Adopt A Shelter Pet Day!

April 30th is Adopt A Shelter Pet Day! I'm sure you've seen and read that our family has adopted 3 pets from our local SPCA over the past 5 yrs. Our first adoption was Peru, an American Bulldog. Our next adoption was Batman a couple years later. We had lost one of our older cats (she was 17) and Simba was alone, which we didn't want. Then Simba passed away at the age of about 15 so Batman was alone. He is a rambunctious cat so I wanted to get a kitten, but when we went to the SPCA none of the kittens seemed to be what we were looking for.

We did meet an older, chunky cat named Willow. She had come into the SPCA a month earlier and spent that month at a foster home. She was 20 lbs when she showed up, but by the time she made it back to the shelter she was down to 14 lbs! I found out that she'd had a lot of applications and that our chances were pretty slim that we'd get her. We went back the next day so the rest of the family could meet her "just in case". I couldn't believe it, but the next day I got the call that she was ours!

Have you been thinking about adopting a puppy or a kitten? My friends at Purina asked me to share these reminders as you consider expanding your family with a fur baby.

• Consider your lifestyle. Take some time to truly evaluate your lifestyle and how much time and space you can dedicate to your new pet. If you’re not home very often, or don’t have space, a large breed dog may not be for you. Purina’s Breed Finder walks you through a series of questions to help identify the right dog breed for your lifestyle. 
• Know your resources. Online resources such as the Petfinder offer plenty of tools to help guide you through this important decision and can help you locate the perfect adoptable friend for your family.

• Make sure your new pet will have his (or her) nutritional needs met. Like people, puppies and kittens benefit from a complete and balanced diet – helping set the stage for a lifetime of health. Dr. Brian Zagnhi, DvM, Research Nutritionist at Purina encourages new pet owners to look for foods that have the right balance of nutrients like DHA to promote brain and vision development, and encourages new pet owners to look for puppy and kitten specific formulas with “complete and balanced” on the packaging, meaning it has the right blend of protein, fat and carbohydrates. Nearly half of pet owners dive right into buying adult pet food for their little furballs, and it’s not the recommended choice.
  
  
  
• Puppy/kitten-proof your home. Welcoming a new pet into your home can come with some growing pains, but you can make the transition easier with a little prep work. Look for items that can help make your pet comfortable, while deterring potentially destructive behavior. Scratching posts, puppy pads, chew toys and a heap of patience can go a long way.
• Check out gadgets to help ease into pet parenthood. Consider an automated feeder, which creates a slow release of food at various times throughout the day – helpful for pets who are eager eaters and pet owners committed to following feeding guidelines to keep their pet at an ideal weight. For cats, you can make things more interesting for them by creating a puzzle feeder, a great way to fulfill your cat’s instinctual desire for the pursuit of food.
  
  
  

Something else to consider is the cost. One of the questions that we're asked when we apply for a shelter pet is something along the lines of how much we think it's going to cost yearly to care for our new pet. You have to consider that you have their food, toys, and vet visits, but even more than that, what if there's an emergency? Not only an emergency, but on a Saturday night after hours. That won't be a cheap visit and are you prepared have the willingness to know that cost will be high?

Getting a new pet to join the family is one of the most fun you can have! Be sure to find the right one that will fit your family. Do the research you need to be sure you make the best decision possible for everyone included. Good luck and have an exciting time rescuing whichever animal you decide on!

Peru & Her Stuffed Animals

Last year, just after the New Year, I ran to PetSmart for some random thing. I have no idea what it was for. As I was walking around, I found a bin with stuffed animals in it, and I think they were $1.99! The way Peru goes through stuffed toys, I figured if I got several of them they might last her a month or so. The one I got was a cat, which I think is named Lucky. It's part of PetSmart's Philanthropic Collection which give back to pets & children in need. Who knew? I didn't.

I got home, and her excitement over her new "baby" was fun to watch. She took off with it and started nibbling on it. I figured it would take her by the end of the day to get through it. Guess what? It took her a couple of months to start pulling out the stuffing! I couldn't believe it. Thank goodness I got 6 of them because they literally lasted for an entire year.

Peru chewed through her last one by the end of December, and by the time January rolled around, all she had left of her last Lucky was the shell. The stuffing made its way around the house in bits and pieces.

I decided for kids to check out PetSmart again to see if they had any stuffed animals left over from the holidays. This time the only thing I could find was a stuffed dog. I thought they were still at the retail price, but she needed a new one so I grabbed one and head to check out. When the gal scanned it, it was only $2 so I rushed back and got 6 more of them.

She was SO thrilled to see all of the new babies coming home in bags! I gave her a new one, a dog named Chance, and she rushed off to the bedroom to start nibbling on him. Here's the strange thing. I had brought home two other stuffed animals the week before because she seriously needed a stuffed animal. Peru pulled out the stuffing by the end of the day. Why she doesn't do the same thing to her babies is a mystery to me. I'm just happy to have an inexpensive toy for my dog to play with for the year!

I'm going to head back to see if they have any left so maybe we can bring some to Peru with us for the kids in October! Fingers crossed!

Adopting A Pet From The Shelter

Two years ago we adopted Peru from the Anne Arundel SPCA. It was the first time Fred & I had adopted a pet together. The first time we went, we looked at a different dog. A beautiful white bulldog mix. We took the dog outside to spend some time with him. Unfortunately, while we were out there, he saw another dog doing some training across the way, and kind of went a bit nutty. Very aggressive. We were so bummed.

We went back inside and as we went around the corner just to take a gander at the rest of the dogs, even though we "knew" we'd seen them all. Then there she was, Peru. A beautiful brindle American Bulldog sitting right against her fence. She looked so pitiful. Just begging us with her face to take her out of there. We of course took her out of the kennel, played with her, and applied for her! We've had her for two years now!

The weekend before Thanksgiving we were hoping to grow our four legged family by 1 more dog. Unfortunately the meet and greet didn't go so well, so I suggested on our way home to swing by the SPCA again to see if there were any new puppies. I hadn't seen any on the website. I'm thinking Peru is going to need to be with a puppy that's a male. American Bulldogs aren't always great when being introduced to other dogs. She was also attacked at a dog park and that has made her extremely aggressive/defensive so having her around larger dogs is impossible.

We got there and as I mentioned in my Wordless Wednesday post, K and Fred went back to look at the dogs while I looked at cats. I found a handsome black cat named Batman. He was a playful cat, and I was ready to take him home with me. Thankfully we were able to bring him home on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.

He's been a fun addition to the family. He's settled in very well. He's met Peru, and isn't impressed. Peru on the other hand wants to get to know him better. Batman turns tail and runs to the highest spot he can find. They're getting closer and closer to getting along though. It'll only be a little time before they're hanging out, playing around.

I had a blogging friend ask me the other day about adopting a pitbull. They were going to go take a look at her, and she wanted to get my thoughts on adopting. Now, clearly I'm NOT an expert. I have an American Bulldog, and I'm still trying to figure her out. lol I asked her what she wanted to know, and she said, "everything". HA!

Well, first, we all know that most dogs with bad reputations have them because of the people who own them. The breed itself is given a sweepingly bad name. Every dog is different. Many people see Peru and assume she's a pitbull. They're actually becoming recognized as two different breeds.

Based on our experience, this is what I told her:

When we met Peru, I pet her and as I pet her head, I "tugged" on her ears. I have kids and I know that they're going to end up doing that. As she was running around us, I grabbed her tail and gave it a tug. Not sure how I explain, but I wasn't doing it hard or rough or mean. It was just enough that she knew I had hold of her tail. Let's just say she didn't care at all.

Find out if the dog has food aggression. This is important no matter what. If you go to feed your new dog and that dog tries to bite you to protect the food, that's NOT a good thing. Be sure to ask the pound to see if they've checked that. If you have any concerns, ask them to do a demonstration for you.

How do they react around other dogs? The first dog we were going to adopt went nuts when she saw other dogs in the training area. Peru completely ignored them. If you have other dogs or cats, you need to know how they'll react. There's no guarantee what will happen once you get the adopted dog home and introduce them to each other. Peru doesn't realize how big and powerful she is. She's stepped on our old man, Simba cat, and really squishes him. She doesn't realize she's doing it, but if you have smaller dogs, just know that these types of dogs don't always know they're not Chihuahuas.

If you have little kids, maybe have them outside the fenced in area and have them run around next to it. See how the dog reacts. Do they charge the fence? If the kids are squealing, does the dog show anxiety? What kind of interest does the dog show? Too much interest isn't always a good thing. When two people in our home wrestle, Peru is RIGHT THERE. She doesn't really like it when we all play. She starts wrestling with us, but you can tell there's either some anxiety about it or protectiveness. Maybe a bit of both.

What happens if you move too quickly near the dog? Is the dog hand shy? If they're dealing with some fear issues, you need to know how to handle that and help the dog work through those fears. Being hand shy doesn't always mean a dog has been abused. There are some dogs who have a variety of fears. It's just something good to know going in.

Have they taken the dog for walks to see how it does on the leash? That's definitely something you can work on at home. It's just a great thing to know about how your pet will do when you go for a walk.

Looking at getting a cat? How do they take to being held? Now if you know cats, they're not always fond of being held. If you want a cat that likes to be cuddled, you need to take your time with each one. One of the things that I want in a cat is one who doesn't mind being cuddly. So far, all of my cats have loved having their bellies rubbed.

I also do the "squishy face" test. lol I hold their head gently in both hands and massage their face. Batman loved it! He just sat there letting me massage him. I didn't do it long because he didn't know me, but you could just tell he was going to be chill.

Find out how they are with other cats. If they're not good with other cats, and you have one or more at home, you should really consider not getting that cat. There's no guarantee they'll change once you get them home. A cat who likes to play is great for a family! Just make sure you bring home a bunch of toys. At our local SPCA, everything they have is $1/ea! Isn't that spectacular! We went home with a ton of stuff for Batman.

Ask to see their medical records since arriving at the pound. After we got Batman home, he started having skin issues around his eyes, his right whisker cluster, and under his chin. He also had something wrong with his ears. Had we asked to see the records, we'd have seen they'd tried treating him for his skin issues. Not that we would've known exactly what was going on, but we would've seen all of the medication they'd given him. When we first laid eyes on him, we had no idea. He looked a lot worse within a week of getting him home.

Take the 30 days of free medical coverage if it's offered. Had we done that, it probably would've helped with Batman's new vet bill. Sadly, I didn't want to add my credit card and declined getting it. UGH! I could've cancelled after the 30 days.

We extended the microchipping on Peru for life. THAT was a great choice for two reasons. The first is that Peru liked to run off before we had a fence. There was always a chance she'd get lost. Goofy dog. Thankfully we've got a fence, but even still, anything could happen with her, and being that she's a bully and doesn't listen very well, especially when she tastes freedom, this is a safety precaution. We paid for a lifetime coverage for the microchip which turned out to be a LOT less expensive than renewing it yearly. Again, completely worth it.

Remember this is a transition for your new pet, any pets you currently have, and your family. After everyone becomes acclimated things will (hopefully) start to settle down. There's no guarantee with anything in life. You're saving an animal's life, and bringing exciting new experiences to your life!

Now go enjoy your new buddy!

Have you ever adopted a pet? Tell me what you love about them!