Lizards
Do You Own a Gold-Plated Dog or Cat?
Have you ever had a medical emergency with your pet-friend? Kitty and I had one a few years ago. My son’s girlfriend took Kitty to the vet for me saying that he needed to be wormed. This is a normal occurrence in the life of a pet. And, it’s a relatively inexpensive treatment.
Not this time.
By the time I picked Kitty up from the vet, we’d accumulated an $800 bill, a feeding tube and had a cat that just came out of surgery. The thing seemed to escalate. First it’s a test, then it’s a diagnosis, then it’s a treatment. It’s kind of like being in the taxicab from hell. The vet meter is running and even though you’ve blown your budget several miles back, you’re still accumulating that fare. And anxiously, helplessly watching it skyrocket.
You’d feel like a heel to bail. But, you’re just a teensy-weeny bit tempted. Especially after you compared your bank account against the new vet bills.
How much is the MOST you’ve ever spent on your animal? Did you dude him up with doggy braces, to the tune of $1,200 or have him ingest some illegal substance that just HAD to come out, via the incision in Fido’s stomach? Would your friends and family be astounded by the amount you dropped at the vet?
Did you feel guilty that you even put a price on your little fuzzy one’s head? Share with the Pet-Peeves community on what your sweet pets put your wallet through.
Q & A About Adopting From a Shelter
Common Questions About Pet Adoption
Q: Although there are literally millions of pets in shelters, pounds and other ‘temporary housing’, many pet-owners-to-be don’t think about pet adoption when they’re looking for their new four-legged friend. Why do you think this is, and what can be done to turn that around?
A: Many people who want to get a pet just are not aware of how many pets are available at shelters. They might also have the misconception that pets are shelters might be there because there was a problem with the animal. In fact, most pets end up in shelters not because of any problem pet behavior, but because an owner died, moved, or simply didn’t have the time or money to care for the animal. In some cases animals are lost and never found by their owners. These animals are healthy and very eager to please. Rescues pets are wonderful- just ask anyone who has one.
Some people are seeking purebred animals or puppies and think these are not available in shelters. In fact, nearly a quarter of all animals in shelters are purebred. Often someone buys an expensive purebred animal and then attempts to breed that animal to recoup their money. Often these puppies or kittens are not placed in homes, and end up in the shelter. Puppies and kittens often up in shelters as well, but it is important to note that your animals, especially puppies, require a lot of work and training and can be quite destructive (peeing on the carpet or chewing shoes). Puppies are great but often people are much happier getting a dog who is older, and whose size and temperament is a known quantity.
With Adopt-a-Pet.com and without even leaving their home, people can search all their local pets and see pictures and descriptions of the animals. This way, they can find the exact pet they want, call the animal shelter or rescue group, and get information on how to adopt that specific animal.
Q: What are the 5 most important things a potential adopter should consider when choosing their new pet?
A: We actually have a blog post on this highlighting the top 10 things we believe are important when adopting. Here are five, the rest can be located by visiting this page http://www.adoptapet.com/public/guides/permanentpets.html.
1. You need to make a real commitment to care for your pet for its entire life.
2. Verify in advance that you’re allowed to keep a pet where you live.
3. Never adopt a pet on a whim or because you feel it’s love-at-first-sight
4. Provide sufficient exercise and stimulation during the first few weeks, this will help the pet adjust.
5. Make any necessary modifications to your yard and fence to provide for your pet’s safety.
Q: What are 5 positive aspects of pet adoption, and why it’s a good option?
A:
1. When you adopt an adult animal, you can see his/her size and temperament. This helps ensure that the pet is right for you and your family.
2. It feels great to know you have saved an animals’ life and everyone you meet will give you kudos for that for years to come.
3. Adopted pets are very loyal and know they have been given a new home.
4. Adopting a pet can be an important lesson to teach your children– both about the value of life, and also about civic responsibility and even recycling- in this case recycling a living and loving animal into a new home.
5. Choosing a mixed breed animal can help avoid many of the genetic health problems that have developed in purebred animal due overbreeding and inbreeding.
Q: If someone reading this isn’t in a position to adopt a pet right at this time, but still wants to help homeless pets, what are 5 things they can do to get involved?
A:
1. People can do Social PETworking! They can run a search on Adopt-a-Pet.com, find a pet they want to help get exposure for, and use the share tools on our site to post the pet link on their Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or other social network page. Or, they can email the link of a pet in need form our site to their friends.
2. They can place a link/grpahic or even a search widget for Adopt-a-Pet.com on their personal website to encourage they users to see pets in need at local shelters. (hyper link “link” to our links page where we have graphics to be used as links)(hyper link “search widget” to our search module page which itself is a link form our links page)
3. People can add their info to our volunteer database (link) so shelters who need volunteers can find them.
4. People can search Adopt-a-Pet.com to find a local shelter, and make a cash donation to that shelter to help them with the costs of housing, feeding and medical care of shelter animals.
5. People can encourage other pet owners to spay or neuter their pet (link to our spay neuter page) to help prevent unwanted births.
EMERGENCY: Paulding County (GA) Shelter Closing
The Paulding County Animal Shelter has to close for renovations, the kennel supervisor told the AJC.
By May 28, all of the animals must be out of the Dallas building, hopefully in homes, or they may be euthanized, Tracy Thompson said.
“We’ve got a ton of healthy, spayed and neutered animals that just need a home,” Thompson said.
So why the move? It seems the shelter has been overrun with some unwanted four-legged friends: rats.
“Because there’s food, it’s a perfect haven,” Thompson said.
But the rats have apparently damaged the ceiling and some wiring, so they’ve officially outstayed their welcome, she said. The renovations are expected to take at least two weeks to complete.
The fee to adopt an animal has been dropped to $25 to help encourage people to open their homes to a pet, Thompson said. There are about 70 dogs and nearly 60 cats, in addition to the iguana she said.
Anyone interested in adopting an animal should visit the shelter at 779 Industrial Boulevard North or call 770-445-1511, although phones have down lately (maybe due to the rats). The animals can also be seen online at www.petfinder.com under Paulding Humane Society, Thompson said.
“We don’t want to have to euthanize something just because of this,” Thompson said.
The shelter is extending its hours until 8 p.m. Friday and will be open from noon until 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
How to Deal with the Grief After Losing Your Pet
Have you ever lost your pet to death? Maybe it was an illness or old age that did them in, but you were no longer able to keep them with you. How did you deal with that loss?
Most people are ill-equipped to deal with the loss of their best buddy. Read this book, written by a fellow Georgian, for the best ways you can employ to grieve the loss of your pet-buddy.
Pet Mommy of the Year
Parent of the Year
Pet Mom, of course!
Recently while waiting in the waiting room of my son’s dentist, a read a popular magazine’s announcement for Woman of the Year. The winner was a vice president of a major corporation at the age of 33. She was married, had an adorable 18-month-old child, and had made numerous contributions to society through her work, volunteer activities, and gourmet cooking.
I don’t want to belittle her many and varied accomplishments, but the whole thing offended me. All I could think was that most of the women I know could be Woman of the Year with the income and support of a nanny that this woman has. We would all spend our days doing good works and whipping up gourmet meals. But nobody I know has those advantages. Instead we spend our days working hard and trying to do the best we can for our kids and others. Clearly, such everyday heroics don’t merit a Woman of the Year award.
Gift Ideas for the Pet Mommy in Your House – Tim Harman Photography
Do you ever find it difficult to get a great photo of your pet? Do you want to make a terrific “Pet Mommy” Present?
You’re not the only one. Pets can be extremely difficult to photograph. Try following these simple rules to get the shot you want:
- Pay attention to your pet’s schedule. Photograph your pet when it’s relaxing.
- Get down on their level and take your time. This may require you to roll around on the floor for a while to get that perfect shot.
- Avoid using flash. The camera flash can make some pets skittish.
- Find the good light. Try photographing your pet near the largest window of your house. Natural light will provide a much better look then artificial. Depending on the time of day, a large window can provide gorgeous light.
- Avoid direct sunlight. If your pets home is outside, find some nice shade to shoot under. In general, early morning and late afternoon provide the most favorable light.
- Sit. Watch. Wait. In most cases, getting that perfect portrait takes time.
Is this really something we need to worry about?
Service Cares for Pets Orphaned Due to the Rapture
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He’s coming for you, not Alfonse. Plan ahead. |
When the Rapture comes and the Tennessee faithful go to Jesus, what will become of Princess, your teacup chihuahua, or Alfonse the iguana?
They’ll starve to death, that’s what — left to wander the sad-sack halls of an empty home recently vacated by owners whose souls have been Raptured from their mortal coils. While you inherit the Kingdom, Princess is chewing on your leather belt.
Fortunately for residents of the Bible-Belt Buckle, Eternal Earth-Bound Pets has you covered. These entrepreneurial unbelievers will care for the pets of the Raptured in 22 states, from Massachusetts to Washington — Sorry New Yorkers and Californians. Business in these states, as we all know, simply doesn’t justify the expense. Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky, however, are fecund with Faithful. Bart Centre, creator, co-owner and author, tells Pith he has two clients in Nashville and more than 100 clients across the country.
Here’s how it works:
For $110, Eternal Earth-Bound Pets will guarantee that your pet will be cared for should the Rapture occur within 10 years of receipt of payment. A network of sworn atheists — or at the very least those who have “blasphemed in accordance with Mark 3:29″ — will rescue your pet within 18 to 24 hours of the rapture, and care for it as though it were their own. The service does not extend to larger animals, though in New Hampshire, Vermont, Idaho and Montana, they’re equipped to care for llamas, donkeys, horses and camels.
Read the fine print. The service is, of course, non-refundable. If you find yourself among the Left Behind, well, that sucks. If you lose your faith before the Rapture comes, too bad. You’re not getting your money back.
Animal Lover, Betty White to Host SNL
Animal lover extraordinare, Betty White, was tapped to host the May 8, Mothers’ Day Edition, of Saturday Night Life. After a robust Facebook campaign, fans learned today that Betty will be host!
Sick Daze a Pet Poem
Sick Daze
There are three things
my mother never told me
before I had my first child.
She should have.
First, I never knew
that once I became a mother
I would NEVER sleep again.
Second, I never knew
that kids accumulate a
series of pets and I would
become a ?pet-mommy.?
A doggy doctor dragging,
thermometer toting,
puppy potty-training mom.
Third, and this was her
most important omission.
I never knew
that even when my kids
have 103 temps and
cough like banshees,
spreading their little
germs far and wide.
I never knew that it will be 2025
before I get my very own sick day.
One where I snuggle down under the covers,
and feel a cool hand on my fevered brow.
I?m waiting wistfully for that day,
but until then?.
I?m living in my sick daze.
Pet Peeves, Solving Pet Problems
My name is Chairman Meow (aka Kitty). I live in a dog-eat-dog world, but I rule my household with an iron claw. Let me introduce you to the cast of characters.
Number One Rule Offender: Dutchy, (aka Stinky). He looks innocent, but he’s devious behind those ole’ blue eyes. He can get in more trouble in a couple of minutes…just saying.
