Month: January 2011

We’re thrilled to tell you that 2011 All-Star NHL hockey player David Backes of the St. Louis Blues and his amazing wife Kelly are helping us launch our next regional pro-adoption campaign! This campaign, which will launch next month in St. Louis, will feature the Backes family (along with our wonderful friends Mark Buehrle of the White Sox and his wife Jamie) on billboards and televised PSAs. Look for more information about this next month. In the meantime, though, for an interesting and drama-filled story about what happened right after our billboard photo shoot, see Pia Salk’s blog on MarthaStewart.com!  (Photo from David Backes Shoot: Adopt-a-Pet.com’s Abbie Moore with David and Kelly Backes.)

We received the following letter from a happy adopter who used our Search Saver feature to find their new best friend: Dear Adopt-a-Pet.com, I am unsubscribing to the Adopt-a-Pet.com Search Saver emails because we brought Nevo home from the Dawson County FritzHumane Society yesterday. The people we met there were very kind and demonstrated sincere care for him. I sensed genuine respect and responsibility for the pets. They also communicated professionally to us and offered helpful advice and patience as requested.

Fritz (as he is now called) has been recovering from something like kennel cough, but aside from concern regarding his comfort and well being, I wish to emphasize he is more than a joy. Just a turn of his head and he brightens our day. He responds to positive reinforcement beyond anything we could have imagined. 20 more positives than a negative seems to work, he loves affection! His behavior, demeanor, house training, sit, shake hands and walking on a leash have all been very smooth. He even takes his medicine easily. Our neighbors have met him and like our extended family out of state/country they share our delight. It’s a nice surprise that a little dog is known in 2 countries and 4 states… he is big news! He expects nothing but appreciates everything! We enjoy treating him and indulging him as his pleasure is ours. He has a cushy life now, I don’t know what he had been through before 1/1/11 but I know he is happy now.

So please know your online resource has helped us find Fritz.

Thank you for helping animals.

Fritz’s Family

Did Adopt-a-Pet.com help you find YOUR best friend? Let us know at info@cms.adoptapet.com!

Pets come in all shapes and sizes, behaviors and personality types. Some swim, others slither, some fly, others hop, and most walk, trout, or run. Adopt-a-Pet.com is proud to have all types of animals available for adoption on our website. Just check out our newest species. If you want a new pet, but don’t know which to consider here are a few questions to help narrow your search.

1. Can you commit to providing a loving home and care for a pet – for the rest of his or her life?
2. What kind of pet can you afford? (Click here to read our blog article on the Average Costs of Owning a Pet)
3. Does your residence (and homeowners or renters insurance) allow for pets? If so what type?
4. If you will be moving, are you ready to make any extra effort need to ensure you can bring your pet with you?
5. Are you able to provide enough daily exercise for the type and age of pet you’re looking to adopt?
6. If you currently own pets, have you done research on doing a proper introduction, and are you prepared for separation and professional training if necessary?
7. If you are going out of town, do you have a pet sitter or boarding facility lined up?
8. Can you handle accidents that can harm or destroy your belongings?
9. How much time can you devote to training and or providing quality time every day with your pet?
10. Do any of your family members have allergies – if unknown, can you “test” their allergies prior to adopting by spending as much time as possible with the individual pet you’re interested in adopting?

Puppies and dogs (and cats and kittens too!) most often destroy and chew things out of boredom, frustration or anxiety. There are mild displays of this behavior that are to be expected, especially in kittens, puppies, and young or high energy dogs – like a puppy chewing a shoe, or a dog ripping apart one of her toys. There are also more extreme levels of this behavior, where the pet will hurt himself or do serious damage to doors or other household items. If that’s the case, please consult with a professional pet behaviorist or trainer. In either case, for safety’s sake, keep your pet away from anything they can chew on by containing them and/or keep items out of reach. Crate training, baby gates, or closed doors allow you to create a chew-safe pet area while you train them. Cats especially can be challenging, especially with wires and curtain cords. The best solution for wire and cord chewers is to completely cover all wires with hard plastic tubing, secure cords out of reach, or keep the pet closed out of those rooms.  In addition, for mild to moderate chewers, we have these four helpful tips:

1. Physical Exercise. Many dogs and cats chew because they are bored, and have excess energy and/or anxiety. Chewing is fun and a stress relief for them! You can help eliminate this kind of chewing by giving them more daily exercise. Just like you would do, build up the length and difficulty of your pet’s “workout” which can be any kind of athletic activity – walking, running, biking, hiking, playing ball, running around the yard with a dog friend; indoor chase toys and games with your cat friend. Just keep in mind that you will need to maintain the amount of exercise you give them every day pretty much EVERY DAY. Even if its just 10 minutes a day, you’ll need to stick to it. If you take up daily exercise with your pet for a few weeks and then stop, the chewing will very likely return.

2. Mental Exercise. Exercising a pet’s MIND is just as important in warding off chewing boredom as physical exercise. Obedience training, learning new tricks, agility classes, walks in new neighborhoods, visits to friends house, joy rides in the car, window perches, pet TV… many possibilities abound, just use your mind to help your pet use theirs!

3. Provide appropriate chewing items. Many dogs and puppies chew because it is an instinctual desire. Giving them something appropriate and desirable to chew on can eliminate their chewing on things you don’t want them to! There are many commercially produced chew toys to choose from – knowing the strength of your dogs chewing will help you to pick the correct one. Some popular ones include hollow rubber toys which can be stuffed with food and treats and even frozen for many hours of amusement, and fun fill-able balls which the pet must roll around to get the treats out. Another option, with your vet’s approval: big raw fresh uncooked bones (raw so they will not splinter, cooked bones are NOT safe) from the butcher can provide hours of supervised, extremely passionate chewing! Cats often like to chew on cat grass, which you can grow from seed, or buy in pots at many pet supply stores.

4. Redirection. If you catch your pet chewing on something inappropriate, you can say “no” and offer them one of their chew toys. It can help to have 7 different chew toys, and place out a “new” toy each day, taking up and putting away the “old” toy at the end of the day. Pets just love getting something “new” – its more interesting and therefore keeps their attention for longer. It may take some trial and error to find a chew toy that they like more than what they’ve chosen (your table leg for example). You can make your household items less desirable by spraying them with a pet-safe chew deterrent, closing the pet out of the area with those items, or covering them with tin foil or another not fun to chew cover as a temporary solution to get them in the habit of chewing on their chew toys instead.

Staring off with these four tips to stop your pet from chewing should fix many chewing problems, and your chewed up shoes and teeth-marked furniture legs will be a thing of the past!

This post is originally from The Daily Wag at MarthaStewart.com and is written by our own Pia Salk. Like many well meaning people, Camillia once thought the only way to have a certain breed was to buy one. And she was entirely unaware of the abuses occurring in USDA-approved puppy mills. Chardonnay and Sir Lancelot were adopted by Camillia and Don, a couple in Texas. Camillia shared her experience adopting these lovely pups, who each endured years of abuse at the hands of unscrupulous breeders.

It was such a pleasure speaking with Camillia — it is heartening to meet a person who takes their commitment to companion animals so seriously. Camillia not only sought to educate herself on how best to introduce and care for her dogs, but she also allowed her eyes and heart to be opened to the bigger picture.

When I asked her what she’d like others to understand, she told me… read the full post here.

This post is brought to Adopt-a-Pet.com by Susan Tripp, MS, co-author of the Positive Pet Parenting e-Course for www.AnimalBehavior.Net. She is also a member of www.PetConnection.com’s advisory board and founder and president of the non-profit www.positivepetparenting.org You’ve noticed something odd lately about your cat. Instead of lounging on the couch she’s holed up in your closet all day. And when you walk into the room a blur of fur streaks by as she bolts for the safety and comfort of your bed – only she’s underneath it.

Has your cat lost it?

Cat hiding behavior is not unusual and is a normal feline response. Cats withdraw suddenly from life and hide the day away when something is just not right in their universe. Common reasons why your cat may cower and want to avoid the public spotlight include one or more of the following conditions: a medical problem, pain, fear or stress.

Medical: Start by ruling out any medical issues. A change in pet behavior is often the first sign of an underlying illness or disease that may be causing discomfort. Medical issues can be ruled out with a thorough veterinary exam that includes diagnostic lab work. If your cat is not feeling well, then a health screening will give you a plan of action. If your veterinarian proclaims a healthy cat, then seek a behavioral explanation.

Pain: A medical exam will usually identify a physical pain unless that pain is caused by, for example, a child who may pull or squeeze the cat’s tail or other parts within grabbing distance. On the other hand, cats who are unable to get to their litter boxes because of a closed door or a bully cat sometimes refuse to soil outside of the box and may experience emotional and physical discomfort.

Fear: Cats see the world through the eyes of a predator and the eyes of prey, which makes them somewhat unique. Using physical punishment is a big mistake with cats. Cats respond to any type of threat or perceived threat with avoidance. Hiding is normal behavior for cats who want to avoid contact with a perceived threat. For instance, some cats share better than others. So, if your cat must share his or her stuff with a power hungry housemate who is bullying your cat, he or she may be afraid of public places or may just choose to avoid conflict. Territorial aggression is normal in cats so if you have more than one cat, be on the lookout for cat bully behavior.

Stress: Cats bond to territory and therefore are stressed by changes in the environment. Take a look around. Have you added new furniture? Is a new cat or dog now part of the family? Maybe a neighboring cat has taken up residence in your backyard. Has your routine changed? How is your stress level? Yes, if you’re stressing out your cat may be stressing with you! Try to keep your cat’s stuff such as feeding bowls, litter boxes and climbing trees in the same place. Keep in mind that we may like to change up the furniture but our feline friends do not.

If you are not sure why your cat might be stressed, seek the help of a professional. In the meantime, allow your cat safe hiding places like under the bed or in a closet. Cats feel less stress when they are able to hide or can perch in high places. To give your cat extra comfort, add a tall floor to ceiling cat tree with plenty of comfy perching places. Add calming feline pheromones to your cat’s sleeping areas or to the cat’s favorite rooms with a commercial product diffuser or mist.

First and foremost, do not scold, shout or swat the cat to correct or control any behavior. Do not forcibly remove your cat from her perceived safe area. Cats feel less stress when they are able to choose movement and are able to move freely. Lessening stress will likely decrease the cat’s hiding behavior.
As tempting as it can be, do not stroke or soothe your cat during the hiding. You may accidentally increase the hiding with your loving attention. Instead, ignore the cat. Do praise your cat for bravery and for any other behavior you want more of.

Think of ways you might make it worthwhile for your cat to come out of hiding. Call your cat for meals and treats. If your cat will eat near you, try hand feeding your cat. Lack of appetite is one sign of stress. If the cat won’t take food from your hand, try sitting quietly near your cat and tossing an occasional treat. If your cat takes the treat, toss the treats closer to where you are sitting. Over time, the cat may take the treat from your hand.

If all of these suggestions fail to reduce your cat’s hiding behavior then make sure you visit with your cat frequently to give mental stimulation and ensure he or she is getting nutrition, water and access to the litter box. Or, consider giving your cat a private room that is people and pet free. Make that private room a cat sanctuary that has everything your cat needs for comfort and security.

***
Susan Tripp, MS, is co-author of the Positive Pet Parenting e-Course for www.AnimalBehavior.Net. She is also a member of www.PetConnection.com’s advisory board and founder and president of the non-profit www.positivepetparenting.org (Positive Pet Parenting Saves Lives®), a shelter program that helps prevent pet neglect, abuse and surrender. Susan is now a behaviorist and Placement Center Manager of The Hannah Society (www.hannahsociety.com) with the goal of keeping people and pets together for life and keeping pets in the home. Contact info: susan.tripp@hannahsociety.com

I’m Sorry – How An Apologist Became an Activist is a new one-woman play that just opened in Los Angeles, starring none other than Adopt-a-Pet.com’s own Director of Partnerships & Promotions, Katya Friedman! The show is a mesmerizing journey following Katya as she bravely shares her deepest family and personal secrets, transforming her insecurities and directionless life into an inspiring tale of personal triumph and helping animals.

Katya portrays over a dozen different characters as well as herself… including two dogs and a cat! She transforms herself, her small stage and minimal props (a chair, and a few slide shows) into many worlds, including a family gathering in a Texas kitchen, an ad agency board room, and an animal shelter filled with people dumping their unwanted pets. Katya melds heartbreaking moments with more than enough humor to make the hour fly by!

Even reading the play’s program is riveting. It explains most of the events in this show are true, but a few are fantasies that have only transpired in Katya’s mind. All of the characters are conglomerations of people she either knows or has met in her imagination. And it reminds us to take Katya’s message and DO SOMETHING!

There are three shows left, Jan 21, 22 and 23. Prior shows have sold out, so best to buy your tickets online at https://www.plays411.net/sorry

Rabbits make wonderful companions! Rather than buying a rabbit for sale at a pet store or rabbit breeder, adopting a rabbit from an animal shelter or rescue organization is the perfect way to add a rabbit to your family. Today’s rabbits are indoor, spayed/neutered and litter box trained. But how do you know if your home right for a rabbit? Here are some questions to ask yourself before you adopt a Rabbit, from our friends over at the House Rabbit Society.

Do you have OTHER ANIMALS animals that could scare, wound or kill a rabbit?  (Many dogs were bred to capture small animals.) Rabbits can die of fright!

Do you have the TIME AND ENERGY to care for a rabbit?  They are high maintenance companions.  Every day, twice a day they need green veggies, pellets, water, and hay.  Their litter box needs cleaning every two days.  Rabbits are social and need human or rabbit company and plenty of space to run around.

ARE YOU PREPARED to care for a rabbit who lives 10+ years?  What will happen to your rabbit when you move, get married, have kids?  What if your kids lose interest?  Your rabbit cannot survive without you.

DOES EVERYONE in your family want a rabbit?  Does anyone have asthma, allergies or hay fever?  People are rarely allergic to rabbits but may be allergic to the hay they eat.

Can you AFFORD the supplies and medical care your bunny needs?  Rabbits can cost $50-$100 per month for supplies alone.  Vet care for rabbits is more expensive than dogs and cats.  Spaying and neutering a rabbit costs more too (unless you adopt from a reputable rescue or shelter).

If you RENT your home, does your landlord allow rabbits?  Will you move if you have to?

Do you have ENOUGH ROOM for a rabbit?  You’ll need a space at least 4×4 ft (minimum) or a room for your rabbit.  Rabbits need to get out of their pen to exercise daily, and need daily social interaction to stay happy and healthy.

Is your home BUNNY-PROOFED with electrical and computer cords covered or placed out of reach?  Have houseplants and dangerous chemicals been moved to safe places?  Anything in your rabbit’s room may be chewed by your bun!

Will you be available to SUPERVISE children when they’re around the rabbit?  Rabbits are easily injured when picked up by someone who doesn’t know how.  Rabbits can bite and scratch when frightened.

BEFORE YOU ADOPT, have all your supplies in place.

WHEN YOU ADOPT, ask questions!  Rescues are happy to help!

Excerpted from House Rabbit Society (http://www.rabbit.org) materials.

There’s a lot to know when you provide a home for a rabbit. You’ll need to learn what to feed them, how much exercise and attention your rabbit needs and many other important things about how to live beside and care for a house rabbit. Rescues can give you the information you need to have a happy (er, hoppy!), healthy, active rabbit friend.

A great resource is the House Rabbit Society at rabbit.org.

Pitbulls… what just happened as you read that? Did your hair stand on end with fear or did you fill up with a warm sense of love and comfort? Sadly, many among us have been conditioned by the myriad sensationalist pit bull-related stories put forth in the media. And whether you love the breed or not, it is important to know that the vast majority of these stories are misinformed, partial accounts that have come to represent a minority of incidents. The fact-based reports and statistics on this breed offer an entirely different picture. For starters, you may be surprised to learn that in the 1940’s and 50’s pit bulls were affectionately referred to as “America’s Nanny Dog.” Their stability, natural affinity for humans, and good nature with kids had many American families “employing” pit bulls to watch over precious new family members. And if any of you has had the good fortune to know a pittie personally, you’ll agree that their ongoing wish to make their love and affection known with kisses likely kept these kids “well groomed” to boot!

But the impressive history of this now-maligned breed does not stop here. Their praises could be sung by every municipal chorus and there would still be more content upon which to write an opera!

Pit bulls have not only been trusted to care for human infants, but also, large companies, and even countries, have branded them as “spokes-beings” for their products and causes! Their professional portfolio includes serving as the face for Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and they were America’s choice to convey loyalty and integrity on WWI and WWII campaign posters to enroll troops. In today’s market, if pit bulls had agents they’d land all sorts of coveted gigs.

President Woodrow Wilson’s best friend was not only a pit bull but he was also a… finish the post by clicking here.

Pia blogs often at The Daily Wag on MarthaStewart.com, the home of episodes from Francesca and Sharkey – Martha Stewart’s two dogs. Dr. Pia Salk is a psychologist, animal welfare advocate, and expert on the human-animal bond. Pia frequently highlights the important role that animals play in our lives and how our societal treatment of animals conveys important messages to our youth. In her own work, Pia often credits the animals as being “the real therapists.”