Adopting a Feline From a Rescue Organization

Cat rescue organizations work in the same way that dog rescue organizations do. They find homes for kittens and adult cats  that can no longer remain with their families because of illness, divorce, relocation or other reasons. These organizations also adopt purebred kittens from animal shelters, rescue kittens from kitten mills and take in orphans.  

If you like a certain breed of kitten a rescue organization can be a wonderful place to find a pedigree pet at a reasonable cost. Some rescue organizations specialize in looking after certain types of breeds and others generalize by saving all the cats that they can’t. Some rescue organization consists only of a couple of do-gooders and others are made up of big finicky committees of breed lovers who are dedicated to finding a home for a specific kind of cat.  

A rescue organization is that it can often find you exactly the breed you want.   Yet another perk is that rescue organizations are exemplary when it comes to following up on the health and well being of the adopted pet.     By the way if you have to give up a pet and it is of a certain breed, a rescue group devoted to that breed is likely to take better care of your pet than a shelter. Rescue groups also shine when it comes to providing new kitty parents with information about the breed they are trying to rescue.  

Sadly, not all pet rescue organizations are completely ethical. Make sure that when you are dealing with any pet rescue organization, whether to adopt, donate, or give up your pet, that it is legitimate. For the sake of your animal, please take the time to investigate the organization fully. Don’t be afraid to ask them about their mission statement and  references from individuals who have adopted or given up their pets for adoption at the facility.

Ask for a reference from a veterinarian and be sure to follow through and contact the vet.    There are people who represent themselves as “rescue”, when actually, they’re just in the market for free pedigreed kittens to breed or sell. Too many well-meaning individuals give up their pets to these so-called rescue organizations only to find out that they have really given up their valuable pedigreed cat to a cruel, greedy broker.

If you’re surrendering your pet to a rescue organization, ask about their adoption policy. Ask to see their adoption application and contract. You should report them immediately to the police if they have no application, no adoption contract or won’t allow you to visit the inside of their kennel.  

You should also be suspicious if they charge too much to adopt. What do they have to make a profit for if they are a charitable organization? The good pet rescue organizations charge a lower, rather than a higher adoption fee. If the adoption fee is more than $100 it is likely that that the organization is selling the cats for profit rather than trying to place them in new homes.

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Breaking Up Dogfights

Dog fights don’t occur if your dog is well trained. This is true even of the so-called alpha breeds with hard-wired instincts. If your dog is so hard wired that you can’t train it then it is not suitable to be a pet.  

If you know your dog is a fighter then you need to take him or her to obedience school. If your dog suddenly turns into a fighter with no prior history of fighting it means that you have lost control of him. A dog that is suddenly irritable like this might also have a physical problem so it may be time to take him to the vet.  

Keep in mind too that dogs don’t have to be vicious to get into fights. A dog that is nervous or submissive can simply irritate other dogs with its presence.   A nervous dog also makes other dogs nervous because it is obvious that you don’t have control of it. This can inspire a strange dog to ,take charge.,  

The reason it is so important for you to get control over an aggressive or nervous dog is because dogfights can be expensive. If he harms another animal or person you could be sued and your dog could be put down.  

However you can’t always prevent two animals from squabbling.   The first rule of thumb — If your dog does start to fight with another dog don’t try to get between the two of them!   They will snarl and bite at anything that gets in the way.   Your own dog could harm you. To put it in a nutshell the fighting dog is not your pet anymore , it is a wolf.  

If you do not want to make the fight worse or get hurt then you might have to stand by and let the fight take its course.   The second rule of thumb to remember , you need two people to do this or you could get hurt.   Your best course of action is to get the owner of the other dog to grab it by the hind legs and pull it away from the fight while you do the same thing. Be prepared to be kicked and scratched in the face while you do this.  

Don’t try to drag the dogs away by their collars, as you will risk getting bit.  If you are near a water source, you can try to throw a pail of water over them or spray them with a hose. The shock of this is usually enough to get the two scrapping dogs to separate. If one dog has his jaws clamped on another’s neck as is often the case with a pit bull then try pouring a glass of hot water into the dog’s mouth to make him release his jaws.

 Unfortunately so often when it comes to dog fights only one winner emerges which is why it is so important to make sure your dog is obedient and well socialized before you take him out for walks.

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