Two are cool, but are three or four? If you already have two cats and are haunted constantly by adorable kitten pics; kittens that desperately need homes … Does it straddle the line between animal lover and “crazy cat lady”?
Parents count on the common sense idea that having pets around would help to teach kids responsibility, and maybe empathy. Yes, the benefits of having pets are wide ranging. They provide comfort and encourage nurturing. Pets can keep you and your kids healthy – the exposure to bacteria when playing with a dog or a cat may change the way your immune system responds to allergens. Pets build family bonds; a pet is often the focus of activities that families do together. There are really too many positives to mention.
In an animal-loving culture, it can be difficult to know when to say when. Most of us – no matter how much room is in our hearts for homeless pets, don’t have the physical space to match. Nor do many of us, if we’re honest, have the time or the resources required to provide an excellent quality of life to a large number of pets. So, how many is too many? There’s no hard and fast rule here.
To help judge whether you have room for just one more, consider these questions:
• Are your pets getting the personal attention and the love you feel they deserve?
• Are all of your pets getting the care they deserve? Do the dogs get the proper exercise? Do the cats get playtime? Are the bird cages or fish tanks cleaned in a timely manner?
• Do any pets have behavioural issues? Is this related to too many pets in your home?
• Can you afford the medical care they deserve?
If your mind is set on a new addition to your pet family, be sure to give careful consideration to the personalities of your existing pets. Your older dog may not like having a little yappy dog nipping at her ears, and your dominant male cat might despise another strong male challenging his position.
Every too often, you open the newspaper and see an article about a house so overrun with pets that the owners have become the secondary residents in a domicile filled with faeces. When your ability to care for each individual animal is overwhelmed by their sheer volume, you’re a hoarder.
According to experts, this psychological disorder is closely associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Of people who hoard, an estimated 40% hoard animals. Pet hoarding almost always starts out slowly – with a manageable handful of pets – but then over time, the number of animals becomes not only unmanageable, but completely out-of-control and a dangerous health hazard to both the pet owner and the pets. But, what are the red flags of pet hoarding?
• Having more than the typical number of pets or animals.
• The inability to give pets the minimal amount of nutrition, sanitation, shelter, medical care, often resulting in starvation, illness or death.
• Being unable to recognise or admit to the inability to care for the animals and the impact it has on the animals, the household and family members.
Pet hoarding isn’t about a number. There are amazing people that are able to successfully and proactively care for 50 cats in their home (with a team of dedicated volunteers), but these people are the exception, not the rule.
We should all strive to avoid taking on more than we can handle in life, and that goes double for taking on more living creatures than we can reasonably care for. Thankfully the vast majority of us are not at risk of becoming animal hoarders. Many of us, however, do know those who might be. Everyone has an obligation to stop animal abuse and cruelty whenever and wherever we see it.
Source: www.petmd.com, www.parents.com, mobile.onmilwaukee.com, www.vetstreet.com, www.wikihow.com, www.chrisshaughness.com, animal-law.lawyers.com, healthypets.mercola.com, forums.compuserve.com, veterinaryteam.dmv360.com, www.care2.com
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.
