April 26, 2011

How much does a pet cost?

You might want to sit down for this one. The estimated cost for taking care of a dog over a 13-year lifespan, depending on your location and the overall health of the animal, among other factors, can cost from $4,000 to over $35,000. Most of us would argue that living with a beloved pet is an experience which we can’t put a price on. But knowledge of the tangible cost for pet care, if considered before adopting a pet, might prevent a  number of pets from being poorly cared for, abused, or ultimately abandoned.

April is financial literacy month, a good time to consider what the cost of having a pet might be. There seem to be as many financial factors to consider as there are species of animals available.

The first consideration is your living environment and how willing you and your family are to adapting it to suit a pet. If you’re a city dweller, it isn’t likely that you’ll be able to keep a large dog in your condo. If you are an active family that is only home a few hours a day because of work and school commitments, adopting a pet that needs many hours of attention paid to it each day isn’t advisable.

Doing your homework well in advance of adding a pet to your home can save you from the heartbreak of having to find a home for a pet whose needs you cannot meet.

The ASPCA of New York offers a chart of typical items needed to make a pet at home (www.aspca.org/adoption/pet-care-costs.aspx). The items  are categorized as annual costs, capital or initial costs, and special cost, which is determined by unusual characteristics such as grooming needs. Novice pet owners, for example, may not realize that monthly flea preventives are not included in the veterinary fee. Costs for such necessities as scoopable kitty litter or bedding materials for small rodents should also be budgeted for regularly. The costs over the lifespan of your pet can be substantial.

Remember that the price of pet supplies is also subject to state and local taxes and shipping, if you’re purchasing online. If buying supplies at the local pet store is your practice, factor in the cost of transportation as well.

Prospective pet owners would also be wise to find out what veterinary care is available for unusual pets such as chinchillas or exotic fish, which might be a budget-breaker if a specialist must be called in an emergency. Pet insurance is also available, but can vary as to coverage and costs. Some pet owners have begun a savings account to use in the event that unusually expensive veterinary care becomes necessary.

For a broad view of pet costs, the ASPCA’s chart is a starting point. The first-year figures range from $1,843 for a large dog to $235 for fish. While it doesn’t state what year this chart was prepared, some of the yearly estimates seem unusually low to me. Make a trip to the pet store and compare current prices to the chart’s before running the totals again. Call the local veterinary hospital to ask about vaccinations and other common pet care health costs to add to your figures.

The only thing not considered in the chart’s totals is time. Even if you can handle the financial aspects of pet guardianship, a pet must be fed, groomed, and exercised daily. If, after all your research, you’re still determined to adopt a pet, be prepared for the cost of adjusting your home as well as your family’s lifestyle to make the commitment possible.

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Filed under cats, dogs, guinea pig, pet health, pets, rabbits

April 12, 2011

Wildlife rehabilitators needed

My mother could tolerate almost any wildlife my sister and I were curious about, but snakes? She didn’t even like to look at one. Still, she taught us to respect any wild animal and its habitat. One summer morning we found a couple of sparrows whose nest had fallen out of the shrubs in front of our house. We waited from a safe distance until the mother bird returned to the nest. She came and went with food for the little ones, right to the nest where it still rested on the ground. But we knew that the nest was not safe left on the ground.

There are limits to what anyone can do with wild animals. What if you find a baby animal in the woods that appears to be all alone? The New York State Wildlife Rehabilitators’ web site (www.nyswrc.org) says not to interfere, that “babies often stray from their parents to explore. Many baby birds leave their nest before they are able to fly. All too often a child or well meaning adult will take such an animal, thinking it is an orphan.  Interference can mean death for a young animal and distress for the parent. Watch patiently from afar and usually a parent will appear, to care for its young.”

Would be “helpers” should note that it’s illegal to keep a wild animal without a license.  If you do find an animal you think is hurt or abandoned, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. Contact your local Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) or the New York State Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (NYSWRC). These volunteers are licensed by the state and federal government to care for injured and orphaned wildlife.  Each spring in New York alone, thousands of orphaned wildlife are placed in their care. Licensed rehabilitators will raise them so that they can be released back to the wild.

If you would like to know more about becoming a wildlife rehabilitator, go to the website at www.nyswrc.org. You can join the membership committee for NYSWRC online. It states, “Members consist of licensed wildlife rehabilitators and assistants, veterinarians, wildlife professionals, and other interested lay persons… There are three classifications for membership: Individual, Household, and Organization.” To become a member of the committee, print a membership application from the NYSWRC website, fill in your information and mail to NYSWRC Membership Committee, 1850 North Forest Rd., Williamsville NY 14221. Or you may call or e-mail Membership Chair Jean Alden  (716-636-8904) for information on membership.

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Filed under pets

March 29, 2011

The ‘Awww’ Factor

 

Spencer offers a blank stare to the camera. Perhaps a few treats will encourage him to relax a bit for his portrait.

There’s a rumor that those who make items for sale may build a little less quality in an item so that buyers of the goods will have to replace them eventually — “planned obsolescence.” Of course, some things only make sense to expire: would you use last year’s calendar to plan your daily tasks in the present?

But many of us still hang on to items that anyone in their right mind would discard. Who knows? Someday someone may come up with a replacement for that beloved knick-knack that’s even better than the original, in the meantime I’ll hang on to the original. I have trouble parting with my expired calendars because I like the photos used in them. My most favorite ones are, of course, of my favorite pets: cats. I’m not a species snob, though. In fact, a calendar of dogs or other animals would be a welcome gift to me. If I can’t have a 3-D, living, breathing puppy, what better way to admire the canine set if only through the pages of a bright and shiny new calendar?

In fact, pet photography is a challenge in its own right, and the best photos are taken by those photographers who know how to calm the little (and not-so-little) furry friends. They must feed the four-legged subjects before they bring out the camera, since most portraits of pets I’ve seen portray very sleepy pets indeed. But I like to gaze at them anyway, wondering what each one is like when awake and playful.

If you’ve never tried getting a good snapshot of your pet, give it a whirl (your camera, not your pet). Remember to reinforce the good behavior, and try remain calm and cheerful as long as you possibly can. A few well-placed treats can help direct your pet’s behavior, so long as you keep them to a minimum and don’t ruin your pet’s supper. Finding a comfortable way to include your pets in a family portrait probably would be a little hectic, but if you have kids who can help sort out where everyone stands or sits, it can speed things along.

Once you have a few prints to choose from, sit down with all the family and listen for the appreciative “awww”s!

 

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Filed under cats, dogs, guinea pig, pets, rabbits

March 15, 2011

A one-time space invader

There was a tiny hole high in the corner of the porch where the frame of the screen did not meet completely. Here the finch must have poked its ruby-feathered head in, and, thinking it was safe, fluttered inside. What happened next, I cannot say for certain. Two of the indoor-only cats had been napping in the quiet of the screened porch, while I did household chores. When I returned to the porch only moments later, the deed had been done.

There was only a lifeless bird on the floor and two puzzled feline faces looking up at me.

Even if I’d known the little space invader had gotten indoors, I might not have been able to save it. The boredom of a summer afternoon was broken by a tantalizing bit of fluff — a disaster for the finch.

Feral cats are subject to harsh weather conditions, poor hygiene, parasites, and a limited source of food. Almost as soon as her kittens open their eyes, a mother cat begins teaching her babies how to hunt. Bringing cats indoors doesn’t squelch that instinct, but it does make it a safer world for them than living outdoors.

The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) wants people to know that “cats, wildlife, and people all benefit when cats are kept indoors, confined to an enclosure when outdoors, or trained to go outside on a harness and leash.”

The ABC also maintains that Trap, Neuter, Release programs (also known as TNR) do not address the issue of the effect of feral cats on the bird population. While ABC does not cite any studies as evidence of their statistics, it is a fact that felines will hunt for food even though they may have a reliable source of food available to them. TNR programs do provide more control over the size of a feral cat colony than leaving the colony alone, and they also vaccinate against rabies.

How can you assure that your feline pets keep their paws to themselves?

• Keep cats indoors, using an enclosed area such as a porch when the weather permits. (Make sure that there are no gaps where birds can sneak inside the enclosure.)

• If your pet is used to going outdoors, train them to a harness and leash so that you can control where they go.

• Keep bird feeders away from the ground and locate them where birds can fly to cover, in a tree or other shrub, if needed.

• Provide play time for your pets with appropriate toys that allow them to use their hunting skills in a safe way.

• Spay and neuter your pets. It prevents overpopulation and can reduce their instinct to roam.

The finch lay still on the porch floor.

The finch was buried under the forsythia, and the hole under the eave was patched to prevent another mishap.

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Filed under cats, pet health

March 8, 2011

You are what you eat?

One argument for preparing your pet’s food yourself is that you can provide a variety of food that’s fresh, with high quality ingredients. If you have the time, and access to the materials needed, this would surely seem to be the best route for the health of your pet.

I, for one, don’t feel that I can provide the same standard of quality that most pet food manufacturers have developed. But after the Melamine Pet Food Recall of 2007, in which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) learned that certain pet foods were making animals ill and killing cats and dogs, there has been an increase in interest in preparing food for pets at home.

Can the consumer test home-prepared food adequately to know that all the nutritional needs of his or her pet are being met? At www.peteducation.com, a website maintained by pet suppliers Drs. Foster & Smith, it’s noted that there are essential amino acids that animals need for health, and especially in cats, the amino acid taurine. “Dogs can synthesize taurine, and therefore, it is not supplemented in their food. This is why there is the old adage that dogs can eat cat food but cats cannot eat dog food. A deficiency in any of the amino acids can cause health-related problems.”

Ask for information about pet food from your veterinarian, who should be aware of any special dietary needs your pet might have. No abrupt changes in your pet’s diet should be pursued without discussing the nutritional needs of your pet with your vet first.

New Pet Food Recall
WellPet LLC (www.wellnesspetfood.com) has voluntarily recalled certain lots of Wellness® canned cat food due to possible insufficient amounts of thiamine (vitamin B1) in the product. The lots involved in this voluntary recall are Wellness Canned Cat Food (all flavors and sizes) with best-by dates from 14APR 13 through 30SEP13, as well as Wellness Canned Cat Food Chicken & Herring (all sizes) with 10NOV13 or 17NOV13 best buy dates. Consumers who still have cans of cat food from these lots should stop feeding them to their cats and call WellPet LLC at (877) 227-9587 M-F, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, or visit the website www.wellnesspetfood.com

WellPet discovered the lower thiamine levels during independent testing with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) in response to a single, isolated consumer complaint received by the USFDA. The company says no other reports were received but they are issuing the recall as a precaution.

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Filed under cats, dogs, pet health

February 22, 2011

Meet my inspiration

smiling cat Roxie

Very clever cats can make their debut online at Icanhascheezburger.com, where the “lolcats” rule. Lol – short for “laugh out loud” – is what to say when you find something funny, though this precious feline isn’t saying what she’s smiling about. Viewers can submit photos to the Icanhascheezburger.com web site and vote for captions that fit the photo’s subject. For example, this cat might be captioned “Just wait until you find out where the goldfish is NOW!”

They are an ambitious bunch, the people who devote most of their time to writing about pets. Without access to the Internet, many of them would be limited today to a small readership, like those of you who follow my Give Us Paws column here at the Democrat. When I started writing my column in 2005, I had no idea how I might find a weekly topic for 52 weeks of the year, much less five years of them.

It has been challenging. And never dull.

If you’ve been with me since the start, you’ve read about the first-day-of-kindergarten fiasco when our now-senior kitty Marbles had a serious incident involving common household string.

You might remember when she lost her first kitten tooth, and how the Tooth Fairy refused to leave her anything under her pillow – an oversight, to be sure. For pets are definitely part of our family, even if the Tooth Fairy doesn’t recognize them.

I’ve written about the neighborhood felines who’ve traipsed through our yard (and our lives), the small furry creatures we’ve nurtured as well as the scaly, wet and finned ones. Health issues, pet food recalls, Michael Vick’s heinous crimes, and more, there are a million things that bear investigation.

There is almost too much to say about our pets, from the serious issues like the perils of dog fighting and the injustices of puppy mills, to the touching and whimsical photos of lolcats on the web. They bring us smiles and sighs, but can we live so well without our pets?

For the last few months it has seemed like an explosion of information about pets on the Internet, with new web blogs (blogs) every few days. Want to know more about them? I’ll be writing about some of them over the next few weeks.

There are many admirable writers, devoting their energy to improving the lives of pets, from reptiles to rabbits, puppies to parakeets.

What more can a pet person expect?

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Filed under pets

February 15, 2011

Follow the weight loss road

There seem to be few outlets for recreation in the winter that don’t require bundling up in layers of insulated clothing. It can weigh you down before you even take one step.

Anyone who makes it through the winter without gaining a few pounds has my admiration. Holiday meals and Valentine treats entice us to indulge. Extra calories add up for all of us as extra weight. Unfortunately, restricting calories can add to the problem. The metabolic rate we’re used to can kick into the “save” mode, once our usual intake of food has been reduced.

So no one should start a diet program without checking in with the family physician first. Once given the green light by the doctor, discussing our dietary options and adding exercise to our weekly routine are factors that are likely to have positive results.

Pets can have the same problem with weight gain. Since they don’t have trouble getting into last year’s swimsuit to remind them that they’ve had a few too many snacks, they may gain weight so slowly that we don’t notice right away.

Allowed to self-feed or to graze from a full food dish during the day, dogs and cats and other pets can begin eating without feeling satisfaction.

Nothing to do? Eat something.

Feeling depressed? Eat something.

Not sure what to eat? Eat several somethings, trying to find a taste to combat boredom.

Sound familiar? At least humans can be aware of their weight problems, and act to change their condition.

Our pets can only eat what we put in front of them. (Or what they may sneak from a neighboring pet’s bowl!)

The danger of obesity in pets is similar to ours. Especially since pets live longer lives today, they can also suffer diseases that we are subject to, including diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Check with your pet’s veterinarian about weight concerns. Don’t be tempted to put your pet on a diet on your own. In some cases, dietary changes in pets can trigger serious health problems. The vet can help you structure a plan to decrease your pet’s caloric intake and increase exercise safely. Combined, they can help your pet achieve weight loss safely.

Having a buddy to share in an exercise routine may work to your advantage: you and your four-legged friend may both become slimmer and healthier. Longer lives, together? That’s as good a reason as any to get started on the road to a healthier you. And Toto too.

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Filed under cats, dogs, guinea pig, pet health, pets, rabbits