Zed the Coatimundi's First Year: Happy Birthday, Zed!

Zed celebrates his first birthday on May 3rd, 2016, and this compilation takes a walk through his first year of life. Happy Birthday, my naughty little Nose Bear. :)
I will admit, I don't particularly like doing videos of this style (with photos). I had wanted to make this compilation mostly for myself, but later decided I'd share it for Zed's fans as well as those who might be interested in coatis. My apologies for the length of this video. I had thousands and thousands of photos and videos to sort through and narrow down to what is shown here, and it ended up being just a titch longer than I had anticipated. The beginning of the video is predominantly photos, but progresses to mostly video footage.
Zed knows many other behaviours not shown in this video, but I have decided to withhold sharing them until another video I have planned.
I hope you all enjoy watching my little man grow up. :) My apologies, again, for the length of this video. A blog update will be shared soon on the animals' website under the "News" page, for those of you who enjoy keeping up with The Gang. There has been much going on around here with my crew, hence the hiatus in new videos, but I will be writing about our latest adventures there to bring everyone up to speed.
Enjoy!
- NanaBorderCollie :)
Music by Josh Woodward:
www.JoshWoodward.com/
For those observant and curious viewers who might be inquiring about Zed's tail... his tail tip was groomed off by his mother when he was a baby, hence the reason the fur on the tip of his tail is forked. This is one of the two chief distinguishing features that set Zed apart from other coatis, the other being the black stripe that rides down his muzzle all the way to his nose (this species of coati normally has a completely white muzzle, hence the name "white-nosed coati").
Some info about his species:
The White-nosed Coati (nasua narica) is a medium-sized mammal indigenous to Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States (Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico). They are large members of the family Procyonidae (the raccoon family), with the males growing to be as heavy as 27 lbs at maturity while the females are usually between 6 and 13 lbs. The name "coati" (pronounced ko-WAH-tee) is derived from the Tupi term "akwa'tim", meaning "pointy nose". The coati's nose is incredibly flexible and is able to bend 60 degrees in any direction. They use their nose, coupled with their powerful and heavily-clawed paws, to forage for grubs and insects in the earth. A coati's diet includes grubs, insects, tarantulas, reptile and bird eggs, fruits, and any small vertebrates they can catch. Coatis are the only procyonid that is diurnal by nature; namely, they are most active during the day. Female coatis and their young form bands of 30-40 individuals while male coatis live solitary lives, only joining other coatis for breeding. These lone male coatis are called "coatimundis". White-nosed Coatis are listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List and are abundant in the wild.
Note to viewers:
Zed is an educational animal ambassador and travels with a bevy of other exotic animals to schools, camps, etc. doing educational presentations. I am a professional animal handler and have over a decade's experience working with animals, both wild and domestic. In no way do coatis' behaviour resemble a cat or dog's, and they are incredibly high-maintenance and destructive animals that can be difficult to handle especially as adults. You may think Zed is cute, but coatis do not have the same "pet quality" as dogs and cats and should only be in the hands of expert keepers. If you think you want a pet coati after watching Zed's video, please understand that these clips do not at all capture what it is like to live with this species. Coatis need all of your time and attention and will steal and destroy your belongings, are headstrong and temperamental, and are like living with a two-year-old child on caffeine (with sharp teeth and claws, and incredible jumping abilities) for their entire lives, which is around 15-20 years. As well, they can become very aggressive if they are not given the attention that they need. If you have fallen in love with coatis through Zed's video and are thinking, "I want one!", it may be best for you to just vicariously own one through Zed's videos. Coatis are an enormous commitment and are NOT an animal you can purchase on a whim.
If you have any questions about coatis, feel free to leave a comment below and I'd be more than obliged to educate. I refuse to sugar-coat anything about living with this species, so your questions are warmly welcomed.
Official Website: www.useyourclicker.com/
Official Blogs: nanabordercollie.blogspot.com/
www.UseYourClicker.com/News
Photos on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/nanabord...
Official Facebook: / 617175718326361

[@NanaBorderCollie]

@Invincible Nightmare, I have not made your comment public due to the foul language contained within (if you choose to redact the profanity from it, I will happily publish it for the continuity of our discussion). This channel, its videos, and the comments sections of the videos are aimed to be G-rated, and if you can respect this simple guideline I will share whatever comments or opinions you have on your mind. But to address your comment... Be forewarned that you are opening a Pandora's box by attempting to debate me on this subject. I have debated many zealous animal rights activists on this topic in my line of work and have put each of them swiftly in their place. I can deduct from your comment that you hold on to what you believe fervently. However, personal sentiments should not serve as a barrier from viewing things logically. I will provide a thorough rebuttal to your comment, and the manner in which you respond will be an indicator of whether you are willing to form your beliefs based on logic or based on your own personal sentiments. If you choose to cling to your beliefs even in the face of condemnatory logic, that is your prerogative. But understand that in this case, you have lost the respect of anyone lending an ear to your input. Now, let us commence confuting this comment of yours, sentence by sentence. Your first sentence reads: _"What the [expletive] are you doing with a coati?"_ I am a professional studio animal trainer, wildlife educator and public speaker, and Provincially licensed wildlife rehabilitator. I travel the province with my animals conducting educational presentations on wildlife at schools, camps, public events, etc. Zed is but one of our many trained animal ambassadors used in our educational programs. When he is not accompanying me during our wildlife presentations, he lives a pampered life at my home with my other animals. I apologise on behalf of KZbin for making the video description less accessible for you to read about this for yourself. You continue, writing, _"This animal is not a pet..."_ I must interject here, though it is premature to the completion of your sentence. Before we can ascertain whether something meets a certain definition (in this case, whether "this animal" meets the definition of "a pet"), we must discern two things. What is meant or implied by "this animal" and what is the definition of "a pet". To address the former, there are two ways to interpret the term "this animal". It could mean "this animal _species_", or "this individual animal shown in this video". The term is ambiguous, but I will get back to this later. To address the latter (namely, the definition of "pet"), let's see what we can find: *Quick Google search:* "A domestic _or tamed animal_ or bird kept for companionship or pleasure and treated with care and affection." *The Free Dictionary:* "An animal kept for enjoyment or companionship." *Cambridge Dictionary:* "An animal that is kept in the home as a companion and treated kindly." *Merriam-Webster:* "A tame animal kept as a companion rather than for work." Let me highlight a consistent trend with these definitions: They do not hinge on an animal's breed or species, nor do they denote an animal whose behaviourisms and level of care mirror traditionally kept species like cats and dogs. Any animal can be "a pet" by definition, although some definitions would be solely pertinent to the animal in question if, 1. it can be tamed, and 2. it is treated kindly. To illuminate my point here, there is a difference between arguing that an animal "is not a pet" and that an animal "should not be kept as a pet". If you would like to debate the latter, by all means, let's do so. But I do ask that you rectify your statement to remove the ambiguity concerning what we are directly discussing. As promised, I return to the equivocal term, "this animal", and why its interpretation is important to this discussion. It is insinuative, albeit unclear, that you likely meant "this animal _species_", but I will confute the logic surrounding both interpretations to cover all the bases. By using the term "this species" _(translation)_ to prelude your tirade, you are concluding that every individual animal is the same, notwithstanding each animal's unique personality and disposition, in order for them to fit into your broad, generalising statement (which I will also be addressing in detail). If I were to say, "The pit bull breed is not a pet" (perhaps due to media portrayal), I have done two things. One, I have made a false statement based on the definition of a "pet"; and two, I have assumed that all pit bulls are the same, and thus they can be defined as a whole in a single statement. There is no adjective assigned to the pit bull breed, nor is there clarity regarding the term "this animal" in your comment which, under this interpretation, makes your statement consignable to the deep and dark bin of stereotyping. That, of course, is a whole other cause for discussion. Your sentence continues, _"...and [this animal] belongs in the wild for crying out loud !!!"_ Where do I even begin... Once again, the interpretation of "this animal" has a pivotal effect on how this statement would be addressed. If, by "this animal", you mean Zed specifically, I can assure you that he has absolutely no business being in the wild under any circumstances. Animals that are born and raised in captivity by humans lack the skills necessary for survival in the wild. They have become imprinted on their human caregivers and, in some cases, also on other household pets such as dogs (which may be a natural predator in the wild), and they lack the ability to forage for and identify food constituents of their natural diet, protect their food from other animals, recognise and interact accordingly with conspecifics, recognise and evade predators, and defend themselves adequately from predators and conspecifics. I see these human-imprinted wild animals first-hand every single year as a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and these animals are seized from public hands and typically euthanised as per provincial law because they are unable to adapt to life in the wild. Though many people have a speciously romanticised image in their minds of exotic animals being released into "the wild" playing like a scene from a Disney movie, it is a death sentence to place these animals, which have been imprinted on humans and lack survival skills, into the harsh, unforgiving wilderness. It is NOT in the animal's best interest to do so; it is merely to satisfy the skewed human illusion whereby all exotic animals "belong in the wild" simply because of what they are, without any regard to individual or situational factors. Animals born in the wild should stay in the wild, unless unique circumstances deem it a welfare risk for the animal (as in the case of physically impaired "non-releasable" wildlife). Human-imprinted animals born and raised in captivity do NOT belong in the wild, and your personal beliefs do not alter this fact. Now, if we are to assume that by "this animal" you meant "this animal _species_", this elicits a new perspective and subsequent discussion. For one, you are directing your comment at the wrong person. I advise you to redirect your comment to the person(s) who originally brought this species into captivity many decades ago. Your comment becomes transformed into mere venting, and does nothing to better the lives of coatis living in captivity today. The fact stands: _There are coatis legally kept in captivity_ as either pets, educational animals, or are harboured by zoological facilities for either educational or conservation purposes. That is an irrefutable and unchangeable fact. The question I have for you is this: What is to be done with the thousands of coatis presently kept in captivity? Would you suggest that all these coatis be euthanised? They cannot be released into the wild, despite the fiction being preached by animal rights entities such as PETA (an organisation that has killed well over 25,000 healthy, adoptable cats and dogs in the past decade and has been involved in numerous scandals), Humane Society of the United States (which is not affiliated with a single animal shelter in the US, and contributes less than 1% of their income to pet shelter organisations), ASPCA, and others, as well as media and television networks such as Animal Planet. I will say it again: the fact is ineluctable that coatis exist in captivity _legally_. Your personal sentiments regarding this fact are irrelevant, since you cannot leap into a time-travelling Delorean and heroically prevent coatis from being brought into captivity. It is what it is, and this simply cannot be altered unless all captive coatis are killed. Is this what you want, perhaps? Your position here is somewhat nebulous, since it can be deducted from your emotionally-laced comment that you are morbidly uneducated on this subject. There are only two ways for one to tackle the issue at hand. One can either do everything within their power and ability to better the lives and care for our coatis that exist in captivity, or they can sweep this under the rug in a cowardly fashion by killing thousands of innocent lives strictly because of their own selfish, personal sentiments. The choice is yours, but I know where I stand; which is one of the salient reasons why I chose my line of work, travelling with our exotic animal ambassadors educating the public on their species so that these animals do not end up in the wrong hands. There is also one other deleterious problem created by executing the latter solution (i.e., exterminating all captive coatis), which I will cover later. _(continued in next comment)_

[@NanaBorderCollie]

_(continued)_ Your next sentence, which I must say was the most amusing of what you'd written due to its erroneous status, reads, _"People like you are highly contributing to poaching and animal traffic."_ Before we dive into the meat and potatoes of what you are saying here, let's come to a mutual understanding of what one must believe by making this statement. Serving as an exemplary model of the questionable cause fallacy, it must be assumed that there is a direct, invertible correlation between the keeping of exotic animals and poaching/animal trafficking. Before I commence pummeling this statement from a logical standpoint, I am going to refute this on a factual platform. Firstly, notwithstanding all of the misinformation that your mind has been contaminated with via perverted propaganda, most exotic animals kept in captivity in North America (and this is especially true here in Canada) DO NOT come directly from the wild. Under CITES _(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)_, regulations are in place for importing/transporting endangered species from other countries (e.g., between two licensed zoos stationed in different countries), and the importation of many species (such as lemurs) from the wild is wholly prohibited. In some countries, it is illegal to acquire animals that were born in the wild, regardless of the species' IUCN Red List status. Now, lest there be any case of confusion here, it is not to be insinuated that no exotic animals ever get poached/smuggled into the pet industry, because that simply isn't true. It is unfortunately a very real issue being faced in present times, and the mere existence of importation restrictions makes this issue inevitable. That said, your statement highlights a causal relationship that is non-existent. To illustrate, I will say that "some exotic animals kept in captivity come from the wild" (a true statement); and I will also say that "some dogs kept as pets come from puppy mills" (an equally true statement). In essence, what you are saying in your accusation is logically equivalent to saying, "People who buy dogs as pets are highly contributing to puppy mills." This statement makes no exceptions on the basis of where the dogs are bought _from_, but only that if a dog is purchased, it somehow supports puppy mills. If I buy a dog from an animal shelter, I am supporting puppy mills. If I buy a dog from a reputable breeder, I am supporting puppy mills. Using your logic, you could argue that ALL domestic dogs therefore should be completely banned as pets because, even if a person adopts a dog from a reputable breeder or a rescue, they are still supporting puppy mills. You could say that banning dogs as pets is the ideal solution to the puppy mill problem. While that may be so, it is nonsensical to stoop to this level when the laws/prosecution should instead be targeted at puppy mills, not dogs as pets. In the same way, it is poaching/purchasing wild-caught exotic animals that should be banned (and often is), not the exotic animals themselves. It also must be noted that people WILL continue to acquire exotic animals regardless of whether or not licensed breeders are available. To condemn and eradicate the people who are breeding and keeping exotic animals _legally_ will actually put poachers and smugglers into business, since they will have zero competition save for that amongst themselves, and a large, growing number of hungry customers. And this drives us back to the detrimental effects of exterminating all exotic animals kept in captivity. This "solution" will spawn an influx of animal trafficking that will be at a magnitude inconceivable to the human mind. Your closing question, again, may be answered in my response to your opening sentence. My animals are educational animal ambassadors that travel the province and accompany me during my wildlife presentations. This is my profession and my lifestyle. Perhaps my animals aren't "pets", as per the Merriam-Webster definition, since this is their job and contribution to the world. Your accusations written in your comment evince a dangerously myopic lens through which you perceive the world and its people. In the future, I advise that you thoroughly research and investigate situations at hand before hastily jumping to conclusions and making yourself appear foolish.

[@burningsoupandfriends8923]

NanaBorderCollie that was the calmest and most accurate well researched and well put together rebuttal for an internet dispute that I have ever seen and it's amazing honestly you are amazing for dealing with such a degrading comment like that props to you along with my hat tipped.

[@WeeklyWhiskers]

Beautiful memories of The past year. Happy birthday Zed!

[@mediterraneanmishap5208]

Good advice to never get a pet because you think it's cute.Getting a pet is a HUGE responsibility and you have to know about what you want and consider the pros and cons.

[@kiarikasenseihayoshiaruka8923]

Happy Birthday, Zed. Stay strong and healthy, we are all so glad youve made it! ILY, I always get mindblown everytime they do something Amazing! :D

[@oliviapons8478]

I love this so much. I can tell how much effort you put into this video.

[@JP12957]

Happy Birthday Zed!

[@cocochipcookie]

I really appreciated the disclaimer at the start. I worry, as someone who works with exotic animals, that people would watch this and think they would be great pets. But darn so cute!!

[@jjagilitydogs7611]

The clips and pictures of nana and zed are soooo cute 😍😍✨✨

[@r4tzd0ll]

Finally! You uploaded another video! I love you! Tell Zed I said happy birthday from an alpaca!😘😘🎁🎂🎁

[@Tiagotaf]

lovely guy! it's always nice to see your videos. we can see the happiness of your furry friends through them, how well cared and loved they are. i am curious about his relationship with your other friends. (i see nana goes well with everyone)

[@NanaBorderCollie]

+Tiago Feitosa Zed does not interact with my rats or my opossums, simply because of their size. It would be too easy for them to be accidentally injured by him, and they cannot defend themselves if he decided to play rough with them. Zed and Kaiser almost completely ignore each other, while Zed and Nana are attached at the hip. :)

[@madampoulet2268]

Happy Birthday Zed you adorable creature‼️

[@benjiinparis4313]

Awe how adorable love seeing your vids since you haven't posted in a while❤️

[@hoosierdeb21]

Your videos are phenomenal!!! And the way you kindly "debated" the not so nice person amazed me. We had a BorderCollie when I was growing up. PS. Nice music

[@elfee7981]

Oh wow, a new Video *_* I love your animals and Zed is such a Cutie!

[@PeanutGuineaPig]

Happy 1st birthday, Zed! It has been a joy watching him grow up with the rest of the Gang. :) We love how you educate others on the care of coatis. We find it unfair when an animal is adopted just because they appear cute. Zed must be quite the handful, but it's awesome that he gets along so well with Nana. :) In addition, it's great to hear that you've taught Zed some tricks! What treats do you use when rewarding him?

[@NanaBorderCollie]

+PeanutGuineaPig It is very sad that some people believe an animal's appearance or cuteness factor can be a legitimate reason to obtain a species. It is incredibly unfair for the animal, and 99.9% of the time they end up getting re-homed. I welcome questions from viewers about Zed's species and his care so that they can learn what goes on behind the scenes of maintaining and living with coatis. I refuse to sugar-coat anything about life with this species. Zed knows many different behaviours! I have included only a select few in this video as I am planning to share his repertoire in an upcoming video. My favourite trick of his will be included in that video, and I can't wait to share with everyone. :) For training treats, I use freeze-dried crickets, canned superworms, and occasionally canned grasshoppers. Once in a while I'll use cashews or pumpkin seeds, but he prefers the bugs. :)

[@PeanutGuineaPig]

+NanaBorderCollie We are definitely looking forward to seeing more of Zed's tricks! They're quite adorable. Zed enjoys an interesting array of foods! We've only experienced more of the fruits and veggies side of treats with our guinea pigs. :)

[@emilybenitez6908]

Zed is so cute! Happy Birthday Zed Have A Great One!

[@cdtbp]

Amazing video! Zed is so cute!

[@kato3673]

Happy birthay😄🎉🎂

[@obsessivefrog]

Aww so cute! Never seen an animal like that before. I love his nose xD

[@annawhitney3719]

Aww! So cute! Happy birthday Zed!

[@neisovo8177]

wow so cute! I love seeing how happy he seems on the video ^^

[@thejackrussellway19]

OMG he's so cute and smart!😱😍

[@SchleichStudios]

Lovely video and happy first birthday Zed! 🎉

[@thecutestofpets3512]

I've been watching your channel for a long time now. I love all the animals and their skills. 1 like= love is being sent to all the animals

[@barbarastewart3100]

Absolutely adorable!

[@lindabrown7374]

Happy Birthday Zed, a a little late. Loved watching the video.

[@frazzsonic123]

Oh boy, 15 minutes of my favourite coati!!! I love him at the beach, I can't believe him leaping off the wall in the garden and cuddling is soooooo cute. I love the picture of him led down on his harness looking really chilled out, I'm assuming he's actually just recharging the naughtiness!? I laughed when he was stretching to lick Nana's mouth then accidentally put his paw on Horatio and was like 'hey that was spikey', looks like he's not much of an expert on personal space! Happy birthday Zed, may you have another good year destroying everything and causing havoc!! :-)

[@NanaBorderCollie]

+Positive Ferrets Are you referencing the photo at 2:35? He was quite bushed after doing some shows that morning for a public event, but still importuned me to take him for a walk afterwards. :P He plopped down there for about ten minutes while watching the little girl to the right of him. And yes, Zed has absolutely zero concept of personal space! From jumping on people's laps as they eat to steal the food right from their mouths, to dragging me towards all the dogs in the park to play with them while whistling and chirping like a bird... he is socially invasive. ;)

[@frazzsonic123]

That was the one, he looks so cute all tired out! Haha I'm just imagining having to warn guests that they might get a Zed jump into their lap whilst they are eating, he really does not look very subtle - I LOVE that!

[@debbiea6867]

Your pets are soooooo cute!!

[@abbey9916]

Woo I'm first, Happy birthday Zed!

[@oliviapons8478]

this is so awesome! I love Zed!

[@Jessie670]

Happy birthday, Zed!

[@vladimirdaljic5078]

Awwwwwwww so sweet. P.S. What is your job are you animal trainer? ;D

[@Alpha.Phenix]

Happy Birthday little Zed. :)

[@AltairSY]

Happy B Day Zed!!! You are the best coati around the world :D

[@trickcatalexis2027]

He is sooooo sweet! ❤️

[@agilityqueen3005]

Happy birthday Zed!!!🎉🎁🎂

[@abbiex2849]

He's adorable

[@lanapudic1868]

So adorable!

[@angel.avila.]

Happy birthday, Zed! :D

[@mudeeis9]

Awww!! Love this!!

[@graystonie]

Happy Birthday Zed!:D you are amazing and you know it!:)

[@MottoMyYellowFriend]

he is gorgeous :)

[@CanineForever]

Happy birthday Zed!

[@mitchellbrown2655]

one of my favorite animals. I can't wait till I get a chance to work with one

[@Alexa-cs5ym]

Happy birthday Zed!!!💞👏

[@CocoBorderCollie]

Happy brithday Zed! Zed is just way tooooo cute!

[@redimpostersus1234]

happy birthday Zed.

[@heathersand]

his tricks are so cute

[@marioruiz3645]

very beautiful

[@annaschot]

Great !! Very good job with Zed :)

[@ratworld3694]

Your animals are amazing and so cute🍉

[@lauryn4648]

I just realized, Zed shares a birthday with my Chinese Hamster, Holly. Neat!

[@15Kiwi15]

I love this Video :) Zed is so adoreable :) And Nala is great! The way she is totally calm with him :)

[@elbern5457]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZED

[@ella5291]

All I want to say is congratulations I been your guises first the sky ever since the beginning

[@rachaeltonks5196]

So adorable love ur vids

[@wolfgirlzeezee4577]

So cute!

[@malisblog8193]

Happy Birthday! ♡

[@miguelsodre424]

Happy Birthday Zed

[@thejackrussellway19]

Happy Birthday!

[@belabebelinha7098]

So cute!😍

[@bchann2]

Aww Zed is so cute😇

[@MottoMyYellowFriend]

Happy Birthday Zed :) :)

[@sonnyleah9599]

Happy b day Zed!

[@barney2801]

happy birthday zed

[@clearbrookstudios2979]

I love you Zed

[@majatomaskova7632]

Happy birthday!! 😚

[@MultiGeo1986]

happy birthday Zed

[@franciszekkowalski5295]

Happy birthday zed!!!!

[@acc45460]

Happy Birthday cute little furrball :D Awww gosh he's so freaking cute!!

[@kolyan5463]

Happy birthday!!!

[@corentinmathieu6685]

It's very beautiful

[@chihuahuabulldog]

Great video! Thank you so much for making and sharing it. Zed is adorable, of course he doesn't live in my house. ;-) He does have some impressive claws! Nana is so beautiful. It looks like Ned has a particular fondness for Nana. Are they as close as it appears? Congratulations on your big day Zed!

[@NanaBorderCollie]

+chihuahuabulldog Thank you for your warm birthday wishes. :) Yes, Zed and Nana are attached at the hip! I've never witnessed two animals so close to one another. The relationship is quite a contrast in comparison to Kaiser and Zed, who almost 100% ignore each other. And yes, Zed's claws are basically an extension of his hands and provides dexterity. The claws of a coati essentially function as fingers since coatis' actual fingers are very short. It grieves me deeply when I see people declaw these animals. Aside from the cruelty factor of the procedure, coatis' claws are even more important to them than a cat's claws. They are essential for proper balance while walking, dexterity and grasping items with their hands, climbing, foraging and digging, and for self-defense. They are also the most beautiful aspect of coati paws, in my opinion. :)

[@chihuahuabulldog]

+NanaBorderCollie Thank you for answering. It is horrible when people declaw and, in my opinion, mutilate animals to fit their own needs. If something about an animal does not fit your needs, don't get it! I don't even believe in docking tails or cropping ears. Take an animal as you do a friend, as they are.

[@NanaBorderCollie]

+chihuahuabulldog I couldn't agree more. If it is for the animal's benefit, that is another thing (e.g., spaying/neutering, amputating a damaged limb, etc.). But physically altering an animal strictly for human satisfaction (e.g., descenting ferrets, removing canine teeth from primates, declawing, docking, etc.) is abysmal and appalling. People need to choose a species that naturally suits them, not physically manipulate them so that they can live with it. If a person cannot handle an animal the way it was born and naturally develops, then they need to look into another species. Period. It is so heartbreaking to see declawed coatis with almost no fingers trying to do the things that Zed does with ease. How some people cannot see anything wrong with this, I will never understand. It vexes me that the procedure is still legal in some countries and that many veterinarians condone it as well. :(

[@chihuahuabulldog]

+NanaBorderCollie I could not have said it any better! I agree completely with all you said. If it isn't for the animals' benefit, don't do it. It also upsets me terribly when people don't think they need clean eating and drinking vessels! The attitude of 'it's just an animal' is beyond stupid! It ought to be criminal. Now, to end on a pleasant note. I always enjoy your videos. It is so obvious that they are well loved and do tricks because they want to please you, not because they are afraid of making you angry. The love of respect of an animal is so heartwarming and rewarding. It always makes me feel good beyond expression when I get the love of animals.

[@NanaBorderCollie]

+chihuahuabulldog Oh, I hear you. I remember reading a survey done awhile back where pet owners were asked how often they cleaned their pets' food and water dishes. If I recall correctly, only around 10% cleaned their pets' dishes daily. I think around 30% or so cleaned them weekly, another large percentage cleaned them only once a month; can't recall the percentage of those who cleaned only a few times a year, and another 10% or so said they never cleaned their pets' dishes. Every evening, all my critters' dishes get scrubbed here. Clean water dishes are a must, and most of my animals eat fresh fruits & veggies daily which makes clean food dishes every day especially important. The love, trust, and respect is mutual. If one does not respect an animal entirely, they should never expect (or demand) to get respect back. Zed in particular is definitely not a domesticated animal, and I don't really consider myself to be his "owner". I am just a loving friend who has learned and respects his boundaries, and we have built our relationship on our understanding of one another, trusting each other, and respecting each other. He looks to me as his Mum and his best friend, but not his "owner". And likewise, I look to him as my friend and companion, but not a "pet".

[@alenazhang8629]

First. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY

[@shootingstarstudios8333]

So cute! :)

[@savannahp4651]

Cutie!

[@olafvanraalte8256]

So cute

[@erlelembinen5459]

so cute!!!

[@leiabordercollie3720]

he's so cute

[@LittleTijger]

Awh so cute!

[@AmazingAnimalTricks]

Aww, great video!

[@NanaBorderCollie]

+Spartan's Tricks Hero was definitely confused! He wasn't too crazy about Zed constantly chasing his tail, although I can't say that I blame him. :P He was very good with Zed, though. Zed's zoomies are my favourite. :) He does them every evening when I am cleaning his enclosure. There is something about cleaning that always gets him in his "spaz" mode. :P

[@AmazingAnimalTricks]

NanaBorderCollie Lol, he definitely had that look like, "wtf is this thing doing!?" Love how Nana is so tolerant of everything though. Was she kind of hesitant about him at first too? She definitely looks like she's well used to his craziness now though. :P Zoomies are my favourite with my piggies too. :P Ace is almost a year old, but still does zoomies at least once a day, lol. Some piggies stop way before that, but Ace is just a crazy little goofball. :P

[@NanaBorderCollie]

+Spartan's Tricks We were highly amused by Hero's initial reaction and facial expressions, hehe. :) He is such an expressive dog. He was a very good and patient boy with Zed, and very tolerant as well. Zed was equally puzzled by Hero, wondering why he wasn't immediately all over him jumping/playing/doing zoomies like most dogs. He kept looking and whistling at me as if to say, "Mum, this dog is broken." :P Hero is such a calm and laidback boy, which Zed isn't exactly used to a lot of the time, hehe. :) Nana LOVES other animals! She reminds me of a young child in a candy store whenever I come through the front door with a new addition. She is the most patient and gentle dog I know. Any new additions that come home are faithfully watched by her and she will let them do absolutely anything and everything with her. Zed was terrified of dogs when I first brought him home, and Nana was the perfect dog with the perfect temperament to help Zed learn that dogs are nothing to be afraid of. Now, it is debatable that Zed is too comfortable with dogs, whether he has met them before or not. He drags me towards all the dogs at the park while whistling at me to let him play with them, and he is in HEAVEN at the pet expos with hundreds of dogs in every direction!

[@AmazingAnimalTricks]

NanaBorderCollie "Mum, this dog is broken." Lol, I can just picture that expression so clearly! :P Aww, such a good boy Hero is. :) Nana sounds like the sweetest babysitter ever too.

[@NanaBorderCollie]

+Spartan's Tricks Zed has a disturbing obsession with mouths and tongues. He often greets Nana by prying her mouth open with his hands and sticking his head in her mouth, and she acquiesces without a care in the world. He will try to do the same with people, too, although most people aren't as tolerant as Nana, hehe. All he does is sniffs and snorts whilst holding her mouth open... it almost appears as though he just likes the smell of her breath. :P He can't contain his excitement at the expos at all. He becomes very vocal and ecstatic asking to play with all the dogs. His sheer audacity sometimes surprises me, as he shows no fear towards huge dogs such as Great Danes. I don't think he is fully aware of his size sometimes. And yes! He makes me laugh every day! He's such a rowdy, rude, and rambunctious clown. :)

[@romy5214]

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 so süß💜💜💜💜. alles Gute Zed!!!

[@meninogandagez4275]

Happy bithday :D He's beautiful

[@nala8223]

that is just so cute...

[@magdaadasko1959]

happy birthday zed!😊😇😍😘😙😗

[@sylviedavesne2917]

late but HaPpY biRthDAy ZED FoR Your 1 Years on EaRth with your exceptionaly nice friendship family ;)

[@elisa7998]

Happy birthday Zed! :):):)

[@serenity1417]

happy birthday!

[@niamhhen7516]

how cute

[@pizzatheduck1043]

i love it!

[@pizzatheduck1043]

he's so cute.

[@ruthiraci8592]

so cute

[@Godzilla-ix6gl]

Happy bday Zed!!!!!

[@emilyngvyen]

Happy birthday zed

[@nikolabartosova417]

Ten je roztomilí

[@magdakunicka7186]

Zed is so cute

[@emaema2071]

He's so cute! :3 How many animals you have? ;)

[@artsyalyssacreations1419]

Hello! You are an excellent trainer! Nana and all your other pets are amazing! I was wondering if you are willing to make instructional videos on how you trained your pets. That would be awesome. Where I live there is no classes or professional dog trainers so it would be very helpful! All my dog can do is not listen. Thank you!

[@coolnya]

Wow ~ so cute! Did Chiusi various animals. Just before raising puppies ^^

[@shadinasser1]

Nice vid, thumbs up

[@henrietahospodarova6903]

Wonderful animal :D Zed........ beautiful name!!!!!:D