Pet Goddess

Examiner.com and Petfinder.org have teamed up with Iams to try to help rescue as many pets as possible this spring. For more information, visit: Fling

Posted June 3, 2010 Comments(0)

Here is a great article on the emotional impact of losing a beloved pet:Losing a Pet

Once you have decided upon a particular pet, whether it’s a puppy, kitten, or other animal suitable for young children; even before the animal comes home for the first time, parents need to sit down with the children and talk to them about responsibility and care of the new pet. 

You will need to buy the basics for the pet, so have everyone help so they know the basic essentials of caring for the pet. 

Some kids are unreliable when it comes to new pets.  For the first few months they pamper the pet, play with the pet, and thoroughly enjoy the new addition to the family.   

Inevitably, however, as children grow, they become bored with the pet, and the responsibility of taking care of it falls in the parents’ lap.  

Owning a pet is a permanent commitment that an entire family has to agree upon, and it is for the life of the pet, not just for when it seems convenient.  

Pets offer so much unconditional love, it is unfair to do any less in return.  All they want in return is to be dutifully cared for, fed, walked, hugged, and loved.   

They can bring immense joy and happiness to a family, provided they are ready to share their lives with the pet. 

Which is why deciding if your family is ready for a pet requires thoughtful consideration, research, and an open dialogue among all family members.  Everyone in the family needs to contribute to the wellbeing of the pet, so everyone in the family needs to be part of the decision making process as to whether or not your family is ready for a pet.

Posted January 25, 2009 Comments(0)

Once you have gone through the pet questionnaire which we gave you in part 2, if all of the answers are satisfactory, then the choice of where to get your new pet comes next.  

Some pet owners prefer acquiring a kitten or puppy from a breeder, while others may decide that a shelter is more suitable.  Keep in mind, however, that both kittens and puppies are the first to be adopted, and it may take a while before you find a suitable pet in a shelter.    

On the other hand, if you are prepared to take what is deemed a young, or young adult dog, you might only get your choice faster, but also a dog that in most cases does not need so much training from scratch.   

It should be noted that some pet stores carry puppies that are purchased from puppy mills.  If at all possible, select a pup from another source, as most of puppy mill puppies have health problems that unscrupulous pet shop owners will never reveal to you. In addition, you will be helping to free all the dogs being treated cruelly in this barbaric industry. 

If you decide on another type of pet for your family, there are other important factors which you should consider.  There are some pets that carry diseases.   

The following group of pets should not be considered when there are small children in the home: turtles, reptiles, ferrets, or exotic animals of any type.   

Before deciding on any pet, ensure that no one in your family is allergic to animals in general or cats in particular. Studies have shown that more people tend to be allergic to cats than any other animal.

Posted January 23, 2009 Comments(0)

The following questions as to whether or not your family is ready for a pet can be applied to a puppy or kitten. 

·          Can we afford to buy a pet? 

·          Can we afford to raise a pet? 

·          Will the children, as much as they want one, be able to live well with a  

pet? 

·          Do we have enough space?  

·          Who will take care of the pet? 

·          Who will train the pet? 

·          Where will we find a vet? 

·          How will we afford the vet’s bills? 

·          Should we take out pet insurance. 

·          The children need so much our attention-do we have the time to address  

the many needs of the pet? 

·          Should we get a dog, cat, or other pet? 

·          What are the pros and cons of each pet? 

·          Do we want a specific breed of dog or cat? 

·          Which breeds are best with children? 

·          What health issues would each of the breeds have? 

·          What do we do with the pet when we are at work and school. 

·          What would we do with the pet when we went on vacation? 

·          Who would be able to look after the pet if it were ill? 

·          What happens to the pet when it gets elderly? 

These are questions parents have to ask themselves and the family members, and answer honestly. 

Posted January 21, 2009 Comments(0)

There are many things one has to consider before choosing a pet for the family.  While all pets require attention, there are some that demand more than others.   

In addition, there is the cost factor. 

Then there are the ages of your children, the number of people in your household, how busy the household is, and how much time you can realistically spend training the pet, giving it attention, and tending to its needs for food, love, companionship, toileting, and other essentials which help make it an emotionally secure and happy animal.  

Therefore, given all these considerations, the determination as to whether or not having a pet has to be worked through carefully by all parties concerned. 

Before making a decision, you have to ask: Is our family ready for a pet?  Let’s take a closer look at the most important issues regarding this decision. 

Here is a typical scenario:  It’s a beautiful spring day and you decide to take your small children into town.  While there, you happen to pass a pet shop.   

The kids naturally become quite excited at the puppies and kittens on display.  They press their noses up against the window and begin “choosing” which puppy or kitten they want to bring home.  

 “Please, mommy, please, can we get one?” they cry.   

What are you supposed to do!   

You can stall for time by telling them that you will have to discuss it with the other parent first.  You might be totally fibbing, of course.  

OR, you might actually have an eye on one puppy that you would love to take home as well.  Sound familiar? 

Now comes the hard part. Deciding whether or not your family is ready for a pet.  So the discussion begins.  The following questions can be applied to a puppy or kitten.

Posted January 19, 2009 Comments(0)

You know that you want to have a puppy for a companion. But, where do you get a puppy? There are a few places that will provide a good variety of puppy breeds, and a few places that you should probably try to avoid.

Owners want a puppy that is happy and healthy. The health and temperament of your new puppy depends in part on how well he has been cared for before you acquire him.

Puppies that have been neglected or abused can become problem cases down the road. Also, if you are not prepared to put in the time and effort to train the puppy, you could be creating a problem that might literally come back to bite you.

One place to consider purchasing your puppy from is directly from a dog breeder. This is the most desireable scenario if you are really committed to gettting a particular breed of dog and are willing to pay money for it.

Reputable breeders make a point of giving their dogs the utmost care. You should ask to meet both of the puppy’s paretns, to ensure that it is not a puppy mill.

Confirm with the breeder that vaccinations and other preventive care measures such as deworming have been taken and that puppy has legitimate papers. Papers certify his breed as the correct one, with a pedigree, which is essential if you ever want to show the dog, or breed it yourself one day.

Posted October 29, 2008 Comments(0)

Here is a useful article about how emotionally difficult it can be to lose and pet, and why:

 Grieving for your Lost Pet

Posted October 9, 2008 Comments(0)

The Power of Pawsitive Thinking Part 3
The common sense approach to pet ownership
People have interacted with companion  animals since the beginning of history, and that interaction may  belong as much to the realm of common sense as to science.

If a  pet adds joy to your life and makes you feel better or more secure  in your home, or provides entertainment and structure, you hardly  need scientific proof of the benefits. You just intrincically know it is ading to your quality of life, and of course, you are doing the same for a pet, especially if you get a rescue animal.

If you’re thinking of getting a pet, remember the downsides to pet ownership. Dogs and cats can be  expensive—and limiting. You have to provide for their care  when you’re away from home. They cause wear and tear on your  clothing and furnishings, shed hair, and make messes you have to clean up. A barking dog may alienate your neighbors. Some people  are allergic to animal dander.

A dog must be socialized—that  is, carefully trained in order to be a good pet. If infants or  small children are part of the household, their relationship with  a pet has to be supervised. It’s never a one-way street.

And pets are not a panacea—as Dr. Friedman notes, they won’t  cure cancer or heart disease. But for many people, the right pet  is a real plus, well worth any trouble and expense you have to go to, compared to all the love and affection and fun they bring to your world.

So by all means consider adopting a pet for health and happiness, but remember, you need to make sure it is the health and happiness of your pet that is catered for first and foremost.

991 words

Posted May 1, 2008 Comments(0)

Science plus common sense

One of the pioneers of PFT was Erika  Friedman, head of the Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences  at Brooklyn College. Even though there were obvious benefits to owning pets shown in many of the studies, common sense needs to be applied to the findings.

Pets are not medicine, and the scientific  case for the benefits of pet ownership is not watertight. In 1995  in a review of research, Dr. Friedman said there’s no question  that emotions have an impact on health, and that pets may help  promote positive emotions.

Still, it will always be difficult to  study this subject scientifically, since emotions are not measureable.   If pet owners are healthier,  it’s always possible that they were healthier to begin with. Clinical trials are impossible in areas like this—you can’t  really hand out pets and test their effects, as you might test  the effects of a drug.

Also, though it has been shown that  the presence of a friendly pet can have a positive effect on heart  rate and blood pressure, it’s not clear that a person actually  has to own the animal to get the effect.
They could get it from petting an animal coming to visit it for a certain period of time for example. Pet ownership is a big repsonsibility and is becoming prohibitively expensive for some as we struggle through this current recession.

Still, Dr. Friedman concludes  that since heart disease and other stress-related diseases are  so common in our society, it can’t hurt to recommend pets  for their calming effect—at least for people who like animals  and are willing and able to undertake the responsibility and expense of owning  one.

Continued in The Power of Pawsitive Thinking Part 3

Posted April 30, 2008 Comments(0)