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Call of the wild?
Feb. 3rd, 2005 11:10 amRecently had an interesting conversation with my boss about domestic pets. It came about because I just brought my baby, Fiona, to the vet to be spayed yesterday. So she is now a little “it.”
A little background info: I have 3 cats. They live indoors full-time. Their vaccinations are up-to-date. They are all “fixed.” Two are microchipped, Fiona will be when her regular vet starts offering it. They always have food and fresh water available to them and their litter boxes are cleaned daily.
Now, why did I just recite this litany? Mainly to provide an example of what I hope is responsible pet ownership.
I work on a large military base. We have a large stray and feral cat population to match. This is how it usually works: military member gets stationed with family on base. Member and family get assigned to base housing. Member and family get a pet. Three years later, member gets orders to, say, Okinawa. Or Hawaii. Too much trouble to bring pet along to the new duty station for one reason or another – Hawaii, for example, has very strict quarantine rules for pets coming into the state. If the pet is lucky, the member and family try to find a new home for it. If not, the pet is left at what passes for an animal shelter on base (normally this is what happens to dogs), or is simply dumped (usually cats).
(Please note: I am former military myself, so this is not busting on military members in general. This is just a description of what happens on this base.)
If the pet manages to survive the ticks, coyotes, fights with rabid raccoons, parasites, traffic, hunters, and inclement weather, it will likely breed and add to the already burgeoning population of unwanted and stray animals.
So the boss and I were mulling over the various ideas being bandied about on how to mitigate this problem. An idea brought to my attention while at the vet’s yesterday was a requirement for all base-dwelling military members to microchip their pets. That way, if an animal is found running loose, it can be traced back to the owner. Intriguing idea, except for one thing – the folks who’d actually follow this rule and get their pets chipped are typically not the ones who’d be likely to dump them anyway.
It all boils down to taking responsibility. Pets, in particular domestic cats, are NOT wild animals. Yes, they can, with a significant dose of luck, survive in the wild for a time. But they typically aren’t healthy and they don’t live as long.
I know what you’re thinking. “Tell your story walking, Heather!” So here’s the point.
Want a pet? Take the time to find out what’s involved with owning one – “start-up” costs (obtaining the pet, basic supplies, vaccines, food) and continuing costs (food, vet care, grooming, etc.). How long a particular animal normally lives should play a large part as well. Want a macaw? That can potentially be a lifetime commitment – they can live up to 80-90 years. Don’t have the time for daily walks, regardless of weather? A dog may not be for you. Maybe a goldfish is more your speed. Don’t feel like finding homes for a litter of mixed breed puppies? Get your dog neutered. Take responsibility.
(Takes deep breath and steps off the soap box.)
A little background info: I have 3 cats. They live indoors full-time. Their vaccinations are up-to-date. They are all “fixed.” Two are microchipped, Fiona will be when her regular vet starts offering it. They always have food and fresh water available to them and their litter boxes are cleaned daily.
Now, why did I just recite this litany? Mainly to provide an example of what I hope is responsible pet ownership.
I work on a large military base. We have a large stray and feral cat population to match. This is how it usually works: military member gets stationed with family on base. Member and family get assigned to base housing. Member and family get a pet. Three years later, member gets orders to, say, Okinawa. Or Hawaii. Too much trouble to bring pet along to the new duty station for one reason or another – Hawaii, for example, has very strict quarantine rules for pets coming into the state. If the pet is lucky, the member and family try to find a new home for it. If not, the pet is left at what passes for an animal shelter on base (normally this is what happens to dogs), or is simply dumped (usually cats).
(Please note: I am former military myself, so this is not busting on military members in general. This is just a description of what happens on this base.)
If the pet manages to survive the ticks, coyotes, fights with rabid raccoons, parasites, traffic, hunters, and inclement weather, it will likely breed and add to the already burgeoning population of unwanted and stray animals.
So the boss and I were mulling over the various ideas being bandied about on how to mitigate this problem. An idea brought to my attention while at the vet’s yesterday was a requirement for all base-dwelling military members to microchip their pets. That way, if an animal is found running loose, it can be traced back to the owner. Intriguing idea, except for one thing – the folks who’d actually follow this rule and get their pets chipped are typically not the ones who’d be likely to dump them anyway.
It all boils down to taking responsibility. Pets, in particular domestic cats, are NOT wild animals. Yes, they can, with a significant dose of luck, survive in the wild for a time. But they typically aren’t healthy and they don’t live as long.
I know what you’re thinking. “Tell your story walking, Heather!” So here’s the point.
Want a pet? Take the time to find out what’s involved with owning one – “start-up” costs (obtaining the pet, basic supplies, vaccines, food) and continuing costs (food, vet care, grooming, etc.). How long a particular animal normally lives should play a large part as well. Want a macaw? That can potentially be a lifetime commitment – they can live up to 80-90 years. Don’t have the time for daily walks, regardless of weather? A dog may not be for you. Maybe a goldfish is more your speed. Don’t feel like finding homes for a litter of mixed breed puppies? Get your dog neutered. Take responsibility.
(Takes deep breath and steps off the soap box.)
