By
Alison Wood on Sunday, July 19th, 2009 |
2 CommentsThe child is the one that asked for the pet. The child is the one that picked out the exact pet that was brought home. And the child is the reason that the dog shakes his head in shame when he has to respond to Plankton as his name. But, that dog or the cat or any other pet that manages to make it into your home is not just the sole responsibility of the child, is it? Like it or not, they become part of the family and as such, are the responsibility of everybody, at least partially. Despite protesting against it, you find yourself feeding the cat or walking the dog from time to time, but does that necessarily mean that your child is shirking his duties? Not really, if one child needed a drink of water, would you really make him wait for it?
Before you even allow a pet to come into your door, sit down with your child lay down the rules and obligations that will be expected of him. Make sure he knows how much food the pet will need, and how often. Make a clear chart with pictures for younger children, or clearly worded directions for older kids. Include rewards and punishments for failing to meet any obligations, for example, if the child does walk the dog on their day, then that child loses TV time. Teaching your child to meet obligations and duties is important to turning out responsible adults.
Remember though, that children will actually forget certain things in pet care, no matter how much they love their furry friend. There might be times when your child is sick, or too busy with schoolwork or extracurricular activities to fulfill all of his obligations. On those occasions, it will be up to you to step in and help the child out. Ultimately, as head of the family, all of the members are your responsibility and that means the feline, canine or miscellaneous additions as well. If you are completely unwilling to step in and take over any aspect of pet care for any length of time, you may want to reconsider allowing a pet at that time.
No matter how well the child does take care of his pet, you must also understand that the financial burden will most likely be on you. You will have to maintain his diet, his vet bills and the other costs of pet ownership, unless you are planning on sending your child out to find a job!
By
Alison Wood on Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 |
No CommentsWhen people say they are taking their pet to obedience training classes, others will assume that they mean their dog. More and more people are taking their cats to these classes as well. Cats are great pets. They are less time consuming than a dog, more affectionate than a bowl of goldfish, and definitely less creepy than a spider, but they can also be a huge mental challenge. Cats are experts at doing things when there are no witnesses, and that makes training them just a little trickier. The first thing that a feline owner must understand is that reprimands do not work with a cat at all.
Cat training classes are more about training the human owners than about training the cats themselves, because it takes some real patience and understanding to deal with the behavior of even the best kitty, and let’s face it, those are not the cats that are getting dragged to behavior classes, are they? Behavior classes are usually filled with harried owners at the last step before dropping their psycho pet off at the local shelter. Some cats are just nuts, and that is putting it mildly, so what is the kitty owner to do?
First, you have to make the decision of what behaviors will and will not be tolerated in your home. The first thing to accomplish should be the litter box, and then other skills can be introduced and perfected afterward. Do not allow your cat to get away with a bad behavior even once or he will be bound to repeat it, and remember although your cat will do several things that are similar to dogs, they are not the same and must be handled differently.
The cat training class will show you the proper methods of disciplining your cat, as well as the best reward system to use. Some cats are pure gluttons and will turn themselves into pure idiots for the treats, while others would rather starve to death rather than comply with such frivolity as rules. You have to know your own cats mindset that can help you figure out how best to approach him. Regardless of the method, make sure that the rules are adhered to consistently by all family members or you might find manipulative monsieur le chat playing his hairless wards like a game of chess. Remember, you are the boss, this is your house! Let the cat get the upper, er, paw and all might very well be lost!
If you aren’t up for a class, or there isnt one close to you, then you may want to check out Cat Secrets Revealed.
By
Alison Wood on Sunday, July 12th, 2009 |
No CommentsThere are many reasons for people to get pets. Some get a companion so that they do not feel lonely. Some get a jogging partner or walking mate to help them lose weight. Some find themselves getting a pet for a sense of security. No matter why they choose to get a pet, people should be encouraged to begin their search at the local shelter. Adopting a pet is not only less expensive than buying from the pet stores, it can be a socially and emotionally rewarding way to find your next best friend.
Shelters all over the country are filled beyond capacity with a frightening number of pets being euthanized each day. While it is true that each purebred breed has its own fan club, there is an awful lot to be said for the pound puppies as well. Do not let a less than pedigreed pooch put you off, there is no certification for true love.
The best adoption shelters in the country will put each pet and potential pet owner through rigorous examinations before allowing you to bring your choice home, a fact that may put a shelter dog ahead of others in safety. Do you really know what the aggression factor is with that purebred? I bet they can tell you the answer to that question at the shelter. They not only check for health risks, but social skills as well. Pets that show any sign of fear, aggression or other potential problems will be labeled as un-adoptable and kept in the shelter. Others will find themselves looking for and hopefully finding their new forever home.
In the end, it if it does not matter where you find your best friend, why not start at the shelter? Find the nearest shelter and start your search there. Not finding the right breed or the right size dog? Leave your name and number with staff, along with a brief description of what you would like to find and they will probably come through fairly quickly. Don’t get hung up on designer dogs and expensive pet stores. Do not buy a puppy from a breeder that you are not familiar with, because who will you complain to if there is a problem? And never buy a pet from a suspected puppy mill or any company that might deal with the mills and unscrupulous breeders. Adopting a pet from a shelter will save its life, and hopefully, the shelter pet will steal your heart in the process!
