Is Giving Up Your Pet The Best And Only Option?

Are you moving?  Having a baby?  Think you've developed allergies?  Well surely the only option is to give up your pet.  NO!  That is not necessarily true!

There are a lot of places in your area that will accept your pet if you are moving and if you cannot afford to pay the pet fees up front most places will work with you and allow you to make payments. Your local shelter may have suggestions as to which apartments allow pets and which ones allow "bully breeds".  There are some that will allow them and most that won't and some will allow them if you get a note from your vet saying s/he is a mix of something that is not a "bully breed".  In my opinion that is not appropriate since those dogs are normally very sweet but you can read about supposedly dangerous breeds on another blog I wrote on this site.

If you are having a baby and already have a pet then you can work with a behaviorist.  Cats especially can sense hormonal changes in your body even before you can so your cat or dog may act differently toward you before you even know you are pregnant.  If that is the case and you have been trying to get pregnant then take a test to see because you may be expecting!  This does not necessarily mean you have to give up your pet unless there is some aggression involved that cannot be resolved through working with a behaviorist such as the one listed below.

http://familypaws.com/

Finally, what I want to touch on is quite honestly the most abused reason for giving up an animal...allergies.  The truth is if you think you might be allergic to cats then spend some time with several cats prior to adopting one so you will know for sure if you are allergic to the one you want to adopt prior to take him/her home.  Getting allergy tested is also an option.  Once you bring this animal into your home then the dander is there.  Cat dander is stickier than dog dander is can stay in your home for at least 6 months even after the cat is gone so the fact that you give the cat away doesn't mean the allergen is necessarily gone unless you wash every surface to include furniture and curtains.    People also think that they are allergic to the fur but that is also not the case.  It is the protein in the animal's saliva to which they are allergic.

http://www.asthmacenter.com/index.php/News/details/pet_allergy/

There are so many things to help with allergies, moving and babies and it doesn't necessarily mean you have to part with your furry family member.  Adopting or even purchasing a pet should be a lifetime commitment so giving them up to a shelter where they may be euthanized should not be an option unless aggressiveness is an issue and even then that should be medically checked prior to rehoming.

Of course, not everyone will agree with today's post and I do not expect that however I am hopeful that it will create some thought in case someone is thinking about giving up their pet.  Lots of things happen when animals lose their homes to include not eating, depression, not drinking, behavioral changes that can be perceived as aggression, etc.  Please see some advice before surrendering.

If you have any comments or questions please let us know and tell your family and friends about us.  Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Flipbook!  Thanks for reading!