Owning a pet is extremely rewarding, and will bring hours of joy, but it is also comes with a financial and moral responsibility. The decision whether to adopt a pet is a very serious one - one that needs to be properly considered and researched and not something done on a whim.
Before you make that decision to bring a furry friend into your life, consider these questions:
Why do you want a pet?
It's amazing how many people fail to ask themselves this simple question before they adopt a pet. Don't forget that pets may be with you 10, 15, even 20 years.
Do you have time for a pet?
Companion animals should not be ignored just because you're tired or busy. They require food, water, exercise, care, and companionship every day of every year. Many animals in the shelter are there because their owners didn't realize how much time it took to care for them.
Can you afford a pet?
Spaying and neutering, veterinary care, grooming, toys, food, kitty litter, and other expenses can add up quickly.
Are you prepared to deal with special problems that a pet can cause?
Flea or parasite infestations, scratched-up furniture, accidents from animals who aren't yet housetrained, and unexpected medical emergencies are unfortunate but common aspects of pet ownership.
Can you have a pet where you live?
Many rental units don't allow pets, and require you to sign a lease. Check by-law restrictions in your area regarding pets.
Is it a good time for you to adopt a pet?
If you have kids under six years old, you might consider waiting a few years before you adopt. Pet ownership requires children who are mature, and responsible enough to understand how to interact with a pet and treat it with respect. Pets suffer from physical and emotional pain just like us.
If you're a student, single, or travel frequently as part of your work, waiting until you settle down is wise. Consider fostering for a shelter instead, it may be a better option until you are settled.
Do you know who will care for your pet while you're away on vacation?
You'll need either reliable friends and neighbours, or money to pay for a boarding kennel or pet-sitting service. Will you be a responsible pet owner?
Having your pet spayed or neutered, obeying community laws, and keeping identification tags on your pets are all part of being a responsible owner. Giving your pet love, companionship, exercise, a healthy diet, and regular veterinary care are other essentials.
What will your choice be if you meet someone who is allergic to your pet or does not like animals? This is an all too common reason for people to dump their animals in shelters. Are you prepared to keep and care for the pet for his or her entire lifetime?
If you're like most of us, falling in love with a pet is easy. Sharing your home with a four-legged friend can be one of life's greatest joys. Cats give us unconditional love, loyalty, acceptance, companionship, and even help relieve stress after a hard day's work.
Studies over the last 20 years show that pet owners are generally healthier than non-pet owners. They suffer fewer minor illnesses and complaints and generally have a better overall feeling of "well-being".
Adopting a pet is a big decision. Cats require time, money, and commitment — over 15 years worth in many cases. Pet ownership can be rewarding, but only if you think through your decision before you adopt.
When you adopt a pet, you are making a commitment to care for the animal for his or her lifetime.
It may seem old to some people, but kittens need to stay with their mother until at least 12 weeks. Yes, they are cute at 6 to 8 weeks but these are still infants. There is crucial mental, emotional, and developmental milestones that a kitten experiences between 6 to 12 weeks of age.
Some Potential Problems of Early Separation
Kittens are more susceptible to illness, such as upper-respiratory problems and diarrhea. At 12 weeks the immunity from their mother is wearing off, and the immunity from the vaccination will start to take over. When the immune system kicks over from mother’s milk antibodies to vaccination immunity, they are less able to fight off illnesses. The stress of going to a new home and being exposed to different germs can make a kitten more susceptible to illness during this time.
Exposing kittens to too many stresses at one time puts them at risk of developing FIP.
Weaning is not simply a matter of getting a kitten to eat solid food. Kittens need to nurse at regular intervals throughout the day, and slowly increasing solid food allowing their bodies to produce the proper enzymes for digestion which helps to avoid diarrhea and colic. Both diarrhea and colic may result in death if not dealt with quickly.
Separating kittens from mother, siblings, and familiar surroundings at that age can cause undue anxiety and stress at the least, and serious medical problems or even death in the worst cases.
Kittens learn from their mothers, litter mates and their surroundings. Kittens need the time with their mothers and siblings to learn important life lessons - lessons that will make them happy, healthy, and confident adults.
As the mother starts refusing to allow the kittens to nurse, she also teaches the kitten how to cope with that frustration in a firm but loving way. Kittens that do not learn this lesson are more likely to develop behavioural problems.
It is common for too-young kittens to eat poorly and have poor litter box habits. The kitten socialization phase starts at 4 weeks and can continue up to 14 weeks.
Between 9 and 14 weeks, they learn from their mother and siblings how to interact with other cats. They learn how to recognize and interpret cat body language - they literally learn how to talk to other cats. Improper socialization can cause your cat to become fearful and neurotic.
Every year in Canada, millions of cats are killed in shelters because they are not wanted. The over-population of unwanted companion animals is caused primarily by irresponsible humans.
When people allow their unsterilized animals to wander and the animal becomes pregnant, the resulting offspring usually end up in shelters where the majority are killed, or dumped outside to fend for themselves where they suffer from starvation, are exposed to diseases, killed or injured by other animals or people, poisoned, get hit by cars, to name just a few of things that they must try to survive.
If people practice responsible pet ownership, including spaying or neutering their animals, the number of unwanted cats and kittens who are killed would decrease significantly.
Euthanasia has been considered the only solution to the overpopulation of unwanted companion animals for years. Human societies, and animal control facilities kill surplus cats without promoting alternative solutions.
Ironically, human societies and shelters may actually contribute to the overpopulation of unwanted animals by removing them from the streets and killing them, thus hiding the problem. Killing these animals removes pressure from governments to address the issues effectively.
In the last several years, people in Canadian have begun to question the validity of euthanasia. Individuals and organizations across Canada are now pushing for proactive legislative initiatives that will ultimately prevent unwanted animals from being born, rather than the traditional reactive approach of killing the animals instead of the underlying problem.
Many of the shelter's homeless animals are kittens who are victims of irresponsible people who allowed their cats to breed. But there are at least as many cats at the shelter who are more than a year old -animals who were obtained by people who didn't think through the responsibilities of pet ownership before they got the animal.
If your pet could talk, it would tell you what it needs. Much of being a responsible pet owner is knowing what your pet actually needs, and what is expected of you.
Please, don't make the same mistake as so many do. Think before you adopt. Sharing your life with a companion animal can bring incredible rewards, but only if you're willing to make the necessary commitments of time, money, responsibility, and love—for the life of the pet.
The overpopulation of unwanted companion animals is a human problem.
If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.
In order to end the senseless killing of millions of companion animals in pounds and shelters across Canada every year, people must begin to practice responsible pet ownership.
It's simple, the single most significant aspect of preventing unwanted animals is to spay or neuter your companion animals.
Have your pet spayed or neutered, preferably by 6 months old to ensure that it will not be able to breed, it prevents unwanted kittens and usually make your pets happier, more affectionate and less aggressive. Spaying and neutering will also improve your pet’s health.