What Does It Mean to Rehome a Shih Tzu?

To rehome a Shih Tzu means that you take the time to find a new home for your dog when you have to give her up. This is different from surrendering your dog. When you surrender a dog, you do so at a shelter or a rescue. The facility is then responsible for your dog and trying to find someone to adopt her. However, this isn’t always possible.

You’ll want to learn more about some of your options for rehoming and how to do it correctly. This ensures that you can find the perfect new home for your Shih Tzu.

Rehoming on Your Own

You have the option of finding someone to adopt on your own. One of the simplest methods is to talk with people you know. You might have a family member or a friend who has been thinking about adopting a dog. Even if they can’t adopt, they might know someone else that’s looking for a new dog. Talk with people you know first, as it can be one of the easiest ways to find a great home for your dog.

If you don’t know anyone personally, you can still opt to put your dog up for adoption online. Of course, you need to be sure you’re using the best and most reputable sites. Don’t simply choose to use Craigslist because it’s easy. You never know who will see the ad or what they have planned for your dog. Some people troll these sites looking for free dogs they can sell to labs or use for bait for fighting dogs.

For this reason, you should also make sure that you charge a rehoming fee. There’s some controversy about these fees, but it’s necessary to have them. People who have bad intent won’t want to pay for a dog, so it helps to keep your dog safer.

Rehoming with Rehome

Rehome is a peer-to-peer pet adoption service provided by Adopt-a-Pet.com, that helps make it easier for owners like you to find someone to adopt. This platform connects you with people who are looking to adopt dogs just like yours by publishing your Shih Tzu’s profile directly on Adopt-a-Pet.com. Rehome is free for owners to use, and the adopters will only have to pay a small adoption fee that’s similar to what they would be paying at a shelter or a rescue.

You’ll also find tools that help to ensure you find the right home for your dog. You can create a bio for your dog and add some photos and videos. The bio should be detailed enough that it highlights your dog’s personality, likes, dislikes, health problems, etc. You want the bio to have all of the information that someone who is adopting will need. Don’t try to hide any issues your dog might have. You want them to find the perfect new owner.

Once people start to send in adoption applications, you can then examine them and find the people you feel will be the best fit for your dog’s new home.

What does meow mean?

Meow? Mrrrrrrow? Mrow? Meeeeeeoew? Do you speak cat? Do you sometimes with you did? Did you know that cats meow to people, but very rarely to other cats? Adult cats, living apart from humans, have very clear communication with one another. Cat language is spoken mostly through scent, then through facial expression, complex body language, and touch. Cat sounds for vocal communication involve caterwauls for mating, chattering upon spotting prey, hissing to ward off an intruder, or shrieking when hurt or terrified. Meowing is not part of natural cat language. Meow-ese, it would seem, is a language developed exclusively for humans, outside of a mom cat taking to her kittens. Our friends at Petcentric have delved into all the reasons cats meow to communicate, and we’re happy to share it with you right here!

The only meowing in cat language is done between mom cat and her young kittens. A kitten’s tiny “mew” is a cute, endearing sound, used to solicit attention and care from mom cat. Once the kittens are grown the mews and meows stop.

So why do cats meow to people? Because meowing is what works. Your cat is dependent on you, and quickly learns that you are clearly not picking up the scent messages she leaves on your things, and you are not completely fluent in cat body language.

The disarming “meow” or adorable “mew,” is what gets you to do what she wants. So the meowing develops into a second language to communicate to you. Some scientists would go so far as to say that cats have refined their meows specifically to manipulate people. We have to admit it works.

Cats Vary Their Meows for Different Meanings

There are dozens of meow sounds in cat language that vary in pitch, length and volume. Most cat owners learn the language easily. A short, high-pitched meow is a standard “Hello!” Several of those strung together mean “You’re home! Yea!!!”

Cats use pleasant meow sounds to solicit requests for food, to go outside or to simply get attention. Your cat learns which meow is going to get the results he wants. You may find that the meows that tug at your heartstrings the most are the ones your cat is using for pleas such as, “pet me.”

Cats use unpleasant, harsher, louder meows for demands, reprimands or to express annoyance. These meows have a lower pitch and are not all that cute. Cats know not to use ugly meows to seek a favor–because you’re unlikely to comply with such rudeness.

Cat people understand cat language better than others

Meow-ese seems to be generally understood by “cat people.” Dr. Nicholas Nicastro, Ph.D., who did his thesis on humans’ ability to understand meows, found that people who own cats were far better at understanding the meaning of meows than people that don’t. Dr. Nicastro recorded hundreds of meows cats used in real settings with their owners. He had people listen to the meows, then asked what they thought the cats were communicating.

Part of the experiment asked general interpretations (Does the cat sound angry or pleasant?) and part were more specific translations (Is this cat asking for food or does he want you to go away?).

Not surprising, the more experience the people had with cats, the better they were at understanding meows – those who had no cat experience scored very low. People who owned cats could correctly translate 40% of the meows. That’s pretty remarkable considering the respondents did not have the benefit of seeing the cat. Normally, when a cat meows, we get more clues to its meaning from the context in which the cat is speaking (by the door, near a dirty litter box, time of day, etc.) and from body language.

It’s kind of nice to think your kitty has gone to the effort to learn a second language to communicate with you. Sure, she did it mostly out of necessity, but also out of affection. She wouldn’t meow just for your attention if she didn’t enjoy a relationship with you.

The Meaning Behind the Meows and Mews

Your cat uses the basic meow or mew in several variations in many situations. Even though there is a distinct “demand meow” for example, your cat may have separate variations for each of his regular demands. If you watch what your cat is doing when he meows, and listen carefully, you may learn to distinguish the demand meows, and eventually know the difference between his “let me out” demand and his “give me food” demand by sound alone.

  • Short meow or mew: Standard greeting. “Hello!”
  • Multiple meows or mews: Excited greeting. “Great to see you!”
  • Mid-pitch meow: Plea for something. “I’d like to eat.”
  • Drawn-out mrrroooow: Demand for something. “Open the door NOW.”
  • Low pitch MRRRooooowww: Complaint of a wrong you have done. “Hey – my bowl is still empty!”
  • High-pitch RRRROWW!: Anger or pain. “That’s my TAIL you just stepped on!”

More stories about communicating with your cat from our friends at Petcentric: 

Your Cat’s Tail

Talking to Your Pets

What Does It Mean to Rehome a Doberman Pinscher?

To rehome a Doberman Pinscher means that you find your dog a new home when you have to give him up. When you first get your dog, you never imagine that one day you might have to give him to someone else, but life can throw all manner of curveballs. Whether you have to move into a location that doesn’t allow large dogs, you’ve become ill and unable to care for her properly, or you’ve had financial setbacks, you want to do right by your dog. Rehoming is a good option, but you need to know how to do it.

Know What Your Dog Needs 

The first thing that you have to do when you’re rehoming your dog is to think about what needs they have. How much exercise will she need? Does she have any health issues that a new owner will need to know about before they adopt? Does she have any problems with smaller animals? You know her better than anyone, so make sure you list all of the traits of your dog, so you can be sure that the new owner is the right choice before rehoming.

How to Rehome

You have several options when it comes to rehoming your Doberman Pinscher. You might find that you have a friend or a relative that would love to adopt her. As long as they can take proper care of her, this could be a great option. It ensures that she’s going to someone who will love and care for her properly. It also means you don’t have to worry about charging a rehoming fee since you already know them.

However, if you’re going to be giving your dog to someone you don’t know, such as someone that you find in your area who wants to adopt, rehoming fees are important. These fees are used to reduce the risk for your dog. Some people want to find free and cheap animals that they can sell to labs or use for fighting. They don’t want to pay rehoming fees.

Another good option for rehoming your Doberman Pinscher is to use an online pet adoption platform like Rehome. Part of Adopt-a-Pet.com, Rehome lets you create a profile for your dog with a bio, photos, and videos. Those who want to adopt can review the profile to see whether your Doberman Pinscher would be a good fit for them or not.

With Rehome, you also have control over who gets your dog. You can review all of the adoption applications that arrive and then make your choice. It’s free for owners to use the site, as well. Rehome only charges those who are adopting the dog. It’s a small fee that’s similar to what they would pay at a shelter or a rescue, and the money goes into helping more animals get adopted.

Rehoming your Doberman Pinscher might take some time and some work, but you’ll be happier when you put in the effort. You’ll know that she’s going to a home where people will adore her.

What Do You Do With An Abandoned Cat?

There are a few options of what you can do with an abandoned cat including adopting him (after speaking with animal control), finding him a new home, or surrendering him to a shelter or rescue. Before doing any of those things, you’ll want to make sure the cat is really abandoned. It could be a feral cat or it could be someone’s lost pet.

Cats On The Street: Abandoned, Feral, Or Lost? 

It would certainly make things easier if a cat you found could tell you their story. Instead, you have to piece it together using clues from the cat’s condition and behavior.

Feral Cats 

Feral cats are those who were born outside and are usually part of a colony. Most of these cats will not make suitable house pets as they have not been socialized and are afraid of people.

There are exceptions to this, but socializing them is a long process, and some cats will never be comfortable around people no matter how much time goes by. While feral cats will not make good house pets, they can be used as mousers in a barn-home-type arrangement.

Clues that you’re dealing with a feral cat include:

  • The cat runs when approached.
  • The cat will not meow or purr.
  • You may see the cat in the same place at the same time each day.

Lost Pet 

When a house cat escapes his home, it’s possible for him to become disoriented and have trouble finding his way back home. A lost cat will typically be socialized and may approach people for pets or food.

If you find a social cat, bring him to a vet or shelter to see if he has a microchip. You can also check community pages like NextDoor or local Facebook lost pet pages to see if any listed cats match the one you’ve found.

You should also notify animal control if you think the cat is a lost pet, as that’s the first place many pet owners look for a lost cat.

NOTE: In some locations, animal control will require that you hand the cat over to them. If this is the case where you live, and you worry for the cat’s safety, make it very clear that you’ll take the cat if his home isn’t found.

Abandoned Cat 

Many times, abandoned cats are identified by neighbors who know the family moved and left the cat behind. Abandoned cats will often be social, may be hungry (they don’t know how to fend for themselves), and hang around the place where they were abandoned waiting for their family to return.

Once you know that the cat is not feral and no pet owners have been located, you’ll have to decide what to do with the cat. Your options are:

  • Keep Him: Thanks for being the cat’s hero and congratulations on your new family member!
  • Surrender Him: You can leave the cat at an animal shelter and the staff will do all they can to get him adopted. However, the reality is that many shelters have high euthanasia rates—especially for cats. Be sure to do some rehome_research before surrendering a cat.
  • Rehome Him Yourself: Taking the time to find a cat a new, loving home is a true act of kindness. Visit the Rehome website for tips and tools that make the process easier. 

What Does It Mean to Surrender a Dog?

Surrendering a dog means that you are relinquishing ownership of the pet to a shelter or rescue. Some pet owners think that when they surrender their pet to a shelter that the pet will be loved and spoiled for as long as it takes to find them a home—the truth is often quite different. Depending on the facility, it can be hard to find space to properly care for the dog. When shelters run out of kennel space, sometimes even healthy adoptable dogs are put to sleep. Some shelters simply don’t have the manpower to spend time with each dog, so they spend most of their time alone in a small cage. Of course, many shelters are wonderful places that do have the resources they need to provide a loving environment, but some do not. What is true at every shelter is that when you surrender a dog, what happens to him is completely out of your hands.

The Shelter Environment

After you pay the fee for surrendering your pet, you relinquish all rights. Even in the best shelters, some pets suffer from separation anxiety, fear, and confusion. Ideally, your pet will be placed in a loving home but, sadly, this is not always the case. Your pet was part of the family, so when you surrender them, it can be hard to know you have no control of what happens to him. Consider these alternatives: 

Keeping the Pet 

This should always be the first choice. Whatever is causing you to consider not keeping the pet, including behavior issues or financial problems, you may be able to find help. Shelters are a great place to find such resources as the shelter staff’s goal is always to help the pet owners keep their pets. You can also view our Keep Your Pet guide here. It may not be possible, but responsible pet owners will try. 

Finding a Rescue

When a rescue takes your pet, you are still surrendering him, but you are surrendering him to a private group that will give the dog as much time as he needs to find a new home. It can be difficult to find a rescue with space, but this is certainly an avenue worth exploring. If your dog is purebred, look for a breed-specific organization as this may increase your chances of finding a quality rescue that will take your pet.

Rehoming the Dog Yourself 

If you’re willing to put in a little time and work, you can find a loving home for your dog yourself. This is a great option because you remain in control of where your dog ends up, you’re able to choose the family, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing your dog is in a safe and loving home. Our program called Rehome can assist with the process by allowing you to create an online profile that will be seen by people looking for a pet. If keeping your pet isn’t an option, this is the next best solution. 

What does it mean to surrender your dog? Uncertainty. Instead, consider one of the other options above so your loving dog can go on being loved.  

Which Dog Breeds Require the Most Exercise?

Purina-Dog-Content-BrandThe dogs that need the most exercise are breeds that were developed to work long hours for a living, such as herding dogs and bird dogs. Among these relentlessly hard-working types are Border Collies, Labrador Retrievers, German Shorthaired Pointers, Jack Russell Terriers, and Dalmatians. They’re frisky, inquisitive, and always ready to go.

High energy dogs match up best with high energy people—owners willing to seek out challenging activities to channel their pet’s boundless enthusiasm and gusto. These dogs need consistent training, firm discipline, and lots of exercise. If you’re a moderate-to-low energy human looking for a canine companion, choose one at the opposite end of the energy spectrum.

Who’s The #1 Internet Cat Celebrity?

Friskies-Cat-CelebrityWe all know that the internet was made for cat videos, so it makes total sense that as a result, we have a new category of celebrities – the Cat Celebrity! Have you heard of Grumpy Cat, Nala Cat or Oskar The Blind Cat? What about Tara Hero Cat? Our friends over at Friskies put together the definitive guide to the most influential kitty celebrities on the web so you can keep track of who’s who and which cat will be the next big thing! The Friskies 50 is an index of the most influential cats on the Internet, based on each cat’s social reach and engagement across an array of social accounts. See the full list at www.Friskies50.com where you can see the arrows displayed beside each cat’s position which indicate upward or downward movement from the previous month and a gold star indicates a first time appearance on the Friskies 50. Also, if you know a cat that should be in the Friskies 50, you can nominate them by typing in their name! Check out the fun at www.Friskies50.com

What Should My Dog Be Eating?

dog eating kibble
Whether you’re adopting a new fur babe into the family or thinking about switching your dog’s current food, choosing what to feed a dog can be overwhelming. There are seemingly hundreds of available diets and food brands for dogs, which can make it hard to determine what food is best for your canine pal. To make things easy, our friends at Purina put together a list of the most important things to look for when deciding what to feed your dog.

 

Focus on your dog’s nutrition — not yours.

It may be tempting to choose what to feed your dog based on what sounds appealing to you, but it’s important to remember that you and your dog have different nutritional needs. For example, grain-free and gluten-free diets are extremely popular with people, but they may not be the right option for your dog.

 

Your dog’s food should always meet (or surpass) regulatory standards.

Every dog food needs to meet federal (FDA) regulatory standards in order to be sold, and many dog food companies elect to follow guidelines established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Look for a food with a statement on the label that says the food meets AAFCO’s requirements for your dog’s life stage.

 

Pay attention to your dog’s activity level, size, and weight.

When choosing what to feed your dog, think about how active your dog is. Very athletic or working dogs can benefit from a diet with high protein or fat, but if your dog’s only exercise is a short walk around the neighborhood, he might do better on a light or healthy weight dog food. Your dog’s breed and size can also be a factor. Large and giant breed dogs, for example, are more likely to suffer joint problems, so you may want to choose a food formulated with glucosamine, which helps support healthy cartilage.

 

Look for a dog food that’s complete and balanced.

Because dog food makes up the entirety of your dog’s diet, his food has to deliver all of the nutrients he needs to help keep him healthy. That’s why it’s so important to choose a food that is labeled “complete and balanced.”

 

Consider your dog’s food preferences.

When you’re choosing between complete and balanced dog foods, you may want to take your dog’s individual preferences into account. Just like humans, every dog has different taste preferences. Some dogs like salmon while others might prefer veal. That’s why dog foods come in a variety of textures and flavors, so you can find a healthy food your dog is sure to enjoy, whether he likes wet food or dry food, or whether he prefers a classic flavor like chicken or a more unique one like venison.

 

Ready to choose a dog food? Click here to find some foods that may work for your dog.