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Pet Adoption
A House Is Not a Home Without a Pet!
Public and private animal shelters in virtually every community across the United States are filled with dogs and cats. There are lost pets whose owners cannot be found. There are pets whose owners can no longer keep them. There are younger animals, older animals, mixed breeds and purebreds. They all have one thing in common; they are each hoping for a permanent and loving home.
Unfortunately for most of these animals, there will be no new home. Why? Not enough people choose to adopt their animal companions from a shelter.
The solution to this tragic problem starts with you! When you are ready to add a cat or dog to your family, visit the nearest Animal Shelter.
For more information on adopting a pet, visit the Humane Society of Southeast Texas website.
Considering Pet Adoption
Please consider doing a little research on breeds of animals before making your final decision to insure that the right pet for you and your family is adopted.
- The owner must have the animal vaccinated for rabies within three days of the animal being adopted.
- The animal must be three to four months of age to be vaccinated.
- The owner must have the pet spayed or neutered within 2 weeks of the animal being adopted. The animal must be six months of age in order to become fixed.
So, you have considered an adoption of a new pet, now you have some questions.
Purebred Vs. Mixed Breed
Any dog / cat or puppy / kitten regardless of the breed or mix can make a great pet if the prospective owners take their time researching and acquiring their new pet. Early socialization and training is a prerequisite and will not only ensure appropriate communication between owner and pet but will strengthen the animal-human bond.
Knowing as much as you can about a specific breed will ensure easier training techniques and familiarity with your new pet. Most shelter employees possess knowledge when it comes to identifying the different mix of breeds. The shelter employees can provide tips for training your new dog.
Important Factors
Consider these important factors before you choose your new dog or cat.
Dog
- Adequate Living Area
- Age
- Breed Group
- Diet
- Dog Breed
- Dog Size
- Dominance Level
- Energy Type
- Grooming
- Learning Ability
- Shedding of Coat
Cat
- Adequate Living Area
- Age
- Breed of cat
- Diet
- Energy Type
- Grooming - the longer the hair the more likely it is to shed more and require brushing
- Shedding of Coat - Long, Medium, or Short Hair
Remember that each breed of dog / cat was specifically bred for a specific purpose.
Supplies Needed
Consider what supplies you will need for your new pet.
Dog
- Bed
- Book on how to groom and care for your new pet
- Brush and Comb
- Collar and Leash
- Ear Treatment
- Food and Water Bowls
- Nail Clippers
- Rubber Mat
- Shampoo
- Towel
- Toys - Include a chew bone
Cat
- Bed
- Book on how to groom and care for you pet
- Brush and Comb
- Collar
- Ear Treatment
- Food and Water Bowls
- Litter Box and Litter
- Toys - Include a scratching post
Training a New Pet
Getting your pet to react to your verbal commands requires time, patience and more than a few treats; the result will be a responsible, well-adjusted pet. A good place to start is with an obedience class. If you cannot afford a class, buy an instruction book to inform you of the best ways to train your new pet.
Keep a positive attitude! The pet should be rewarded when done right, if the pet does not follow your instructions a simple, deep "no" should get your pet's attention. Do not hit your pet; this will make it mistrust you.
House Training Your Cat
The title is a little misleading since almost from birth kittens are "house trained." Unlike a dog, which requires actual training, a kitty requires you to show them where their "litter box" is. Just place the cat in the box and gently scratch their paw across the surface of the litter. From then on, most cats know instinctively what to do with the litter box.
It is a good idea to have one litter box for every cat you have. Yes, every cat. By forcing more than one cat to share a litter box, you may experience one or more of the cats refusing to share and urinating at a location they choose. If you're lucky it's linoleum...if you're not, it's carpet.
Also, keep the litter box in an area that does not have heavy traffic. Cats are private animals and may not use the litter box if children or other animals are constantly around.
Why to Spay or Neuter Your Pet
The problem is pet overpopulation. Each year about eight to twelve million dogs and cats end up at an animal shelter around the country. Some are lost, some abandoned, and some unwanted; most the result of irresponsible pet ownership. Sadly, between four to six million of them must be euthanized because there is not enough available homes.
Facts to Consider
- In six years, one female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies.
- In just seven years, one female cat and her young can produce 420,000 kittens.
- There is theoretically no limit to the number of offspring male dogs and cats can produce.
- Every day in the United States, tens of thousands of puppies and kittens are born. Compare this to the 11,000 human births each day, and you can see that there can never be enough homes for all these pets.
Fact or Fiction: Is It Healthier for My Pet to Be Fixed?
Fact. Spaying or neutering helps your pet live longer, healthier lives. Spaying eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer.
U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics
Dogs
- There are approximately 62,400,000 owned dogs in the United States.
- Nearly four in ten households own at least own dog.
- Most owners own one dog (69%).
- There are an equal number of male and female dogs owned, based on the percentage of total dog owners.
- In households where there are no children under 18 years of age, more dogs are owned on average (two), than in households where there are children.
Cats
- There are approximately 64,250,000 owned cats in the United States.
- Three in ten (32,128,000) U.S households own at least one cat.
- Essentially one half of the households own one cat; the remainder own two cats or more.
- Each household owns an average of two cats.
- Households with one child own more cats on average (3.5 cats) than households with either two children (2.7 cats) or three or more children (2.4 cats).
- Households contain more female cats than male cats.