Once upon a time, it was standard practice to house a guinea pig in a 10 gallon aquarium with cedar bedding. Today we know cedar has toxic oils and aquariums are much too small and poorly ventilated.

Certain types of wood chips are sometimes still used, but now there are other options like paper (as shown in the photo of my late guinea pig, Mufasa, below) or fleece:

If you're not sure which type of bedding is best for your cavy, check out my comparison list.

It's often a losing battle to get lazy dog owners to pick up after their pooches, but one sign seller helps people fight the poop piles with humor, as you can see below:

While most of the company's pet-related signs are more straightforward, the "dog language" sign gets the point across with a chuckle.

If you struggle with your dog's potty time, check out my list of products that might help.

The ongoing saga of the recent pet food recalled appears to have claimed two feline lives in Canada, as my About.com colleague Alissa Wolf reports. In her blog, she explains that two shelter cats are dead and one more is seriously ill after eating foods from the Diamond Pet Foods plant.

Fifteen people in the United States have been affected by salmonella, reportedly from the foods, although there are no reported U.S. cat or dog deaths.

I maintain a list of cat and dog food recalls, and you may also want to read my article on what pet food label terms really mean.

Normally I give my guinea pigs healthy treats like vegetables and pet greens, but I do allow them one indulgence. You can find out why I let them have Ecotrition Citrus C Orange Slice Treats in my latest guinea pig treat review.

Small animals like ferrets and guinea pigs also like cushy beds as much as their canine and feline counterparts. As you can see in the photo below, my cavy Amy loves her new bed:

Read my review of the Petco Hanging Bed, which is also good for ferrets and other small, spoiled critters.