PREPARING YOUR PETS

The first thing you need to do when considering new pet is to protect your personal animals. Shelter animals can come to us from unknown origins, sometimes with underlying medical issues and conditions, so it is important that you protect your family pets as much as you can. If you choose puppies or kittens, you may be exposing your own pets to upper respiratory infections and worms or parasites.
Before bringing home your first pet, make sure your animals are up to date with their vaccinations. Talk to your veterinarian and follow their recommendations about any precautions you need to take. The veterinarian may suggest additional vaccinations/immunizations to protect your animal.

 

PREPARING YOUR HOME

Cats and dogs are curious creatures. Many are capable of jumping onto high surfaces or squeezing into the smallest of spaces. To protect pet(s) in a new environment and to safeguard your belongings, it is necessary to animal-proof your entire house. NEVER underestimate your pet’s abilities. Accidents happen!
Once you have chosen an area where you will care for your new companion, you should “pet-proof” the area. Pay attention to any small or dangerous objects, such as pins, needles, paper clips, nails, staples, thread, string, rubber bands, caustic/toxic chemicals, moth balls, plants and any other items that are potentially dangerous. Animals are also attracted to electrical cords, TV cords, telephone cords and curtains. These items should all be blocked so they can’t get at them. A good rule of thumb is “if you don’t want to lose it, put it away. Also, to ensure nothing is missed, get down at an animal’s eye-level. Look closely for any small holes or dangerous items that may have been missed at your first pass of pet-proofing

 

PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE BY ROOM

Kitchens/Bathrooms/Utility Rooms

• Use childproof latches to keep little paws from prying open cabinets.
• Keep medications, cleaners, chemicals and laundry supplies on high shelves or in childproofed cabinets.
• Keep trashcans covered or inside a latched cabinet.
• Check for and block any small spaces, nooks or holes inside cabinetry, furniture, floors, appliances, etc. where your pets may hide. Also make certain that spaces behind washer/dryer units are closed off so your foster animals can’t get in there either.
• ALWAYS keep your dryer and washer units closed!!! Make sure your pets haven’t jumped into the dryer or washer before you turn it on! (This does happen.)
• Keep all foods out of reach and/or in cabinets. Even if the food isn’t harmful to the cat, the wrapper could be.
• KEEP TOILET LIDS CLOSED to prevent drowning. Curious puppies and kittens can easily fall in and drown.
• Living/Family Room
• Place dangling wires from lamps, VCRs, TVs, stereos and phones out of reach. You can place the cords through PVC pipes to prevent the pets chewing on them.
• Keep children’s toys put away.
• Put away knickknacks that are valuable to you or understand that pets can easily knock things over. If it is important to you, don’t leave it out.
• Block any spaces where your vacuum can’t fit but a pet could.
• Remove dangerous items like strings, pins, yarn, etc.
• Move houseplants–many of which can be poisonous–out of reach. This includes hanging plants that can be jumped onto from other nearby surfaces.
• Put away all sewing and craft supplies–especially thread and yarn. If ingested, these items can obstruct cat or puppies’ bowels, sometimes requiring extensive surgery to reverse.
• Secure aquariums and cages that house small animals, such as hamsters or fish, to keep them safe from curious paws.

Garage/Basement

• Most garages contain too many dangerous chemicals and unsafe items to be an acceptable animal site. Your pet should never be housed in a garage.
• Move all chemicals to high shelves or behind secure doors.
• Clean up all antifreeze from the floor and driveway!!! One taste can be lethal to an animal!

Bedrooms

• Bedrooms are not ideal situations for a new companion. If scared of the new environment, animals can hide under beds and are hard to coax out. In worst case scenarios, dogs and cats can burrow into box springs or mattresses where it can be nearly impossible to get them out.
• Keep laundry and shoes behind closed doors (drawstrings and loose buttons can cause major problems).
• Keep any medications, lotions or cosmetics off accessible surface (like the bedside table.)
• Move electrical and phone wires out of reach of chewing.

Other Potentially Dangerous Situations

• Closet and bedroom doors
• Open doors to the outside
• Open dryer doors
• Open cabinet doors
• Computer wires
• Folding chairs
• Potted plants

Whatever room you choose to make your companion’s new home, make sure that it is easily cleaned. Carpet and other soft surfaces can harbor disease and it can be difficult to clean up accidents on carpet, especially when they seep into the carpet pad. Bathrooms and other areas with tile, hardwood or other impermeable surfaces are ideal places to house your new companion.

 

PREPARING YOUR YARD

If you have a fenced in backyard, check that there aren’t holes in the fence or any other escape route. Do NOT leave your dog in the backyard without your supervision. You will be amazed what little holes a big dog can get out of or what tall fences a dog can jump! Never leave a dog unattended or unwatched outside. Most of all please don’t leave your dog on a chain outside; after all, he came home with you to be your companion.

Information courtesy of PetFinder and tailored for OAA.

You will save a life. The problem is simply stated: there are more pets than there are homes.  As a result,  shelters across our nation must make the heartbreaking decision to euthanize animals that haven’t been adopted because they have run out of space.  It is estimated that between 3 and 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the United States.  This unimaginable tragedy is the direct result of too many people giving up their pets, irresponsible breeding or failing to spay or neuter pets and too many people purchasing pets rather than adopting them from shelters or rescues.  Your decision to take in a homeless animal will not only save the life of a that pet, but will also make more space for a shelter or rescue to house another animal.

You can have your choice of hundreds of pets in your community. Whether you are looking for a specific breed, one-of-a-kind mix or a unique feline friend, you can find them right outside your back door.  Check out our list of partners from whom you can adopt your next pet.

A common misconception is that all rescued animals are mixes.  While mixed breeds do have their benefits combining the best of two or more breeds into one, many “pure” bred dogs are available at municipal shelters, local rescues and breed specific rescue groups.  Why would someone intentionally give up a “pure bred” pet?  Often, people make poor choices in purchasing a pet and relinquish them to shelters for reasons that have nothing to do with the animal when they realize their mistake.  Additionally, especially in today’s troubled economy, people give up their pets during divorces, evictions, job changes, when they get married or have a baby.

You will save money. When you choose to adopt a pet, the adoption fee is normally much less than what you would pay a breeder for a pet.  In addition, you often times get a specific breed that would normally cost as much as several thousand dollars for a nominal adoption fee.  Furthermore, most shelters and rescues in Oklahoma will see that animals they take in receive age appropriate vaccinations and be spayed or neutered before being sent home with a new owner.  While you may have to pay an adoption fee, this fee is a fraction of what you might pay a breeder for a puppy that still needs to see a veterinarian.

Shelters and rescues are filled with well-mannered, happy pets. Many people assume that animals who are in a rescue or shelter situation have been abused or neglected and have behavioral issues.  While it is true that some animals may have not seen the best of circumstances, many pets available for adoption have been relinquished by their owners for a myriad of reasons and these pets often have some basic manners and are housebroken.  When the pet has been in a foster home situation, chances are the fostering home has spent time on socialization and manners, an even bigger bonus.  Furthermore, most animals simply want to be loved and even in the worst of circumstances are willing to forget their troubled past in exchange for a loving home.  Most shelters and rescues do basic temperament testing to ensure that pets with temperament issues are not adopted back out to new owners.  They can generally provide you with information about whether the pet is suitable in a home with other animals or children.

Adopting a pet from a shelter or rescue is the right thing to do. You will find a huge sense of personal fulfillment by rescuing a pet.  The misconception that you won’t bond with your pet unless it is a puppy or kitten is a complete myth.  Anyone who has ever rescued a pet will tell you that the animal knows that you gave it a second chance in a forever home and, as a result, the human-animal bond is even stronger.

However, if for some reason you must purchase your pet from a breeder, make sure you don’t support puppy mills, pet stores or irresponsible breeders such as those who sell pets on the roadside or through the classifieds.  While Oklahoma has made great strides recently in regulating irresponsible and inhumane breeding, we still rank 2nd in the nation as having the most puppy mills in our state.  Visit the Humane Society of the United States to learn more about what a puppy mill is and what to look for in a reputable breeder.

Be part of the solution to Oklahoma’s pet overpopulation problem.  Until their are none, adopt one.

 

Published August 30, 2013