Im sorry for probably asking a question that many, many people ask, but once again in researching this topic I havent found anyone with a similar background, and I know there are lots of people that know more about this than me So hopefully youre willing to make a reply : We got another kitten yesterday. He is 4 months old, already neutered, from the Humane Society. We have a 2 year old at home, also a neutered male. Sounds good, right? Ive never had 2 cats before, and needless to say, made some very rookie mistakes. We had been planning to get another kitten in a few weeks, but after seeing his picture online we made a spur of the moment decision to pick him up yesterday... on the way to my other cats vet appt. My 2 year old doesnt like the vet who does, but he does okay, no hissing or growling, just hard to get out of the carrier. Well on this stressful day he sees the other kitten, smells him, in very unfamiliar territory, and was very unhappy about it. Not aggressive, but very freaked out. Then he was hissing at the vet, which he doesnt usually do. So Im very afraid that Ive already messed up the introduction. The kitten was allowed to roam when we brought him home, but at about 11 PM they were separated, and the next morning we made up a separate space for the kitten who has been in there all day. He meows for stretches, and my 2 year old can hear it, but he has shown no interest in sniffing the kitten through the door. My 2 year old seems to be eating, drinking and litter boxing normally, and a couple hours ago I finally got him to a point where it seemed like he was playing with me normally. The only thing that seems out of whack is he is not happy when we pick him up, when before, he would tolerate it for several seconds. Now he cries and wriggles out instantly. I know it was stupid to have them see each other in completely unfamiliar territory. I seriously would kick myself if I could, and I feel sick to my stomach for stressing my cat out so much. Is all hope lost?
Answer: You didnt ruin anything. The first few moments of a feline introduction are not so crucial, and a bad start is very common. Hissing, panicking, and acting a bit stressed is completely normal. If your 2 year old is lunging, attacking, or peeing places he shouldnt, thats a bad sign, but it doesnt sound like you have that problem. Youre doing the right thing by segregating new kitty and old cat, and by waiting until they try to sniff each other through the door. If the introduction isnt going well, try to get them used to each others smells without them being in each others presence. Put old cats food dish outside the door to the room where new kitty is segregated - hell learn to associate new kittys smell with good things like being fed. After new kitty has been in his room for a day or two and his smell is all over it, move him to a new room for awhile and let old cat explore and sniff the room where he was. Then, let the cats get used to seeing each other. Open the door about 2 inches, enough for them to see and sniff and paw at each other, but not enough for them to actually get at each other. Or, you could just open the door and let them interact, kind of like ripping the band-aid off instead of trying to pull it slowly and gently. As long as your cat is not aggressive i.e. hell hiss at new kitty but doesnt actually try to hurt him, he might be a bit upset, but it will probably be fine. Definitely dont leave them alone unsupervised until you feel comfortable. But Ill bet in a few days theyll be okay with each other. We have 2 cats of our own and we also foster through our local rescue, so we are constantly introducing new cats into our household. One of our cats doesnt care at all, and is happy to have new friends; the other one follows the new cat around for 2 of 3 days hissing at him, just to make sure he knows this is her territory, thank you very much. Then she seems to decide, okay, I think he got the message and is fine.
Category: Humane Society; Date: 2010-07-30
What is it called if you will want you want to happen into existence?
Such as, when I want something to happen, I think about it for a little while and wish it would, then in the next few days or so it does. Like not too long ago I wanted some more cats around the house, didnt tell my mom, and then she offered to foster some cats for the Humane Society around here. Another time I was wishing I had a rather large seashell. All we have are really small ones I found on the beach. 2 days later I am in possession of a huge seashell without thinking too much about it. It goes nicely with my walls.
Answer: "Maybe youre a natural witch, and your power comes from within."
Category: Humane Society; Date: 2010-07-30
BUNNY RABBIT Q and A?
I am looking into getting a bunny rabbit in a few months more towards fall and I have been researching them I was going to either get a rat, a mouse, a hamster, a guinea pig, or a rabbit. obviously I am getting a rabbit and then later I am going to save my pennies and get 2 guinea pigs I have a few questions 1. Should I get a girl rabbit or a boy rabbit? please tell me at least 3 reasons 2. How much will they cost to get started? I will be adopting from a shelter/humane society 3. How much will they cost per month? this will not decide if I get one or not I want one no matter what 4.Whats the nicest breed/best breed? 5. Whats the best cage? 6. What accessories should I get? 7. Should I get a baby/young/adult? THANKS XO
Answer: HI RABBITS MAKE GREAT PETSD HERES YOUR ANSWERS: 1. BOYS ARE MORE LAYED BACK THAN FEMALES FEMALES ARE MORE HYPER. BUT, WHICH EVER ONE APPEALS TO YOU THE MOST, YOU SHOULD GET. 2. THE STARTING COST IS PRETTY HIGH. ITS AROUND $300-400 INCLUDING THE BUNNY, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE VET CHECK-UPS AND SO ON... 3. ANYWHERE FROM $50-75, BUT THE PRICE VARIES ON THEIR SIZE. 4. HERES A WEBSITE I PERSONALLY LIKE DWARF HOTOTS AND HIMALAYANS, BUT YOU JUST NEED TO PICK THE RABBIT THAT APPEALS TO YOU AT THE SHELTER http://www.pet-rabbit-care-information.com/best-rabbit-breed.htm 5. WELL, IT DEPENDS ON THE SIZE OF YOUR RABBIT. GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND IT SHOWS YOU LINKS, YOU CAN TRY TO FIND ONE. OH, AND THE CAGE NEEDS TO BE ATLEAST 4 TIMES THE RABBIT ITSELVES SIZE.: http://rabbit.org/links/mail-order-resources.html 6. FOOD BOWLS, TOYS, A WATER BOTTLE, BED I USE A SHOE BOX WITH A TOWEL IN IT, CLIPPERS FOR NAILS, BOOKS AND OTHER MEDICAL SUPPLIES. THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT COULD HELP: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid20100621061850AAIBwQj 7. WELL, BABIES WILL ADAPT TO YOU BETTER, BUT AGAIN WHICHEVER ONE APPEALS TO YOU WITH THEIR PERSONALITY THATS THE ONE YOU SHOULD GET. GOOD LUCK AND I HOPE I COULD HELP IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, JUST EMAIL ME TELL ME WHEN YOU GET HIM
Category: Humane Society; Date: 2010-07-30
Why does everyone get scared of my dog, just because she is mixed with pit bull?
Okay so I have a german shepherd mix pit bull, and she is a year and 4months old. She is still like a puppy and people get so scared of her She can be mean if you mess with her and bug her alot [but that takes a while to get on her nerves]. This is what she looks like: http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx206/taylor120598/delete7.jpg http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx206/taylor120598/delete4.jpg http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx206/taylor120598/delete2.jpg Her name is Roxy: She was rescued from the Humane Society last August when she was about 4 months old. We love her to death But why are people so scared of pit bulls? Its not their fault that they sometimes are mean Its their owner who trains them to be mean :
Answer: She doesnt look mean to me. She is a cutie: People often judge a book by its cover, i wouldnt take offense to it. Most people will assume if one dog is bad then ALL the dogs of the same breed will be bad and due to the bad press that pitbulls get im not surprised. You never see a pitbull led with a child, or another dog on the news. Instead they show you people who have been mauled by them, or dog fights making people think theyre vicious. I think thats something thats going to stay with the breed and i wouldnt take any of it personally. True dog lovers know its the owners not the dogs, that make them bad. If she is well trained then dont worry about it. Enjoy the dog you got. Pitbull mix or not::
Category: Humane Society; Date: 2010-07-30
is my vet trying to scam me?
k this is my first dog and i got her from the humane society a year ago and she came with all her shots and everything shes 3 yrs old now. so a couple of weeks ago i took her to a vet. id never been there before and it looked really crappy on the outside and it was sort of in the getto. anyways he gave my dog her yearly shot. then he convinced me to get the kennel cough shot. then he told me shes 3lbs overweight and tried to get me to buy his special diet food for dogs but i didnt. and i really dont think shes overweight. then he told me that she should get a blood test done for heartworm. is this true? im not sure if this is normal because it was my first time at the vet and i think im gonna switch vets anyways. do all dogs get heartworm tests every year?
Answer: i love it when people go into a vet with a brain ... kennel cough can be likened to the human cold, annoying but everyone gets over it unless have a crappy immune system ... the kennel cough vaccine actually only contains a few strains of the bacteria just like the flu shot for people so if your dog comes into contact with another strain, the dog gets full blown kennel cough despite being vaccinated ... and even if it is one of the strains in the vaccine, the dog will still get sick, just milder ... sometimes when i am outside and i see a dog off leash running at my dog, i tell the owners my dog has kennel cough and to keep back, and invariably they say, oh, my dog has been vaccinated ... so clearly vets are not being upfront about the unnecessary nature of this vaccine ... i refuse kennel cough all the time ... two dogs, 30 years in a densely populated area with tons of dogs, at the dog beach and dog park all the time, no kennel cough caught ever ... 3 lbs overweight and tries to sell you food ... unless your dog weighs 6 pounds, what difference could 3 pounds make ??? you could weigh that dog on another scale and it might be 1 pound overweight doubt it ... he was just trying to sell you food he gets a kickback on for pushing it ... i would have laughed ... about the heartworm ... i would call another "bettter" vet office and ask about the prevalence of heartworm in your area ... if it is prevalent, it is a good thing to get and a blood test is needed ... where i live there is no heartworm but that has not stopped almost every vet trying to sell me the monthly prevention ... and i think it is a good idea to change vets ... you might even be able to google if heartworm is prevalent in your area too but best to call a vet you do not know, who will give you the right information ... and again, good for you for standing up to the vet and questioning and not just taking everything he says as gospel ... they are business people before vets ...
Category: Humane Society; Date: 2010-07-29
Kitten Help Please?
I just adopted a a pair of kittens today and am a bit concerned. Both kittens have been sneezing quite a bit since i brought them home. On top of that, both kittens have a discharge coming out of their eyes that im concerned about. The Humane Society gave me medication called Neo-Poly-Bac that i plan to apply tomorrow first thing. It does also seem like one of their eyes is very droopy. Their right eye appears to droop so that its about half shut while the other eye is open as day. I have made an appointment for them first thing monday morning so i have that taken care of. Is any of this cause for concern though that i should get them in asap?
Answer: Your kitten might have URI as long as they are breathing evenly and are responsive you should be ok Keep up with the medicine that is the best thing you can do for them keep them in a room away from other cats you might have, and away from drafts of cold air. Many shelter kittens have this problem Mine did about 2 weeks ago and they are perfectly fine now. Good luck If there condition gets worse and not better take them in early.
Category: Humane Society; Date: 2010-07-29
What should I do about my neighbors flea infested kitten?
Ok, so my neighbors obviously dont care about their animals whatsoever. Their dog was recently hit by a car. Theyve had this cat who was always outside and they apparently never got fixed since it had kittens. I have to feed the cats myself since they are so skinny you can see their ribs. Anyways, all of the kittens are gone except for one which they must be keeping. I havent even seen its mom around anymore...but this kitten is at my house constantly. It sleeps on my porch, tries to get inside every time I open the door, constantly sits outside crying for me, and follows me around everywhere. The problem is that she is literally covered from head to toe in fleas. She cant go 2 seconds without having to stop and bite and scratch herself. I gave her a flea bath today but I know shes just going to get the fleas back. Im really worried about her though, since Im sure they arent going to get her shots or anything and she is out all night sometimes and could get hit by a car. I already have 2 cats of my own, or else I would ask them if I could keep her. Also, I really dont want to end up getting fleas in my house which has probably already happened Should I take her to the humane society or should I call animal welfare or something?
Answer: I would try talking to your neighbor about it. In the mean time, you could start giving your own cats flea treatments once a month to protect them from infestation. If youre feeling really worried about the kitten, you could buy a couple months worth of treatments and give it to your neighbor to start them off. If your neighbor still isnt doing all that well with the animals after a few weeks, you could talk to your local humane society about it.
Category: Humane Society; Date: 2010-07-28
Advice on getting a new puppy?
My dog died recently because of complications from a tumor. Im thinking about getting a puppy because I miss him and Ive always had dogs and cats around. Ive never had to shop for a puppy before, they were always given to us or were strays that we took in. The question is: What are things to look for in selecting a dog specifically at pet stores and humane societies? I dont want a very aggressive dog because I might want to have a children and I dont want to have to worry about my dog attacking my baby. I know this is a confusing question-- thanks for any help you can provide. :
Answer: When you go to the shelter, always look for the one who is not barking. Also puppies like to bite, so pick a few that you like and ask to take out one at a time to get to know them. If the puppy is heavily biting, then that may not be the best pick. If the puppy is nibbling, that is good. If its just nibbling now, then it probably wont bite at all when it gets older. And also consider getting an older dog, they are calm and loving Also, ask one of the assistants about the dog you are looking at. They can give you an honest opinion about it being around a baby. I hope I helped Good luck - Lucy
Category: Humane Society; Date: 2010-07-28
How should I spend my $200?
I just got money from pet sitting and I dont know what I should spend it on. Im for sure giving $20 to church, $40 to the humane society, and putting at least $40 into my bank account. So that would leave me $100 spending money. I might help contribute to buy myself Pumas, but my mom said she would pay for them since theyre for school. I dont know what to do with the rest. I would but it in the bank but I dont like taking money out of my savings.
Answer: Good thinking, you dont have to spend it, its better to put in to the savings account then taking it out then not putting into savings account at all. I would suggest open another savings account, the first one you have now is for long term savings, try to set a goal for it, for instance for your university or whatever goal you have, and never touch that money unless its for the purpose. And the new savings account can be for money just like this...you might want to spend it but you dont know where to spend it, or for savings for something for a short term, like a new bike. That way you have it all covered.
Category: Humane Society; Date: 2010-07-27
What breed is my dog? Just curious :?
We got Bailey from the Human Society about 3yrs ago and in the time weve had him we have been asked this question from so many people "What kind of dog is he?" and the only answer we can come up with is that hes a mix and we have no clue what he is. The Humane Society had him listed as a Golden Retriever Mix and estimated to be 45-60 lbs...well hes almost 3 and hes a little midget who weights 21.2 lbs and hes not going to grow any more. Some suggestions we have gotten from people at the vet, dog park, etc are: -Golden Retriever Mix -Daschund Mix -German Shepherd Mix -Corgi Mix -Chihuahua Mix and my moms opinion-a Chihuahua/Golden Retriever Mix Here are some pictures of him you can just look through the album: http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx159… Any suggestions to this mystery? p.s. please nobody say, "Get a DNA test" we do not have the money for that thank you http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx159/sunnydiver08/Bailey/ Use the link at the bottom Bailey and his litter 3 sisters were rescued from Puerto Rico and brought to the Human Society. Im not sure if any of you have heard the story of the people over there who did not do their jobs and neglected to spay and neuter the animals and decided that throwing the animals off bridges would control the overpopulation. Those monsters were on trial but were acquitted and walked away without paying for their crimes. I know nothing of his parents, if they are even alive or if they met the same fate as the other defenseless animals in the care of those men, but his sisters were adopted. Some facts about him: He is the runt of his litter so he is smaller than his siblings are. As a baby he had large paws, but he did not seem to grow into them haha. He has a deathly fear of water; we cannot take a walk over a bridge without the fear of him running into the street, who knows what he had to face in Puerto Rico in his 3 months of life. He responds to “Chico”-translation "little boy"
Answer: Im thinking german shepard & golden retriever:
Category: Humane Society; Date: 2010-07-27
