Posts Tagged ‘Adoption’

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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Posted in Adoption, Cats | No Comments »

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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Posted in Adoption, Cats, General | No Comments »

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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