61
votes
Accepted
Is this normal first day home behavior for my kitten, or should I be concerned?
This seems pretty standard for a kitten that was separated from her mother and siblings maybe a bit too young. 6 weeks old used to be the standard age to send kittens to new homes, and it won't hurt ...
- 1,566
57
votes
Accepted
How can we find a dog to "test drive"?
Fostering is a great way to see if you're ready to commit to a dog, contact your local rescues to see what kind of dogs are available.
The perks with fostering are:
1) You're helping a dog in need.
...
- 12.6k
33
votes
Is this normal first day home behavior for my kitten, or should I be concerned?
6 weeks is way too young to be separated from her mother. Unless there is an emergency reason, I strongly suggest returning this kitten to her mother for at least another 6 weeks. Good breeders ...
- 593
30
votes
How can we find a dog to "test drive"?
I don't know specifically about England, but here in Germany, many pet shelters are looking for volunteers who (regularily) take dogs for a walk. Even if they might not have your specific breed ...
- 417
15
votes
How can we find a dog to "test drive"?
Other answers are good. One thing you might not have thought of is to go on a walk for an hour every morning and an hour every evening. See how you feel after doing this for a month. Don't allow ...
- 251
12
votes
How can we find a dog to "test drive"?
Many foster agencies will let you let you take a dog for Monday - Friday and then decide. They want to place the dog in a good fit.
Within a breed personalities differ. I would base the decision ...
- 1,015
12
votes
Is this normal first day home behavior for my kitten, or should I be concerned?
Act soon on hydration.
Dehydration is a big worry - they don't have much in the way of reserves. We nearly lost two after taking them home at barely 6 weeks (we were told 8 but I believe the vet ...
- 481
11
votes
Is this normal first day home behavior for my kitten, or should I be concerned?
A couple of things to be aware of with a meowing kitten: 1) If they are an oriental breed like a siamese, they will be very chatty with you. My oriental shorthair has a large vocabulary of meows at ...
- 111
10
votes
How can we find a dog to "test drive"?
As others have already stated, you'll definitely want to look at organisations that are looking for volunteers for both fostering but also dog walking.
For example, The UK's Blue Cross have a scheme ...
- 5,125
10
votes
How does one go about selecting a "good" rescue shelter?
Years of experience of taking in second hand dogs here - I quickly gave up trying to deal with the sort of private shelter you apparently want to get a dog from. Many of them treat you with a degree ...
- 101
8
votes
How can we find a dog to "test drive"?
https://www.borrowmydoggy.com/ is a website that allows just this - you can get matched with local dog owners to give their dogs walks. It's potentially a simpler starter than fostering. I've not used ...
- 189
8
votes
Accepted
How to improve a dog's obsession with food?
The reactions you describe - her panicky state, shivering and inability to follow simple commands - points to a visceral reaction comparable to a panic attack.
Humans and animals have different ...
Elmy♦
- 33.3k
7
votes
Is this normal first day home behavior for my kitten, or should I be concerned?
According to a site I reference frequently for pet questions, "The Spruce Pets",
kittens of that age should be fed an average of 4 times a day...with moist kitten food or dry kitten food moistened ...
- 171
6
votes
Is this normal first day home behavior for my kitten, or should I be concerned?
It is normal, but you need to give her a lot of care. A young kitten is very different from a not so young one. You will have to spend a lot of time with her for the next 2 to 6 weeks.
We ended up ...
- 181
6
votes
Rescue from hell or just doesn't like me?
Kittens are high energy; there's a reason why it's frequently recommended to adopt two kittens if you plan to adopt one, and that's because, in pairs, they can burn off each other's energy.
You ...
- 6,487
6
votes
How can we find a dog to "test drive"?
I'd suggest looking for your local dog park. Whether you find a "test" dog or not, it'll give you a chance to see a large variety of breeds and how they will interact with other breeds and humans.
...
- 61
6
votes
Accepted
What factors are most important to adopters of rescue dogs?
I recently read about the "Meet Your Match" dog assessment system by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that is backed by scientific research and concentrates on ...
Elmy♦
- 33.3k
5
votes
Accepted
Shy dog won't walk on leash
I have some limited experience with a street dog that went through a rescue program and was adopted.
Sometimes dogs shy away from human attention, especially if they had negative experiences with ...
Elmy♦
- 33.3k
4
votes
My cat claws my face when snuggling and keeps waking me up
Shut Him Out at Night
While these behaviors may be correctable, it could take a lot of work and time that it doesn't sound like you are able to commit right now. The best course of action would be to ...
- 130
4
votes
My cat claws my face when snuggling and keeps waking me up
First, remember that you did a good thing by agreeing to foster this cat for a few months. Right now you feel very stressed out, so when these problems occur you feel guilty because you've grown to ...
- 7,662
4
votes
Can I train a cat/dog to capture stray/feral kittens?
Dogs are easier to train than cats, short answer is yes it is possible to train dogs to catch kittens. Many breeds of dogs can be "soft mouth" trained. In this scenario the animal they are retrieving ...
- 29.3k
4
votes
Is this normal first day home behavior for my kitten, or should I be concerned?
When we brought our kitten (now cat) Thor home, he struggled to adjust to the new environment for a bit - he wanted to cuddle a lot and would go to sleep on my shoulder, but didn't eat very much. We ...
- 41
4
votes
Accepted
How can I help Dogs and Cats in a place without animal rights
If you cannot find a professional organization that helps feral animals, there is really not much you can do, but much you can do wrong!
Things you can do
You can offer a container with clean water
...
Elmy♦
- 33.3k
4
votes
Is this normal first day home behavior for my kitten, or should I be concerned?
If you're concerned about her eating habits, you could try feeding her soft kitten food and see if she'll eat more of that.
As for the constant sleeping, I've had a few kittens who I've gotten at ...
- 83
3
votes
How can we find a dog to "test drive"?
Don't get too hung up on specific breeds especially if you are looking to foster. The act of looking after a dog in itself is key to knowing if it's right for you. I tend to think that you need to fit ...
- 319
3
votes
How can I give away my cats?
Look into local rescue organizations or humane societies/no-kill shelters. These places will frequently be able to take over the work of rehoming the cats for you, and at a bare minimum will be able ...
- 6,487
3
votes
Why is my dog playful and lively outside, but docile and inactive inside?
From what I have heard/read, a lot of dogs can take some time to get used to their new surroundings.
That might be one of the causes. But on the other hand, it might be similar as with people.
Some ...
- 2,655
3
votes
How do I identify a good site/app for pet adoption?
Identifying a good site for pet adoption can be tricky.
There are some go-to sites that you can always count on being reliable:
Your local animal shelters
Their mission is to care for animals and ...
- 2,641
2
votes
Rescue from hell or just doesn't like me?
My impression is the cat is probably trying to play inappropriately. You can tell the difference between play and attack by body language. A cat's eyes will dilate when it's afraid. A cat play-...
- 16.3k
2
votes
Rescue puppies don't want to get touched
Many shelter dogs can take weeks and even months to get fully comfortable. Keep doing what you’re doing and being patient. They will come around. A dog trainer might help but honestly if they are just ...
- 181
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