Adoption

Are You Ready to Adopt a Dog?
By Gianina Scalise

Deciding to adopt a dog should not be an easy decision. Your entire life will change, even if you don't think it will. Dogs are needy, with their biggest need being you. When considering adding a canine companion to your life, you should evaluate your lifestyle and decide if you're ready for the extra commitment. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you take the next step.

1.  Why do you want a dog? While this may seem like an easy question, consider it for a while. Are your children asking for a puppy? Are you single and want some companionship? Do your friends all own dogs? Owning a dog can be an incredibly fun and rewarding experience, but it also requires a lot of time, patience, and responsibility.

2. Are you able to afford another family member? Take a peek at your finances because owning a dog is not cheap. Food alone can cost anywhere from $75 to $300 a year depending on the size of the dog. Some dogs require professional grooming; others will chew through toys in a matter of hours, requiring many trips a month to the pet store. You'll need a leash, a collar, a crate, food bowls, and some treats to get you started, as well. On average, veterinary care can cost upwards of $120 for a regular visit, with emergencies costing much more. So, total, you could be spending anywhere from $800 to $1,500 a year. Can you afford it?

3. Are pets allowed? If you rent an apartment or own a condo, be sure you're able to have a dog and that you understand any pet policies or restrictions that apply to your lease or condo association rules. Do you have to pay a deposit or monthly fee? Are certain breeds allowed? Are there weight limits in place? If you adopt without checking this first, you may be putting yourself and your new pet in a difficult situation.

4. Do you have the time for a dog? Dogs are social by nature and they require attention, training, and socialization. You would only be doing a dog harm by leaving him or her alone for a 10 hour work day. Keep in mind that your social life may suffer, as well. You'll have a feeding schedule to abide by as well as a walking schedule so your dog isn't holding it too long. They'll need exercise as much as they'll need some time to just sit back and cuddle. Dogs take up a lot of your time, and you need to be ready to give it to them, though sometimes it may be given grudgingly.

5. Do you have children, other pets, or circumstances that may affect bringing home a new dog? Don't rush into adopting a certain dog because you like their look or energy. For example, if you have young children, a very small dog may not be the best fit even if you've always wanted a Yorkie. If you have a cat, a dog with a high prey drive is only going to make your home life more stressful as well as put your cat in danger.

6. Do you care if your rug gets peed on? Will you lose your mind if you come home from work and your coffee table is chewed? What about your shoes? These are situations to consider. Your dog may enjoy the taste of leather, and if so, you need to be ready to work with them. Being returned to a shelter is hard for a dog, and the act of returning a dog is hard on the owner, so be sure you're ready to dig into your patience reserve.

7. Have you done your research? If you can't answer that with certainty, then go back to the drawing board and begin Googling dog and pet care.

If you're looking to add a puppy to your household, assume the work and time commitment will be doubled. Generally, puppies require more training and a lot more supervision. You should only consider a puppy under the age of 8 months if they won't be alone for more than a few hours at a time and if you're ready for the responsibility.

In a nutshell, these are the top questions you should be considering if you're thinking about adopting. If you're unsure about any of these points, don't rush into it! There will always be dogs needing homes, but you need to make sure you can provide the best home.

A Dog Blog Post

Animal Cruelty and the Human Condition

I just read this article on the Huffington Post. To sum it up: a woman drowned, sliced open, and then mutilated a relative's cat so she could don herself in cat blood for a Lady Gaga concert. She is being charged with animal cruelty, and is was revealed that she has suffered from depression in the past, but never from violent outbursts.

While she committed a horrible act, I do feel for the woman. Mental illness is nothing to take lightly. However, something like this makes me wonder exactly what we're doing. Animal abuse and neglect occur all the time, and many people charged with these heinous crimes are let off without proper discipline. For example, Michael Vick was the financial backer of a dog fighting ring and also a participant. Inside that ring, abuse, neglect, torture and execution occurred. And yet, despite participating in and allowing these horrendous acts to occur, he only received 23 months of jail time.

How on earth did such a crime not warrant more than 23 months?

I met some of the Michael Vick dogs last July when visiting Best Friends Animal Society. While some were adoptable and have joined wonderful homes after months and months or rehabilitation and treatment, other dogs were sentenced to a lifetime at Best Friends. Now, don't get me wrong... Best Friends Animal Society is an absolutely breathtaking sanctuary and their dogs are well cared for. They have indoor kennels, outdoor kennels, toys, food, water, medical treatment, and a lot of room to run. The caretakers there are dedicated and love the animals they care for.

However, these dogs have been punished for being victims. I understand that they may not be rehabilitateable. Believe me, I have seen my fair share of abuse cases, and I have cared for several dogs who were used as bait in dog fighting. It's ugly, and not all dogs can come back from such a brutal past. But it's still a very depressing thought-- that these dogs will never see the inside of a home because some group of men violated them and allowed them to be torn apart, beaten, and starved. 

I think what truly affects me is that we domesticated them. No animal should be treated so horribly, but regarding dogs and cats specifically, we turned them into pets. We allowed them to overpopulate, and we allow abuse to continue by not rectifying the darker side of our society. We've demonized breeds of dogs that we bred aggression into and they suffer for it every single day.

I think, as people, we need to look around because we do the same to our fellow man. There is a recent 'controversy' brewing because of a picture of the president of J. Crew painting her young son's toe nails pink. It's being called part of the "transgendered liberal agenda." It's being blown out of proportion, and people are declaring this boy will need psychotherapy later in life to combat the effects of his mother's actions. And yet, there are children starving, being abused and neglected, and wandering the streets in search of hope because we live in a system that cannot and will not support them due to budget cuts and wars overseas that we have no business involved in.

We are forgetting what's important in life, and it's a very sad realization.

And yet, there are always bright spots. People of Japan, who are facing natural disaster after disaster as well as a possible nuclear disaster, are risking their own health for stray and abandoned dogs. This Huffington Post article tells a story of a group of animal enthusiasts who braved an evacuated area to save a group of wandering Collies.

I can only hope that more people begin to think as selflessly as these people.

Cat Corner

What You Need to Know About Your Cat's Diet

By Gianina Scalise

Dry food is cheaper. There is no question about that. It's easier, as well. A scoop once or twice a day into a food bowl and you're all set. However, because of the market for dry food, the truth about your cat's dietary needs gets swept under the rug. And while dogs can thrive on a kibble-based diet, it is difficult for cats to do the same without suffering related health risks.

Unlike humans or dogs, cats need much more protein in their diet to survive. An easier way to bring that concept to life is to think about what a cat would eat in the wild. That's right: a nice, juicy mouse. It's not the most appetizing thought, but there's a reason the game of cat and mouse has pervaded society's perception of their sassy feline companion. Cats are carnivores, and while some wheat or dairy won't hurt them, in the wild, they would not be chewing on grains or plants for their protein. It's hard to put protein into a dry form, and many kibble products have an unnecessary amount of grain and plant protein that is not necessary.

Another issue that arises with dry kibble is carbohydrates. While carbs are a source of energy, cats can survive without them. A mouse is made up of mostly protein and water with a small mount of fat and an equally small amount of carbohydrates. As Dr. Lisa Pierson states on her website CatInfo.org, "You would never see a wild cat chasing down a herd of biscuits running across the plains of Africa or dehydrating her mouse and topping it off with corn meal gluten souffle." It's just not in their nature.

The other negative about a feline diet too high in carbohydrates is that carbs can wreck havoc on a cat's insulin and sugar levels and can cause rapid weight gain if the amount of kibble provided is not monitored. Keeping that in mind, it's not surprising that one of the leading feline diseases is diabetes.

The other downside of kibble is moisture. Cats are descendents of desert animals. This means that they do not drink their water in the wild, but must hydrate as they eat their meals. Mice are, give or take, about 70% percent water. There is no possible way for kibble to imitate a substantial water source, so many house cats are living their lives dehydrated. Dehydration can lead to skin and coat problems, as well as one of the leading causes of feline death: kidney disease. Without enough moisture, blood flow is limited, and without enough blood flow to flush out the kidneys, toxins build up. 

Lack of moisture is also the cause of urinary tract issues in cats because they are not consuming enough water to flush out their bladder. Urinary tract infections and blockages are incredibly painful, but can be easily prevented with the proper diet. 

So, what can you do? The solution is easy. Feed your cats a canned food diet. Canned food is generally higher in protein, lower in carbs, and much higher in moisture. By making such a small change in your cat's life, you can significantly alter their disposition to painful and sometimes fatal diseases. 

For an extensive look into what a proper feline diet can do for your cat, please visit CatInfo.org.