#pet ownership

[orcinus-veterinarius]

I can think of a really easy solution to this problem.

[thepetcares]

Car’s engine is running

Source: instagram.com

[dykeredhood]

Idk how “many places are simply not meant for dogs” has been perverted into something harsh… dog “parents” should feel grateful that there are restaurants with dog-friendly patios at all; it’s usually in restaurants’ best interests health & safety-wise to only allow dead and suitably cooked animals into the place

[louisinart]

PSA for folks who just got a cat/dog or are considering getting a cat/dog from former vet receptionist:

As early as you can, sit down and ask yourself the question: am i willing to let this critter get very ill and/or die without medical intervention? Am i willing to watch them decline (or choose euthanasia) and not take any steps to prolong their life? I know it sounds harsh, but I've met people who both love their pets and don't see the point in putting a dog through chemotherapy. Personally, I don't see the point in casting judgement on those people -- including if you discover that you're one of them. If this is you (and you're really, really sure about it), you're all set.

If instead you end up deciding that the life and wellness of your pet is worth fighting for, sign up for pet insurance. Do it right now. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, and (if you can) avoid the vet until you have. Many pet insurance companies refuse to insure animals with a preexisting condition, which means anything that the vet finds could damage your ability to get covered. Even if they were examined at the shelter, there's a chance the shelter vet missed something that your neighborhood vet won't. Don't take that risk! It's better to have insurance when you don't need it than not be able to get it when you do.

And I can hear you asking: what's so important about having pet insurance anyway? And the answer is something every pet owner will eventualy learn: Vet bills are medical bills. At the vet i worked at, check-in appointments were $75, meds could run you anywhere from $30-100 a bottle, and most non-routine surgeries (which are the majority of surgeries) cost thousands. I once watched a family rack up $16,000 to bring their dog back from liver failure. In my personal life I've met people who are saddled with thousands in medical debt for a pet that didn't end up making it. Vet bills are medical bills and, like medical bills, they can ruin your life if you're not ready for them.

At the end of the day, when you adopt a pet you are also committing to care for them when they're old and sick. It's not a question of whether you'll need to get medical care for your pet but when, and its Very Easy to only realize you need pet insurance when it's already too late.

Short of hoping they go missing when they're still young, in my experience you have three options: get pet insurance, commit to not treating medical issues, or take on thousands of dollars worth of costs. How you navigate that choice is up to you, but I would strongly advise avoiding option 3.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

To be honest, the most complicated thing about less/non conventional pets is that it's way harder to have access to good food/veterinary care/acessories. About environment and interaction though, I'm under the impression that most people seriously underestimate the care cats and dogs need; and that makes the care of less conventional pets seeing overwhelming when, actually, it is more like taking animal well being seriously. That's very in short, of course. For instance, aquariums may be very hard to set up and keep up, parrots have high social needs, and so on, but for some lifestyles they are a very good fit, even better than conventional pets. For the other side, many people stay with more conventional pets like cats/dogs when they can't offer a good care, but just because.

Agreed 100%. Too many people just do not treat animals correctly in all directions.

For some people, dogs would be a bad pet (like me), but parrots are perfect. For others, it's the reverse. The list goes on.

Instead of acting like any choice is inherently bad, or starting a moral panic on the internet, we need to apply NUANCE. nuuuuuaaaaance.

[orchid-merryweather]

Cat ownership is sitting and watching your cat breath for an entire minute because the wild animal laying in the middle of your bed stopped snoring

[xerserise]

PSA (Public Service Announcement)

A company that made pet microchips has gone out of business, and their database of owners is no longer accessible.

If your pet has been chipped, check to see who the manufacturer is. If it was made/listed by Save This Life, you can register the chip with a different database.

[myfandomrealitea]

Re: pet evacuation

I don't know how you'd do it with other creatures since I've never had any, but I've always trained my dogs to come find me immediately when they hear the fire alarm. Not too hard with food motivated creatures; give them a tasty treat whenever they hear a fire alarm and they'll learn to search you out real damn fast when they hear it. You start out more often so they learn what to do and what everything means, but now I just reinforce it every once in a while.

Sending this ask bc so many people are so daunted by how to approach this type of training that they just never do it; maybe it'll help take away some of the "holy shit how the fuck do I even do that" panic

Pretty much any animal can be trained via food. Animals are extremely motived by food due to the instinctual drive to eat to survive and eat what they can, when they can.

Training an animal just takes time, effort and consistency. In the future I'll probably compile a list of resources for people who are interested in training their animals with emergency protocols and desensitization.

Training your dog to come to you or go to the front door in emergencies is a good place to start

[flirts-with-dragons]

I have two rabbits and what they don't tell you about rabbits is:

They are the most chaotically evil dumb little shits ever. They think 0% of the time. They get angry at you for not allowing them to die in their own filth. They will declare war on your floors and cables. But they're so goddamn cute and silly you have to forgive them for it.

They're basically if a human toddler was smaller and extremely fast and slippery, with really sharp claws and teeth.

But again, they are adorable and very loveable and so so so funny. Definitely a creature I would recommend coexisting with

[purple-slimy]

Having a pet is such a pre-determined tragedy. Like I will most likely outlive you, you are a little thing that live in my house, I love you, I will remember you for the rest of my life, I know how this story ends, you will leave me sooner rather than later.

Loving you is a losing game

[orcinus-veterinarius]

This Thanksgiving…

- Save your pet the stomachache…

- Save your vet the headache…

- Save yourself the heartache…

Sharing isn’t caring!!! Fatty Thanksgiving foods lead to pancreatitis, which can be life-threatening. I know they’re cute when they beg, but it’s for their own good.

[roseate-felidae]

Hi pet tumblr,

I have autism and my parents dislike cats and I'm only allowed one in two years time when I get my own space (and allowed more freedom).

This is messing with my autism as cats and rabbits are special interests.

I've got severe clinical depression and its not helping at all (just compounding it). I can't speed up time or guarantee anything.

I would prefer to be more realistic a bit more, so as not to view everything through rose tinted glasses both for good ownership (ie. Dose of reality Vs internet) and not to pine for something out of my control.

I know a lot of cat pros. Can't ask family for cons as they hate them unrealistically (ie. Say they are evil, always spiteful, can't love you etc.).

Could you give me some cat negatives please?

Or tell me some things that rabbits might be better at instead (I do keep rabbits, but can't compare as not owned cat).

I would like to be more comfortable, than live in cloud cuckoo land and be miserable for it. Also just appreciate what I already have more.

Thanks.

Ps. Yes I've had therapy, it failed and I'm on medication for depression already. Autism support groups didn't help.

Also I know rabbits are easy to look after aswell.

Also on Reddit, but I want a good ray of opinions

[thepetcares]

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[dykeredhood]

Part of responsible pet ownership is finding a pet sitter if you’ll be away for a chunk of time & training your animal to behave when left alone at home for short periods

I have no sympathy for people bringing a pet to the grocery store or the bank because they can’t leave their animal at home

[lilyminer]

I understand the near-universal appeal of the various cute, fluffy mammalian pets. After all many of them have a similar kind of social bonding that we enjoy.

But let me tell you, nothing will be cuter to me than the symphony of softly clinking shells from my two hermit crabs as I woke up every morning. I’m fully aware they were probably just awaiting their morning snack but I loved watching them come up to the glass and watch me as I got ready and took care of them for the morning.

[jhameia]

I've decided my favourite cat breeds are the ones with pretty extreme features that look like lil' alien friends: Sphynx, Devon Rex, Oriental Shorthair, Munchkin.

I do not understand the hype behind the British Shorthair, I'm sorry, they're just.... so uninteresting to look at? Can someone explain to me their appeal, because they, the Americal Curls, Scottish Fold, and flat-faced Persians are very popular locally and I cannot fathom why (especially the flat-faced Persians, which always look like they are on the verge of asphyxiation)... and folks even breed these!! TOGETHER!!!

I can also kinda understand the appeal of the Bengal, but it's the same way I understand the appeal of the Husky.... folks like how they LOOK and have no idea what they really signed up for.