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Questions tagged [adoption]

The act of permanently assuming responsibility for a pet from the original owner(s).

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47 votes
8 answers
34k views

Is this normal first day home behavior for my kitten, or should I be concerned?

My girlfriend and I received a kitten last night from a neighbor whose cat had a litter. It's my first cat (first interactive pet), but she's had experience in the past. According to our neighbor, our ...
Glenak1911's user avatar
24 votes
5 answers
12k views

Is it ok to adopt a kitten if you have a murderous cat?

So my sister wants to adopt a little kitten that is roughly 3 weeks old. My fear is, our cat is somewhat of a murderer. He just kills for fun and not eating. You may see him hunt a rat, slash the ...
Mr.J's user avatar
  • 282
22 votes
7 answers
5k views

Is it a responsible action to adopt a starving kitten when I live in a very small place?

Recently, I expressed to a friend my reservations in adopting one of the starving kittens badly needing someone to take care of them, due to my worries that it will ultimatly be miserable living in my ...
Courage Mind's user avatar
20 votes
1 answer
432 views

As a complete novice, what costs should I plan for when adopting a shelter cat?

I have never adopted an animal. What costs are there? What about: The adoption costs Food costs Litter bix/bedding Vet Pet sitting for trips Etc. What categories did I miss? How often do expenses ...
Brian Rushton's user avatar
20 votes
2 answers
774 views

What do I need to know before adopting an FIV-positive cat?

When I adopted my current cats last year, the folks at the shelter asked me if I would consider adopting some of their Feline Immunodeficieny Virus (FIV)-positive cats since I did not have any other ...
Monica Cellio's user avatar
18 votes
1 answer
244 views

Are there any health or behavioral issues specific to tripod (3-legged) dogs?

There is a very sweet dog at the shelter that was in an accident and only has 3 legs. Are there any specific behavioral or health issues I should take into account when deciding whether or not to ...
Julie Baumler's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
11k views

Cat REALLY wants to leave his "safe" room after 1 day at our house

We got a Birman cat a day ago and he just sits at the door of his safe room at meows a majority of the time I'm sitting in his room. He will also come to me and wait for me to notice him and then walk ...
JoshMann15's user avatar
12 votes
6 answers
9k views

Is it a good idea to buy fish online rather than from a local pet store?

I'm very new to keeping fish as pets. I was surprised to find out that you can order fish online and have them shipped. Is there any way to be sure that the fish will be healthy? Should I just stick ...
Michael Whatcott's user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
3k views

How to convince people not to buy, but adopt

I live in India where there are significant numbers of local dogs in need of adoption into loving homes. However many of the people looking to get a dog are instead more focused on purchasing ...
Ram Keswani's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
1k views

What should I know before I decide to adopt a rabbit?

We are thinking about adopting a pet rabbit. We would love to have one in our home for Easter and I do not think that they would be much work or require much time the rest of the year. But I do not ...
user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
640 views

What "due dilligence" measures should I follow when adopting / buying a dog?

My wife and I are about to be first time pet owners, and I am wondering, what should I do as "due dilligence"? So far, I can think of the following items, but I am sure I am probably missing some ...
Jonathan's user avatar
  • 751
11 votes
3 answers
6k views

How to stop adopted stray/feral cat from scratching trees?

I'm in New Zealand. The cat (probably female), has been with us for 5 years, but my parents are sick of her killing our trees with her claws. We think she was abandoned by her previous owners and ...
user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
42k views

How long should you keep an adopted rescue cat indoors?

I was wondering how long you should keep an adopted rescue cat indoors before allowing it to explore outside. I've been told anything from 2 weeks to 3 months. Thanks everyone. At the moment she's ...
Wildwookie's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
202 views

How long can I spend with an animal to get to know it before adopting?

When adopting a pet I obviously want to make sure I'm making the right decision. Taking an animal that I would have to return later would cause unnecessary stress to the animal, as well as being ...
starsplusplus's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
782 views

How do I spot potential problem behavior when adopting a dog?

Frequently people are adopting dogs from rescue shelters. Adopting any adult dog can be a bit of a challenge in that it's hard to know the dog's history. Some rescue dogs have a history of abuse and/...
user avatar
10 votes
5 answers
685 views

How should we handle our two new senior cats having different food than what our other cats eat?

Today we will be picking up two senior cats (11 and 13 years) that had to be given up by their previous owner. These two cats are being fed a different brand of dry food than what we give our other ...
Beofett's user avatar
  • 9,121
10 votes
3 answers
494 views

What should I consider before deciding to adopt a ferret?

I want to adopt a ferret in addition to my dog and chickens. The answers to "Do ferrets get along with other pets?" suggest ferrets will have no problems with other pets as long as they still get ...
user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
207 views

What danger signs indicate health issues when aquiring a new dog?

I am considering buying or adopting a new dog, and was wondering what signs I should look for to indicate health issues?
Andrew's user avatar
  • 973
9 votes
3 answers
6k views

Am I allowed to take existing pets to the shelter to meet potential pets?

Am I allowed to take my existing pets to the shelter to meet my potential new pet to check they get on before adopting? Should I ask the shelter first, and if so what do I say?
starsplusplus's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
223 views

Can I adopt a Presidentially-pardoned Thanksgiving turkey?

Today (November 28, 2013) is Thanksgiving Day in America, and for Thanksgiving, we eat a lot of turkeys. It is currently tradition for the U.S. President to give a "Presidential Pardon" to a turkey. ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
352 views

How do I make my chicken overcome his fears?

My new chicken was formerly living with my uncle before I adopted him. According to what my uncle told me, the chicken once experienced another chicken being killed with a knife. Since then this ...
user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
276 views

Strategy for taking in two very young, non-socialized stray cats

Two very young cats (siblings) moved into my yard and the surrounding properties. They first appeared when they were about 3-4 months old(?) and they're probably 5-6 months old now. I would like to ...
Robert Cartaino's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
235 views

First time owning a cat

This is the first time I have a cat in my life. She is almost 10 months. She came home yesterday and she was wandering around the house, which has a litter box, food, and water. This morning, I ...
A Newby's user avatar
  • 79
7 votes
4 answers
309 views

What factors are most important to adopters of rescue dogs?

I manage a website for the Oldies Club, which is a UK based dog rescue charity specialising in older dogs, which also advertises senior dogs for other charities around the UK, and I also offer ...
Victoria's user avatar
  • 1,411
7 votes
1 answer
221 views

I noticed many rescues do not offer same day adoptions, Why not?

I went to a local rescue shelter and fell in love with this great dog I met there. I filled out the application and was ready to take him home when they told me there would be a waiting period before ...
Critters's user avatar
  • 2,457
7 votes
3 answers
610 views

I'd like to adopt a cat, but I have allergies [duplicate]

Me and my SO would like to adopt a cat, however we have some concerns: Her parents have a cat (russian blue) and I'm quite allergic to it My nose starts running My eyes turn red and become itchy I ...
Evaldas Buinauskas's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
551 views

In the United States what percentage of purebred puppies are purchased/adopted?

Are there any reliable numbers on what percentage of purebred puppies are solid/adopted in the United States? Assuming that the majority of purebred puppies in the United States are created with ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
332 views

How can I find out if a dog I am considering is from a puppy mill?

I am considering adopting a dog from a locally owned pet store, it a registered breed and has a pedigree. Is there any way I can check to find out if the dog is from a puppy mill?
user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
215 views

What would be a good breed of dog for a first time owner?

My wife and I just bought a new house and we're interested in getting a dog companion. Problem is that neither of us has had a dog before and we're a bit uncertain what would be a good choice. The ...
dalecook's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
459 views

Accommodations for a dog that is missing teeth

I'm looking at adopting a dog. A shelter had removed most or all of the teeth from the dog's lower jaw (there may be a couple of teeth left). Some teeth may be missing from the upper jaw as well. ...
Alex Szatmary's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
12k views

Newly adopted cat won't eat

I just adopted an adult cat three days ago from a shelter. They didn't know how old she was because she came in as a stray. If I had to guess she is 3-5 years old. When we offer her food she won't ...
Schuyler's user avatar
  • 163
5 votes
1 answer
368 views

Why is it that many rescues charge more for adoptions than I could get a puppy for from a breeder?

I often see ads on Facebook and Craigslist for mixed breed puppies in the $50-100 range but it seems most rescues have fees that are 200+. I would think that a rescue organization would want to save ...
Critters's user avatar
  • 2,457
5 votes
2 answers
158 views

How do you make sure that you're adopting to a good home?

I came across a thread about avoiding giving pets to questionable people, not necessarily people who will mistreat the animals but turn them around and re-sell them. If you have a pet that you need ...
Spidercat's user avatar
  • 15.6k
5 votes
2 answers
665 views

I want to adopt cat(s) but my family has a relatively busy life. Should I? How?

I'm a cat person. I just love cats. I want to adopt all kittens I see! :D My background: I live in a congested part of Nepal's capital city. I live with my small family in a small house. All ...
munikarmanish's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
151 views

Seeking Advice on Adopting a FIV+ Cat [duplicate]

I'm intending to adopt a cat. My specific circumstances are that i live in a flat, one floor up, right next to a busy road. A cat door is out of the question, and i would not be comfortable allowing a ...
Jarad Ducroq's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
682 views

Hard to find black kitten, has something changed?

I got 3 kittens 16 years ago. I used the "Want Advertiser" which was a paper classifieds magazine for the local area (Massachusetts). There were tons of ads for free kittens, so I picked one and ended ...
Tyler Durden's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
30k views

New cat won't stop meowing

I have a new cat from the Humane Society that was once a street cat. It's about a year old and it won't stop meowing whenever it knows there's a human around. I've had it about a week and have kept it ...
Kittenman's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

What sort of questions will the rescue centre ask me to ensure I am ready to adopt?

I'm sure that animal shelters go to a lot of trouble to rehome their animals and make sure the new owners understand the responsibility they are taking on. After all, they don't want to see the animal ...
starsplusplus's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
146 views

Are abandoned cats or dogs harder to train?

I heard some theories that if a cat or dog is abandoned, when it is adopted again, it is harder to train them because they may be unable to trust human anymore, is it real?
Gstestso's user avatar
  • 831
4 votes
2 answers
459 views

Integrating a kitten - meowing back

We've recently gotten a (10 week old) kitten and we're trying to integrate her into the household. There is already an adult cat in the house, but we haven't arrived at the point of introducing them ...
Haedrian's user avatar
  • 345
4 votes
4 answers
21k views

My cat claws my face when snuggling and keeps waking me up

About 2 months ago I agreed to foster a feline leukemia positive cat because I love cats, own none (feline leukemia is highly contagious between cats so I was the perfect candidate for fostering since ...
Laura L.'s user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
12k views

How old should a puppy be whenever you adopt them?

I realize that a dog can never be too old to adopt, my parents just adopted a fairly senior citizen schnauzer. However, how young is too young to adopt a puppy? It's been a while, but I think we ...
zero298's user avatar
  • 245
4 votes
3 answers
8k views

Help! Adopted stray cat peeing on my bed all of a sudden

My female spayed cat Togepi was a stray cat until earlier this year (round about March) when we decided to take her in. As a stray cat she spent most of her time outside and refused to use a litter ...
Linda Botes's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
170 views

Should I change litter weekly even if it is hardly used?

In line with the n + 1 rule I planned to buy a third litter box. I inspect/scoop both my current boxes 1-2 times a day, and I hardly see any use of second one. It seems that it is a bit of waste to ...
Maja Piechotka's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
118 views

Foster dog suddenly violent

We took a foster dog 4 days ago and he's been a bit depressed, not eating nearly enough, no matter what food we give him, but all in all he is very calm and quiet. He's trained and does tricks, not ...
Naty's user avatar
  • 195
4 votes
2 answers
220 views

How much is mobility problems a concern in declawed cats?

We are looking to adopt a cat, and a cat we may have the opportunity to adopt is actually already declawed. I'm of course against declawing cats, but I'm willing to consider taking in a declawed cat ...
Kai's user avatar
  • 16.4k
4 votes
2 answers
177 views

Managing the gradual induction of stray cat into my life

I think one of the five stray cats that visit my verandah has taken a liking to me and she hung around for a really long time (45+ minutes) staring at me through my large glass windows AFTER she had ...
dearN's user avatar
  • 161
4 votes
2 answers
232 views

Cultural and inter-cat problems with adopting two kittens

I know this is broad question but I am thinking about adopting a kitten soon. However I started thinking about two for their welfare. However my parents, who live on another side of the world, are a ...
User12345's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
496 views

Found 4 kittens in a bush in my side yard, don't know what to do

I heard some kittens meowing yesterday and I went to investigate the source and found a litter of 4 kittens in a bush. I figured that their mom would come back so I let them be. I checked on them ...
abustamam's user avatar
  • 141
4 votes
2 answers
164 views

Seeking advice on managing and adopting a stray cat

I live with 2 cats in a quiet residential area in Tokyo. For the past few months, a stray cat keeps coming to our house and I've been feeding him everyday. He spends most of a day in our backyard ...
bal's user avatar
  • 71