl and receive 5,000 Club Cat points.

Get the details here: http://www.catchannel.com/cat-college/default.aspx

SmallAnimalChannel Homepage

Ferrets Moderator — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:25:06 GMT

Today the design of the SmallAnimalChannel.com homepage was tweaked. We think it has a cleaner, more inviting look. What do you think? Check it out at http://www.SmallAnimalChannel.com.

Thanks for your input!

Feel Like You're Going To Pieces?

critters-moderator — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:04:05 GMT

Complete the puzzle as fast as you can for the highest score.

http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/critter-community/fun-and-games/jigsaw-puzzle.aspx

April Fools' Fun: The Hamster House Hunt!

critters-moderator — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:26:00 GMT

It’s time for some silliness for April Fools’ Day. Urey the hamster is on a house hunt, and you can help him choose his new digs by voting. Go to http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/critter-exclusives/ureys-house-hunt.aspx now through the end of April to vote. You can vote once a day if you wish. Results will post on May 4, 2009. Will the castle win, the log cabin, the Lego flat? You decide. Vote now!

St. Patrick's Day E-Cards Are Available In Critter Community

critters-moderator — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:09:17 GMT

Four new E-Cards are hot off the press and ready to be emailed to a friend.

http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/critter-community/ecards/default.aspx

That's 150 Club Critter points and 300 brownie points. What a deal.

BowTie is looking for local Small Animal Models

critters-moderator — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:07:24 GMT

BowTie Inc. is looking for local Hamsters, Mice, Rats, Guinea Pigs and Chinchillas to participate in our upcoming in-house photo shoot to take place in Irvine, CA on Wednesday, March 11th!

If you or someone you know is interested in having his or her small animal photographed, please contact Jennifer Ketchersid at jketchersid@bowtieinc.com by March 4th.

Upon reply please include what type of small animal you will bring, the best time for you to participate on March 11th, and your contact information. In addition, you are welcome to bring your animal’s favorite toys, accessories, and snacks to the photo shoot.

Make your pet a SmallAnimalChannel Star!

Ferrets Moderator — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:11:34 GMT

Got a small animal pet? Got a digital camera with a video setting? My friend, that's a critter video *waiting* to happen!

Show your cute small animal pet to the world AND earn 1,000 Club Critter points each week by uploading videos of your critter at SmallAnimalChannel.com. Just click on the Critter Videos link at the left side of the page.

Yes, your small animal pet is ready for its close-up!

Cutest Critter

Ferrets Moderator — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:27:16 GMT

The 2009 issue of Critters USA magazine (available on newsstands and at pet stores in late August), asked readers to vote on which animal is the cutest critter. We welcome votes from all visitors to the site. Cast your vote and leave a comment. Thanks!
The editors of Critters USA

Critter Mansions

feathersnfuz — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:59:47 GMT

One of the latest SmallAnimalChannel Exclusives is What! A Rat? which showcases the large home a 13-year-old built for his pet rats.

What would your dream home for your pet look like? Would it have mulitple stories? Specific accessories?

We're curious to find out!

New Critter Games

feathersnfuz — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:46:22 GMT

Have you checked out the latest additions to the SmallAnimalChannel Fun and Games page?

Test your memory with our Memory Game or feed the critter in Critter Cravings.

http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/critter-community/fun-and-games/default.aspx

2008 Scavenger Hunt

critters-moderator — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:51:06 GMT

The Scavenger hunt has been extended until November 7, 2008. Hidden somewhere on SmallAnimalChannel.com is a photo of a hamster-crowned pumpkin. If you find it, email SmallAnimalEditor your name, email, state and the link where you found it and you will be entered into a random drawing for a chance to win a prize. For the full rules, click here.

Poll Answer ASAP

AnimalLover96 — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 05:09:42 GMT

Tell me which kind of moues you have. I have a black one.

Upload videos of your critter on SmallAnimalChannel!

feathersnfuz — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:51:25 GMT

Hey everyone. You can now upload videos of your small pets to share with everyone on SmallAnimalChannel! Share your ferret’s best war dance, your rat’s most intelligent trick or whatever adorable critter moments you've caught on video.

Upload your videos here: www.SmallAnimalChannel.com/critter-community/critter-videos/critter-videos.aspx

A Hamster Takes The Wheel

feathersnfuz — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:33:43 GMT

By Angela Pham

Lizzie the banded Syrian hamster is like most typical domestic hamsters. She likes to nap during the day and be active at night. She thinks raisins are a fine treat, and she loves a vigorous run in her exercise wheel.

One characteristic about Lizzie, however, does set her apart from the average hamster: At just over 1 year old, she is making a hypothetical expedition across America.

Read the rest of the article at http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/critter-exclusives/hamster-across-america.aspx

New Moderator

feathersnfuz — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:31:45 GMT

Hello everyone,

I’m the new Community Moderator. My position is to work on moderating the forums and Club profiles each day on all of the channels. I’ll be working with the other moderators also to keep our forum environments friendly. If you have any concerns or find a post/thread violating our forum rules and guidelines, please feel free to send me a PM. I look forward to becoming a part of the SmallAnimalChannel community.

Thanks!

FeathersNFuz
Community Moderator

Are You Prepared For A Disaster?

critters-moderator — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:53:25 GMT

June is Disaster Preparedness Month For Animals.

SmallAnimalChannel.com helps you to be prepared for emergency situations. Click on the titles for more Small Pet Disaster Preparedness resources.

Make A Small Pet Disaster Kit
Be prepared for emergency situations and have a Small Pet Disaster Kit on hand.

Create An Information Pack For Your Small Pet
In the event of a disaster or an emergency situation, documented and current information about your small pets can help others to care for it in your absence.

Please Rescue My Small Pet!
Use a sign to let emergency crews know that small pets are in the house.

Ferrets Magazine fans!

critters-moderator — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:41:54 GMT

If you haven't seen them yet, we have some Ferrets Magazine media desktop items located at the SmallAnimalChannel fun and games.

We have a Ferrets Magazine screen saver and a couple of wall paper items for your computer.

Check them out here: http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/critter-community/fun-and-games/default.aspx

- Critters Moderator

Join in on our Grand Opening Celebration

critters-moderator — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:24:29 GMT

The editors of Critters USA and Ferrets magazine are proud to announce the launch of SmallAnimalChannel.com and FerretsMagazine.com. The websites offer "critter" enthusiasts attractive and captivating sources for expert ferret and small animal information.

The SmallAnimalChannel and FerretsMagazine.com Grand Opening celebration runs from April 15 to 21, 2008, and offers thousands of dollars in prizes for users to win.

The Grand Opening celebration is really exciting and packed full of great prizes for your small pets. Users will have a chance to win a 48" Pet Hutch from Doctors Foster and Smith, and critter specific prize packs from other SmallAnimalChannel Grand Opening sponsors Kaytee and SuperPet, 8 in 1, FerretDepot.com, ZuPreem, SlippyPad and SlippyMat, Ferretonin, Green Pets and Mazuri. There are many more prizes to be won.

Come back every day for another chance to win!

Join in and win prizes during our Grand Opening Celebration, click here.

- Critters Moderator

Ferrets Magazine is moving next week!

critters-moderator — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:22:46 GMT

Hello Ferret Community Member:

I wanted to let you know that we will be moving to the new Ferrets Magazine website and SmallAnimalChannel website on Monday and Tuesday (March 31st and April 1st).

So you if you try to visit, the boards will either be down or it will have a completely different look.

Your usernames and logins will still work on the Critters Forum (the new message board). There will also be added topic lists for other small animal species (including rabbits, chinchillas, guinea pigs and hamsters.)

You will also be able use your login information to create a profile for your ferrets in SmallAnimalChannel.com's Club Critter.

Once the message board has been moved over, you'll have to update your favorites links to the Ferrets Magazine website and the new message board.

If you have any questions please send me an email at smanimaleditor@bowtieinc.com.

We hope that you will enjoy the new look and fun features on www.FerretsMagazine.com and www.SmallAnimalChannel.com.

Critters Moderator

Ferrets Magazine is Going Online!

critters-moderator — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:15:03 GMT

The March/April 2008 issue of Ferrets will soon reach subscribers. It is the final print issue of Ferrets. We're transitioning the magazine to online beginning in April when we launch www.SmallAnimalChannel.com. The new Ferrets magazine will be located at www.FerretsMagazine.com, and it will be free. We're still going to be an information resource about ferrets, only in a different format.

Our plan is to offer new articles and columns every month, weekly news updates, polls, contests and more. It will be more interactive and readers will get more frequent updates than with our bimonthly print issue -- and we'll be saving trees by going digital.

Subscribers will soon receive a letter/postcard from our Consumer Marketing Department that will detail what choices they have concerning the balance of their subscription.

Our annual ferret magazine, Ferrets USA, will continue to be printed and new issues are available in stores every November.

Please note that the current look at SmallAnimalChannel.com and FerretsMagazine.com will all change in April. For an idea of how it will look, please visit our other BowTie websites: www.DogChannel.com, www.CatChannel.com, www.ReptileChannel.com, www.BirdChannel.com, www.HorseChannel.com.

- Critters Moderator

DO NOT POST YOUR SIG IN YOUR MESSAGE TO BYPASS THE RULE!

Suprafa — Wed, 24 May 2006 15:24:14 GMT

Bypassing the signature rule by posting your old signature in your actuall messages is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

THE SIG RULE'S GOAL IS TO REMOVE HUGE IMAGES AND HUGE AMOUNTS OF TEXT TO MAKE PEOPLE ON SLOWER CONNECTIONS HAVE AN EASIER TIME WITH LOADING, AS WELL AS FOR COMMON COURTESY - NOBODY WANTS TO HAVE TO KEEP SCROLLING PAST TONS OF IMAGES AND TEXT. IT IS PLAIN RUDE.

From now on, if you post your signature in your message to bypass the 500x200 sig rule, we will warn you once, then ban you.

Also, PLEASE DO NOT PUT BACK YOUR SIG THE WAY IT WAS IF IT CHANGES - WE EDITED IT BECAUSE IT WAS TOO BIG.

Also, personal photos bigger than 320x240 will be removed as well.

Guidelines of Participation

Suprafa — Wed, 24 May 2006 15:21:32 GMT

Welcome to Our Community!

If you’re looking for the best spot on the internet to talk about pets, you’ve come to the right place! The Animal Network offers a fun, safe and supportive environment where pet-lovers can connect, make friends, share stories and exchange advice.

A core value of the Animal Network community is that everyone is welcome. We encourage you to further this goal by jumping in to help others get involved through conversation and encouragement.

Another core value of the Animal Network community is to make the world a better place for animals, one member at a time. How can we do that? By realizing it is courageous to ask for help. With every question asked and every member who responds with a spirit of kindness and compassion, there is one more pet in the world that will benefit from the advice shared.

When participating in our community, there are a few simple rules we ask each member to follow:

1. Communicate in a friendly and respectful manner.
It’s ok to share your opinions and to disagree, we simply ask that you do so without attacking another member in the process.

If you feel you have been personally attacked in our community, don’t respond with an attack of your own. Instead, email the Flock Moderator to alert her to the problem.

2. Keep it clean.
Profanity and obscenities will not be tolerated. This includes masked profanity where letters are substituted with special characters.

3. Don’t instigate arguments.
Content intended to inflame or disrupt the community is not allowed. This includes harassment of fellow members, links to inappropriate content, racial, ethnic, religious, or other slurs as well as any name-calling.

4. No solicitations.
No unsolicited or unauthorized advertising. This includes promotion of items for personal financial gain, as well as promotion of an item or issue for the purpose of mass communication. Further, mass posting or ‘spamming’ the message boards is not allowed.

5. Don’t share personally identifiable information.
To protect your privacy and to ensure your online safety, we ask that you do not post personally identifiable information. This includes phone numbers, address, instant messaging screen names (AOL, ICQ, Yahoo, MSN, etc) or web address leading to such information. Further, we ask that you do not share someone else’s personally identifiable information.

6. Don’t post copyrighted material.
We ask that you do not post any copyrighted or trademarked material unless you have the express written consent of the owner to do so. The Animal Network is not responsible for any posts that infringe on copyright laws. If a copyright has been broken, you may be held legally responsible.

7. Respect our Community Team
The Animal Network community team includes employees and volunteers who do their best to maintain the integrity and standards of our community areas. Should a problem arise on a message board, we ask that you assist the community team by paying attention to their posts and following any directions they may provide.

These rules are here for your protection. They ensure we maintain a fun, safe and supportive environment where members can talk about the animals they adore. Members who continually break these rules are subject to account suspension and are no longer eligible for participation in our community.

Now that you know the rules, we invite you to join in our community and look forward to your participation. Welcome!

Thank you - AnimalNetwork.com Forum Administrator

New Signature Rule

Suprafa — Wed, 24 May 2006 15:15:15 GMT

Signatures are now being moderated. Your signature must now comply with these rules:
1. Your signature is not to exceed 500pixels by 200pixels. If you don't know what the heck that means...

If all the contents of your signature do not fit into that red box space, your sig is too big. The lone exception is TEXT. Text may go further right than the edge of the box because it wraps naturally. However, ALL IMAGES MUST FIT IN THIS AREA. You may have as many images in this area, but they can't exceed the boundaries, and no one image can exceed any boundary.

2. Your total signature images must be less than 100K in size. If you have no clue what that means, try reading this. You can always right click your image and choose "Properties" to see what your file size is. This means you may have to start gettin rid of animated images, as they are big in file size.

3. Posting personal information in your signature is not allowed. This is your age, IM name, e-mail, full name, your location/address and your phone number. Posting anyone else's personal information in your signature is also not allowed.

4. Linking to other sites is allowed so long as the site is not an offensive, illegal, or inappropriate site. Linking to auctions, sales pages or online shops is forbidden.

Failure to comply with these rules will result in the editing of your signature by the staff. These rules will begin being enforced MAY 1st, 2006. Starting then, we will edit sigs violating the rules.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Underage Users

Suprafa — Wed, 24 May 2006 15:14:09 GMT

If you signed up before last week, you probably have not seen the COPPA notification on this message board unless you saw it below all of the normal forums.
As of today, registration requires you to select your age to verify you are not under the age limit. Those who wish to register who are underage must submit a COPPA request, which is now in the registration area when you sign up.

If you signed up and are found to be underage, you will have your ACCOUNT AND IP ADDRESS IMMEDIATELY BANNED until you can provide a COPPA form. This is not to be mean, this is the law and our policy.

Thank you for your understanding.

You may find the form here.