Category Archives: Pet Adoption

by | May 3, 2017 · 7:55 am

It’s National Specially-Abled Pets Day!

A special-needs pet is one with a physical disability, a chronic injury, or emotional/behavioral issues. Today, we celebrate special-needs pets and encourage animal lovers with plenty of compassion, time, and energy to consider adopting one. Here are a few points to ponder from Vetstreet:

1. First, research.
If there’s a special-needs pet that has captured your heart, be sure to research its issues thoroughly beforehand so you understand the care that is required. Talk to veterinarians, specialists, and owners of similar special-needs pets so that you can make the best choice for both of you, instead of a spur-of-the-moment decision.

2. Consider the financial commitment.
Be sure that you have the financial resources to properly care for a special-needs pet. Again, research the expenses associated with your prospective pet’s condition, including food, grooming, medical care, and special equipment.

3. Remember the time and energy involved.
You might not be bringing home a frisky puppy that’s going to romp all over the house, but a special-needs pet still requires your time and energy. Be sure that you have the patience to handle its physical limitations or extra needs, and that everyone in your family does as well.

4. Make sure you’re up to it, physically.
Not all special-needs pets are physically demanding, but be sure you have the strength and capability to care for one that is.

As long as you’re fully prepared to welcome a special-needs pet into your home and to accept the responsibilities involved, you can enjoy a loving, caring relationship with your new furry friend!

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Filed under Cats, Dogs, pet, Pet Adoption, Pet Health

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by | January 25, 2017 · 7:55 am

January Is National Train Your Dog Month

Did you adopt and welcome a dog into your home for the holidays? Kudos to you for giving him a forever home with lots of compassion and love. If January has been an adjustment period for you both, it’s a good time to remind you that January is National Train Your Dog Month.

This campaign was started in 2010 by the Association of Professional Dog Trainers to help pet parents and their new dogs start the year off right. Their belief was that behavioral issues with a new pet could be addressed with proper socialization and positive training—and that this could help dissuade owners from abandoning or surrendering a new pet to a shelter. Of course, even if your pet isn’t a new member of your household, you can still take the time to brush up on commands and training.

Click here to learn more about National Train Your Dog Month!

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by | December 16, 2015 · 7:55 am

Adopt; Don’t Shop! Choose a Shelter Pet

Will there be a wriggling, curious furball joining your family this December? Consider adopting a shelter pet into your loving home. You might be inspired to adopt a pet after reading a few reasons from the Humane Society.

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1. Save a Pet’s Life

Welcome a shelter pet into your home, and rest easy knowing you saved an animal’s life. Encourage other would-be pet owners to adopt shelter pets as well. Together, you can reduce the number of pets who are euthanized each year.

2. It’s a Smart Choice

The adoption fee often includes spaying or neutering, vaccinations, and microchipping.

3. Easier Adjustment Period

Many shelter pets are already housetrained, which makes those first few adjustment weeks easier on you, your pet, and your home.

4. Self-Esteem Boost

Enjoy the emotional boost and positive feelings that come from caring for a furry companion.

5. Personality Match

With all the pets to choose from, you can find a dog or cat who will fit your personality and lifestyle. Whether you’re always active or more laid back, there’s a pet out there just for you!

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by | June 5, 2013 · 4:06 pm

June Is Cat Adoption Month

Spring is on its way out, but if visions of wobbly-headed, blue-eyed kittens are still scampering through your head, you might be interested to know that June is cat adoption month. Before you go scouring local animal shelters looking for “the one,” make certain you and your family are ready for the commitment and are not just bewitched by the cuteness avalanche that inevitably accompanies kitten season. If you’re sure you’re ready, arm yourself with knowledge and prepare to plunder those shelters!

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1. You know that popular trope that decrees all cats are lazy and antisocial? Ignore it! PetsVet.com advises that personality and activity level differ drastically from cat to cat; this is where being mindful of your own characteristics comes in handy. Are you rambunctious and energetic, with loads of free time? Get a kitten! Mellow and laid-back, with an independent streak? Go for a full-grown cat.

2. Can you afford consistent vaccinations, food and litter, and other kitty essentials? Cats are low-maintenance pets, but the American Humane Society suggests creating a budget anyway to ensure your cat’s short-term and long-term needs are met.

3. Cat-proof your home before your new cat even sets a paw in it. Bar access to toxic plants, electrical cords, and tight spaces. According to PetsVet.com, sheets of aluminum foil and wire cooling racks will deter cats from walking on priceless furniture. If nothing else, you could always spring for a pet furniture cover!

4. Schedule a vet appointment too, before you even get your cat home. The sooner you catch any potential medical problems, the better.

5. When you get your new cat through the door, confine him or her to a “safe room,” with food, water, and a litter box. The American Humane Society proposes only gradually introducing him to the landscape of his new home—as well as to new people and pets.

6. Finally, a fair warning—your cat is going to scratch! PetsVet.com submits that scratching not only feels good, it’s a way to leave behind olfactory messages for other cats. It’s an instinct that is nearly impossible to deny. Find a nice scratching post and position it next to the arm of that chair he loves shredding to pieces. Sprinkle the post with catnip or dangle a feather around it to get your cat in the habit of using the post instead.

Adopting a stray is a commendable feat in and of itself. But before you do, make certain you are fully prepared for the latest addition to your family. Your cat’s first impression of you and your home will have a lasting effect on him for the rest of your time together, so make it count! Happy adopting!

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