Who has never dreamed of having a pet as a cuddly companion? Pets are cute! No doubt about it. They offer us that unconditional love that can be so hard to find in this world. Like the dog that greets you after work with such happiness, as though he thought you had dismantled every nuclear bomb on earth that day. Like the cat that looks like a ninja in pyjamas rolling around on the carpet, just beckoning you to scratch that fuzzy fur. Even I dreamed of owning a pet squirrel as a child. I also tried to hatch a store bought egg by making a nest for it on the heater in my room. But alas, those pet-relationships were not meant to be!
Pets bring peace to a home. Just by looking at your pet you can be momentarily free of stress and remember the softness in life.
Isn’t that wonderful? Yes! It is! Should every citizen rush to the nearest pet store to adopt the first baby St-Bernard in sight?? Maybe not…Before you make a mad dash to purchase every known pet commodity in order to welcome your future pet, take a moment to sit with me. Relax. Have some chamomile tea.
This future pet of yours is ready to give you unconditional love (97 % of the time). And what are you prepared to give it in return?
“He will eat from a diamond studded food bowl!” you proclaim. “I will purchase iceberg water for his drinking fountain! A Gucci coat for walking in the rain!”
That sounds lovely! Wouldn’t mind all that for myself actually. But there is something far more priceless that your pet wants from you.
I see your rolling eyes. “Pfff…what says I love you more than a diamond studded food bowl?”
At a loss?
The thing your pet wants and needs most from you is for you to be their forever family. (FOREVER meaning until one of you dies.) Mm-hmm. I’ve lost a few of you already.
Let’s take a moment to look at some interesting statistics on pet abandonment. (Please see below for sources)
- 50,000 animals are abandoned each year in the Montreal area alone.
- In Quebec in 2013, 500 000 pets were euthanized while there were also 730,000 new adoptions.
- Pets are kept an average of 8 years in Quebec despite the life expectancy being much higher.
- (The internet is filled with different statistics for pet abandonment in different areas of the world. All are very sad and call for a change in how we treat our animals. Seeing as we are a business based in Quebec, I have focused here on the information that applies to our part of the world.)
Now this begs the question: Are pets objects? Like a chair that you can give away if it’s no longer in style? Your pet has survival instincts, could possibly save you in life-threatening situations as some pet heroes have, is able to make you laugh, soften your heart and give you love unconditionally. Therefore, I propose that no, pets are not objects that should be so easy to dispose of.
I would like to help reduce the likelihood of people abandoning their pets. Let’s test your pet-adoption-readiness, shall we? Let me share a few stories of real events that have happened to me or other pet parents I know. Ask yourself if you would still want to keep your pet if these events happened to you. For example, what if:
Your dog jumps on the kitchen table and eats the cake you made just as your whole family is singing happy birthday?
Your cat is extremely shy and won’t come out for strangers despite being adorable with you?
Your dog gets loose from the backyard, while you are making school lunches, sending you running down the street with no coat on in snowy weather. (My daughter’s teacher happened to see the situation from her car as she was driving to school and helped me to locate my dog. What a good impression that was.)
Your rescue cat presents difficult behavioral issues which include a fair amount of pee and poo needing to be cleaned up…
You have to vacuum fur every day as some of our clients do…
What if you realize after adopting a pet that you are allergic to it? Would it be fair for him or her to change families because of that?
Your dog starts to eat your shoes as an adult dog and even though it never did that as a puppy?
What if your pet develops diabetes and needs twice daily shots? Or needs a costly operation? Or behavioral therapy?
What if your cute little Havanese dog literally eats your couch while you are off to work?
Your cat begins to mark its territory everywhere in your posh new condo after a stressful move?
What if your Labrador doesn’t act the way your neighbor’s beloved Labrador acts? As in, your neighbor’s Lab is mellow and easy-going but yours seems wired and ready to defend your territory at any cost?
What if your circumstances in life change? Right now perhaps you are single and you have time to care for 2 Yorkshire puppies. But what happens if you fall in love and want to travel often with your new spouse? Will you be overwhelmed by the organization it takes to have them watched by a family member or the extra cost of boarding them?
I hear you now saying, “Hey sunshine, shouldn’t you be encouraging us to adopt pets?”
Yes, I absolutely want you to adopt a pet, especially from a rescue or shelter. However, in order to make sure you can be a good forever family, you need to know what you’re getting into!
Without even mentioning the basic costs of food, vaccinations and other veterinary and pet-sitting costs, extra time it takes to clean your pet and your home, many `fun little surprises’ await you in your new life with pets. (This is on top of all the other pressures that you may have in your daily life, by the way.) In view of this (and the deer in the head lights look you have on your face), it might be a good idea to view your future pet as though it were a child. You wouldn’t drop off your child at the SPCA if he or she did any of these things now would you? (Although some parents might be tempted I am sure…)
Now, if you are not fazed and you responded enthusiastically within your heart to all the ‘what-ifs’ above, then you are ready to give a pet as much unconditional love as it is ready to give you. So by the power invested in me, I declare that you should happy-dance yourself all the way to the nearest pet rescue and adopt the most slobbery of St-Bernard in sight! Don’t let me or any red light stop you!
You may, however, feel I have deflated your bubble a little. Perhaps you recognize that owning a pet may ask more from you than originally thought but you still feel like you would make a great pet owner and benefit from that long term relationship. If that is the case then please take the time necessary, actually please take more than enough time necessary, to choose your pet wisely.
How much time per day to you want to devote to your pet? Minimum an hour per day? Love the outdoors and walking in any kind of weather? Perhaps you would make a great dog owner! How do you feel about fur, slobber, barking, cutting nails and grooming, having less space in your home? Please understand, I love dogs. However, these are things that people don’t always take under consideration when imagining owning the perfect dog. How about matching your lifestyle to a specific dog breed? (Please do not consider purchasing a Husky, Vizla, Labrador, Australian Sheppard among others…if you are not a seriously active person.)
Have a look at this website that has great suggestions for matching your lifestyle to a specific dog breed:
http://www.akc.org/find-a-match/#slide1
If owning a dog sounds intimidating for the moment, there are different possibilities out there such as owning a cat, rabbit, ferret, fish, turtles, hamster …(Maybe not all of these all at once!) All are wonderful options with each their own different set of pros and cons to consider.
If I have completely traumatized you, but you still have a glimmer of hope to get closer to some cuddly creatures, fret not. I have more options up my sleeve for you. Before making the jump to being a forever family for a pet, why not consider becoming a pet-grandparent or pet-auntie/uncle? How? By pet-sitting your neighbor’s dog for a weekend or visiting your cousin’s cat while she’s on holiday. There are also probably numerous animal shelters or rescues in your area that could benefit from your volunteer work. How about being a foster family for an animal shelter? Even with a few hours of your time each week or each month, you will benefit by witnessing firsthand how wonderful pets can be. How cute that hamster is rolled up like a furry golf ball. How adorable those bunnies are snuggled up together. How funny that Bernese mountain dog is gallivanting on your off leash walk. How therapeutic it can be to have a warm kitty purring on your lap. This way, just like extended family, you can enjoy all the benefits of a pet with almost no responsibilities!
There are approximately 5 kazillion people who watch cute animal videos on YouTube every day. Imagine if all those people spent half that time volunteering at their local pet shelter. What a different world this would be.
Being a pet-relative is a great place to start your journey. And who knows with all this experience behind you, maybe soon the right time will come for you to buy your own pet his personalized diamond studded food bowl.
Sources:http://www.pressreader.com/canada/montreal-gazette/20111215/282557310041681http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/40cd-d3f4-5318e1a2-8d0c-64ceac1c606d%7C_0.htmlhttp://www.sterilisationanimalequebec.info/statistiques/combien-de-temps-les-quebecois-gardent-leurs-animaux/
Social Profiles