Author: Jennifer

Honey was found wired to a park fence in a rough part of town known for dog fighting. Her trembling body was laden with visible injuries that appeared to be bite wounds. An emergency veterinary examination put her on a costly treatment path including some complex facial reconstruction. Without financial support from generous donors like you, homeless pets like Honey don’t stand a chance. Please consider giving to the Adopt-a-Pet.com Veterinary Care Fund and save the life of a loving animal like Honey. The Adopt-a-Pet.com Veterinary Care Fund was able to get her started on a path toward healing, but she still needs your help. If you’re able to drop an extra dollar or two into the fund, we can continue to help Honey and other injured or sick pets receive life-saving veterinary care. 100% of your donation – every penny – is directly used for the care of homeless animals in need. Donate Now.

To cover or not to cover, that is the question! A question for you and for your cat. There are a number of pros and cons to covered vs uncovered litter boxes. For humans, in the pro column, they visually hide your cat’s bathroom, and going to the bathroom. If your cat is one who isn’t particularly fond of completely covering, they hide the bathroom going results too! Covered litter pans can look like fine furniture, a potted plant, a piece of modern sculpture, or like a plastic litter box with a cover on it! If the covered litter box has a door, it may slow down the transmission of smells, though really any litter box that a cat can get in to will have to allow air in to it, so smells can get out of it too. Trapping smells may be preferable to you, but cats have a very strong sense of smell, so they may find a covered litter box with a door to be offensive, even if they do get comfortable pushing the door aside to jump in and out. A door also makes it so that you have to remove and then replace the cover each time you do your daily box cleaning.

Covered boxes even without a door do provide a physical barrier on at least 3 sides for cats that like to do the can-can dance kicking the litter in all directions. That can also be accomplished with a very high-sided litter pan, like the DIY ones that people make for their cats out of storage containers. One of the covered litter box “pros” from a cat’s point of view is if they like some privacy, or are a little skittish about being ambushed by other pets in the home, a covered box gives them less possible attack routes to worry about.

If you have a regular uncovered style litter box, and would like to try a covered one, make sure you leave the original box in the same spot while you set up and try out the covered box. Cats can be very particular about new things, and you don’t want to take away the one place they feel safe to go to the bathroom!

Leave the new covered litterbox out with the old box for a couple of weeks. If your cat is using the covered box without any issues, you can slowly a few feet a day drag the old box away, and the new box into the old box’s place (if that’s where you’d like it to be). Then, you can take up the old box. Hang on to it though for at least another few weeks, just in case!

Want to learn more about litter box training and issues? Read…

• Cats agree: bigger litter is better!
• Help My Cat Stopped Using The Litterbox
• Tips to Stop Your Cat from Spraying

Today we have a slightly different Happy Beginnings story, times two! Nothing gives us a double-wide smile like a story of how Adopt-a-Pet.com helped a homeless pet or two find a new loving home. (We’d love to hear yours too, and would be happy to consider it for a future blog post too! Send your Happy Beginnings story to info@cms.adoptapet.com with a photo or two.)  This week’s story is from a foster volunteer. She writes, “In the beginning of March I noticed two beautiful Lab/Golden Retriever 12 week old puppies in a high kill pound in TN. I immediately felt attached to these pups named Jack & Jill. I spoke to the woman who was in charge and she had no connections for vet care or transporting. I went on Adopt-a-Pet.com and emailed every single rescue center in TN. Teh first email I got back was from an angel of a woman named Shayna Rowe from Pawsitive Rescue & Adoption She went the very next morning to the pound. There was no one there taking care of the animals that day. She went to the police department and argued wit hthe sergeant to let her in to get these 2 pups. She got them! Yeaaaa! She got them the proper vetting and 13 days later she drove these babies door to door to my home in Connecticut. I became a foster mommy! This just goes to show you that persistence and team work pays off. We did it!”

One of the greatest joys of my life is caring for my senior pets. My grandma called older pets with silvery fur faces “sugar faces” so ever since I was little I’ve know how sweet older pets can be. The beautiful girl you see in the photo is a “fospice” i.e foster hospice dog that my coworker Dana took into her heart and her home, and right now I have 3 senior dogs (one’s a foster too) and 2 senior cats of my own. Yes puppies and kittens are adorable, but there’s a serious advantage pets have in their senior years! All that wisdom shines through, though I’d be amiss if I didn’t mention they often have a good dose of stubbornness and selective hearing at times too! I’ve only had senior pets for the last few years, so I’m still learning about how to best care for them. Fortunately I work in animal welfare and get to take advantage of the decades of experience from all my colleagues! Here are some things I’ve learned about caring for a senior pet that I’ve learned, that I hope will help you if you’re getting ready to care for a senior pet of your own, be it a new addition that you’re adopting (senior pet adopters rock!) or an adult pet you’re looking forward to caring for as he or she grows old.

1. Take things slower

When my big dog Max was younger, he had boundless energy. He would pull me on rollerblades around my neighborhood, thrilled to be doing a job… and a fast one at that! Now that he’s just celebrated his 12th birthday, he is finally spending more time sleeping and less time wanting to go for a run. (I’ve been waiting for that for about 10 years!) Our rollerblading sessions got shorter and slower as each year passed, and last year we graduated to jogging, and this year to strolling, with plenty of sniffing breaks.

Many dogs are incredibly stoic and ignore pain, especially if they are having fun like chasing a ball or out on a hike or run. It’s up to their humans (us) to limit their intense physical activities as they get older, while still giving them plenty of outlets for their energy.

2. Keep life interesting

Even though Max isn’t pulling me on rollerblades any more, his doggie brain still years for that fun of the chase. (I suspect he has some sighthound in his mutt-i-gree heritage.) So instead, we go for car rides. I have a pull up window screen on the back seat window of my car, so I can roll the window down and he can take big happy snuffs of all the amazing smells whipping by as we go to the market, or just out for a 10 minute joy ride.

Does your dog love new toys? Especially when you come home and take them out of the crinkly bag or wrapper? Figure out your new toy budget, and spread that out so you can give your senior dog one new toy a week if you can. New toys can be almost free DIY dog toys like a new tennis ball, a plastic water bottle with some kibble inside, or a tug toy made out of a knotted tee shirt.

3. Senior TLC

Senior pets often need or just appreciate a little extra TLC. Your vet may want to see them every 6 months instead of yearly for a check-up, you may need to provide steps if you like your sugar-face friend to get up on the bed or couch with you easily without risking too big a jump up or down. For dogs, and as their sight and hearing goes, you may want to make doubly sure they aren’t going to get lost, even if they were off-leash trained before. Another wonderful way to give your senior buddy some TLC is with gentle daily massage (here’s how)– like a wonderful petting session, with a little more purpose!

4. Adopt a younger friend?

This is a really important decision to consider very thoroughly. Sometimes social pets as they age do appreciate and liven up with a younger companion. Others, especially those that have been your only pet for their entire lives, are really much happier basking in all your attention, not sharing it. Increasing your senior pet’s activity level (and happiness!) can have a very positive effect on an aging pet’s health. HOWEVER, are you sure you’re adopting that  baby puppy or kitten for your senior pet — or is it for you?  If you are an arthritic grandma or grandpa, you might enjoy playing with a baby for a little bit… but mostly you’d want to be enjoying restful naps in your chair, not being a chew toy or pounced on! Consider instead a youthful adult companion for your senior pet. Then you and your senior pet can enjoy the benefits of younger energy without being overwhelmed.

You can find a wonderful “sugar face” senior pet to adopt at adoptapet.com

In Dog Years…

I know you have fought so hard to keep me and struggled to let me go, but the time has come for me to meet my maker and see the world from the other side.

My purpose here is complete. I lived my life by example, the way I was designed to live; showing joy and trust; acceptance and loyalty, simplicity and unconditional love. Remember all these things I have taught you.

I am so grateful for the life we shared, the feeling of pure joy just being together. There were so many moments that I wished for time to stand still. These moments are forever embedded in my heart.

It was always your job to provide and care for me and my gratitude is endless. Your final decision to end my suffering was a wonderful blessing and your final gift to me. I felt the comfort of your touch as I took my last breath and felt the hand of my Creator as I was welcomed into Heaven.

I will always be in your heart and you will always be in mine. Until we shall meet again…It is only then that my heaven shall be complete.

With unconditional love, Your Loyal Companion and Forever Friend

Author Unknown.

Cat’s haven’t figured out to talk human (yet!) but through vocalizations, body language, and demeanor your cat is a skilled communicator. Ears are one of the easiest indicators to read, especially if you’re not that familiar with cats. If a cat has tensely flattened his ears back or down and to the side, take those as two warning flags to back off! That’s usually a sign a cat is angry or fearful or both. A happy and relaxed cat’s ears may be attentive pointed straight up, and one or both may swivel to the side when listening to sounds to the side or behind them. Another big visual flag is a cat’s tail, but it should be “read” with the rest of the cat’s body posture. A kitten may lash his tail back and forth before pouncing on a toy, while an adult cat may lash his tail back and forth before attacking a perceived threat. Unlike dogs, a cat wagging his tail is not generally a happy greeting! Some cats when really happy will stick their tail straight up and vibrate it, we like to think of that as a sort of royal wave, usually greeting someone they like and know. Cats also communicate with their eyes. You can see the content half-closed eyes on the tuxedo kitty in our photo — you can’t hear him happily purring, but he was when we took his photo! Here’s some more tips how to read the non-verbal messages your cat is communicating.

 

On Patrol Of Her Territory

1. Perked ears indicate curiosity
2. Tail provides balance
3. Whiskers measure width
4. Sebaceous glands secrete an oily substance with a distinct smell
5. Paws planted firmly and confidently on the ground
6. Paw pads act as shock absorbers

Ready To Take Action

1. Tail acts as a counterbalance as center of gravity shifts forward
2. Smooth body fur indicates confidence
3. Forward ears show assertiveness
4. Dilated pupils indicate excitement
5. Concentrated expression
6. Hind legs bent, ready for action

Relaxed and Content

1. Each whisker is used for sensory perception
2. Direct eye contact demonstrates trust
3. Tail in relaxed position
4. Slanted eyes indicate contentment
5. Nose pad receptors
6. Ears always attentive

What is a litter box? Do you need to train a cat to use one? What is the best kind of litter box? First-time cat owners usually have a lot of litterbox questions like these! Sometimes us cat experts forget that what to us is a simple innate-feeling understanding of cats and litter boxes is not always readily apparent to new cat adopters. I remember helping a friend adopt his first cat, he was so excited! He was a very smart person and had done lots of research about all aspects of cat care. About a week after he’d adopted his first cat, he was going to be away all day and asked me to check on his cat midday as he hadn’t left him that long before. When I went to be a good friend and do a “courtesy scoop” of his litterbox, which looked well-kept, I was surprised when the litter scoop only went into the litter about 1 inch… turns out, my well-meaning friend had somehow understood to only scooped the poop, and left the rest until the whole box was solid and then would dump it! Not exactly the healthiest or recommended litter cleaning method. So, with that in mind, here are the very basic litter box basics for all you first-time cat owners out there!

A litter box is a plastic box that a cat uses as a toilet. You fill it about half way with cat litter. There are fancy litter systems out there, but most people use a plastic rectangle box. Size, cleanliness, and location are key items for ensuring your cat continues to use his litter box. If you skimp, you may end up with a cat that prefers your laundry basket… or carpet!

1-2-3 litter box keys

1. The best size of litterbox is really big!

2. Litter boxes should be kept very clean: scoop out all feces and urine clumps at least once a day. Every two weeks, super clean: Dump and discard all the litter, sanitize the box with soap and hot water, and replace with brand new litter.

3. Location is critically important: We understand you may not want to look at it, but it is important that the litter box be easy to access. One on each floor. If you want to conceal the box, try putting it behind a screen, not in a dark closet or cabinet. If you do go the closet/cabinet route, make sure there are two large entrance/exits, and plenty of ventilation.

TRAINING

By the time a kitten is old enough to be adopted (>8 weeks old) they usually are already litter trained. You can ask the shelter or rescue if they are, if they’ve had them for more than 1 day they should know! Kittens learn by following mom, or their caretaker will have trained them. If you end up rescuing a super young kitten, you will need to prompt their dig & cover instinct a few times. Using baby kitten safe litter (like non-clumping plain clay litter, or even just plain sand or dirt) in a low-sided tray. Gently place the kitten in the sand, and either dig with your fingers next to them, or move their paws to dig. Repeat that a few times a day – usually that’s all it takes! Depending on the kitten’s age, it can take them some time to get the hang of it, so keep them on a surface (like tile covered with newspaper) that you can totally clean.

FIRST DAY

Newly adopted cats and kittens going in to a new home generally do best if they are at first confined in a smaller room, like a nice big bathroom or other hard-surface-floor room. Get the litterbox setup you open the crate door, and keep your cat in that starter room exclusively for the first day, until you’ve seen them use the box at least twice.

That’s it, you’re now a cat litter box expert – almost! You may also like our articles:

Cats agree: bigger litter is better and How To Fix Your Litterbox Problems.

Today’s Happy Beginnings story with it’s snowy photos will make you smile and see how much fun winter can be for a newly adopted dog! Nothing warms us like a sunny day than a story of how Adopt-a-Pet.com helped a homeless pet find a new loving home. (We’d love to hear yours too, and would be happy to consider it for a future blog post too! Send your Happy Beginnings story to info@cms.adoptapet.com with a photo or two.)  This week’s story is from Dennis and Pam. They write, “Here are a few pictures of Bernie who we adopted from Eye on the Sparrow, after you alerted us that he was available.  We have been without a dog for about 3 years after our Peke died . She was 16 years old and we had adopted her when she was 5 wks old.  Bernie is just a love.  He is learning trust and love everyday and is generous with his love.  Thank you for all you do we are so lucky that he is a member of our family.  He will get all the love and care that we can give him.”

Coming home

Snow Dog

Resting after a hard day of play

Our Faux St. Bernard loves the snow

One of the concerns we hear the most often from people looking to adopt from a shelter or rescue is: “How do you know what you’re getting when you adopt a pet?”  The truth is, no matter where you get a pet from, there is always an element of uncertainty. Pets aren’t cars with standard features that can be guaranteed to be found in every model — even within purebred pets from the same litter, personalities can make a big difference in each of those sibling pets! Of course, most people don’t want to adopt a total unknown. But not to worry, adopting a pet is nothing like agreeing to marry a blind date! Shelter and rescue volunteers and staff who are professional adoption counselors, and pet trainers and behaviorists can get to know a pet very quickly in a shelter or foster home, and can tell you a lot about the pet you’re interested in adopting. Below are some examples what you can look for to know more about what you’re getting when you adopt a pet.

– FRIENDLY? You can tell if a pet is friendly with you and other people he/she meets. Even if you can’t take a pet out of his/her cage, you can spend time in front of the cage watching how they interact with people and any other pets that may pass by. In rescues, many pets are in foster homes, where they will know a lot about the pet’s personality. Some shelters do behavior testing which can reveal a lot about a pet’s friendliness towards people too.

– GOOD WITH KIDS? Many rescues have pets in foster homes with children. This is a great way to know if the pet will be good with kids! Even in a shelter, if you are an experienced pet owner and are able to have your kids interact with the pet in a play yard or meeting room,  especially if you can have a professional trainer/behaviorist come with you for an expert opinion, you can get a good idea of how the pet interacts with your kids.

– GOOD WITH OTHER PETS? This can be a bit more of challenge, as chemistry between individual pets varies greatly. If the pet is in a foster home with other pets, that’s one great way to get a good indication. Some shelters let or even require dogs be introduced, and more and more have community cat rooms where cat-friendly cats get to live together freely, which means they are more likely to get along with your cat too.

– HEALTHY? You can see if a pet appears to be healthy right now. The most common (and usually easily treatable) illnesses have easy-to-recognize symptoms like goopy eyes, sneezing, or coughing. In addition, many shelters give pets a basic health check exam and vaccinations. Many rescues get extensive vet work done too. You can’t possibly know if a pet will stay healthy, no matter if you adopt the pet from a shelter, buy them from a pet store or breeder.

– ENERGY LEVEL? If you are looking at baby pets like puppies and kittens, you won’t know what their energy level will be like as an adult. In a shelter setting, this can be a little hard to know at first glance. The longer you can spend with a pet, the better you’ll get a chance to see their energy level. Dogs especially can be frantic or depressed in a kennel, so if you can take them out for a long walk, you’ll get a more realistic energy level assessment.

– ALREADY TRAINED? One of the great things about adopting an adult pet is there is a good chance they are already trained! If you can’t take the pet out of their cage at the shelter, you can see if a dog responds to the most universal command “sit”, and cats you can see if they are litter box trained. If you can take the dog out for a walk, you’ll know within 10 minutes if they are leash trained and what other manners they have been taught, like not to jump up or mouth you. If you are looking for an already-trained dog, if they already know sit, walk well on leash, and are polite, chances are they have been trained already in other areas too.

– HOUSEBROKEN? Many potential dog owners want a pet that is already housebroken. While housebreaking a dog is usually one of the easiest things you can train a pet to do, some people know that their busy schedules will make it hard for them to take a pet out on a regular schedule and want a pet that is too big to pee-pad train. Fostered dogs will likely be known to be housebroken or not, and owner-surrendered dogs at shelters may have that information too.

– PUREBRED? Shelters offer a huge range of animals to select from including both mixed and purebreds. Studies show about 20% of dogs and cats who end up in shelters or with rescue groups are purebred. That means millions of purebred pets are available for adoption each year!

So you see, you can know (most of) what you’re getting when you adopt a pet!