Looking for a pet

[magician]

I have always been a dog person all my life but sometimes I do appreciate the low maintenance of cats. I had fancy about owning a Chartreux for a few years now due to their quietness and dog-like behaviour, not to mention the beautiful blue coat. Unfortunately, there are very few breeders in the country breeding Chartreux. After spending sometime browsing through the website of American Kennel Club, I have refined my dog selection to Lakeland, Norfolk, Norwich, and Welsh Terriers as they seem to work well in condo environment. I spent a few hours googling for breeders of Lakeland and Welsh Terriers in the country without much success. If you are aware of any reputable breeders for these dogs, please let me know.

 

[magician]

Thanks for the suggestion HFS, but the Russian Blue seems a bit too skinny for my taste. I prefer cats that have a bigger and rounder head with a more robust body built, not to the extreme of Garfield of course.

 

[Marvin]

Mmmm, I too am a dog person but with my busy schedule, I would never be able to take care of a dog, therefore a cat is probably the best solution.

I was thinking of going to the SPCA and adopting a kitten. Can anyone share any experiences? Your advice and knowledge would be appreciated.

 

[LonelyGhost]

1. cats are not low maintenance unless you simply neglect them

2. cats come house broken, if not, good luck.

3. decide if you want indoor or outdoor ... if indoor, then be prepared to have play time with your cats everyday for the next 10 -15 years or they will find something to play with themselves.

4. most cats you bring home will be covered with fleas ... you need to adopt a cat that is old enough for flea protection (use the stuff from the vet). if you have the brilliant idea of giving the kitten a bath, you will need to dry it and keep it warm -- cats are not good being cold and wet.

5. you will need food, water, litter, litter box, place for the cat to sleep, toys and patience.

6. Vet -- empty your wallet ... repeat often.

7. If you are not ready to make a life long committment then don't get a cat or dog ... get some fish.

8. consider getting an adult cat ... lots out there without a home, and they are a little more self-reliant than kittens.

9. don't give a pet as a gift.

10. if you have a schedule too busy for a dog, why would a cat fare any better? most cats that wander the streets have a life-span of about 2 years ... some hit by cars, attacked by other animals (including humans) etc.

And kittens especially need lots of care and attention in the first weeks and months that you bring them home ... it sounds like you are way too busy to make that kind of committment so why subject another animal to neglect or risk of abandonment when it turns out to be too much for you to deal with?

 

[Marvin]

Thanks for the advice LG ... lots to think about, some I did not consider. I wonder if pet rocks are back in fashion?

 

[LonelyGhost]

maybe not, but they are cheaper and easier ... if you are set on a pet, try borrowing or pet sitting someone's cat for a weekend ... you may never be the same!

i am glad that you are giving it thought ... its a sign of a good pet owner to really think about it.

all the best!

 

[Cock Throppled]

Why the need for a pure bred? There are perfrectly wonderful and desperate cats in shelters. Try an adult cat that is already toilet trained. I got one seven years old that looks like a pure bred and was badly abused. It took a while, but she's settled right in and is so grateful and affectionate. It will give you the warm and fuzzies to know you've given a nice home to a cat that really needs a good, safe home.

 

[LonelyGhost]

Hey CT,

good on you for doing that. when i went to get a second cat, i was told to get younger and opposite sext to fit in with my older female cat already at home ... i literally bawled my eyes out everytime i set foot in the spca seeing all those older female cats that were abandoned because someone couldn't find a place to live that accepted pets and therefore it was easier to dump the pet than do some extra work to find a place to live.

a pet is not a hobby, it is a committment.

good for you for taking an older girl into your home!

 

[carlotta]

Perhaps FOSTERING is the answer? You can FOSTER many cats ((over time)) & then you can decide which cat you would like to love forever??? An option???
I forever am for the SPCA... Currently I am fostering a BEAUTIFUL white kitten "SNOWBALL" **giggle** Appropriate name, don't ya think? She is cute as a button!! & Yes, she is available for adoption from the Surrey SPCA!!
Surrey SPCA Foster Program - Interested in fostering or adopting an animal in Foster Care? Please call - 604-709-6701 or 604-240-3264 Or apply online @ www.spca.bc.ca
You bring love into your world! & You can do this all year long!!

Carlotta
P.S. You are welcome to come on by & play with my pussy!!

 

[trackstar]

Carlotta... wanna foster my pet snake? He only has one eye and keeps spitting all over the place

 

[hugedman]

..........
7. If you are not ready to make a life long committment then don't get a cat or dog ... get some fish.

8. consider getting an adult cat ... lots out there without a home, and they are a little more self-reliant than kittens.

9. don't give a pet as a gift.

10. if you have a schedule too busy for a dog, why would a cat fare any better? most cats that wander the streets have a life-span of about 2 years ... some hit by cars, attacked by other animals (including humans) etc.

And kittens especially need lots of care and attention in the first weeks and months that you bring them home ... it sounds like you are way too busy to make that kind of committment so why subject another animal to neglect or risk of abandonment when it turns out to be too much for you to deal with?

I pretty much agree with these points...not that I don't agree with the others you made, just not 100% agree thats all.., anyways, great points here...
If we want to own a pet (pretty much any kind), we should have a commitment to them...there are enough abandoned dogs and cats out there..
we should consider to adopt a pet instead of buying one from stores or others...

 

[CJ Tylers]

A dragon. A bright, cheery, blue coloured dragon.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

 

[dirk_dog]

No-Kill shelters are a great place to find a new little friend.

 

[PoorGuy]

Too bad Penthouse Pets are extinct now.

 

[NORMNORM]

The SPCA might not be perfect, Paige, but this guy has been with me since March because of the Surrey Pound.

Norm

 

[hitrack]

The only problem with a dog, and the bigger the dog the bigger the prob. Is mowing the backyard in the summer. I mean do ya scoop up the loafs or just mow over 'em?!?!? And if ya just mow over them you know once you slice 'em open and expose the moist chewy center there gonna reek like a mo fo, and then there's the one ot two loafs that always stick to the lawn mower tires, and ya gotta make sure you don't aim the blower at the people on the sundeck enjoying a cool refreshing martini, uggggg to much hassle. Get a cat. Helps control mice and you can boot his ass outside when he gets on yer nerves.

 

[hitrack]

I was at the Metro town starbuck a week or so a-go and this not 1/2 bad looking chick and her little dog just stop at the info sign and the dog hangs this huge wiz right on the sign, ther's like a ocean of piss all around the sign, and then they walk on. I was thinking I wish I could do that because all that coffee really goes right through me!!

 

[Cock Throppled]

NormNorm and mario - hate to break it to you, but those are not pictures of cats.

 

[Fudd]

Befor ever getting a pet of any sort, know what you are getting into. They've got to be taken care of and its time consuming. Even gold fish require care.

 

[timec]

... met a lady that just got the most adorable Jack puppy... I found out she got it from a pet shop (of all places) ...

It isn’t and never will be practical for everyone to purchase their dogs directly from breeders – I’ve purchased 2 dogs from private breeders in the past and each exercise was a very time consuming, exhaustive and expensive effort to find what I was looking for. I’d go the same route if I was to purchase another dog in the future.

Like it or not, the convenience factor of pet shops will win out over the abilities, or wants, of most people searching for that special family addition. To the majority of people, the lineage of a dog isn’t important – they are looking at the dog behind the window and making a buying decision – it’s that plain and simple. I know there are many reputable commercial breeders that run operations that are sanitary and have dogs that are healthy and well cared for. I’ve read enough about the so-called problems with pet shops --- but until someone can tell the general public which pet shops are purchasing from pet mills versus commercial breeders, and have the general public know, appreciate or care what that means, the general public will continue to purchase their pets from pet shops – or from the SPCA.

That AAS website has anything but balanced content – obviously by design. I don’t know much about the SPCA; however, I can appreciate the reasons for the recent SPCA defamation lawsuit against the AAS as the AAS website content, in some cases, borders on the inflammatory.


In a document filed in B.C. Supreme Court, the SPCA is seeking a permanent court injunction to close down the Animal Advocates Society website, which, the society alleges, accuses its officers, employees and volunteers of cruel treatment of animals and "morally depraved" practices.

The SPCA says in court documents that it has been accused of deceiving donors and the government, and of lacking the skills to protect animals. The Animal Advocates Society incites people to trespass and steal on SPCA property, the SPCA says. Animal Advocates also encourage "unlawful vigilante action," according to the SPCA document filed in court.

The animal-rights group has not yet responded to the allegations, which have not been proven in court. Judy Stone, a spokeswoman for the Animal Advocates Society, said the group plans a vigorous defense.

The SPCA has tried previously to shut down the group's website. Web servers in Vancouver and California discontinued service after receiving letters from SPCA lawyers. After the website resurfaced on a server in India, the SPCA tried once again to close it down without going to court.

In a letter to the web server in India dated Aug. 30, Vancouver lawyer Thomas Woods says the Animal Advocates Society "appears to be 'on the run,' moving from provider to provider, seeking to find an [Internet service provider] somewhere that will allow the AAS to use its facilities to publish defamatory material concerning the B.C. SPCA in the Internet to readers worldwide without regard to the laws in Canada."


Exactly how does the AAS presume to measure out it’s drive for a “no kill” policy for the SPCA, in balance, against the realities of managing physical shelter size, budgets and the volumes of unwanted/stray pets? Unfortunately, euthanasia is a downside reality the SPCA faces.