Pet Care – Chronicles of the What Nots!

When Thinking About Adopting Consider This …

Lori Dalrymple, M.Ed. — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:09:25 +0000

So you want a pet? There is a lot to choose from as there are more than 6.5 million animals in the US that need forever homes.

As you know, it is not easy to adopt a pet and you will need to know the right answers to ask yourself before you make that leap in adding another mouth to feed in your home. There are many reasons why people, like yourself, may choose to adopt. It can be a way to prepare for parenthood, a loving and playful companion, to relieve stress, or specialized placement for people who have specific needs or lifestyles. I even heard one potential parent, say that the pet went well with her curtains. Ugh!

Regardless of the why, choosing to adopt a pet has all sorts of stressful, yet exciting, feelings! Although excitement abounds in the idea of having a new pet (the cuddling, the cuteness, the newness of it all), one must remember that it is not for the immediate gratification of having a new kitten or puppy but a life long commitment. They are with you for life. Are you ready? Have you done your research?

There are a few questions one must ask when looking to adopt a pet.

How do you envision your life in 10 years?

Pets can live 15+ years, so envisioning how your life will be in the future is very important. As I mentioned, adoption is for life, so consider whether you’re likely to be married, have children, move, change careers or undergo other major life changes.
How will you help your pet cope with these life changes as you and your pet go through them? How will you deal with medical issues with your pet? Are you prepared to pay for upcoming vet bills, to keep your pet safe? Keep in mind that as pets age, their needs will change as well.

Are you adopting the pet with someone else?

Make sure that everyone is on board with adopting a new pet. And even if everyone is on board with the idea of getting a pet, it’s important for all in the household to express concerns ahead of time.

How much time can you devote to your pet each day?

All pets require time and attention. Though dogs generally require more time and attention than other pets, you should be able to give your pet at least two hours of personal love and attention per day.
Also, think about energy levels. How much energy does your pet require? Are you able to keep up? Do you need an older less active pet?
What about daily routines? Are always away from home? Do you travel? Do you come home late at night and drop down in front of the TV?
All pets need and deserve real engagement with their families, such as playing and walking, in addition to cuddles and snuggles. If you find that you are out, more than home — and the pet cannot travel with you — maybe a pet is not for you.

Can you afford to own an animal?

Outside of the cost to get the pet, pet owners should expect to spend about $1000 on vet bills (spaying, neutering, vaccines, health checkups, etc.) and $2000+ on food, toys, training classes and other items for their pet during the first year of ownership. Also, contemplate costs that may be coming down the line. For example, pet injuries, pet medical equipment and diagnosis, boarding, pet insurance, buying special or premium pet food? Realizing that as pet’s get older the more care they will need.

Do you have support groups in place?

What will happen to your pet when you are away. What happens to your pet, if you get pet allergies, are working late, traveling, or if something happens to you? Many pet owners have problems as a result from not having a reliable system in place to take care of pets in these situations. Before you adopt a pet, you may want to put into place daycare plans or support in these situations and have your trustworthy ‘best buddies’ support network group lined up to help when you need help in a pinch.

The Young and Restless.

How much household destruction can you tolerate?

Pets have accidents, they destroy items in your house. As a pet owner, you must understand that accidents are a given when you bring a pet into your life.
How prepared are you? Can you handle the cleanup and costs associated with destruction? Do you have the patience to figure out the problems behind the behavior? Or do you plan on returning the pet as soon as something is destroyed?
There are any number of reasons why pets act out. Young pets need potty training, they go through teething, etc. Older pets have a hard time holding and have to go often.
When pet’s get sick they act out by urinating out of the kitty box. Bored pets act out and chew on everything to release the energy. Some of it has to do with training; i.e. garbage raiding.
Some of it is a medical problem. There are also behavior problems through misunderstandings and miscommunications.

Do you have the patience to understand your pet’s needs?

A pet who has the attention of their owner, who knows what their pet’s need, is happier — and so is the family.

Adding more than one pet to a household.

The good news is that most pets, crave companionship — multi-pet households tend to reduce stress and anxiety and foster healthy inter-species behavior.
Again, do you have the patience to introduce a new pet? Can you take time off to be with your pets during this transition process? New pet’s cannot be brought home and placed down in the middle of the room and forgotten in a multi-pet household (unless you want the new pet hurt and incur major medical bills).
There is a two week acclimation period for all new pet’s added to the household. For further information on how to acclimate a new pet into a multi-pet household, click here.

Why are you adopting?

Make a list.

Oh! She is so cute! I want her. She goes so well with my curtains! Too many pet owners get a pet only to complain that the pet does not fit well with their household lifestyle. Before you adopt, create a list of the activities / questions about your families health, your activities, pet perks (such as playing ball or going for car rides) and pet cons.
Write in what you expect from your new pet and what you have to offer your new pet. Truth is in the pudding. Identify expectations and remain realistic about the relationship. Compare and see if it can be done. Do you have small children? How will your children react to a new pet? How will the new pet react to your children? Do their personalities go well together or do they clash?
Not all pets are created equal. If you have children, show them the rules of safe pet conduct: No teasing, pulling, pushing or climbing on animals. You’ll also need to spend ample time with your children in meeting different animals, so you can observe tolerance levels, responsiveness to training and the ability to bounce back from jarring incidents. The pet will tell you if they are up to the task or need to run for their lives.

Overall, pay attention and trust your instincts When you meet a potential new pet, pay attention to your gut. Observe the behavior and health of the animal, and pay close attention to any other signs that could be telling you something. You want to bring home a healthy, happy pet that fits in with your family.

Our Newest Addition

Lori Dalrymple, M.Ed. — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 13:19:39 +0000

I could not resist. I had to have her. Who could resist this sweet young girl rolling around in the cage, looking up at you with those beautiful green eyes? I fell in love, even before I held her in my arms. I knew she was mine. So I took her home.

The past year we have had our share of heartbreak, losing our loved ones to various ill’s, from heart problems to old age. A family of 12, we are now down to two. Coming home from work each day, the house seems spiritually quiet and my purpose in life seems to have escaped me, that is, until Baboosi entered our lives.

Drawing her out of her shell wasn’t easy. When we brought her home her first instinct was to hide. She found a good spot away from all of the noisy routines of the day and for the first couple of days just listed to the sounds around her. She came out every once in a while to use the cat box and to eat, but all in all she was very scared. It took all of my might not to pickup her up and kiss and cuddle her, letting her know that it would be ok. But I know that this would do more harm then good. I had to be patient. Letting her come out on her own steam.

After the third day, I periodically went into the room to talk with her. I did not want to violate her space or her security or faith in me, so I did not pet her or touch her. On the 4th day, she came out and laid on the bed with us. We approached her to pet her she ran back to her safe spot. This was remarkable, her coming on the bed. On the the 5th day, she started playing with my toes under the covers. What a surmountable amount of trust. I was finally able to pet her.

The next few weeks Baboos began to show her personality. She loved to run, lay in my Christmas cactus, watch the birds outside my window. She would run up to you with her tail straight up, then bolt as soon as you reached down to pet her. She loved her small mouse, throwing and catching it around the house. Another couple of weeks, she now comes into the bedroom, jumping between my husband and I. She would “plopp” herself down as to announce that she his here and “pay attention to me”. She purred very loudly as we petted her and she loved to get kisses on the head. When she got her fill show would bolt off the bed, as if she had something better to do, her tail strait up in the air – stating her proudness.

After a good couple of months, Baboosi runs the house. She announces herself when she enters a room and runs onto our bed every night to say good night. She has brought a lot of love and noise back into our house and we are very excited that she has welcomed us into her heart.

Because It’s My Nature

Lori Dalrymple, M.Ed. — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 12:56:24 +0000

One thing we can learn from our furry friends is the insurmountable ability to overcome major obstacles and put their eyes, or in Choon’s case, ears forward in every situation. Kit (aka Choon) was born with no eyes, only eye sockets. Much to my surprise he has the extraordinary ability to not miss a beat when it comes to enjoying life. In fact, I have found few precautions that one needs to take when housing a blind cat to a sited one. As with any feline, a blind cat will enjoy playing, jumping and getting into all sorts of mischief: hogging your pillow, laying in the warm sun, begging for food, and just wanting to lay in your lap 24/7. It was late summer when we got Kit. My husband and I were outside, and saw him get tossed out of a car at the end of our street. Just a side bar; I never understood how inhumane people can be toward each other, the environment and other beings. Which begs the question, is that a learned behavior, an environmental influence, or are they just born that way? Stay tuned for an article on this subject, now back to the story. He was a small thing, not even a year old when we saw him turning in circles, trying to find his bearings — a whiff of anything familiar. He eventually honed in on our chirps and clicks and we called him to us. As I picked him up, I was taken immediately to him. There was something about our first contact; maybe it was his warm welcoming head butts along with his incessant purring that bonded us. Whatever the reason, the relationship was there and nothing could stand in the way of an overbearing mom when it came to his care. Yes, there was a period of adjustment after taking Kit in; new surroundings, smells, other pets in the household and behavior do’s and don’ts (boundaries). As new blind pet owners, we also had to adjust as well toward making sure there was a safe environment for a blind cat; i.e., toilet seat down, curtain pulls cut/taken down, doors closed, unsafe objects picked up; even down to the choice of toys. It was like bringing an adoptive child home for the first time. The crying, confusion, wanted to be held, circling, trying to adjust to new surroundings. There are a few things to keep in mind, if you are housing a blind cat; or even thinking about getting one. This can also hold true if you are adding a new sighted cat to your household. Remember that cat’s (and all animals have feelings and often feel what you feel). So remain positive and supportive at all times. Day 1 – Put him/her in a small room with food, water, and a litter box. You need to take a few days off of work to sit with him/her and bond. If you cannot do this, then you should not get a blind cat. This room will become their home base. They will run to this room when ever they feel scare or frightened. This will be their room. Days 2-4 – Open the door and allow the blind cat to explore the rest of the house, don’t push but encourage his / her exploration. Stay always behind him /her so he / she feels safe. After about 4 days, the cat will wean off of you to the point where he / she is able to explore on his /her own. It is important to remember that blind cats get disorientated easily, DO NOT PICKUP YOUR BLIND CAT AND PUT IN A DIFFERENT SPOT. This causes excessive disorientation and can cause the cat to panic. PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE! Instead call the cat over to the spot where you would like him/her to go. Treats are wonderful for this. A blind cat senses are heightened. No problem smelling food from 6 feet away. Day 5 – Move the cat box out of the room and into the appropriate spot. You will need to train him / her all over again to the litter box. Every hour or two show the cat the box to familiarize him with its location and smell. Just as a fyi – blind cats do not like sharing litter boxes; they need to have their own, if not, it causes major headaches, if you know what I mean. With a normal cat, it takes two weeks to acclimate to new surroundings. Not so with a blind one. It takes a good month or two before they are familiar with their surroundings before they start jumping and playing and getting into all sort of cat mischief. When a blind cats gets disorientated (does not know where he/she is) they often turn in circles, trying to get a whiff of something familiar. It is important to make sure that the cat remains calm and given lots of support during these times. If they start panting, then pick up the cat and put him/her back into their home base until he/she get calm. Once acclimated, your blind cat will jump, climb and crawl in and on everything. Watch out! They love to get up high. Make sure furniture is soft and there are no hard edges, as they bump into things a lot. And when you are going to rearrange the furniture, be aware that your cat might need to go the initial process all over again.