Pawprint - Your Information Source for Small Exotic Pets

PAWPRINT was founded in 1994 David Flack to help exotic pet owners provide the best care possible to their special pets through quality foods and supplies and useful information.

Ten years later, after running a successful online small and exotic pet store offering natural, healthy choices -- nutritionally sound diets that accurately replicate wild food sources, all natural treats, and unique items to enhance your exotic pet's life -- our store is now closed.

However, just as important as quality foods and supplies, is accurate, useful care information. That's why David has spent much of the last ten years researching and writing about the needs of exotic pets. The results of his on-going effort can be found in the articles located in Critter Central.

Although we've closed our online store, at PAWPRINT, we still care about your pets almost as much as you do!

What are your store hours?

Do you have animals for sale?
Do you know a breeder near me?
Is that animal legal where I live?
Will you answer my care questions?
My pets have had babies. Now what?

What are your store hours?
Effective December 31, 2004, our online store and all retail operations are closed.

Do you have animals for sale?
We no longer breed or sell any animals. In the past, we've been a USDA licensed breeder of hedgehogs, sugar gliders, short tailed opossums, chinchillas, and a variety of rare rodents.

Do you know a breeder near me?
We don't maintain databases of breeders for any animals, and are unable to recommend breeders or other possible sources. For suggestions on evaluating a pet source, as well as other related topics, visit Before You Buy.

Is that animal legal where I live?
We don't keep track of animal ownership laws everywhere in the country. To find out this information, contact your state's Department of Wildlife. It may be called something else, but the name should be close to this. For more on this and related topics, visit The Exotic Factor.

Will you answer my care questions?
Thousands of hours have gone into writing and researching the articles found on this site, as well as creating and maintaining it. We're also constantly adding new information and revising articles in an effort to provide you the best possible care information. Unfortunately, we cannot respond to individual emails and questions.

The best place to start would be our Critter Central Care Articles. The advice found there is based on many years of personal experience, on-going research, and a strong background in the sciences and animal care. And, it's what has worked for us with our animals.

My pets have had babies. Now what?
We strongly believe breeding should only be done by someone with a great deal of experience, who's firmly committed to the highest standards. It shouldn't be incidental to having pets, or done without thorough thought and planning. For this reason, we intentionally have no "how to" information about breeding on our web site and don't provide advice to would-be breeders. This doesn't mean we're unconcerned about the well-being of your pet or the newborns. It means we're realistic about what can and can't be accomplished via a web site.

That said, we have these basics suggestion:

Be sure you're providing the best possible diet and an appropriate environment for the mother and newborns. For more on this topic, visit our Critter Central Care Articles.
Find an experienced breeder near you willing to act as a mentor. Keep in mind finding such a person might be difficult, because most breeders are kept quite busy caring for their own animals.
If a new pet has had babies or is obviously pregnant, we recommend that you consult a knowledgeable vet now. We can't think of any situation in which this could happen that didn't include poor care or a lack of basic husbandry knowledge by the breeder or seller. This means there may well be other health problems, which will likely be intensified by the pregnancy.
Remember that in order to sell, trade or even give away any exotic mammal -- even on a small scale, even to a family member -- you are required to be licensed by the USDA. For more on this, contact the USDA. There may also be other local or state laws, so investigate this as well.

For more on this topic, visit Before You Breed.