Advice for Breeding Betta Fish

Question:

Hi, I am a pet female Betta fish, and I always thought it might be nice to raise a little fishy family, but it seems impossible if I cannot be put with a male without worrying that he will try to fight me. How do we have a family?

Signed, Betta Babe

 

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Female_betta_fish_breeding.jpg

Answer: Dear Babe

As you know male Bettas often fight, which is why they are also often called Siamese Fighting Fish. Female Betta fish look an awful lot like a wild Betta male, it is just that through breeding, the pet Betta fish have just been bred to be fancier. As male Betta fish are very territorial a male will fight even the prettiest Betta babe, that is, unless she is in her breeding pattern.

In order to breed you, a female Betta, must be put into a roomy tank where the male lives. There should be a divider between you and the male, but water should flow between. This way you will both pick up each other scent in the water. If fed a good diet, eventually you will enter your breeding phase (as pictured above), often changing colors to show vertical stripes which will indicate to him (along with the scent) that you are a female fish. You may also start to get plumper and eggs with form within you.

The male will usually build a bubble nest. Some do this anyhow regardless of if a female is there or not.

At this point your owner can put you with the male, but you need to be supervised in case the male Betta gets rough. He will usually wrap around you and this is when spawning (fish mating) takes place. You will release the eggs and he will start to collect them and scoop them up into the bubble nest. At that point your owner needs to actually remove you, I am afraid the family will not be as you expected.

The male Betta fish is the one that looks after the eggs, picking them up if they fall out of the nest, he would fight you just to keep you away, and you might even eat the eggs yourself. The little fry (baby fish) will hatch in about two days, and three days later they should be able to swim on their own at which time the father Betta is removed so he doesn't start to eat them.


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Advice for Pets who are Attracted to their Relatives Sexually

Question:  I am a young male dog. I was raised with my mother but all my brothers and sisters have gone on to find new homes. Well lately I have been kinda feeling interested in my mom in what is called a sexual way. My owners are horrified at my attempts to mate with my mother, but I cannot help it. Am I wrong to feel this way about my mother? What can I do?

Signed Hot Dog

Dear Hot Dog,

Your sexual feelings are normal, and are caused by your hormones. Normally a male dog would have been taken away from its mother so it would have these feelings, but not towards its parent. Sex is what makes puppies and when related dogs breed there is a chance the puppies will have deformities. Some deformities you can see, such as eyes spaced too close or too far apart, but some deformities you cannot see, such as a small heart.

Your owner should not be upset, they can either have your mom spayed, or have you neutered, or both.

Question: 

I am a young male cat, my sisters and I grew up together as kittens. The problem is those girls are now teasing me to mate with them. They have a smell that I cannot resist, they meow a lot, and rub against me. As I get older I find their actions more attractive. I totally want to have sex with my sisters. My owner thinks this is wrong, and has thrown water on us and even kicked us. I need to know if this feeling is wrong why does it feel so right?
Signed Tom

Dear Tom

Your owner should not punish you for a natural behavior, instead they should neuter you, and spay your sisters, so this behavior is prevented. You will also be happier if you are neutered, and they will be happier if spayed because for them the feeling of being in heat can be annoying. It will eventually be impossible to ignore your feelings of sexual attraction to your sisters unless your owner gets you, and/or them fixed.

Hope that helps!



photo source

Note to Pet Owners: Some pet breeders do allow related cats, and dogs, to breed, this is called inbreeding, but there are risks of deformities. Some of the deformities from inbreeding are listed below:

Facial deformities, eyes too close together, too far apart. Large heads, cleft palate. Under bite, over bite.

Ears that are not placed correctly.

Tails that are too short, crocked, or kinked.

Heart defects, liver defects.

Weaker immune system.

Smaller size (inbreeding is often used to create stunted pets marketed as “teacup pets”).

Shorter lifespans.

How to Find Low Cost Spay and Neuter Options for Your Pets