CARE OF CAPTIVE ANIMALS — WALKER 313 



with normal bacteria is often of great value to animals, whereas 

 human beings are likely to consider it dirty, and therefore objection- 

 able, forgetting that the real menace to the health of their pets 

 may lie in dangerous bacteria that multiply in food left exposed, or 

 in food and drinking dishes not entirely clean. It is well to adopt 

 a regular routine of sterilizing the utensils frequently, and, if possible, 

 cleaning the cage with disinfecting solutions which are not harmful 

 or objectionable to the animals. 



The National Zoological Park is now using a disinfecting and 

 cleaning solution made up as follows: Stock solution — 5 gallons of 

 6 percent solution of sodium hypochlorite and 18 ounces of caustic 

 soda (lye). Dissolve the lye in 1 to 2 gallons of water in enamelware 

 or earthern container, then pour lye solution slowly into hypochlorite 

 to avoid violent reaction. Stir while pouring. For use add 1 pint of 

 stock solution to 2 gallons of water. The stock solution costs only a few 

 cents per gallon to make and is very similar to, if not better than, a 

 commercial product that sells for about $2 a gallon. This mixture 

 is good for disinfecting cement floors, walls, and dishes, but is injuri- 

 ous to paint. 



Disinfectants and deodorants should not be confused. In general, 

 if cleaning and disinfecting is well done, there is little need for 

 deodorants. In some cases, however, a deodorant is desirable to mask 

 an odor which cannot be eliminated. For such, use about 4 ounces 

 of oil of pine to a gallon of water. This is excellent and is not 

 known to be harmful to any animal, unless it be reptiles. Many 

 deodorants and disinfecting preparations, such as carbolic acid, 

 phenol, creosote, and others, are harmful to animals and should not 

 be used. 



There appears to be a widespread but erroneous belief that an 

 animal can thrive under a wide range of temperature. As a matter 

 of fact, only a few can withstand extremes of heat and cold as great 

 as man regularly endures. The majority have some means of avoiding 

 extremes. Some migrate. Those that burrow obtain equitable tem- 

 peratures in their dens. Others go into caves, hollow trees, masses of 

 dead leaves, or other locations where there is good insulation from 

 heat and cold. Further, the cavities are usually small so that the 

 body heat of the animal is conserved. 



Exercise is important in maintaining the health of most animals 

 in captivity, though to provide suitable means for exercising is a 

 problem for the ingenuity of the caretaker. He must, of course, know 

 something of the type of activity that each animal normally carries 

 on. A few suggestions are made. The larger the cage, the more 

 likely the animal will be to obtain some exercise by moving about. 



