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!