Author: zoes

Where do I Turn Now? Some of the TOP reasons we have to rehome our pets

It’s never an easy choice to give away a pet- whatever your reason, wherever she goes, most people struggle with the decision and have exhausted every avenue possible to avoid it!

Studies from all over the world tell us the same sad stories that we hear on a daily basis here in Canada. The struggle of rehoming or relinquishing a pet is certainly not limited to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada or even North America! Studies as far away as Japan cite the same few reasons over and over… proof, to us, that there are a few major reasons that people give away their pets, and a few major changes that we can make to try to help avoid the inevitable.

Moving

In almost every study you’ll come across on surrendering animals, moving is cited as the number one reason people have had to give away a pet. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.A.), UK adoption agency Pets4Homes, American Humane Society, Animal Alliance of Canada, and Animal Walk Tokyo all list moving as one of their top five (to eight) reasons to surrender a pet!

In tough economies like Alberta’s, finding pet-friendly accommodation can be hard, especially one that is affordable. Sometimes, even pet-friendly rentals have size, or breed, restrictions. The S.P.C.A. recommends starting your search for new accommodation MONTHS in advance, and even offering no-pet landlords reference letters, meet-and-greets, or pet deposits to help sway their decision. Check out our blog on renting with a pet for more great information on your rights as a pet-owning tenant!

Behavioural Issues

Miller et al. (1996) found that the most common reason people decided to surrender their dogs were due to behavioural issues, especially hyperactivity – and not much has changed in the last 20 years! Puppies and kittens are deceptively cute, but they come untrained, undisciplined, and with lots of energy. Common problems like biting, house soiling, and too much energy are cited in studies across the United States.

It’s important to remember that animals aren’t born with behavioural problems, rather, they are either taught them or are attempting to tell you something is wrong. You can consult a trainer or a veterinarian to help correct behavioural problems in older animals, and help rule out medical concerns or dissatisfaction with the home. Start training young with puppies and kittens. Always use positive reinforcement – animals, like humans, don’t want to be hit or scolded when they do something wrong. Often, they don’t quite understand why they are being punished. Exercise and stimulation is also a huge part of pet ownership – a bored animal can become depressed, anxious, or aggressive. Check out our blog on litterbox issues to help correct one of the common behavioural concerns among felines.

Allergies

Surprisingly, although allergies are commonly cited in studies about animal surrenders, they are not always in the top five! We do commonly see cat allergies as a frequent reason to rehome, as confirmed by the S.P.C.A., Animal Alliance of Canada, Animal Walk Tokyo, and a few academic studies (Miller et al. 1996, Erikkson et al. 2009, Casey et al. 2009).

While allergies can be quite debilitating, it is always a good idea to make sure it is in fact the pet that is TRULY the cause, and try different means of keeping the house allergen-free. Check out our blog on how to live with pet allergies.

Babies!

In rescue, we sporadically see “having a baby” as one of the frequent reasons for surrendering a pet. The S.P.C.A., UK adoption agency Pets4Homes, and Animal Walk Tokyo also cite pregnancy as one of the most common reasons for relinquishment. It’s hard to understand from an outside perspective, but when financial concerns are not necessarily at play, families expecting a baby can always turn to history for help! There are many families that have responsibly and practically planned out the introduction of their new baby to their pets. There have been plenty of books, articles, and website blogs written about babies and pets, not only for help with introductions, but also on the benefits! Of course, it doesn’t ALWAYS work out as planned, but all we ask is that you are not so quick to dismiss your pet because there is a new baby – sometimes the bond they form will be the best thing for your home!

While this reason is also common among shelters, more likely, they are accepting babies! When pets have an unexpected litter, it can cause quite a bit of financial strain on their owners, and instead, the babies are surrendered to a shelter or a rescue for rehoming (NCPPSP 2009, Miller et al., 1996). This is why Zoe’s is such a huge advocate of spaying and neutering! The fewer unexpected litters, the more room we have to help animals off the streets. Check out our blog on clinics around Edmonton to keep your pet litter-free!

Lack of …

Finally, among studies, another one of the top common reasons found for surrendering was due to a lack of something, including space, time, finances, or knowledge. Often, as shown by the S.P.C.A, families find themselves without time or space to care for their pets. This could be due to changing relationships or domestic violence, (Pets4Homes, Animal Alliance of Canada), personal problems (NCPPSP, 2009) or a change in work or lifestyle (Animal Alliance of Canada, Pets4Homes, Salman et al. 1998). While we always want what is best for our pets, temporary changes in our lives don’t always have to be a reason to say goodbye! The S.P.C.A. suggests that “animals just want to be with their family and well looked after.” Sometimes it takes a friend staying over, hiring a dog walker, a membership to a doggy daycare, or more mental stimulation to help get your pets through changes in work or lifestyles. Some rescue groups will help provide temporary homes for victims of domestic abuse, or members of the military deployed overseas. Occasionally a lack of finances comes into play. Though we may have the means to care for a pet day to day, emergency veterinary bills or long-term illness in a pet might be a major game changer in our ability to take care of them (Pets4Homes, 2015). Major changes can prompt a decision to give our pets an opportunity for a better life, but remember, there very well may be wonderful people, in rescue or otherwise, waiting and willing to help you out. Check out some of the top Pet Insurance companies, such as Trupanion or PetSecure, for information of long-term financial care.

References:

American Humane Society & PetSmart (2012). http://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2012/09/why-dont-people-want-pets-part-1-cats.html#sthash.PTscDWaQ.dpuf

Animal Alliance of Canada (2015). http://www.animalalliance.ca/faqs.html#Ineedtofindahomeformycatdogbird

Animal Walk Tokyo (2015). http://www.animalwalktokyo.org/people-give-pets/

Casey, R.A., Vandenbussche, S., Bradshaw, J.W.S., & Roberts, M.A. (2009). Reasons for relinquishment and return of domestic cats (felis silvestris catus) to rescue shelters in the U.K. Anthrozoos, 22 (4), 347 – 358.

Erikkson, P., Loberg, J., & Andersson, M. (2009). A survey of cat shelters in Sweden. Animal Welfare, 18, 283 – 288.

Kwan, J., & Bain, M. (2013). Owner Attachment and Problem Behaviors Related to Relinquishment and Training Techniques of Dogs Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 16 (2), 168-183. http://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2013/05/why-do-people-surrender-dogs-to-animal.html#sthash.H9PzCE3T.dpuf

Miller, D. D., Staats, S. R.. Partlo. C., & Rada, K. (1996). Factors associated with the decision to surrender a pet to an animal shelter. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 209. 738-742.

National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP). (2009). http://www.petpopulation.org/statsurvey.html

Pets4Homes (2015). http://www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/the-top-five-reasons-people-give-for-re-homing-their-pets.html

Salman, M., New, J., Scarlett, J., Kass, P., Ruch-Gallie, R., & Hetts, S. (1998). Human and animal factors related to the relinquishment of dogs and cats in 12 selected animal shelters in the United States. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 1(3), 207-226.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (2013). http://www.spca.com/?p=6782&lang=en

Home-Made Environmental Enrichment for the Indoor Kitty

by Crisia Tabacaru

As a loving cat parent, no doubt you’re already providing food, water and a warm home for your feline friend, but, just like you need more than the necessities to keep you at your best, your kitties will be happier and healthier if you understand their instincts, behaviours, and what will make them feel safe and content.

Let’s look at it from a biological perspective: Cats come from wild species that are both predators and prey, and many of their instinctive behaviours stem from this history. For instance, you’ve likely noticed that your kitties like to be high up, which helps them to both observe and feel safe. Providing such spaces in your home means that you’ll have a happier, less aggressive kitty, with fewer behavioural issues in general. For multiple cat households, increased vertical space will also help with stress related to territorial issues.

Many cat parents meet these needs with store-bought cat trees, hammocks or cat walks. There is nothing wrong with purchasing a cat tree, but a home-made one can be a very fulfilling project for both you and your kitty, not to mention a money-saver. In fact, one of our Zoe’s adopters built one for their kitty Neelix (Zoe’s alum, formerly Tator) and he loves his new cat tree!

This is one of my favourites. The instructions are very clear and it won’t cramp your style either. Seriously, check out those gorgeous branches!

Image courtesy of By Brittany Goldwyn

You can also take the scratching post approach and provide a climbing workout like this easy-to-follow project. Another way to give your cat observation powers is to provide cat shelves like this crafty cat owner did. The only limit is your imagination! (And maybe your handiness with tools…)

The next need to consider is mental stimulation and engagement. Boredom from a lack of environmental enrichment is often accompanied by stress and “bad” behaviours like urine marking and aggression. Increasing complexity in their environment is a way to engage cats and provide much needed mental stimulation. One way to do this is to create physical structures with attached toys and other complexities for them to play with, sleep on, scratch, and explore. This one uses readily available Ikea furniture and is attractive to boot.

Image courtesy of By Brittany Goldwyn

Another way is to provide a challenge in the form of toy or treat puzzles like these. Heck, have fun with it and make them a climbing wall!

Get inspired by these DIYs and let your imagination run wild!

• Cat trees using cardboard tubes, like this one
• Cat trees using PVC pipes, like this one
• Sleeping tents, like this one
• Cat condos, like this one
• Climbing walls, like this one
• Cardboard playhouses, like this one
• Window perches, like this one
• Puzzles, like this one
• Self-petting stations, like this one
• Toys, like this one
  Image courtesy of Sweet Makes Three

Bonus: Geeky DIY cat projects

These projects are just so deliciously geeky, that I couldn’t resist!

• Doctor Who Tardis cat tree
• Star Trek cat tree
• Super Mario cat bed
• Super Mario cat complex
• Toys from various fandoms

A new adoption, what to expect in the first month.

Did you know that first month is the hardest for any newly adopted animal?

Some things you can possibly expect to deal with the first month:

• Separation anxiety: It is very common especially more so with dogs/puppies but can happen in cats.
• House training/litter box issues: Dogs/puppies have to relearn a new routine which can be different than what they are used to. It can also take awhile for the new owner to tell the telltale signs of them having to pee. For cats, some like certain litter or litter box styles, and placement is equally important. It is actually a good idea to see if you can take some used litter from the foster home to place into the new litter box. Cats are all about the smell so by placing the litter in the new litter box the cat will know that that is the place they should go in.
• Aggression/fear of resident pets: Proper introductions is very important not just for dogs but for cats too. Just because your cat or dog had a previous friend it doesn’t mean this new pet will become their instant best friend. Like people, not everyone gets along or sometimes it takes quite awhile to adjust. This is why proper slow introductions are important for cats, it can take months for cats to become friends or at least put up with each other so expect to take at least a week possibly more for a cat/kitten to be in a sanctuary room.
• Runners: The first week has the highest chance of pets escaping, dogs especially that is why some suggest not taking them for a walk until after the first week or have two leashes on the dog a harness and a leash just in case the dog slips one you will still have the second.
• Shyness: Let’s face it, it’s scary to go to any new place but when you add in other pets, different people, and a busy household it can be very overwhelming. So expect at least two weeks to be best able to assess their personality.
• Retraining: Even if a dog or cat is said to be perfect everyone’s idea of perfect can be different. Some people are ok with a dog on the couch while others not so much likewise with a cat on the table. So expect to have to train the new animal to have to learn the new house rules.
• Unsure/scared/aggressive to the kids: Even if a foster home has kids, like resident pets, everyone is different. Some kids can be cat/dog savvy and know body language really well and know not to push an animal too far or be quieter in the home while others not so much. So especially for the first week, you want your kids to only be around the new pet under supervision as well make an effort to teach them how to be gentle and to understand warning cues. 

It’s also very important to set up your new puppy or kitten for success. So don’t let them get away with something you won’t find as cute when they are much older. Even kittens can be trained, some people thinks cats can’t be but they know that they can easily train us to please them, that’s how smart they are.

It will take at least a month for any new animal to settle into a household sometimes even more. Set them up for success by researching as much as possible beforehand in regards to training, and be honest with what exactly you are looking for, what you can handle medically/behaviorally, and if your resident pet(s) even want a new friend. Don’t get a pet just because it’s cute as it is a 10-20 year commitment that requires a lot of work and training to ensure they become a great part of the family. If you aren’t sure of any allergies in the family, bring the entire family to a friend’s or family members place to spend quite a bit of time with their dogs/cats to assess any allergies before adopting. Getting a new family member can be the best thing you ever do but it’s best to not have expectations that just aren’t fair for any new animal to live up to so quickly.