January 14, 2005

Ask the Animal Behavorist

Guide To Adopting A Pet

By Maureen Strenfel
Humane Society Silicon Valley

Q: I’m thinking about getting a pet for our family, but I’m not sure whether to get a dog or a cat. How should I evaluate what’s the best animal for my family?

A: The key to finding the right animal for your family is to do some homework before you go looking. This is to help ensure you are not emotionally drawn to the wrong animal.

Dogs vs. cat
Dogs take more daily time than cats. They must be walked, taken to training classes, brushed and exercised daily. They are pack animals and thrive on your companionship so if you work more than 8 or 9 hours a day or travel a lot, consider a different species.

Cats on the other hand require less time, but do require attention. Each day, cats need their litter box cleaned, need interactive exercise, lap time and weekly grooming.

Adults vs. youngsters
Sure kittens and puppies are adorable, but they can cause some real frustrations while growing up. Puppies must be socialized and taken to training classes at an early age (12 weeks) so they develop proper habits and get supervised play with their peers. Puppies must be housetrained and supervised 100 percent of the time until they are trustworthy adults.

Don’t think you are off the hook with kittens either. Kittens need plenty of playtime with you and with strangers as well. Kittens will scratch on the furniture, may taste test every plant in the household and knock things off the counter to name only a few problems.

Both puppies and kittens are troublesome, chewing, scratching and vocalizing. This is part of their developmental process. Be ready to commit extra time, patience and love to these youngsters.

Adults on the other hand generally housetrain quickly as they have the physical capacity to hold off elimination for longer periods. Adults two years and older generally have outgrown chewing and other destructive behavior. However, they also may come with existing behavior problems such as separation anxiety, scratching on furniture, spraying or escape behaviors.

Breeds for your lifestyle
Do you want a jogging companion or a couch potato? Do you want relatively few demands and just something to pet but not walk?

Research breeds carefully before adopting any purebred or mixed breed. Each breed has different behavior tendencies; some of these tendencies may not match well with your lifestyle.

Take a trip to the library and research some possible breeds or visit your local animal shelter and talk to the staff. At Humane Society Silicon Valley, our adoption counselors know our animals intimately and are trained to help match you with the right pet.

Children
Some breeds of both dogs and cats are known to be better with children than others. If you have children, be cautious about picking the right animal for your family. Adopt a breed of pet that is known to be tolerant and more importantly, look carefully at the individual animal’s behavior. In turn, teach your children to handle your family pet gently and with respect. Any child 12 years or under needs to have 100 percent supervision when with the family pet.

Physical aspects
Longhaired pets must be brushed daily or require frequent trips to the groomer. Short- haired pets will shed less, but very few breeds of dogs or cats truly don’t shed.

When you choose your pet
Color and cuteness has nothing to do with behavior. Most people can live with black or orange or white hairs but few can live with dangerous behavior problems such as aggression.

Look at more than one animal; don’t fall in love with the very first one you get to interact with. Bring your children, spouse, roommate or anyone who is in the same household that will be interacting with the pet.

Be honest with yourself and what you can handle in your household. Remember, a pet is for a lifetime, not just for a holiday or birthday, so choose wisely.

Don’t worry; the right pet is out there! So get yourself ready and go do your homework now.

Recommended Reading List

- “Learn How To Choose The Right Dog,” Sandy Kempe, 1994
- “The Right Dog For You,” Daniel F. Tortora, Ph.D. 1980
- “Choosing & Caring for a Shelter Dog,” Bob Chrisiansen, 1995
- “Good Owners, Great Cats,” Brian Kilcommons & Sarah Wilson, 1995
- “Perfect Kitten,” Peter Neville & Bessant (UK), 1997

Humane Society Silicon Valley’s Animal Behaviorist Maureen Strenfel and her behavior management team offer training tips and manage a 24-hour e-mail and telephone animal behavior help line. For more information, go to http://www.hssv.org/behavior/behavior.htm.

Puma needs a home

Hi! My name’s Puma. As you can see, I am an adorable female Dalmatian. Some folks at the shelter even call me “The Speckled Sweetheart.” I am 4 years old and well trained. I know the sit command and love to get treats. I’m also super affectionate and think I would be a great companion for a lot of families.

So stop by and meet me [ID# 5208] at The Humane Society Silicon Valley, 2530 Lafayette St., Santa Clara, Calif., 95050. For more information, go to www.hssv.org or call (408) 727-3383.