Pets

[lordson]

I'm thinking of heading over to an animal shelter and adopting a pet

but i know its a big commitment and i have to look after it

I live in a small, all carpeted house, no backyard, well very small strip, and i have little time for walks

so i'm thinkinga cat, speciallay a lazy domestic cat, like a Ragdoll or something

but i also love dogs, its just that dogs crap everywhere, and i'm afraid if my toilet training doesn't work then it will continue to crap eveywhere. maybe a pug, i love pugs and they are pretty small. but still have the crapping problem though

and the fur shedding

basically i'm looking for a very low maitanence dog or cat. no other animals

does anybody know of any

and what were your experiences of having pets for the first time?

most of the cats in the animal shelter are 6moths+ and i dont know how their early life was, i read that the way kitten are treated int he first 10 weeks will define how they act for the rest of their entire lives

thanks fellas

 

[EricInTheHouse]

Well going by the description given of your expirience and time that you can commit to an animal...I think a cat would bre great... Dogs need attention, constant petting, they crap in the yard(you have none) and they eat more.

Dogs are more like humans, they will get depressed if noy enough love and caring is present.

A cat is independent...they will survive with you or not, and they give affection to you .. You can leave a cat alone for days and they won't care.. Just give them food and water and all is cool.

Great that you want to adopt....it is a great feeling to save an animal... Kudos..

 

[Purple-Haze]

lordson, I think it's great you're going to your local animal shelter to find yourself a pet! I abhor pet stores and the like (most of the animals they sell come from puppy mills, etc...).

Eric is right in that dogs needs lots of attention and care.

Your best bet is to go with a cat or a dog that is small and that does not shed (no certain breed comes to mind).

Shelters try to match prospective pet owners with a good fit (so they ask you questions about your lifestyle, housing situation, etc). They have a good bit of experience dealing with questions such as yours....so why not ask them?

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

I'd definately recommend a cat. Like Eric said, cats are very low maintainence but offer good companionship and much loyalty and affection.

Dogs are cool too but require much more time and effort.

Go to the shelter and spend time with the cats. Every cat has a very distinct personality.

Also keep in mind shedding. My cat has short hair and shedding isn't at all a problem. But we had a cat when I was little that was horrible.

 

[Magma]

I fvcking hate cats!

Probably because I'm allergic to them. :cuss:

I think a cat is the way to go in your situation. Just think about the commitment though. When I was in undergrad, I got a puppy and she was the best thing that ever happened to me, hands down. I loved that dog more than anything in life. As the cliche goes, she really was my best friend.

Ended up attending grad school and working two jobs, and had to make the most agonizing decision of my life and give her to my dad's cousin. It wasn't fair to her. The upside was that he lived on a ranch with riverfront property, so at least she went to a good home with a lot of land and they send me xmas cards every year with a pic of her.

The point is, make sure you want this pet and can provide a home for it for the long run. Peace!

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

I'd go with a cat too, dogs (while fun) are like children you always have to clean up behind. Most shelters here in the states allow you to have a breaking in period (typically a month) where you can try the pet out and return it if things doesn't work out. Also, not all of the animals from shelters come from broken homes, you can find really cool ones if you take your time qualifying them.

Here's a link that I used as reference when I got mine a few years ago.
http://cats.about.com/cs/mainecoonprofile/ht/chooseshelter.htm
It may seem a bit much but I'm telling you I got a really healthy cat with a ton of personality and she fits into my lifestyle just fine. She's my furry little attention wh0re. Oh yeah, chicks dig her too.

 

[Purple-Haze]

I fvcking hate cats!

Probably because I'm allergic to them. :cuss:

I think a cat is the way to go in your situation. Just think about the commitment though. When I was in undergrad, I got a puppy and she was the best thing that ever happened to me, hands down. I loved that dog more than anything in life. As the cliche goes, she really was my best friend.

Ended up attending grad school and working two jobs, and had to make the most agonizing decision of my life and give her to my dad's cousin. It wasn't fair to her. The upside was that he lived on a ranch with riverfront property, so at least she went to a good home with a lot of land and they send me xmas cards every year with a pic of her.

The point is, make sure you want this pet and can provide a home for it for the long run. Peace!

That's very sweet. I'm glad you found her a home instead of sticking her in a shelter (where she likely would've been euthanized).

Your point about making sure you can give your pet a permanent home is very important. Too often, people get pets when it suits them and then ditch them when things get inconvenient. There is nothing worse than this.

So OP, make sure you can keep your pet FOR LIFE. Otherwise, buy yourself a little fish tank.

 

[DJDamage]

Just don't pick a crazy one....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmDDp-cCo24

 

[mpimpin]

Thats great! I recommend getting a cat for your situation. Preferably a female. Most males require more attention and it might end up getting on your nerves. Not to mention in case it has a pissing problem.

This sounds like a GREAT date idea IMO...

 

[BMX]

I would recommend getting a troll, they keep themselves entertained for extensive lengths of time. Seriously, I used to have a chihuahua and he needed the attention and maintenance. Don't know much about cats but they seem easier seeing as my neighbor's cat always sneaks up on me in MY backyard and scares the sh!t out of me and is always outside of their house to begin with.

 

[WesCottII]

so i'm thinkinga cat, speciallay a lazy domestic cat, like a Ragdoll or something

Is there any other type of cat, apart from a lazy one? All they do is sleep constantly anyway.

 

[Bible_Belt]

The cat's litter box space is important. A dedicated closet works well. Litter goes everywhere. The normal cat litter pans are too small. Larger plastic boxes work better, like a Rubbermaid storage bin. An ozone generator will control the smell.

Cat's come in short, medium, and long hair. The less hair on the cat, the less hair on your clothes and furniture.

 

[mpimpin]

Is there any other type of cat, apart from a lazy one? All they do is sleep constantly anyway.

I have a cat just like this perfect pet. I adopted another one over Spring Break for about a week that was a tom cat and wanted NON STOP attention. I ended up trying to find its owner and returning it.

 

[lordson]

^ maybe because he's been in the shelter cage so long that it was really lonely and just happy to see you all the time

thanks for responces guys. i'm seriously considering it, would really love to have a companion and i love cats. i think a dog is out of the quesiton, heard they need lots of your time.

how do you guys feel about pet stores or breeders? i'm thinking about that too, but if they are just animal farms i dont know what kind of early life the cat will get and thus its adult temprement

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

^ maybe because he's been in the shelter cage so long that it was really lonely and just happy to see you all the time

thanks for responces guys. i'm seriously considering it, would really love to have a companion and i love cats. i think a dog is out of the quesiton, heard they need lots of your time.

how do you guys feel about pet stores or breeders? i'm thinking about that too, but if they are just animal farms i dont know what kind of early life the cat will get and thus its adult temprement

Pet stores and breeders are notorious for giving out sick and abused animals.
For the most part they should not be supported. Plus you are likely to get a worse animal. I'm not a member of PETA or anything but it is sad alot of the times how these animals are treated.

 

[splinterkb]

Cats suck.. no matter what anyone says... I used to have a Miniature Schnauzer (looks like a scottie) and it was a pretty damn cool dog. Theyre fairly small (like 20 pounds) and the dont shed AT ALL. You just have to give them haircuts every once and a while. He was a damn good dog though.... just my opinion.

 

[Purple-Haze]

^ maybe because he's been in the shelter cage so long that it was really lonely and just happy to see you all the time

thanks for responces guys. i'm seriously considering it, would really love to have a companion and i love cats. i think a dog is out of the quesiton, heard they need lots of your time.

how do you guys feel about pet stores or breeders? i'm thinking about that too, but if they are just animal farms i dont know what kind of early life the cat will get and thus its adult temprement

I really urge you to consider an animal shelter when looking for a pet. Millions of pets are euthanized across the US and Canada simply because there is no room for them.

Pet stores sell puppies that mostly come from puppy mills. These mills breed animals with other animals like they were machines (without regard for their physiological or psychological health).

Shelters have many well-adjusted cats for you to pick from. They only put those who are likely to be successful pets up for adoption (they have to pass a series of tests). The others get euthanized. Sometimes, even the "good" ones get put down because there simply is no room.

By going to a shelter, you are not only giving these animals a home but you are also helping to take a stance against the evil that is puppy mills.

Here's a YouTube video with some of the basics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0KucYppXO0. I really hope you take the time to watch this video.

Best wishes in your search.

 

[lordson]

that was the most horrible video i've ever seen before

damn.

it was however posted a year ago, and maybhting things have changed since then

how old would a good age be to get a cat? roughly 12 months?

i'm jsut afriad that the cat is used to another human being and wont take to a stranger like me too well

i'll have a think about it, my mum seems to object alot to any sort of pet so i'll have to convince her too

 

[Ingeniarius]

Here's a YouTube video with some of the basics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0KucYppXO0. I really hope you take the time to watch this video.

That video is the saddest thing I've seen for a long long time. Especially the last scene. It really speaks for itself.

Talk to the people at the shelter if you want to keep a pet, ask them specifically about the screening process of determining what animals are put on the adoption list. Also be aware that your pet belongs to your family, and thus will need to eat, crap and will get sick, all of which costs money. Pet medication and medical treatment can be quite costly. You may need/want to think about insurance if your pet breaks something (where I live, dogs have to be insured, just like a car).

Talk to somebody who already has a pet. Many people underestimate it. It really means having a baby for the first months. I am not kidding. My sister and I used to have rabbits and guinea pigs, and boy do they sure take up time. "My" guinea pigs would sit on my thighs for hours while I was reading

What I want to leave you with is that you're getting another family member, with all its pros and cons. It also might not work out as you imagined, so prepare to take the consequences.

 

[Purple-Haze]

that was the most horrible video i've ever seen before

damn.

it was however posted a year ago, and maybhting things have changed since then

how old would a good age be to get a cat? roughly 12 months?

i'm jsut afriad that the cat is used to another human being and wont take to a stranger like me too well

i'll have a think about it, my mum seems to object alot to any sort of pet so i'll have to convince her too

I'm glad you took the time to watch it lordson!

Sadly, things haven't changed much since last year. Millions of these poor little guys are destroyed every year. Some people view pets as accessories - to be had when it suits them.

Shelters have LOTS of kittens. In fact, cats are euthanized at a higher rate than dogs (apparently, people don't like them as much as dogs).

You should send your mom that video...maybe it'll move her enough to want to help save one. But remember, don't get one if you can't house them for life.

Call up your local shelters and ask them about the availability of kittens. You'll be surprised how many cute little furry meowing babies are up for adoption.