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Not that anyone here has gone this far, but I hate when people go to the extreme with the "Adopt, don't shop" mantra. Pet adoption is great but there are a lot of reasons for someone to want a pure bred dog from a reputable breeder. Certain breeds fit certain lifestyles. Not everyone is an "any dog will do" kind of person/family. What if you're allergic to some breeds but not others? Are you supposed to just bring home a dog and hope for the best and then break you and your Kid's heart when you have to return it because your eyeballs swelled shut?

I once saw trolls absolutely attack a woman online who bred some kind of herding shepherd dog and those big white Pyranese. She had goats or sheep or something. They were her farm dogs and she had them have puppies sometimes. They were purchased by OTHER FARMERS. They were working dogs. People were on there trying to claim you could train humane society dogs to do what these breeds have ingrained in their instincts from hundreds, possibly thousands of years of breeding. ??‍♀️

Even if they are not working dogs, are we supposed to just let breeds of dogs go extinct? I don't get it. Puppy mills are wrong and gross but that doesn't mean no one should ever breed a purebred dog ever again. Sheesh

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1 hour ago, Grace said:

Not that anyone here has gone this far, but I hate when people go to the extreme with the "Adopt, don't shop" mantra. Pet adoption is great but there are a lot of reasons for someone to want a pure bred dog from a reputable breeder.

I agree with this. I actually tried really hard to adopt an older dog from a shelter. It was one who'd been there a while, needed lots of time and training. I had plenty of time, somebody home 24/7, a fenced yard, no children, no other pets and was willing to dedicate however long it took getting to know the dog to get him comfortable and for training. 

The adoption centre categorically stated that I would not be a suitable pet owner and I could not even meet the dog. They said I wouldn't be suitable to adopt any of their dogs but wouldn't give me a reason. 

It was honestly such a bad experience and that little dog was in that shelter at least 2 more years - I would periodically check their site. 

A while later I did my research and ended up getting a non-shedding, crossbreed puppy. She will be six in December and is active, smart, well trained and healthy. She has a wonderful life and is absolutely loved. If a crossbreed dog is good enough for the Queen, it's good enough for me! 

Tl;dr - the right dog for each person should be a considered choice, regardless of outside opinions. 

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I was actually denied a cat from several rescues when I wanted one and went to adopt several years ago because I wasn't home enough (worked 8-6 5 days a week).  I mean honestly if I can't qualify for a rescue, I think their standards are absurd.  It worked out fine because a few months later I was able to take an animal control humane euthanasia case on instead (always wanted to learn how to fix a broken jaw anyway) and he has been the best cat I ever met.  After that experience, I told my husband I'd never adopt a cat from a rescue/shelter again but would instead wait to see what the universe offers me.

Oh, and for the record it's not uncommon for him to still be sleeping in the EXACT SAME place when I get home that I left him in so I'm sure he's lonely as heck.

Edited by GuineaPigCourtship
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We got a puppy from a rescue this summer. One of the rescues we applied to told us no because the two to three month old puppy needed to be placed in a home that currently had a dog. We are experienced dog owners and had lost our last dog to cancer last summer. We were a bit confused about the rule. 

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I went through the whole process of “pre-approval” with a local dog rescue a few years ago, including a home visit and interview. I gave up when I couldn’t make sense of their post g and waitlist system over the course of several months. I checked their site first thing every morning, would email to inquire about any/every small-to-medium wire haired dog, then get a response days or weeks later informing the dog had been adopted. I eventually did the math and realized how much I would spend on dog walkers (I live alone and pre-covid would be gone for 12 hours most weekdays). 

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I think most rescues have their hearts in the right place but the rules have gotten pretty wild. I did independent fostering and placement through different rescue groups. They would let me attend their adoption events and use their adoption forms; I just decided on placements on my own and would provide food for the fosters without funding. I would see lots of suitable owners passed up for trivial reasons and it was frustrating. These dogs needed homes and there were an endless amount of dogs still waiting for rescue behind them. 

I had one awful experience with a placement. The couple did their paperwork, passed a homestudy and all seemed well. I kept in touch for months after and they said they were moving across the country and paying for the dog to be shipped. I even helped them find an airline. They moved and said everything was great for months after. Then one morning I received a call from the highest kill shelter in the state they moved to- they had dumped the dog there with no reason given (he was still microchipped to me). I was appalled. Part of their contract was to contact me in the event they could no longer keep the dog. I made arrangements to get him out quickly and luckily he got another wonderful home where he still is. This is what rescues are terrified of and i think that’s where all the rules come in. But these people checked off every box of being “okay” so you just truly never know. 

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I tried to adopt from a local cat rescue 9 years ago. I had already had 3 cats previously so I know a bit about them! So I did the home visit and interview and whatnot. So me and my eldest went to the shelter one Saturday afternoon as we had seen one on the website. They couldnt find my paperwork, after half hour they gave up looking and said we could only have an indoor cat as we lived near a road... and they had no indoor cats in the shelter so goodbye. The large town I live in had roads everywhere. My neighbour on one side had a 16 year old cat, who went outside, and the otherside has 2 older male cats about 5/6 years, who also went out. 

I tried to explain this but the attitude as so rude and dismissive, and my daughter was getting so upset, I said to them either you let us rehome a cat from your FULL shelter or Im going home to buy one off the free ads. The disapprove of that of course, so we went home and 2 hours later I had my Benny! Poor thing was so mistreated and a bag of bones at just under 8 weeks. He is such a mamas boy! I had to hand feed for the first few weeks and he's really food obsessed even now. I love him so much. I see the shelter charity out shaking their buckets begging for money, pfft getting jack off me. 

Sorry long rant, but I am so annoyed by their attitude I would never go back to them.

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On 8/24/2020 at 6:04 AM, Lotsofdots said:

As a pedigree cat breeder, it does not affect cats, in fact many breeds (and some domestics) do far better with a littermate or playmate. 

Sadly 6 weeks is much too young, kittens should be at least 12-13 weeks before leaving mum.

We have to male kittens and they are brothers. We got them at 12 weeks and they've been living with us since the middle of June. They are the cutest but also very mischievous. For now they are only inside the house, but once they are castrated and vaccinated and chipped etc. we'll let them outside. Although I feel quite sorry for all the birds in our garden and I'm a little bit afraid that they'll run away :-(.

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I have two female cats that are born at home literally in my bathroom and I used to have also their brother and their mother but they decided the house was too crowded for them and move out (I know where they live is like 100 my from me, they just forced themselves in another home kicking out the previous cat the male and just forcing the miss how lives in the other house to accept her inside ?) any way they haven't any problem with other cats and have even accepted the dog a big goofy golden retriver who loves them and another stupid cat that was supposed to be here just for a while I'm sister found him a home and has become permanent. In the time he has been here one has taken him under his wing and teach him basically everything from how to hunt to how to be house trained. The other just don't like having too many persons or pets around, she likes to decide who and when having someone on her personal space 

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As both an ecologist and a cat lover, I cringe a bit about people having outdoor cats, especially in the Americas.  Cats are an invasive species to the Americas and even today many species of birds have not developed any defense mechanisms against them.  Cats also hunt and kill for fun, not necessarily to just to eat.  They often target birds which is a group that is most at risk for becoming a species of concern.  Cats also aren't that great at reducing rodent populations.  What they will cause rodent populations to do is alter their behaviour so they seem less visible to us, but cats have a bigger impact on bird populations than rodents.  Even having a bell on a cat doesn't really work as cats will learn how to walk to stop the bell from ringing.

Cats are wonderful creatures and make amazing pets, but they should be kept indoors as much as possible in the Americas.  Leash training is possible for cats, and that can also be a really nice compromise: cat gets to enjoy the outdoors, but the animal populations are protected.

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There is a new trend among pet shops, shelters/vets to try and get you to commit to keeping cats indoors. I don’t know how many people comply, but it’s better all around I think.

We had to go the pet store route for our cat. Many shelters in our area  won’t adopt to a family that has children under 12 years. While I understand the concept, I think it’s sad and shortsighted. Children can and should be taught to care for animals. Neglected animals can benefit from  children who love them.

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Yes, when we adopted our Coop from the local no-kill shelter, we had to promise to keep him inside.  Fine with us, we were intending to keep him inside anyway. They almost rejected us due to one of our other answers on the adoption form, but we discussed it and everything was fine. 

But not adopting to families with younger children as a rule is ridiculous. That’s why you have a meet and greet to see if the animal is a good fit for your family. The shelter saw our kids were gentle with animals so we were cleared to adopt. 

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I absolutely agree with and support cats being indoor cats only. (There are some exceptions. Our local humane society has “working” cats for farms, usually semi feral cats that have been spayed or neutered and vaccinated.)  Indoor cats tend to live longer, healthier lives than their counterparts. There are too many dangers outside, imo. My MIL’s cat was snatched off her porch by a dog who had gotten loose and was mauled. The poor cat was so injured he had to be put down. It was a terrible ending and could have been easily avoided. 

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I would never have an outside cat unless I lived in the country and then they're nice to have to keep the critters out of the barn. But then sometimes it's hard to keep a cat if you've got owls or hawks ?

As for rescues, I think a lot of them are on major powers trips about the rescue rules. I've also seen rescues that do a specific breed and charge almost as much for a dog as you would pay for a puppy from a breeder. That's just bizarre to me. No, I'm not going to pay hundreds of dollars for a dog with an unknown background when I could pay the same for a puppy or pay $60 to our local pet shelter and that includes the spaying or neutering!

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I love the wildlife in my yard and I have a horror of an animal disappearing and never knowing what happened to them, so I could never have a cat that went outside.  When we bought our house, we moved from a place with an incredibly healthy yard full of toads and frogs and a few snakes.  I was so sad to find almost nothing, even very few insects, in our yard just a mile away.  My husband and I have spent the past few years planting big vegetable gardens, carefully encouraging wildflowers with strategic mowing based on their flowering schedule, and planting perennial gardens with bee-friendly plants.  Our second year here we noticed way more bees and pollinating wasps.  The third year there were tons of frogs and toads, and this year (our 4th year) I finally have seen several garter snakes.  I had set a goal of luring snakes to the yard once we built a big enough niche for them, so it was unbelievably satisfying to finally see my first one this summer (although of course for some reason I have a fear of snakes during this pregnancy so it was a little dampened by a strong desire to keep my distance).

The cats are prolific hunters as we had a mouse infestation at our last house that couldn't be contained without poison (not acceptable to me) and they snuffed out many, many tiny lives.  I used to use live traps and my husband would take them the 10 miles to his work and release them in the woods nearby... until they developed a mice problem at his work.  Whoops.

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15 hours ago, ophelia said:

once they are castrated

So long as they weigh 1kg/2lbs they can be neutered now. The sooner the better :)

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44 minutes ago, Lotsofdots said:

So long as they weigh 1kg/2lbs they can be neutered now. The sooner the better :)

we call it flat out desexing in heathen australia 

I assume that neutring and spaying is the names of the operations for each sex... Every time I hear it on american shows or adds I mean to google. 

I always have a chuckle at the puritan ways. I could never understand light meat or dark meat until i found out prudes didn't want to say breast and thigh.

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On 8/25/2020 at 1:56 AM, Grace said:

Not that anyone here has gone this far, but I hate when people go to the extreme with the "Adopt, don't shop" mantra. Pet adoption is great but there are a lot of reasons for someone to want a pure bred dog from a reputable breeder. Certain breeds fit certain lifestyles. Not everyone is an "any dog will do" kind of person/family. What if you're allergic to some breeds but not others? Are you supposed to just bring home a dog and hope for the best and then break you and your Kid's heart when you have to return it because your eyeballs swelled shut?

I once saw trolls absolutely attack a woman online who bred some kind of herding shepherd dog and those big white Pyranese. She had goats or sheep or something. They were her farm dogs and she had them have puppies sometimes. They were purchased by OTHER FARMERS. They were working dogs. People were on there trying to claim you could train humane society dogs to do what these breeds have ingrained in their instincts from hundreds, possibly thousands of years of breeding. ??‍♀️

Even if they are not working dogs, are we supposed to just let breeds of dogs go extinct? I don't get it. Puppy mills are wrong and gross but that doesn't mean no one should ever breed a purebred dog ever again. Sheesh

This, so much this. 

I have a rescue Border Collie, I have grown up with rescue mutts and rescue purebreds  (who are as far from well bred as you can get) They've been great. But I want to have a baby after my current dog passes. My reason for waiting is largely my current dog. My current rescue is not trustworthy around children. Whenever friends bring their kids over I let them say a quick hello while she's muzzled and then she goes for a nap in her crate. I cannot do this sort of dog again, i cannot take the inherent risks around a rescue. So I'm purchasing a wellbred purebred from a line with a predictable temperament and that I can socialize properly around kids - something i wasn't able to do with my current dog. This dog will be a pet, maybe some light sport work. But ultimately, i just want a good pet. 

Do not get me wrong, i firmly believe only dogs who are health tested, and titled in sport, show, or work, ought to be bred. Because being a nice pet is not a reason to breed a dog. However, Sport, show, and working line dogs turn out litters with pet quality puppies all the time. The key is doing your research, and being patient. So so patient. I mean, I'm at least 2-3 years from purchasing my puppy, possibly 8+  if my current plans for the MCAT and med school work out and I've already started reaching out to breeders and building these relationships. 

Either be patient enough to wait for an ethically bred dog, or be understanding that a dog you get from the shelter might come with a lot of baggage, and if you're in a place to handle that, awesome! It's super rewarding, it's seriously the most rewarding thing i've done. However so long as someone goes to an ethical breeder and not  a pet store or backyard breeder, do not shame them for purchasing a puppy. 

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11 hours ago, GuineaPigCourtship said:

I love the wildlife in my yard and I have a horror of an animal disappearing and never knowing what happened to them, so I could never have a cat that went outside.  When we bought our house, we moved from a place with an incredibly healthy yard full of toads and frogs and a few snakes.  I was so sad to find almost nothing, even very few insects, in our yard just a mile away.  My husband and I have spent the past few years planting big vegetable gardens, carefully encouraging wildflowers with strategic mowing based on their flowering schedule, and planting perennial gardens with bee-friendly plants.  Our second year here we noticed way more bees and pollinating wasps.  The third year there were tons of frogs and toads, and this year (our 4th year) I finally have seen several garter snakes.  I had set a goal of luring snakes to the yard once we built a big enough niche for them, so it was unbelievably satisfying to finally see my first one this summer (although of course for some reason I have a fear of snakes during this pregnancy so it was a little dampened by a strong desire to keep my distance).

 

This is amazing!!!  As a community ecologist (someone who studies how different species in the same area interact), this makes me so excited, especially since I live in an apartment and don't really have my own garden space.  Have you thought about having an insect hotel?  Or a bat box?  Another great tip (although I'm guessing you probably already know this), is to have some source of water.  Often times humans change the natural water ways so that they go underground or are difficult to access.  This makes it hard for animals to find water (this is one reason squirrels will eat peoples' vegetables).  

11 hours ago, GuineaPigCourtship said:

The cats are prolific hunters as we had a mouse infestation at our last house that couldn't be contained without poison (not acceptable to me) and they snuffed out many, many tiny lives.  I used to use live traps and my husband would take them the 10 miles to his work and release them in the woods nearby... until they developed a mice problem at his work.  Whoops.

Often times trap and release of rodents actually is worse for them than killing them outright.  These ones seem to have maybe found an alternative, but most mice that are release within a few kilometres of your home will just find their way back.  If you go outside of that range, the majority of them will die after a week or so for the stress of not being in a familiar place where they are aware of the surrounding environment.  The most humane way to deal with them is to just use old-school mouse traps.  While not fun for the humans, it is the quickest death and the most painless one.  And I'm just realizing how strange some of the knowledge I've picked up from my schooling is....

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On 8/24/2020 at 6:30 AM, allthegoodnamesrgone said:

As hard as it is I can't imagine having a pet die every 7/8 years. 

I have rats, and usually get them in pairs a couple of years apart, so no one is alone. They are incredibly smart, gentle, and loving, but... they only live 2-3  years, with the occasional much shorter lifespan thrown in. It is always absolutely devastating. But, as they need to be kept in a group, it is slightly easier than it might otherwise be - the "cage"mates (mine have free run of my room, and like to snuggle with me at night) need extra attention, as they can become very depressed. And then the next one or two move in to maintain the mischief. 

One day, I'd love a dog. I was thinking of a great Dane, but looked up their lifespans, and decided against it. Unless there is a rescue that needs a home for a few years, of course! We'll probably go for a rescue dog - or maybe a police puppy who didn't make the grade! (I adore German shepherds). Though in reality, having never had a dog before, much more likely to be a well trained adult dog to start with, and who needs a home.

I do harbour desires for an African grey parrot. However, as we're both 41, and travel a lot, that won't happen for years. And then it will be a very mature one. They live so long, and become so attached to their person, that I definitely could not get one that had >99% chance of outliving me.

As it is, we live in a 2 b/r flat with a balcony, so it's just my little rattie babies. And when it comes down to it, I'm not sure I could ever introduce another house animal and thus curtail their free roaming. So, more likely that we move to the countryside, and I take in a few donkeys and goats, and volunteer at an animal or bid rescue... as long as the nearest neighbours aren't too close, and the animals are near!

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3 hours ago, Peaches-n-Beans said:

Do not get me wrong, i firmly believe only dogs who are health tested, and titled in sport, show, or work, ought to be bred. Because being a nice pet is not a reason to breed a dog. However, Sport, show, and working line dogs turn out litters with pet quality puppies all the time. The key is doing your research, and being patient. So so patient. I mean, I'm at least 2-3 years from purchasing my puppy, possibly 8+  if my current plans for the MCAT and med school work out and I've already started reaching out to breeders and building these relationships. 

You are talking about Dawg.  My parents really, really wanted this particular dog. They got to know breeders and the breeding dogs and they wanted one from this particular line of champion show dogs.  Dogs raised in homes and carefully tracked medically because they were raising more show dogs.  He had everything going right except one tiny flaw.  So my parents got him at a lower price.  He was still thousands.  But he has the personality to people please, to show off, to do his fantastic show trot, etc.  I begged them to get a shelter or rescue dog, but they had to have this one.  I've had him for five years and he is the smartest, most adaptable, best mannered dog of any they had.  He's marvelous with kids and generally tolerant of other dogs.  They drove several states over in the RV to get there over a week before he could go home so they could visit him every day and also so the breeder could vet them herself in person.

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I'm currently sitting next to my little fur ball of joy. A 10-pound maltipoo. Well, we think she's a maltipoo. My husband is allergic to dogs but didn't have a bad reaction to my family's poodle mix so a poodle mix we got. We think. Why someone gave up a year-old maltipoo I haven't the foggiest but she's my baby now. She is brilliant in the house - very timid on walks, and we were in training with her for dog socialization but alas due to Covid we will have to start over there. 

She's the light of my life fur baby but she IS anxious with a sensitive tummy and in the future when I am busy with a family I will want a dog that requires a little less constant attention. 

But she's absolutely the joy of my heart and the best quarantine velcro-pup.

Spoiler

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Oh my!! She is adorable. What a cutie!! I only recently read about Malipoos and they seem like great family dogs.

I'll might have to start nagging my boyfriend that we should get a dog ?

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1 hour ago, neurogirl said:

I'm currently sitting next to my little fur ball of joy. A 10-pound maltipoo. Well, we think she's a maltipoo. My husband is allergic to dogs but didn't have a bad reaction to my family's poodle mix so a poodle mix we got. We think. Why someone gave up a year-old maltipoo I haven't the foggiest but she's my baby now. She is brilliant in the house - very timid on walks, and we were in training with her for dog socialization but alas due to Covid we will have to start over there. 

She's the light of my life fur baby but she IS anxious with a sensitive tummy and in the future when I am busy with a family I will want a dog that requires a little less constant attention. 

But she's absolutely the joy of my heart and the best quarantine velcro-pup.

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Attach0.thumb.jpg.8cd97053b2c7c04f3143a485b6cceac2.jpg

 

Oh what a delight. I love pet photo drift. 

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