Month: October 2013

If you know me, you know I like to talk about pet adoption. A lot. Ad nauseum. Like, always. And it’s a bit much, I realize. Even my closest friends tend to go glassy-eyed these days as soon as I start shifting the conversation petward. I’m sure my statuses have been hidden more than a few times by my Facebook friends. (If you’re one of them, please unhide me. I miss being seen by you. Plus, I have this great post today about a pit bull who bonded with a Chihuahua in the shelter. I think those guys would look great in your living room.) Today, I’m turning the topic on its ear. Yes, adopted pets are wonderful. Yes, acquiring a pet from a shelter is the right thing to do. However, I’m here today to admit that there’s a dark side to adopting a pet. Here, my friends, are the downsides of pet adoption: 

1. That doctor you’re secretly crushing on? You’ll probably see him or her a lot less often. And think of all those wasted insurance premiums!
Here’s the problem: pets improve your health in so many ways that your trips to see Dr. Eyes-That-See-Into-Your-Soul may be limited to yearly checkups. Recent studies show that pet owners have lower blood pressure, lower resting heart rates, and lower levels of cholesterol than non-pet-owners. Just a few weeks ago, in fact, the American Heart Association released a study that found that pet ownership can vastly decrease a person’s risk of heart disease. Back in 2008, the American Stroke Association found that cat owners have fewer strokes than non-cat-owners. In fact, people who have never “owned” a cat have a 30% higher risk of dying from a stroke, and a 40% higher risk of dying from a heart attack, than those who have “owned” a cat (You cat managers out there will understand the quotation marks).

And if you’re just going to be healthy as a result of sharing your life with a companion animal, you’re throwing that health insurance money down the toilet. Might as well burn it, as my mom would say. She’d also say she never said that. Mom, you totally did. But I digress…

2. You’ll need more retirement savings.
Yes, you’d better contribute the max toward your 401k. With all those health benefits, you’re probably going to live longer than your sad, pet-less friends.

3. Au revoir, la mélancolie. And Prozac.
Victor Hugo wrote, “”La mélancolie, c’est le bonheur d’être triste.” Translation? Melancholy is the happiness at being sad. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about: sometimes you just want to stare out over the ocean, conspicuously alone, your green eyes showing deep sadness and, at the same time, a steely resolve to rise above. You sigh, lost in the romance of it all. The pink light of an early sunset highlights your cheekbones, while the soft breeze lifts your bouncy red curls. Oh, wait. That’s my fantasy. Anyway, I know you have your own version. Yeah…good luck with that if you adopt a pet. Kiss that depression, romantic or otherwise, goodbye.

Numerous studies have shown that both dogs and cats significantly lower the severity of depression in even the most clinically depressed people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledges that the companionship of animals can help manage anxiety and depression. There are numerous charities that pair depressed persons with companion animals. Organizations like Pet Partners train people and their pets to become therapy teams, visiting hospitals and nursing homes. Being in the presence of an animal lifts the spirits. Taking responsibility for a pet’s welfare forces you to get out of bed in the morning, even if all you feel like doing is moaning in between bites of the leftover pizza from the box you accidentally used as a pillow last night. Touching an animal, whether it’s a dog, cat, rabbit, horse, bird, ferret or otherwise, soothes the soul in a way that’s nearly indescribable. When you come home to a pet, you never feel alone. And who wants that?

4. You might not get to try all those nifty fad diets all your friends are always going on about.
Your dog isn’t going to walk himself, you know? So you’re going to end up going on two or three good walks a day. Plus, who can resist taking a long weekend hike or a trail run with their dog as a workout partner? Studies show pet owners are more active than those couch potatoes without pets. In fact, one study from Michigan State University found that people who regularly walk their dogs were 34% more likely to be getting federally-recommended amounts of exercise each week.

On top of that, if you consider all the stress-lowering benefits of pet ownership, you can kiss those late-night emotional-eating binges goodbye.

More exercise + less stress = skinny jeans without the juice fasting. You’ll have to sit out those conversations about stomach stapling vs. the Morning Banana Diet.

5. Your social calendar is always full.
So, you’ll be healthy, and you’ll be happy, and you’ll be active. What does that lead to? Friends, of course. You’ll be out and about, walking your dog in the neighborhood, meeting your neighbors who are out walking their dogs. You’ll instantly connect to strangers at the dog park; after all, you have something in common: you LOVE your dogs. Soon, you’ll have friends all over the place. No more anonymity: guess you’ll have to put a little makeup on before you leave for your morning jog with your best friend.

Okay, you’ve been warned. Adopt a pet, and you’ll be healthier, happier, more active, and more social than you would be otherwise. If you can handle those consequences, go for it!

 While we all can enjoy the unconditional love a companion pet offers, cats can make ideal companions for senior citizens. Pets can offer loyalty, provide joy, and give unconditional love. They can also make excellent nap buddies and lap warmers! Retired senior folks often have more time to spend on caring and loving for their pets than working households. Pets don’t judge people based on how old they look or physical limitations. Instead, they only know they have someone to love and who loves them back. A pet’s devoted and affectionate nature can make a senior owner happier and even healthier. Medical professionals who work with seniors have long noted the benefits a pet can make in the life of an elderly person! Here are some of the amazing benefits a pet can bring to a senior person or household: 

• A pet offers a sense of well being and independence, helping to prevent stress, depression and loneliness.
• Being responsible for another living creature can add new meaning and purpose to a senior’s life.
• Caring for a pet with activities such as feeding, grooming and walking helps people stay active, both mentally and physically, and thus enhances and increases the quality and quantity of her life.
• Numerous clinical studies verify that owning a pet can benefit a human’s physical health. For senior people that results in lower blood pressure, decreased stress, reduction in bone loss, lower cholesterol levels, and improved blood circulation.

Yay! It’s time for another Happy Beginnings story, about a homeless pet that found a new loving home, thanks to Adopt-a-Pet.com. If you adopted a pet that you found thanks to Adopt-a-Pet.com, we’d love to hear from you! Send your adoption story and photos of your adopted pet to info@cms.adoptapet.com. Now back to our story… Lillian writes: “I found my pet on Adopt-a-Pet.com. Last year my Silky Terrier, Cody, was diagnosed with lymphoma and sadly had to be euthanized. I was so heartbroken. I swore that would not get another pet, I would be tied down, it’s too painful when they die etc., etc. But before I went on vacation, I put in some criteria using Search Saver on the Adopt-a-Pet.com website. When I returned I had an e-mail from Adopt-a-Pet.com, there was this dog called Brownie. I sent the e-mail to my friend, who is a huge dog person, one of her dogs is a rescue. My friend said to call that I have nothing to lose. I called, spoke to the person at Animal Friends of Connecticut and told her that I was interested in Brownie and would like to come and see him.  I made an appointment, had my application in hand and my friend and I set out for the long drive to Avon, CT., to the vet that had Brownie. Prior to going to Avon CT., I had a home visit done by a local rescue, so all AFOC had to do was call them.

Brownie came into the room at the vet’s and was very excited and nervous. His story was that some family gave him to some guy because they were moving, but the guy had two big dogs and was afraid Brownie would get hurt, so he surrendered him to AFOC.

Brownie was neutered, had his shots and I had a month to bring him back if it didn’t work out. I remember thinking, how could you keep a dog for a whole month then give him back. I adopted Brownie and we left for the drive home after the assistant wished Jack a nice life.

The rest of the story:

Jack (a.k.a. Brownie) just had his anniversary/birthday on July 7th he is about 3 years old. He is the most wonderful dog, I have had 3 dogs but he beats them all. He is loving, happy, protective and king of the house. He is such a joy, my family has fallen in love with this little guy and when they visit he just goes bonkers. I never thought that I would feel this way about a dog that didn’t start out as a puppy from a breeder. By the way, Jack is part Jack Russell and part Shitz Tzu (sp?).

I recommend adopting to anyone who is interested in rescuing/adopting a pet, besides there are too many animals that need a loving home. I have not regretted rescuing Jack for one second.”

Does your pet like being dressed up in silly costumes and making you smile? I know my dogs do! They might not be thrilled with the process of getting the costume on and perfectly adjusted, but once the velcro straps are secure, you should see how they strut around! They especially love the “treat” part of our in-house trick or treat sessions that come with the costume wearing too. My coworker Dana’s dog Estelle, pictured here, shows off her costume – and her wonderful doggie smile shows how much she’s enjoying looking super cute too! So far my cats have preferred to supervise rather than joining in the fun, but I have seen some adorable photos of my friends’ cats in costumes. Picking the right costume for your pet and getting them comfortable wearing it for the full duration of your trick or treat rounds or Halloween gathering can take some planning and training. If your pet has never worn a costume, you should start out slowly, working your way up to more elaborate costumes, like the full Elvis bodysuit with wig and sunglasses! Here are some tips to keep the horrible howls out of your Halloween pet costume fun.

PET COSTUME TIPS

1. First try a costume that can be taken off quickly, like those with velcro straps. (Examples: Football, Shark Fin, Angel Wings.) Let your pet smell the costume, and give them treats so they associate the costume with good things. For dogs, ask them to sit and stay, and reward them as you put the costume on.
2. The first time you put the costume on your pet, have them wear it for just 10 seconds. Gradually increase the amount of time your pet wears the costume. Never leave your pet unsupervised wearing a costume, for any length of time. If your pet continues to struggle or seem unhappy or scared after one or more short sessions, wearing a costume might not be fun for them, and of course never something you should force them to wear. Costumes are meant to be fun!
3. If you have an active dog, playing with a toy or taking them for a walk after you put the costume on can distract them from wanting to get the costume off, and get them used to the feeling of it being on, so they ignore it like they do their collar.
4. Most cats and dogs love to be admired and told how cute they look, so don’t forget to lavish them with compliments about how adorable they in their costume.

Yappy Howl-o-ween!

Drobot Dean / AdobeStock
Carl Chicken Nugget. Yes, that is what my cousin has to yell from the back door when calling the family dog inside! That might be what happens if you let small children name your newly adopted pet too. Hence my first rule in pet naming: Unless you’re excited about a pet with a possibly very unusual name, you might want to limit kids involvement in the naming process, like by giving them a few suitable options and they get to vote on their favorite from your list. My second rule: Be creative. You don’t get many chances to have this much fun, and you can pick a name that will make you smile every time you call your pet for many years to come (but popular pet names are fun too). So let’s take a peek at some useful tips on naming your new pet…

The Fun

As pet parents, when naming your pets you can have just as much fun as human parents do naming their kids! Plus the process allows for more creativity since you don’t have worry about possible mean playground rhymes, or making relatives happy. If you’re leaning towards getting creative with your pet’s name, wait and get to know their furry little personality first. You may be inspired by your kitty’s cute quirk of eating ice cream out of your bowl when you’re not looking — Nom Nom — or the Rottie mix that you were going to call Turbo might turn out to be more of a Muffin.

Consider some of these goofy pet name suggestions:

• Mr. Pants
• Chew Barka
• Muppet
• Nom Nom
• Tuna
• Sir-Barks-a-Lot
• Tootsie
• Nipper
• Zesty
• Sprout
• Woofer
• Byte
• Bitsy
• Mighty Mite
• Yappers
• Gumdrop
• Sushi
• Tater
• Squirt
• Chi Chi
• Pugsley

The Formal

Say you’re leaning towards a more formal-sounding name. Maybe you don’t want to go too far down the dog show name road — like Lafford Fly Me Too Farleysbane, yes, that’s a real dog’s name — but you still want it to have a ring to it. Try to imagine your pet’s name on custom letterpress stationery. Zippy just doesn’t cut it now, does it? You can follow more formal naming guidelines if you know where your pet came from, including a part in their name — like in the case of an adopted pet, the shelter’s or rescue’s name. Or take your inspiration from your pet’s heritage, like a German name for your German Shepherd. Or get inspired by their color.

Consider these fancy pants names for your four-legged pal:

• Roscoe’s Wrangler Banjo
• Odin Forest
• Bentley Reed
• Sir Lancelot
• Olive Rae
• Cooper Nolan
• Hunter Maddox
• Waylon Scott
• Violet Woofregarde
• Max Ryder
• Felix the Cat
• Professor Wigglesworth
• Waggie Gyllenhall
• Amelia Pawheart
• Dakota Meowing
• Kitty Pride

The Ol’ Changeroo

When you’re adopting a pet and they know and respond to their existing name, you may decide to choose a similar-sounding name, so your dog or kitty can recognize and respond to it more quickly. But pets can learn totally different names too! Positive reinforcement is a great way to train a pet to enjoy and understand their new name. Say their new name and offer them a treat. If they respond to their old name, you can say both names at first, like “Fluffy Odin!” Then in a week or so start gradually using their old name less and less, until the transition is complete.

Other things to consider when changing your adopted pet’s name:

• Don’t choose names that sound like command words you use, such as Beau and No.
• Smile when you call your pet’s name so they see you are happy and will be more likely to respond to you.
• Try to select a name that will grow with your pet. Baby Kitty Fluff might be adorable now when your little ball of fluff is a kitten, but if he hits 13 pounds it might not seem like such a good fit anymore.
• If you are going to be doing verbal recall training with your dog, choose a one-syllable unique-as-possible name so it is easy for you to call out at a distance.
• You don’t have to change their name if you like the one they were given by the shelter or foster home you adopted them from. I kept my adopted dog’s name – Sir Lancelot – because it’s funny and unique, and he was already somewhat used to it.

Michelle Rebecca is an aspiring writer, blogger, and new fur mama to a 1-year-old boxer mix rescue. She has a passion for the Internet, and loves how it connects people across the globe. She loves that blogging gives her the opportunity to voice her thoughts and share advice with an unlimited audience.

awe·some adjective \ˈȯ-səm\ = terrific, extraordinary, vs. fail·ure noun \ˈfāl-yər\ = lack of success. If you’ve ever volunteered as a foster home for a shelter or rescue, you may have heard the term “foster failure” when a foster home decides they’ve fallen so deeply in love with the pet they are fostering, they decide to become their adoptive home. The word ‘failure’ of course has a very negative meaning, a lack of success says the dictionary. The negativity was protested by a foster failure volunteer at a rescue where I volunteer. “I don’t feel as though we failed as foster parents. It shouldn’t be called foster failure. It’s foster awesome!” All the other volunteers and I couldn’t agree more, and ever since we have called a foster volunteer adopting their foster pet “foster awesome!” I myself was recently a “foster awesome” (click for my story about adopting Gizmo, my super senior sweetie) and it was definitely a terrific and extraordinary experience.

Fostering can be a wonderful way for a home to help possibly many pets get the care and love they need to flourish in a home environment, to learn about their personalities, likes, dislikes, and work on their training to polish them up to make them shine as an adoption possibility. It can also be a way for a family to live with one or more different pets to see if they are the best match for their home. This can be really helpful especially if their home may have a particular challenge, like a resident dog or cat that is very selective about which other pets they accept versus really enjoy.

Some local shelters and rescues allow their foster home volunteers to select a pet to foster, while others operate in a less democratic way, depending on the type of animals they have and where the animals are housed if they don’t work out in a foster home. (A small dog rescue might only let their foster home volunteer foster small dogs, for example.)  Each shelter or rescue is different. That is true too of how much involvement they allow their foster home volunteers in the adopter screening and decision making process. Some shelter foster volunteers have zero participation, while some rescues may leave all the interviews, home checks, and final decision up to the foster volunteer. You can ask the rescue or shelter how their foster program works before fostering for them of course!

Signing up in the Adopt-a-Pet.com volunteer database is a great place to start if you’re interested in becoming a foster volunteer, and maybe one day, a foster awesome!

Puppy and fireworks clipart credit: sweetclipart.com

Pets are amazing in so many ways, and one really remarkable way is how they handle a disability like deafness. Though cats and dogs who aren’t deaf use their excellent ability to hear sounds to interact with the world, including humans and other pets, partial or fully deaf pets use their other senses to make up for the one that they are missing! You can search for special needs dogs or cats that need homes near you by clicking the “Has Special Needs” check box on our Search Dogs and Search Cats pages.

Sight, smell, taste, and touch including feeling vibrations often take over and make it almost impossible to tell a pet is deaf, except by their non-reaction to sounds that occur without any other cues. For example, a fully deaf dog wouldn’t hear their person whistling for them to recall, but they can be taught a hand signal to come running just like a dog with full hearing would. Understanding their limitations (like a deaf dog shouldn’t be off-leash in a non-fenced in area) and the work-arounds allows deaf pets’ owners to enjoy full and happy lives together.

People that adopt pets with special needs like deafness often say that their pets don’t just have special needs, but are special pets in the most positive of ways! It might be because deaf pets often pay more attention to what they see, smell, taste and feel, which puts them more in tune with their immediate surroundings, including their human family. 

Check out DeafDogsRock.com for some great deaf dog training videos and more information too.