The Complete Book of Pets and Petcare : The Essential Family Reference Guide to Pet Breeds and Petcare

An authoritative practical guide to choosing and caring for puppies and dogs, kittens and cats, small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and fish.

Illustrated throughout with 1200 sumptuous color photographs, this expertly written manual provides all the information you need to buy and care for your pet with complete confidence. Whether you are a first-time pet owner or you are looking after an existing menagerie, this book provides all the practical advice you will need for keeping your domestic pets happy and in full health. An essential reference guide for all the family, this comprehensive volume allows families to choose pets confidently to suit their lifestyle, time constraints and living conditions, and to offer them the most comfortable and caring home. Gives detailed information about a wide range of small animals, from cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, chinchillas, rats and mice to birds, reptiles, invertebrates and fish. Illustrated throughout with 1200 sumptuous colour photographs, this expertly written manual provides all the information you need to buy and care for your pet with complete confidence.

• Includes all pet types, with advice on pet characteristics, the most suitable pets for children, and how to choose the best pet for your family's lifestyle • Step-by-step sequences show techniques such as grooming, feeding, training and exercising • Over 1200 beautiful colour photographs aid understanding • Authoritative advice from a team of the world's best-known animal writers

David Alderton, MA (Cantab.) grew up in a home surrounded by pets and originally trained to be a vet until an allergic dermatitis forced a change of career in his final year of study. Since then, David has used his experience, knowledge and passion for the subject to concentrate on writing about animals and the natural world.

David also broadcasts regularly on television and radio, and has recently set up the website www.petinfoclub.com while his blog can be found at www.davidalderton.com His books have currently sold some 6.5 million copies worldwide and are available in 30 languages. He has won various awards for his work, including the Maxwell Medallion from the Dog Writers' Association of America, and he is well-known as a columnist on various newspapers and magazines, as well as being the editor of "Practical Reptile Keeping" magazine.