Friday, July 15, 2011

Be The Change: Getting a New Pet: Adopt

Today is Be The Change post day along with my birthday. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about as I have some other posts that might have gone up today but they can wait until next week.

This week I started featuring adoptable ferrets on Tuesday and Thursday and that got me to thinking about all the potential new pet owners out there.

Ferrets are in the third most owned pet category and unfortunately many get surrendered to rescues and shelters soon after they are gotten because the new owner didn’t do his/her research about ferrets. They only saw the cute little baby face in the store and had to have it.

Pet stores often don’t have information set out for the new owner to see what it might take to raise these little guys and are all to helpful in picking out the new accessories: Cage, bedding, litter, food, ect.

What is worse many of the pet store employees know nothing of ferrets and pass on bad advice/information they have gathered from others.

· Albinos are mean False a mean ferret is because he/she has been abused or isn’t feeling well

· Albinos are dumb False I’ve had albinos and they are not dumb. After asking more questions it was more likely the one they had dealt with was either deaf or blind.

· They are cage only animals False ferrets need a minimum of 2 to 4 hours a day out of their cage to be happy and healthy.

· They can eat cat food if this is to expensive True/False Cat food used to be the only food a ferret owner could easily get but research has found that it isn’t nutritional for them as the specially made ferret foods. Cat food can be used as a short term emergency food if you run out when the pet store is closed.

· They don’t need vet visits False Ferrets need Rabies/Distemper shots yearly and in some areas a heartworm preventative. Yearly visits help catch other problems early.

· They don’t have any issues due to disease, hereditary or other misinformation. False ferrets are prone to insulinoma, adrenal disease, and a long list of other diseases. Some are more prone to deafness and a few to blindness from birth.

These are a few of the statements I have heard at one pet store. I surprised them with Manny and Marcuz being well behaved and walking calmly on their leashes. They asked me a lot of questions about the ferrets they had.

One of the ferrets would always bite them when they went to clean out the cage. I asked one main question. Do you clean the cage after lunch? The answer was yes. I explained then maybe they needed to wash their hands better or use a hand sanitizer as the ferret just wanted to taste whatever they had had for lunch.

It is important that not only do the potential new owner do research before making that impulse buy about ferrets but that store employees be educated with the basic information to help eliminate these furry springs being given up because the new owner cannot/doesn’t have the time to learn/have them in their life.

Today is also Petfinder’s  Birthday and they are having a party in which they hope to have 15,000 pets adopted this weekend. If you are interested in adopting a new pet whether it be a ferret or not check their site out and see what shelter/rescue is near you.

But above all else do your research into the pet/breed you are thinking about getting. Not all pets/breeds are for everyone and why should these fur babies get left behind cause someone didn’t do his/her research?

Today I’ll highlight 5 adoptable ferrets that are new to the petfinder site. You will have to click on their picture to find out more about them.

  Rosaline from South Hadley, MA

Dweezel from Sandusky, OH

Tiki from Murphysboro, IL

Wiggles from Lahaska, PA

and lastly but not least is Sid. An Albino from Cleveland, OH

Note: Shelters and Rescues when you post on Petfinder.com it is great to add pictures but you need to give more information about these little guys. I know sometimes there isn’t any information but just putting the very basic and generic information may not help these little guys find furever homes.

Have a Chittering Good Day

Jo



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2 comments:

Cat and DOG Chat With Caren said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRRRRTHDAY TO YOU AND PETFINDER! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUUU!!!

I am going to share this with my friend who just adopted two ferrets. She will love it!

Thanks for posting about ferret adoption because so many of us like myself would never know this important info!

Mariodacat said...

I wish oomans would take the time to really learn about all breeds of anipals before they adopt. Maybe if they studied about the anipal before they adopted, fewer would be turned into shelters.