Archive for the ‘Adoption’ Category

Puppy Mills Infiltrating PetFinder Correction

Saturday, January 16th, 2010

I got this gentle correction and suggestion from Bambi, a DOG TALK® listener who had brought to my attention that Petfinder.com has been infiltrated by puppy mill producers claiming the dogs are “for adoption” but at a very high fee (i.e. they are selling them). But Bambi wrote this so that in my zeal to expose the “puppy mill pimps” on the Internet that I did not paint all of PetFinder with the same brush.  I stand corrected and hope people will continue to look for their new best four-legged friends on the petfinder.com website.

I urge you to re-address the petfinder issue both on your show and on your website. I found the notice about some kerry blues dogs coming from puppy mills only once and when searching for a kerry blue rescue in Texas for a friend. I actually look at petfinder quite often when I fantasize about a companion for Terrible Bean. You’ll never find such a warning on craigslist, of course, or any other places that less streetwise folks may be vulnerable to.

When I mentioned that warning on the kerry blue page, I took it as a positive thing, that petfinder does want to bring awareness up, unlike some other pet source venues.

You’ve played such an important part already in doing this and I hope you will once again remind listeners/readers that caveat emptor is a universal concept and that petfinder is actually one of the few places trying to police itself against any unsavory postings.

As written, your post now may be interpreted as if petfinder itself, one of the most powerful places for fosters and shelters to come together to find homes for unwanted pets and farm animals, may be corrupt and this may have a detrimental affect on placing adoptable animals.

You have such a powerful voice, you are a market maker, if you will, as much as an announcer on CNBC relaying financial and investment information.  So many of us rely on you for bringing us such incredibly interesting and useful, often critical, information, and I thank you for that.

Please reconsider how this particular information is projected/worded.

As always, thank you for being our animals’ and our best friend!

–Bambi

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Posted in Adoption, Dogs, General | No Comments »

Rescuing a Puppy Mill Shih Tzu

Monday, July 20th, 2009

I loved getting this cheery news from Tammi, whom I have helped with a few kitty questions. How exciting to actually “meet” one of the good souls who adopts dogs after they are liberated from the hell of a puppy mill. Lucky Ruby!

It’s been a long time since I have written or called you and that is good news. A wonderful bit of good news is that my Mom recently rescued a 4 year old Shih Tzu from a local humane society. It seems as though the state of Kansas rescued over 70 Shih Tzu’s from a hoarder. The poor dogs were in horrible shape but better now. The little girls name is Ruby and she is a doll. Mom has had her for 2 weeks and they are inseparable. Ruby follows her everywhere, including work. The two were meant for each other! Mom is feeding her a brand called Into the Wild and I think the fowl flavor. Ruby is malnourished and bald but we see wonderful changes each day.

All 3 of my felines are adjusting to each other and getting into a routine. The 2 greyhounds are still afraid of the cats and get this, Zosimos (the middle child at 9 months) likes to steal the greyhounds pig ears during treat time at night! We have to monitor treat time now because one greyhound is very possessive of her pig ears while the other one will let Zosimos take it. It is an unusual sight to see!

As always, thank you for all you do to help us pet owners. My copy of The Cat Bible is very used and I am giving my Mom her own copy of The Dog Bible tomorrow now that she has Ruby. Take care of yourself and keep taking care of us!

Meows & Woofs!

Tammi, Lexie, Bell, Boston, Zosimos & Achates

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Kitty for Disabled Cat Lover

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

My name is David and I am currently thinking about getting a cat. I have a few questions that I need answered before I make any decisions. I would greatly appreciate it if you could answer as many of these questions as possible. They are as follows:

1. I am physically disabled and confined to an electric wheelchair. Therefore, I will need a cat that is somewhat self-sufficient. Is there a particular breed that I should get or can I adopt a kitten from my local shelter?

2. I currently have a one and a half year old basset hound. He is very sweet and very playful. Do you think he and the kitten would be okay together?

3. The basset hound lets himself out. Do you think the kitten would follow him? If so, how would you suggest I prevent this from happening?

Again, if you could answer as many of these questions as possible, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

Hi David

Adopting a kitten from your shelter is always the best option since you’ll be saving a life. Also, kittens raised with dogs are all pretty much the same in their ability to get along with another species. Since the dog you have is a Bassett Hound the kitten will be in luck since Bassetts are so sweet-natured. However, I urge you to get a copy of THE CAT BIBLE as soon as possible so you can read up on kitten-proofing your home, the best way to introduce the kitty to the dog, and all the things you can do to make that transition a positive one. Also, you’ll want to have a good cat tree, scratching posts, and a litter box the dog cannot get into. All this is explained in my book. As for the dog door, yes the kitten will probably learn to follow the dog out but that could be a good thing. You can go to my website to visit the Purrfect fence page to see how incredibly fast and easy and affordable it is to fence in your yard so the cat can have freedom and safety at the same time.

Tracie

The Cat Bible

The Cat Bible

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Posted in Adoption, Cats | 1 Comment »

Feeding Pregnant Mama

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Hi Tracie! First, thank you for all you do for animals and their guardians!

I have a young cat that started hanging around my house several months ago so I began feeding her. She has no collar and I received no responses when I put up signs in my neighborhood. Im almost certain she is pregnant since she has grown in her belly area over the last few weeks. I wanted to take her to have a termination and get spayed put the low cost clinic quoted be $150-200 but I cannot afford that at this time (I’m college student and only work part time). I do not want to take her to the SPCA because I know what will happen. I think the best thing is to let her have the kittens and then spay her. What can I do to make sure I have access to the kittens after they are born so that I can adopt them out and how long should I wait before I take them away from her? Is this even a good idea? I cannot bring her inside since I have one cat of my own but I could provide shelter for her my garage. Please help with any ideas or suggestions. I want it to be clear that I am not an irresponsible pet owner- I started to care for this cat because I felt sorry for her and now I’m in over my head! Thank you sooo much!!!

Hi, Marisa -

I think that was you who called into my show with this question, right? Thanks so much for reaching out in multiple ways for this kitty! Did you find the website for Alley Cat Allies on my website I told you about? They will help you deal with the pregnancy and especially getting a low cost spay for the kitty. Then we’ll figure out how to find homes for those kittens But PLEASE put that cat in your garage with a litter box in the meantime – you don’t want her to give birth and hide the kittens – nor to get run over. But let Alley Cat Allies find you a local feral cat group that can support your very kind efforts, okay?

Tracie

The Cat Bible

The Cat Bible

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Posted in Adoption, Cats, Diet | No Comments »

Was I Promoting Buying Purebred Cats?

Monday, January 26th, 2009

When I was recently on Martha’s TV show I was celebrating some of the purebred cats so people could learn more about them. The first cat we saw was Martha’s own newly-adopted Himalayan, Sir Frost. I want to clear up any misunderstanding about the other cats: they were all privately-owned by wonderful listeners to CAT CHAT® who took a whole day of their lives to have their beauties spotlighted. But my listeners know that I urge everyone to consider adopting as their first resource for adding a cat to their lives, especially because at least 1/3 of all cats in the shelter are purebreds. So you get the look and temperament you might want, while saving a life and being part of the solution, not the problem. Here are a couple of interchanges I had on this topic:

FROM RICH: Why would you introduce purebred cats when there are so many homeless cats that need homes? Push for adoption, not breeding of more cats. This is also the case for dogs so we can put an end to puppy mills. Thanks for listening.

I WROTE BACK TO RICH: If you ever had a chance to listen to me on CAT CHAT® on Martha’s channel of Sirius/XM you would know that I am all about adoption and rehoming and NOT giving your pets up for adoption when you encounter problems. Maybe you didn’t see the whole segment of my visiting Martha on her show? Martha explained that she just adopted her new cat Frost and his sister Snow from the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF) at age 10, making it clear that adoption is the way to go, even with elderly pets. If you have a chance to look at my website TracieHotchner.com you’ll see that I support rescues and shelters across the country, some that are cats-only, and my book THE CAT BIBLE makes it clear that at least 30% of all animals at shelters are purebred, so that’s the first place to go when looking for a new pet. My work with the Humane Society of the Untied States to educate about the horrors of pet store and puppy mills is well known, so please spend some time getting to know who I am so you can call me on the air and share in my efforts. Thanks for caring about the animals.

I GOT THIS SWEET REPLY FROM RICH: Hi Tracie. I stand corrected. Thank you. I really didn’t know much about you, only little tidbits that I have seen here and there. In the future I definitely will make myself more familiar with the whole story before I open my big mouth. Thank you for taking the time to tell me about yourself, and [your] love for animals. The dogs and cats need all the help they can get. Thanks again.  Rich

SO I WROTE HIM ONE MORE TIME: Dear Rich – What a kind note and don’t apologize for having a “big mouth,” the animals need us to make a lot of noise for them! I would much rather have you mistake my intentions so I can clear it up than have you not care enough to find a way to contact me. From my perspective, your question was one worth asking, because I always tells people to Question Authority, even mine! Your gentlemanly response showed who you are.

Tracie

The Cat Bible by Tracie Hotchner

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How Much was that Kitty on the TV Show?

Friday, January 16th, 2009

Hi Tracie,

I am inquiring about the Maine Coon cat you had on Martha TV show today. Is it for sale? Our Maine Coon passed away and it is a sad story. We adopted him from the local shelter, SPCA. We have a beautiful farm in New York and would love another big friend.

Thank You,
Gemma

Hi Gem – I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s so hard to lose the four-legged beauties who share our lives.

NO! Tigger was not “for sale” (he’s actually the cat of the actor Chazz Palmintieri, whose beautiful wife Gianna brought him all the way into New York City for the show — they are clients of Dr Marty Goldstein, whose radio show is on Martha’s channel on Monday nights).

None of the kitties were for sale, they are all beloved family members, including Martha’s new cat Frost, who she just adopted from the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. We advocate that people find a pet for themselves by first going to www.Petfinder.com. Put in your zip code and (in your case write in Maine Coon cat) and you will see any shelters near you that have a Maine Coon for adoption. Over 30% of all animals at shelters are purebred so the chance of finding what you’re looking for is pretty good.

Let me know what you find – and send me a photo to post on my website. Call into the show any Wednesday night with any questions. My website www.TracieHotchner.com tells you all you need to know.

Tracie

The Cat Bible by Tracie Hotchner

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Puppy Mill Survivor Issues

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

I told this very conscientious soon-to-be-dog-mom to call into my show so I could explain about what the issues are in puppy mill “survivors.”

Hi Tracie,

We’re really looking forward to listening to the podcast and also getting a copy of your The Dog Bible.

I did as you suggested and checked into those websites…on the akc website I didn’t see anything that looked right for us…all older dogs and I’m concerned about bringing all of those issues into our family with my kids and their friends frequently at the house.

There were two pups at a nearby rescue that I found through petfinder.com and I have begun to correspond with the managers of that facility. These pups are both young puppy mill survivors. Is there a place I can go to become fully informed about the risks we would be assuming if we adopt a puppy mill survivor? I see the sweet and sad little eyes of these puppies and would love to give them a home. At the same time, the practical side of me is concerned that I am going to risk breaking the hearts of my 8 and 10 year olds by bringing a puppy that is potentially very sick into our home, having them fall in love and then too soon, be in a position that we won’t be able to keep the puppy for one reason or another. I know and understand all of the reasons that it is important to get your dog from a reputable breeder. Taking a rescue pup certainly would help the puppy for a time, I can see, of course. I just need to be sure that it is not going to cause undue stress on our family. I want to be sure we go into this with our eyes wide open.

I know you are a “one woman show” as I have spent a good time reading your website. I sincerely appreciate your time and effort on our behalf! Feel free to use my e-mail on your show.

Rebecca
Plymouth, MI

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New Lap Cat Doesn’t Like Laps (Yet)

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Hi. I’ve listened to your show several times, but can’t always because I have a crazy schedule. I had to put my last cat to sleep because she had lymphoma. I went to the local shelter a couple of days later to donate the rest of her canned food. There was a cat who hadn’t been adopted-although she had spent four months in a foster home — in five months. She reached out to me from her cage with her paw and the card on her cage said that she was a lap cat, so I adopted her. I kept her in an upstairs bedroom for the first couple of days as the shelter professional recommended. Then, slowly, she was given access to the rest of our condo. It’s been two weeks. It doesn’t seem like she likes my husband or myself very much. She comes downstairs to eat and she does let us pet and scratch her, but she goes right back upstairs after. She is certainly not a lap cat. I spoke with the woman who “fostered” her and she told me that she had told the shelter to remove ”lap cat” from her tag (which they did not) and that in her house she rarely came up from the basement even though the door was opened. Is there anything that we can do so that she will actually like us? I feel kind of misled by the shelter into thinking that this cat had a friendly, ”lap cat” personality.

Thanks for your help!
Elisabeth

So I wrote back to Elisabeth:

This is a really disappointing situation for you but it’s all about patience. Two weeks for a cat who’s been bounced from place to place is nothing — you need to give her time. It’s pretty rare for a cat to come out of a traumatizing shelter situation and be their own best self right off the bat. Giving her space — yet making her feel welcome when she appears — is the best tactic. Try playing with a fishing pole toy to bring her out of her shell. THE CAT BIBLE really might be of use in understanding and overcoming her attitudes. Thanks for giving her this chance to be a lap cat again — the day she does climb into your lap is going to bring tears to your eyes when you realize what she had to overcome emotionally to feel safe and trusting there. Let me know how it goes — and if you do get The Cat Bible send me an address so I can send an autographed bookplate.

Tracie

The Cat Bible by Tracie Hotchner

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Do Babies and Large Breed Puppies Belong Together?

Sunday, October 12th, 2008

After I had Diane Monahan from Friends for Pets in Sunland, California on DOG TALK® (talking about why people give up dog when their human baby is born and the moral consequences of relinquishing a dog for your own convenience) I received this email from Helen, an excellent Doberman Pinscher rescue person in Florida. She shared with me this letter that she wrote to a woman with a baby who wanted to adopt a Dobie puppy at Christmas time. Helen added that despite taking the time to write this long and thoughtful letter to the woman that she never heard back from her!

Tracie

Personally, I wouldn’t advise adopting a Dobie pup with a child that young. We don’t place our adults in homes with children until they are old enough and large enough to stand up to a leaning Dobie. That’s usually 10-13 years or older. If you buy a Dobie, that pup will be huge in a year and your child will not. Dobies are good dogs, but also have childlike needs for attention, and are called Velcro dogs for a good reason. They will take big advantage if you are not consistent and fair. Everyday, mine test me in one way or another to see if they can get away with a little something. As long as I am one step ahead of them, I’m ahead of the game, and maintain respect. But I have seen adopters who do not have the skills to handle a Dobie because of their constant testing of the boundaries. So a lot depends on the owners of the dog and how many eyes are in their head and how well they manage everything with dog language and child language, and that is tough. You have to be on your toes to make sure your child isn’t aggravating the dog, and that she is treating that dog fairly. Honestly, I don’t know you or your skills as a puppy mom, but that is a lot to take on for anyone. Frankly, I would feel more confident suggesting you find a nice Lab who’s mature enough where you don’t have to start with square one, a Lab who’s had child experience, and will not be a constant challenge. You have a lot to do with a baby, and a Dobie pup will require a lot of time, devotion, training, and follow-up daily. When a Dobie turns 1 year old, that’s when a lot are relinquished. They are a lot to handle then, and most people don’t want to deal with a dog that size who still has puppy brains.

Bottom line is I would not recommend adopting a Dobie puppy. And Christmas is a tough time to adopt any dog. But that’s not as much of a challenge as the age and energy of the dog you get. I know of a Lab rescue that will do right by you if you are so inclined to go in that direction. When your child grows in years to be physically capable to handle a dog and becomes dog savvy, I would welcome you to come back and apply for a rescue Dobie. They are the best, but probably not for the stage of life you and your family are in as of now.

Good luck,
Helen

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Posted in Adoption, Dogs, Rescue | 1 Comment »

Adopting a Weimaraner

Saturday, August 2nd, 2008

This is a really special letter from a couple I met in the wide-open fields of public lands near my house in Bennington. They were with their adorable perky 9-year-old Pug Sparky – who had a great time playing with my huge Weimaraner Teddy. Sparky had been missing his housemate who was a big Dalmatian who passed away – and they had always dreamed of getting a Weimaraner. But soon after I had reached out to the Weim rescue on their behalf (this couple’s attitude and retired lifestyle would have been wonderful for this emotionally demanding breed which requires their people to be around a great deal of the time!) I received this really thoughtful and honest letter. I am putting it out there in the hope will be a really valuable THINK TWICE lesson for anyone else who has a “canine impulse” but then has to think of the realities.

Lee and I have been discussing adopting a Weimaraner after talking to you and after listing many pros and cons we decided it would not be a good idea for us to do so at this time. Since we travel back and forth from Vermont to Florida (recently traded in our SUV for a smaller sedan) two dogs, especially a large one, would make the car very tight with all our luggage, the cat tote, etc. Secondly, we have no problem leaving Sparky with people or taking him with us when we take off for a weekend or a vacation, but have already been told that two dogs would be out of the question and I refuse to board a dog in the kennel.

Needless to say, we would love a Weim but the cons are too many at this time. I do hope Sparky can play with Teddy and Scooby Doo. He really loved running with Teddy.

I purchased your book and have thumbed through it. It was quite an endeavor and has many useful hints. I will recommend it to others. I also am getting your podcasts and listening to them. Very informative. What is going to happen now that XM and Sirius will be one. Will we be able to hear your broadcast live?

When your husband has recuperated, please e-mail us so we can meet at the Mile Around and Sparky can have some fun.

Thanks again for your efforts in trying to find us a Weim.

Not getting one was a hard decision since we love the breed, but probably the best since we will be traveling now that we are retired.

Linda

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