So it’s Friday. We are all happy. I am done talking about Human Resources and career advice. I want to talk about animals & pets.
I think it’s okay to have cats and dogs in your life, but only if they are rescued. I know that some breeders are great, but most are not. Also, in my world, I think it’s inhumane to keep fish as pets — unless the fish are rescued. Same thing goes for gerbils, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, ferrets, turtles, birds, and all other kinds of creatures. Again, you can rescue them. Please don’t buy them at your local pet store.
I know this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense — especially because I eat meat, I’m a fan of the adoption efforts at local pet stores like Petco and Petsmart, and I have five cats that I wouldn’t trade for the world.
This is my thought: in an ideal world, we wouldn’t own pets. We would care for animals that need our assistance, we might have some companion animals around us, and we would stop subsidizing puppy mills and gerbil mills and hamster mills.
Yes, there are hamster mills. Ferret mills, too.
What do you think? Is this going too far? Am I beyond the pale of a crazy cat lady?
It’s Friday and I feel like pushing some buttons — and having my buttons pushed. Let’s roll.
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
I am totally with you on this, in theory. However, I’m not sure how things like shelter / housing would work in this idyllic, free range, non-pet / quasi-companion animal era. I think I would still worry too much to let my cats outside, to say nothing of any smaller, more prey-like animals I was caring for.
And that’s just for fear of what other non-human animals would do to “mah babies!”, even if I could guarantee that all humans would immediately stop being dicks to other critters.
I am 100% totally with you. There are a ton of “tiny puppy” stores where I live and I just want to go in there and scream at everyone. “But she has papers!” as if that means anything.
I love my dog. She’s a giant mutt who I got at a local rescue, and the gratitude I receive from complete strangers (as well as my vet, Petco employees, etc.) is sweet, but it’s also frustrating. Adopting from a rescue or shelter shouldn’t be something to be applauded, it should be the ONLY way.
11 years ago, our dog, Rico, a beagle mix, was abandoned (most likely by some students) when he was 5 months old. He kept going to my colleague’s house for food and water. They already had two dogs, so I took him in.
However, I would not say we own our dog….more likely he owns us. Every travel decision we make has him as a, if not the, major consideration.
We refer to our two beloved cockapoos (one buff, one black) as the family’s “morale officers.” We bought them, eight years apart, from great breeders; yes, we’re very lucky. No apologies. Sure, five cats makes you certifiable; however, there’s no doubt you love each of them as family. And that’s all that matters.
I never felt like I owned my cats. They’re just roommates who don’t pay the rent and never clean up after themselves. But they’re still better than some of the human roommates I’ve had.
I’ve got three cats, all of which I do care for…and OWN! Its more like I “own up” to taking care of them. I understand the concept that we tend to and care for animals, but don’t own them. The “ownership” feeling come from things like this:
- I chose them, they wouldn’t have picked me
- They don’t leave the house, kinda like my TV doesn’t leave the house
- I’m always spending money towards them on maintenance and upkeep, kinda like my car
- If they ever got loose and for some crazy reason I got ticketed for some leash law BS or whatever, saying “Ticket the damn cat not me, I don’t own it!” more than likely will not get me out of paying the fine.
I absolutely agree with you. I’ve had 2 dogs and they were both from shelters/rescues. I’ve also taken in countless stray animals and rehomed them or found their owners.
When I was in grad school, I was in a mall with my at-the-time boyfriend. We went into the pet store because, even though I’d never buy from them, the animals there need loving touches too. I saw a little terrier in a kennel and underneath the kennel was a tray for his poops/pees. It was full of worms squirming around. Then the dog turned around and I saw the worms actually seeping from his butt; they were hanging out and wiggling from his butt. I was enraged. I went up to the front and demanded to see the manager that second. I tore him a new one and that animal wound up being put down because there was nothing they could do for him at that point. It still makes me want to vomit til this day. That poor animal could have been spared with a little preventative care but no one took the time.
I’m getting flustered and off-topic and I’m sorry. But anyway, yes, I agree with your post. And I loved your Mr. Scrubby presentation at Ignite.
You should check out the other presentation (that I’m involved with) called PechaKucha. (www.pknraleigh.com) They’re done quarterly throughout the year.
Thanks for loving animals.
)
100% agree with you. Chubby came from a BYB (before I knew better). Mynne is a rescue (I learned). I volunteer with a Boston terrier rescue in new england. We see dogs that have been dropped off to fend for themselves in the dead of winter, dogs that have hardly ever been fed, dogs with mange that has not been treated, and tons of dogs with sores on their body and feet from living in a cage in a puppy mill their entire life. I will never “buy” a dog again.
In the past few years that I’ve started to learn about commercial breeding practices, I’ve also started to research more on the meat industry and have stopped eating meat. Watch the movie “the cove” and you may think twice about fish too. Such a sad reality.
Hear, hear, Laurie.
We’ve rescued 3 animals that appear(ed) to be full-breds.
We have a Maine Coon cat that we got from the animal shelter. Elvis has been with us almost 14 years.
He had Clyde that we got from the Beagle Rescue, Education and Welfare (B.R.E.W.) group. Clyde was with us for about 5 years.
And now we have Lily, a Treeing Walker Coonhound that we got from the same animal shelter Elvis came from. She’s about 6 months old and a barrel of laughs.
Good animals are out there, you don’t need to go the puppy-mill, mall store route.
I love the concept of your idyllic way for animals, yet I fear that they would end up being more mistreated than some are now. They don’t have a voice and I am passionate about being the voice of my pets.
My co-worker says I am the Angelina Jolie of pet adoption. I think I take it as a compliment. I have decided that I want to come back as a pet in my house – or my best friends house.
Many of my pets throughout my life have come from the pet equivalent of the “island of misfit toys”. Currently I have Sonnet the wonder Westi-Poo with a severe underbite (I don’t think she is going to age well) who was saved from certain early demise. She is lovable, goofy, extremely spoiled and special beyond words.
For cats, I have Dante – the regal old man cat who has traveled the country with me, much to his chagrin. Shadow Goblin – if you stand still long enough you may just catch a glimpse of her… then again not. Big Tony – my newest rescue, a 21lb grey and white beast who is not fat, just HUGE. He has to take a break on the landing when walking up the stairs.
They are my babies. I can’t imagine they would survive long if a human wasn’t their voice.
I’m so with you on adoption! I foster for a rescue and our main goal is to save puppy mill dogs. People are shocked to find out that the loving puppies and dogs we have up for adoption would’ve been drowned or shot, simply because they were no longer “needed”. I also recently did some reading up on puppy mills and found out that the Amish are some of the worst offenders. It makes me sick.
I have a puppy mill breeder, Kennedy the Boston Terrier. It took her three weeks to come out of her cage, more than three months until I could pet her and she still isn’t overly excited about it (it’s been over six months now). Everyday she breaks my heart becaue she’s so afraid of people. If only others could see what puppy mills do (even to Kennedy who’s been RESCUED out of it) they’d understand why it’s so bad.
As far as my fosters go, I thought I had lifers, but recently I’ve got two families interested in my one-eyed beagle who’s also a puppy mill rescue. I also have Honey, the goofiest, cutest little girl, she’s a sharpei mix, but she looks like a dwarf yellow lab. Honey’s 13 and her family said “well, she’s getting old” and dropped her off at a kill pound where she had seven days to get adopted or get put down. We thought she might have a health problem or an age-related issue, but nope, she’s going strong and is a great dog. People like that should NEVER be able to own another pet, who gets rid of a family member because they’re wearing out and getting older at 13?
Since I’m rambling, I’ll just quickly mention that I have three rescue kitties, too. Stella Bean is my baby who suffered from kennel stress because she had never left her little metal cage at the Humane Society of Lenawee county, Miss Kitty was sick as crap when I met her little snot face and fell in love at the SPCA of SW Michigan, and Ember was a pregnant teen mama I rescued off the streets and found homes for her babies before deciding I couldn’t live without her.
Hamster mills? Really?
I love my cat, I firmly believe she adopted us from the Humane Society. Im siding with @DG though. I’m not sure how things would work in your society, I’d be afraid my little furball would get hit by a car or something else horrific. All though I guess in that society it would be akin to me being afraid of letting my husband out of the house because I was afraid he’d get hit by a car.
100% on the evilness of any of the mills. If I had the space, money, and time I would take all those little babies into my home and love them like a mad woman.
I will readily admit to being a crazy cat lady.
Waiting on number EIGHT to come home this weekend.
All of them are rescued from shelters and our vet or found wandering the neighborhood. We have one pure Abyssinian who was dumped at the vet after she had two litters! (her former repugnant owners made their money off her and no longer wanted her !)
I feed (and assist in the trapping and fixing) the feral cat population in my area. Many cats were abandoned after the last hurricane (I live in South Florida) and the feral cat population exploded… and the numbers are increasing as people walk away from their upsidedown property values, leaving the pets behind.
Must mention this as well… I’m allergic to cats! Daily Zyrtec and my asthma inhaler is always handy. Yes, I am a crazy cat lady but I love my kittehs!
I am also against buying animals. I do feel that I “own” my cat, as in I have responsibilities to take care of him. I rescued Pommer from a local animal shelter at the age of 6 with FIV. I’ve had him for 7 years now, we have moved across country together 3 times and he is very healthy and happy. Because he was older, shy and had FIV, no one wanted him. He had been put up for adoption twice before I found him. I am thankful everyday that I was able to bring his sweet furry face into my life.
For those of this reading these posts, when looking to bring an animal into your life, please consider adoption. By doing so, you are helping more than one animal. You are saving the one you rescue and you are reducing demand for animal mill pets.
This post is very timely, since I just had this conversation with my mother. She recently told me that she’d decided to get a specific breed of cat and was researching breeders all over the country! I asked her why on God’s green earth she would even consider a breeder when there are hundreds of cats of every age, breed, size and temperament in the local shelter? (Not to mention the thousands of cats on Petfinder!) Fortunately, she listened and is now looking to adopt.
I adopted my cat, Gatsby, a ragdoll/maine coon mix, six years ago from the SPCA of Connecticut. The shelter is in an old, converted farmhouse where the feline residents aren’t kept in cages, but instead are grouped by temperament in visiting rooms. I spent hours there, playing with and getting to know the cats before I met the one that would change my life.
Gatsby was the last kitty on the tour. He was in a separate room by himself because he had tested positive for FIV. At first, I was hesitant to meet a cat that was considered “sick,” but after the shelter volunteer explained that FIV cats can live a long and happy life, I went in to meet him. As soon as we saw each other, it was love – one look in those big, green eyes and it was all over! Since then, he has been my faithful companion, seeing me through cross-country moves, job changes, and boyfriends. Despite being FIV-positive, Gatsby doesn’t show any signs of the illness. He doesn’t have any feline siblings (because we wouldn’t want to expose them to the virus), but he’s enough for me. He brings joy to my life every single day.
Adoption should be the only way! And please, don’t overlook the special needs pets . . . they may need a little extra TLC, but they are equally deserving of a loving home!
I just have a high-level moral issue with anyone using pets for profit. (And I realize that I am a hypocrite with a capital H, since I never met a hamburger or steak I didn’t like.) Caring and nurturing for animals almost always goes out the window when Mama or Daddy need to make a rent payment and need to sell Fluffy to do it.
There are thoughtful, knowledgable breeders out there who really care about the animals, but quite frankly (and sadly) those people are a drop in the bucket.
I would love to bring an animal into our lives, but I am also caring enough to realize that at this time, we don’t have the appropriate space or the time investment that a pet really needs. So the little ones get my money for now, to help them into their new homes.
I do like how many shelters and organizations are starting foster programs that are flexible. They are starting to allow people to care for an animal for a short period to determine if it’s a great match, as a preface to adoption. We know too many people who have thoughtlessly bought an animal and then dumped it when it became inconvenient…but the foster-to-adopt program is great, because it does recognize that even the sweetest, bestest kitteh or puppeh might not be the best match for you, and it keeps the care of the animal at priority #1.
My roommate and I have 10 (yes, 10) animals: 6 cats and 4 dogs. Believe it or not, it works.
Three of the dogs are from a rescue place in CA, and mine was found on the street in our neighborhood after she almost ran over him coming home from work one night. I caught him, nursed him and he considers me ‘mama.’ I spent 2 weeks trying to find his owners, but there was no ID and no tags/chips and no response to the ads I placed. He gets more love than I ever thought a little fella could handle.
Five of the cats were rescue (two are brother and sister) and one was bought at PetSmart.
In my previous life, my ex-husband and I had 3 dogs: two were shelter pups and one was from a breeder.
Animals deserve love and safety and shelter, but they also deserve responsibility on the part of their owners/keepers/whatever. I believe that is more important than what we call ourselves.
One more thing: everyone is fixed.
Any girl, lady or woman that has more that 3 cats is a CRAZY Cat Lady! Since you own 5, I would say you’re “Certifiable” Laurie!
Seriously, Americans spend WAY too much money and time on their pets.
I take every opportunity to gush over my beloved pets who are like family to us. Maggis is my tuxedo cat that I got 16 years ago from a shelter. I was under the miss-guided idea that she would be my practice baby. If I couldn’t take care of her, then I shouldn’t have a child. Then 6 years ago, I got Daisy from a shelter. Again, I was under the miss-guided idea that she would keep Maggie company while I attended to my daughter. Big mistake, as they both dispise each other and there have been nothing but drag out, shrieking cat fights for the first year they were together. They eventually learned to live with each other…albeit in different rooms. Then I had the brilliant idea of getting a puppy. This is the only time I’ve ever got an animal from a petshop. Thankfully, Suzy the pekapoo is a bundle of joy and probably the best gift I got my daughter as she has been her constant companion and her snuggle bunny from the day she came home. Especially after my unexpected divorce, Suzy has been a great comfort to my daughter, we wouldn’t have been able to get through this difficult time without her. She got me up and moving in the morning and afternoon were all I would have been sleeping with depression. She gave us unconditional love when we got home in the evening, excited to see us. She licked our tears away and sat on our laps (and ate some of the popcorn) when we were havng girlie time. My daughter calls the cats her sisters and they even fight like sisters sometimes. Yes, our pets ARE family and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Thanks for letting me gush!
@Latina HR Gush away. That’s an awesome story.
As a single lady I was on my way to being certifiable except my cats were so dang expensive. My superhuge older cat had kidney stones and I had to go out of state to get a specialized $2k surgery for him when he was just a year old (thankfully no problems since) and my littlecat had no less than 3 different species of buttworms when I took him in from a life on the streets.
The dog is a purebred my husband got from a breeder who said she was “unsellable” because of faults or somesuch. I do love my furry moneypits.
Domestication of any animal is an interesting topic for any evolutionary biologist because, as a function of stem cells, when we select for certain traits via either selectively breeding an animal or by selectively breeding ourselves via societal pressures, we inadvertently end up with traits that we never purposefully selected for such as smaller brains and a propensity to retain fat. But hey, try putting 200 chimpanzees on an airplane and you’ll see why we’ve self-domesticated.
@stacey I know the world of buttworms. Yuck. Also, I’ve been with 200 chimps on a plane. To Chicago. Last week. Not fun.
Not to take Danny Boy’s obviously humorous comment too seriously but…..
I know a guy on the West Coast who was lauded as a hero in his local newspaper for caring for seven cats (and two dogs).
It’s interesting that when a guy does it, he gets called a hero. But we call women who nurture and care for that many cats crazy.
Just an observation……
@patrick I heart you so much.
Laurie— you, by NO means, have reached CCL diagnosis yet— not even close, lady!!
I know a “Crazy Cat Lady” — 40+ cats in two locations – all trapped/rescues – she’s one of my best friend’s girlfriend– and just about every weekend I go to L.A. to go to gallery openings/parties and stay the night on his couch surrounded by 20 cats!! There’s Hampshire (jumps on your shoulder and drives you crazy being “over affectionate”.), Mama Cat (beautiful black cat that actually “lets” me pet it– no one else), Index, (with the chopped tail– evidently alpha male of the house), Oreo (who I call Princess, pretty black and white), Miracle (Persian cat that was on the brink of death when they found her), Whiskers (looks like the Uncle Oscar of cats), Black Cat (could be any of 10 cats in the house that just stare at you untill you move– then they scatter), Dodger (found at Dodger Stadium), I could go on and on.
Conclude from this what you will— but I hear it’s common with “Cat Rescuers” across the board. Half of the cat’s can’t be adopted (too ferrel) and the other half she refuses to adopt for whatever reason (bonded, maybe?) She just can’t see them die— and the cats are well fed— but is a Kitty Commune healthy?? Who knows—
What do I look like, a freakin’ Veterinarian, ova here???
That is a crazy cat lady, @mattymat. Whoa.
Well, I guess I am not as thoughtful as all of you and I am not being sarcastic. We have a beagle, a turtle and a snake. So we have broken all of your rules. My kids love them all yet we know the turtle and snake will need bigger homes soon. Our snake is half-blind so he will stay sheltered and protected. The turtle is too big now and will go to a friend who has a turtle pond on his property. The dog is staying will all of her quirks and beautiful big dog eyes. That way, we can continue to spoil her.
@Ginger I totally love that kids are raised with animals, but really, I believe in a lifetime commitment. Most people who get snakes, lizards, birds, etc., can’t make those commitments. Would you give up your half-blind parents? Your half-blind kids? (Well I would. I suck.)
Totally with you on this topic. All of our kitties have been either plucked off the street or from shelters. They’re more of a challenge, I’ll grant you, but the time invested in them is totally worth it, even if after 3 years they still hide under the dining room table 90% of the time.
@pop all cats are challenges. I rescued one who was bred (Lucy) and she’s a prima donna. The others are orphans & rejects and they are problems, too. Good for you for adopting!
From one Crazy Cat lady to another, I say, YOU GO GIRL!
Not all breeders are bad, in fact some that I know are very special. I do not want to denigrate them. That said, there are so many animals needing homes, I wish more folks would adopt rather than breed.
Brewskie (AKA the Brew http://www.justmeowin.com) rather likes the acronym for the Beagle Rescue, Education and Welfare (B.R.E.W.) group.
@bz That’s an awesome acronym.
Puppy mills should end, full stop. However, I don’t think you will ever stop people from breeding pure-bred dogs. They are the largest and most fascinating example of humans tinkering with genetics and there are just too many people into it and too many lovers of specific breeds. Also, I think it is a lot safer to adopt a mutt cat than a dog – which my family has always done instead of purchasing cats. What if your adoped dog has some blood line that makes them fanatic herders and you don’t have the time or space to get them the exercise they need?
Neither of my dogs was purchased from a pet store, for one thing the breed clubs are very responsible and active about keeping the breed out of the puppy mill circuit – and the dogs are not good candidates because they don’t tend to survive in puppy mill conditions…
Both of my dogs were show-dog rejects from litters bred for show. Because they were not good candidates, the breeders found them good homes – instead of doing what breeders used to do in the “good old days” which was kill the puppies that didn’t meet the standards. My purchase of these dogs required extensive inverviews and the purchase contract specifies that if for any reason I cannot keep the dog for the length of its life, including my demise, the dog must be returned to the breeder. My purchase contracts also REQUIRED that the dog be fixed by a certain date and never bred.
I think there is still room for this kind of responsible breeding and purchasing and if all breeds were this careful and selective, and people couldn’t just pick up a puppy on a whim from the store, we wouldn’t have so many dogs that need rescuing. In fact, in my area, there were no dogs of this breed available in rescue because the local breeders are so responsible and careful.
@Low I like the fixed-contract. That’s a nice touch. I just don’t like the idea that people make money off breeding animals. What about cute asian babies? What about kids who are genetically predisposed to be smart and tall? Should we breed those babies for money? That’s all I’m saying. (That’s a huge stretch, I know, but it’s Friday and my logic tends to go out the window and I’m going for hyperbole to make a point.)
I don’t know if you were arguing that cats should be outdoors (I didn’t necessarily get that from the post)–if so that would be the one thing I wouldn’t be able to agree with. I can’t foresee ever deliberately letting my cat outside without supervision. That’s something that drives me nuts, people whose cats get hit in the road and they are really upset about it (especially since kids are usually heartbroken by this… until they learn to not care about animals just as Mom and Dad don’t)–but come to find out the cat was an “outdoor cat.” Uh duh. Not to mention, as others have said, the cruelty of other humans, predatory animals, disease, injury, cold, getting lost, etc. No way.
There used to be this cat who would hang around our gym parking lot, sheltering from the rain under car bumpers, going up to people to be petted, etc. He did not have a collar. He was the sweetest thing but I was getting to be a nervous wreck, afraid I was going to run him over every time I pulled in or out of the parking lot. So I talked to the gym employees–nobody knew whose he was–and informed them I wanted to take him to the Humane Society. They said OK. I tried to catch him a couple of times and I will give people credit for caring and for asking what I was doing, because for all they knew I was going to cook and eat him or something… but their upset when I explained what I was doing was pretty laughable as far as I was concerned. One woman made a very sad face and was like “But he’s the gym cat!” Yeah, and when he gets hit he’ll be the gym carcass. Someone else acted like I was stealing him because he “probably” “belonged” to somebody. AFAIC an outdoor cat with no identification that is in some level of danger does not “belong” to anyone and is better off at the shelter. You can’t even lift a finger to buy him an ID tag?
@Patrick, THANK YOU so much for recognizing that you do not have the resources to care for a pet right now. Since I am ranting, there are few things I hate more than people who have pets and neglect, mistreat, or even just constantly bitch about them, and this is SO common. Nobody puts a gun to anyone’s head and forces them to have a pet. If you don’t give a crap about animals and cannot tolerate them causing you any worry, inconvenience, expense, or loss of property, then DON’T GET A PET. Especially not “for the kids.” You are setting a far better example for your kids by showing them that you shouldn’t take on responsibilities that you don’t intend to follow through on, than you are by showing them that you will give in to their demands but that living creatures in your care are basically disposable.
I guess my rant doesn’t address the breeding question, but I am a bit more on the fence about that (though I certainly agree about not buying from pet stores and the like) so I will leave it at that. Our cats have always been adopted shelter or farm cats and personally, I do agree that is the way to go.
@SCG Nope, cats should be indoors. 100%. The biggest killer of cats is cars. I’m saying that we have cats because of human stupidity.
@Danny Boy–I just saw your post. Hang on there, who are you to say what is “too much” for an individual to spend of their own money on a pet? And don’t give me some argument about how children are probably being neglected as a direct result of “spoiling” pets or I will attempt to force you to read one of my gigantic blog posts ranting on this topic. And you don’t want that, trust me.
Obv I disagree with the arbitrary “crazy cat lady” (which is a designation I hate unless it is being reclaimed… interesting point from @Patrick Erwin) cutoff too. IMO if you are able to care for all of your pets then it is nobody else’s business how many you have. Kind of like kids.
I do agree with you Laurie. Not to be redundant but I know I have mentioned that I volunteer with breed rescue groups and support the ASPCA and other animal adoption agencies. 3 of my dogs were from rescues (and all of them in the future will be) as well as my cat and I like to think I saved the one dog I paid for from a breeder from a horrible life. This “breeder” bought her from another big time breeder and wanted to use her as a show (ugh) dog. Well the dog didn’t measure up (literally) to the standards of height and perfect teeth and all that other BS so she wanted to give her back to the big time breeder. Big time breeder said she would take her back but she would put her down! I, like you, think good breeders are few and far between. So anyway, the dog went on the market and I bought her. I have fostered dogs, transported, dogs, own (well, share my home with) a puppy mill ex-breeder and I think it’s my passion to be involved in this rescue business, even on a part time basis. I will not get started on the puppy mills. It took that dog 3 months before she remotely trusted me and my husband. And I don’t blame her.
I adore places like Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and organizations like American Humane and the Legal Defense for Animals. If I could make it my life’s work to work with special needs dogs (puppy mill breeders, super shy dogs, abused dogs, etc.) I would jump at the chance. I know I learn so much more from these experiences. BTW Patrick – great observation!
@Hooligan You are doing amazing work!
Hi. My name is Bill. I’m a recovering Pet-aholic. Its been a loooong battle but with the help of an 8-step program, I think I’m finally over it…. despite some cravings I have which occur when I’m at a bar with some friends.
Whenever, I start to even think about pets, I think about the following: I think about the way they smell, the dirt they track in, walking them in the rain and then shaking it off inside my kitchen, being woken up by barking or clawing noises, having to rush home after working 12 hours because of I’m fearful of full bladders, scrubbing their vomit from my new rug, the smell of litter boxes, cat’s sleeping on my counters, having to shove pills down their throats, cleaning fish tanks.
I’m pet free for one year now. I’m loving the freedom. I did see this real cute labradoodle the other day though….
@Bill I miss those days, I do. Emma will be my last cat. I’ll be ~50 if she lives to be 20. That’s enough.
I agree, rescuing pets is the way to go. I think people just think rescued pets are animals strictly from shelters. I would also classify stranded animals that are found on the streets or have been abandon by previous owners. In a course of a week my family took in 3 different animals. “Tank” a turtle who we found on the street and he had paint of his shell. We cleaned him up and made him a home in the backyard. Our dog’s owner abandoned him and our cat was from a shelter. They really are great pets and you can rescue them yourselves. After talking about them I want to go home and play with them. Enjoyed the post!
@Ralph Thanks!
While we worry about adopting pets and taking care of rescue animals here is another issue that i would ask you to consider. For full info on this issue and puppy mills and animal hoarders please go to HSUS.org and make your voice heard to combat puppy mills and the annual clubbing to death of baby seals for the fur industry.
Harp seals are facing a natural disaster. They need the sea ice to give birth to and nurse their young.
But this year, Environment Canada reports the lowest ice formation in history off Canada’s east coast. For the first year on record, virtually no sea ice has formed in key seal birthing areas. The impact will be devastating. Many mother seals are likely to abort in the water, and unprecedented numbers of pups may die.
In the short term, we cannot halt the devastating impacts of climate change on these seals. But, a responsible government must take action to save the pups who manage to survive.
If the 2010 commercial seal hunt takes place, the few seal pups who live through this disaster will be clubbed and shot to death as they cling to tiny pans of ice.
The world is watching Canada’s commercial seal hunt this year. Please protect both the seals and Canada’s international reputation: Cancel the 2010 commercial seal hunt.
In the longer term, I urge you to consider the extremely negative animal welfare, ecological, and economic impacts of the commercial seal hunt, and end it for good.
@Maven Okay, PSA noted. Going there now!
@DG I would never let my cats outside.
@Erica Agreed 100%.
@Bruno You are owned by your students, your wife, and your dog. Cute!
@Laurie re: @Low – that’s not such a huge stretch. I think people tend to create a false dichotomy between animals and humans, forgetting that humans are also animals. Not everyone sees that dichotomy, some for better, some for worse. If humans will experiment with animal genetics, sooner or later they’ll try it on humans. Just wait.
I’ve had pets my entire life, and from experience, I think some animals are more suited to live in houses with humans than others. For example, I think birds should be able to fly and hang out in trees. That said, I do have fish, which I might also disagree with if I didn’t take excellent care of them. Their habitat is as close to nature as you can get (minus the predators), they get a variety of the best food available, and they have toys. I spend time with them and they know they are loved. Yeah, I’m a crazy fish lady.
We also have two cats and two rabbits, all of whom were rescues. When we rescued our first rabbit, we started volunteering at Rabbit Haven so that we could learn how to take care of him properly. That led us to adopt a girlfriend for him (yes, they’re spayed and neutered) since they do better in pairs. Rabbits are sweet, hilarious, and overall amazing creatures, and they have a unique status in our society. They could be considered house pets, show pets, food, fur, or test subjects, depending on your perspective.
Before adopting rabbits, I had never really thought about the animals I was eating – they were just blobs of meat that came in packages at the store. When a coworker mentioned that he had eaten rabbit at a restaurant the previous weekend, I wanted to throw up. It was exactly like most people’s reactions to the thought of eating their cat or dog. I started thinking about other animals that are raised for food, and how they could just as easily be someone’s pet. At the very least, they have families, friends, likes and dislikes as much as anyone else, if humans “allow” them to. So what makes it okay for humans to keep non-human animals in horrible conditions and then kill them, whether it’s in a puppy mill or a feedlot or a battery cage? It’s all the same.
Long story short, my rabbits turned me vegan.
Eating more like they do, I’m happier, healthier, and feel that I’m contributing to the wellness of animals and of our environment. If you’ve never thought about it, I encourage you to do some research. Here is a good place to start: http://www.vegan.org/about_veganism/index.html. I’m not trying to be preachy about it – I know not everyone agrees or feels that they are able to be vegan. It works for me though. 
@Laurie love the comment & the commitment to animals. I wish I could be a vegan. I have crazy food allergies (fruit, soy) and I carry around an epipen. My diet is so weird and stupid. That being said, I do try to eat local and buy humanely slaughtered (if that’s possible) meat. Ugh. The whole thing sucks. Wish bacon wasn’t so tasty. Thanks again. – Laurie
WP killed some of my comments. Sorry, ya’ll. I’ve read everything!
@Ken There is no such thing as a cockapoo from a “good breeder.” A breeder wouldn’t mix two breeds like that, as it doesn’t benefit either breed. There is no selective breeding done, they aren’t trying to improve the line of an accepted breed.
You bought two designer mutts from a backyard puppy mill. This is part of the problem.
The only time you should ever buy a dog is when you are paying adoption fees, or when you are buying from an actual breeder. A breeder will be breeding only purebreds from an accepted line, probably not have puppies whenever you are ready for them, most likely do a home visit and do all sorts of checks for temperment, etc. You will have to sign contracts about them taking back the dog if you choose to surrender, etc.
The best cat I ever had was from a mall pet store. I worked at a GNC there, was walking by the pet store window one day, and there was this older, skinny black kitty making faces at giggling old ladies looking at him. So I went in. Picked him up. He crawled up on my shoulders and starting licking my cheek. From that day on, Howie was my best little friend, he blessed my and my family’s life for 14 years. Being that he was an older kitten, almost a cat, I’m not sure what would have happened to him if I hadn’t adopted him. Everyone loves little kitties….not so with older cats.
Our second kitty Marble was rescued from a condo parking lot in Miami. Our third, Clive, was a rescue at our local Pet Supermarket. Alas, he was very sick inside, which we didn’t know at the time, and after repeated visits every month to the vet, he eventually had to be put down. It was awful.
Marble misses Clive so we are going to adopt a rescue from a lady in Boca Raton who runs Alleys to Eden, Inc. She’s doing wonderful work taking in stray or unwanted cats and kittens and finding fosters or forever homes for them. She’s got a $1000 Bengal, and I certainly would not argue that she loves him any more or less than the strays she has adopted herself and cares for with all her being.
So, I agree with you for the most part Laurie, but I don’t think pet stores should be ruled out. Or even breeders. All animals are equal, and they all need to be rescued and loved. My Howie might not have ever been adopted unless I had come by. He chose me, actually, and he was truly the love of my life.
I agree… partly. There are many mills, maybe most of them, that produce animals for sale that are definitely not good. The animals are not cared for properly, are at a higher risk for disease, illnesses, problems caused by too much in-breeding, and on and on. But to paint such a broad stroke against the entire pet breeding community is getting to sound too much like a PETA pitch. PETA is so not Punk Rock.
I think the main thing is this, if you want a pet you really need to do some homework. Don’t buy it on a whim, don’t buy it because it just looks so cute. The money spent is going to support the industry the pet came from, is it an industry you would proudly display a bumper sticker for?
Remember don’t get a puppy if you don’t want a dog.
My two orange felines were both rescues a year apart. I often think about what their plight might have been…
I am so blessed to have these creatures and can’t imagine my household without them.
I am troubled by the treatment of animals – even by well-intentioned folks. I would love to see so much more in education efforts for basic pet care as well as the greater challenges that Cesar Millan has provided insight.
I worked as a groomer through high school and college – so many cases of animal neglect – I cried nearly every day driving home.
I grew up in a family who raised Samoyeds. I never owned a dog as an adult…I had many years of poop scooping behind me. I can say that my family did not over-breed females, worked very hard at improving the quality/health of the breed, and followed very stringent rules for placement in new homes. We were also on a rescue league in the state we resided – when any Samoyed was abandoned, we brought them in and provided the needed vet care and later placed them with a new family to love them. This was never a money making endeavor for my family – they always spent more on vet care, quality food, dog shows, and kennel improvements than was likely reasonable from the family budget. Raising these beautiful creatures was from pure passion and love – and yes, obsession.
I, and my 4 rescued cats, completely agree with you.
For the record, my husband and I actually caught and took in a homeless hamster that was living on our patio (yes, a homeless hamster), about to become food to the feral cats in our neighborhood. The experience was such a positive one that when she passed away we found a woman who rescues “pocket pets” from euthanasia from the humane society and we adopted another hamster from her.
Adoption rules. Being a selfish jerk who wants some “perfect” pet is the greatest way to show the world how self-motivated you are.
Thank you for the shout out to rescuers!
You can love animals and still be a guilt-free carnivore. Eating local and organic as much as possible shows respect for these animals by supporting them having a decent healthy, stress-free existence. Check out http://www.localharvest.org/ for local farms. Don’t forget that dreadful meat by-products go into pet food, too: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2230&aid=2660.
@Kris That is awesome that you took in a homeless hamster! And hugs to the woman who takes in the small animals from the Humane Society! So many small animals are put down just because people come in looking for a cat or a dog. People are missing out!
@Laurie OMG that’s horrible! I could live without soy, but I can’t imagine being allergic to fruit! Allergies are weird and annoying. *sniffle* I’m allergic to just about everything in the air except for oxygen and nitrogen.
Anything that has skin can be used, bred and killed by some greedy human that can make a profit off of it! It’s all about the money folks. The only way to really get idiots to stop killing baby seals, breeding poofy cute puppies by the millions or racing horses/dogs until they are no longer useful – is to hit their pocket books. Vote for a pet friendly State Representative and make sure they know how you feel about the treatment of animals in your state. Educate yourself on where the puppy mills are located or who the dog fight organizers are and TELL EVERYONE!!! Not just on these blogs, but the newspapers, the local ASPCA, the police, your neighbors. Laws start making it tougher for these jokers to make a buck and they will find something else to do. THE ONLY VOICE THAT AN ANIMAL HAS IS OURS AND THEY ARE COUNTING ON US!
Just this month the city council in our city voted to change the city animal shelter into a “no-kill” shelter. Did they do it because it they like it? Hell no, they did it because people of this city spoke their mind over, and over, and over. It’s actually going to cost the city over a million dollars to make these changes — and they said, the only way this is really going to work is if the people of this city are serious enough to help with rescues and fostering and volunteering. That’s a city working together with the people that actually care to make it happen.
Over my life I’ve had every sort of creature show up at my house to be feed, cared for and nutured. I do it because I love all creatures and feel they deserve the unconditional love that has been shown to me. I’ve instilled this into my children and into their children. Making the generations that come after us better informed, and more loving than those that came before.
Make your voice count as well as the voice of the next generation. Love all creatures. You will feel better about being a human.