Pet Goddess

Welcome to Pet-Goddess.com. We have been offering sound information on pet care for over 3 years. We hope you find this site and our newsletters useful. Feel free to browse all of the articles at this site via either the search box, or the categories to the right.

Posted January 1, 2010 Comments(0)

At the Animal Rescue site, you can click to donate food to needy pets.

You can also click to support  other worthwhile causes such as the Saving the Rainforests, Children’s Health, and Literacy.

 Donate food to shelter animals

Posted October 24, 2009 Comments(0)

 For fear of salmonella, Pedigree is recalling some of its petfood.

Here are the details directly from the company.

http://www.petcare.mars.com./

Posted September 16, 2008 Comments(0)

Today Yahoo news posted this article:
Tainted Pet Food

If you think your pet was affected, there may still be time to join the class action suit.

Our hearts go out to  the animals still suffering, and everyone so grievously bereaved due to the sheer greed of all the humans involved in this tragedy.

Posted May 23, 2008 Comments(0)

A nationwide pet crisis on our hands now

A great number of people are suffering economically as a result of soaring fuel costs, and now home foreclosures. If you are finding it hard to make ends meet with regard to your pet, there are assistance programs that can help.

Many people are surrendering their dogs at shelters, where at least they have a chance of rescue, but others are just leaving their pets in the houses—to starve to death, or die of dehydration  without drinking water. Both are horrid deaths.

Perhaps they think the bank staff or building workers or new owners will step in to save them in time, but the fact of the matter is, most people are not thinking of their pets at all.

How many times do we hear, “We’re giving the pet up because they don’t allow them at our new place.”

Pardon me, but you wouldn’t move to a place which did not permit kids, and hand over your children to a shelter, now would you? So if you do have to re-locate, you should consider the pet as well in any decision you make as an integral part of your family.

Think about your own dwelling place, family, friends, work schedule, routines and habits. A small dog can pretty much join you in all these activities. A dog that does not have to be groomed much can be a great, fairly effortless companion.

As for cats, well, they are pretty independent, and don’t have to be walked in bad weather. Both dogs and cats need love, food, water, exercise, regular vet care, and really, that is about it. You can even get pet insurance nowadays (in fact, we recommend it, give how much costs have gone up recently) for animals under 10, and in fact many rescue animals come with at least one free month of it, plus microchipping in case they get lost.

Shelters are full to overflowing, with animals being put down faster than ever before in order to make room for still more coming in. so if you CAN offer a good home to a pet, by all means take into account our reality check comments, but also don’t be afraid to go for it.  Most rescue animals are so grateful to be spared the horror that they will be a loyal and loving companion for life.

A small furry friend could be in your future, if you keep in mind our words of wisdom in this reality check. Pet ownership is for life, the life of the pet, so do your part, and it could be a match made in heaven!

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Posted April 28, 2008 Comments(0)

Why not consider an older pet?

That’s why we often recommend that anyone thinking about getting a pet might want to consider an adult pet, not one who is hard to train and seems like too much hard work.

 
At the same time, it is possible that if the pet is adopted very late, it would be difficult for it to accept the new owner. If the owner is tired of the animal, it can be difficult to find a new owner, especially once they are pretty muck past the age of 6.

Getting your animal from a shelter

In this current period of time, it is almost criminal to buy a pedigree puppy, when that money could be used to rescue one or more animals from a shelter. It is a sad but true fact, if you do have your eye on a designer dog or cat, chances are you will find at least a dozen of them dumped in a shelter! And thus can get one for the low price of the adoption fee, and save yourself the puppy or kitten training phase!

A lot of people who have to give up their animals for whatever reason dump them in shelters, rather than trying to find a responsible home. Still others just dump them by the side of the road, or just let them wander off.

Setting an animal free to fend for itself is the worst thing that you can do.  If you have had it from when it was small, its life is at risk every moment it has to try to fend for itself, and will put the animal’s life at risk from other animals, wild animals, cars, and diseases.

 continues in A Reality Check for Potential Pet Owners Part 3

Posted April 27, 2008 Comments(0)

Owning a pet is a big decision for anybody and should be given a deep thought before attempting to get one.  There are many constraints which should be considered like expenditure, care, time, effort, devotion, and so on.

 All too often, people end up with pets because they are fashionable or seem cute. The reality is, that they are a living creature, not a fashion accessory.  No one should give into their whim to have a pet without understanding that like a marriage, this is supposed to be a lifetime commitment, in sickness and health, til death. It will be at least a 15 year marriage in many cases, as dogs and cars live longer than ever before.

It happens far too frequently—the pet is a novelty for a while, cute when it is a puppy, but then the honeymoon is over and the owner/s simply get bored   with the pet or tired of taking care of the pet.

 
Amazingly, they have even spent a small fortune on the pet!  You think they would value it after having paid for it. We also have to point out how much good that money could do if donated to a shelter, rather than given to an often unscrupulous pet breeder exploiting people and animals. There is nothing more horrendous than a puppy mill.

 
Remember too that every baby animal is pretty adorable, but as it gets older, it can  the animal can develop behavioral patterns which the owner might find unacceptable later on.

 Continues in A Reality Check for Potential Pet Owners Part 2

Posted April 26, 2008 Comments(0)

Pet Adoption essentials
If you feel you are already an experienced pet owner, then by all means wade in with both feet.  Just go to a local pet shelter and ask them to show you what they have available for adoption. They will then give you the information needed to adopt the pet of your choice.

Just make sure that the pet has been thoroughly vetted before they leave the shelter–we ended up with one who had not been spayed, went into heat a week later, and then, a year later, required emergency surgery for an infected uterus.

Make sure you ask thorough health questions, especially if you have any other pets in the house. You don’t want to bring anything contagious in with the shelter pet you are adopting.

You also don’t want to be landed with any vets bills, which have increased in recent years. They should be covered for all of the basic shots. If you adopt a pup or young dog who will need to be spayed or neutered when old enough, you will most likely be given a certificate for a free spay or neuter at the vet of your choice when they are the right age.

You might also wish to ask about pet insurance while you are on the subject. Many of them come with at least a month’s worth of insurance just in case they miss some health problem at the shelter, and for a small amount of money per month you can keep paying the premiums yourself. This can add up to a big savings over the lifetime of the animal.

Just check to see what the policy covers before committing yourself. Often it will include an annual visit and all shots. Do the math to see if this is worthwhile compared to just setting aside the premiums you are paying each month. Of course, the insurance is more valuable for dealing with unforeseen health issues, especially as the animal gets older. you can usually insure them up to age 10.

We have also noticed that Progressive Auto insurance includes the healthcare costs of your pet if it is injured in an accident, since so many of us do travel with our pets, so that is also something worth considering.

A shelter animal is not only adding to your family, it is also taking one less pitiful animal off the streets. Dogs and cats are companion animals that need human help and interaction, so if you can offer a dog a home, especially now when economic circumstances are forcing people to give up their pets, that is one more rescued animal out of a shelter and in a happy home environment where it can thrive. One less being put down just because there is no room at the inn.

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Posted April 10, 2008 Comments(0)

You and your new family member

Whether you are hoping to adopt a cat or a dog, know yourself and your motives before you entertain the idea of pet adoption.

Some may want a friend, and a lifetime companion to have by your side, so they decide to adopt themselves a beautiful dog. Dogs can be your best friend and give you so much joy and happiness in your life.

Everyone has been attached to a pet at one time or another, so it is only natural to want a companion animal, so long as we know that we are 100% responsible for the dog’s health, happiness and needs, til death of the pet do we part. Think of it as at least a 15 year marriage. Rain or shine!

If this prospect starts to seem a bit daunting the more you think about it,
then a cat might be a better choice for you than a dog. Cats are comparatively low maintenance, and can be around for a very long time for you to love and take care of, compared with some breeds which are not as long-lived.

There are cat lovers and dog lovers all over the world, and in fact almost 67% of us households have a pet, and 53% of us are multi-pet owners,  so pet adoption is a very wonderful choice for many people.

We spend about $65 billion annually on our pets-and it is indeed a booming industry.  However, do not let cost dissuade you, for it does not have to be excessive. Your new pet’s needs are really quite modest-food, water, shelter, love, regular vet care, a bed or area they can look to as their own territory, and regular exercise and entertainment so they don’t get bored and thus destructive.

Continues in Pet Adoption Essentials Part 4

Posted April 7, 2008 Comments(0)

Pet adoptions fortunately happen all of the time.  If you are thinking about getting a pet, but have never done it before, luckily you can do your homework and research the whole process online.

Petfinder.org usually has literally thousands of animals ready for adoption from shelters all around the country, but each shelter has its own rules, some of them quite strict. For example, if you have ever been a pet owner,   you might have to get a reference letter from your own vet attesting to your suitability for adopting a pet.

The adoption fees can vary quite widely as well, especially if the shleter, or foster agency or breed rescue group incurred a lot of costs in getting the dog back into shape.

The great thing about the internet is you can research your pet without running around all over the place or going to a lot of different shelters. We certainly recommend that people do visit kill shelters–in fact, many states like Tennessee have only kill shelters, so every animal you take from there is one more saved life.

Rescue groups will often go out of their way to get dogs shipped from these states just to try to prevent them from being put down and buy some time for these otherwise healthy and happy dogs looking desperately for a loving home.

But adopting a pet is a big commitment, and it might be a good idea for you to do your research first on breed type, temperament, needs, and how it will fit in with your family life, as well as how high-maintenance it will be.

Not every dog at a shelter comes in as a stray, you see. In many cases, it has been surrendered because the person just can’t take care of it any more, so you might find that when you go online, many of these animals have a description and history.

At petfinder.org you will find notes about the animals insofar as they can tell, such as special health needs, if the dog is good with children or not, if it is good with other pets in the household, and any other information that they might have which they feel a prospective owner needs to know.

There is nothing worse than them finding what they think will be a good home, and then the poor animal ends up coming back to the shelter. So they are eager to give you help, advice, and information, to make sure you and your new friend are a good match.

So get online to do some research on pet adoption, or talk to your local vet, or the Humane society.

The internet has a great deal of information to offer you on any questions that you may have on pet breeds, or adoptions, so just take the time to check it out thoroughly. A bit of research and forward planning should make the transition for you and your new pet a smooth one. You will also avoid acting on impulse, seeing an adorable cat or dog with soulful eyes, and then getting it home only to discover the breed is notorious for being stubborn (like the beagle) or howling at the moon (also the beagle!)

Any vet should be able to give you all of the information that you are looking for on pet adoption, as will your local humane society. Often your vet might have animals which have been surrendered for various reasons, or still worse, healthy animals they have brought to be put down to be rid of them (it happens!)  You might have the opportunity to adopt a pet with no costs, to take home to your family for all to love.

Continues in Pet Adoption Essentials Part 3

Posted April 4, 2008 Comments(0)