The Creatures We Love

CATS, DOGS AND BIRDS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN POPULAR COMPANIONS. BUT THEY’RE BEING JOINED BY REPTILES, FISH AND OTHER ANIMALS AS WE OPEN OUR HOMES TO ALL TYPES OF PETS.

By Jenn Diamond

The country has gone to the dogs – and the cats, and the birds, and the reptiles, and the fish, and the hamsters. According to a recent study by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMAA), 63 percent of U.S. households own a pet and 45 percent own more than one. That equals 69.1 million homes with all types of pets.

The 2005/2006 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey found that pet ownership remains on the rise in the U.S. While dogs, cats, and fish remain the most popular,
reptiles and other small pets are becoming more popular.

In fact, according to Mike Guarnieri, district services manager, PetSmart NJ, the most popular pets are “small and furry.” Among them you’ll find hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and many different types of birds.

“Pets make nice companions,” Guarnieri says. Small and furry creatures make an especially nice first pet for a child, he says. “Guinea pigs are wonderful to hold.”

Cute and fuzzy aren’t the only winners in the domestic pet explosion, says Guarnieri. “We’re also seeing more reptiles as companion pets. Fish are becoming extremely popular too. People are naming them. The care people are putting into their fish is similar to what they would do for a dog or a cat.”

Whether it’s a fuzzy kitten or a fancy guppy, experts agree that pets are good for your physical well-being and mental health. For example, a recent study by Dr. Karen Allen at the State University of New York at Buffalo found that people with hypertension who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than did those who did not own a pet.

PICKING THE RIGHT PET
Your home needn’t resemble Wild Kingdom to qualify you for pet parentship. All it takes is a love of animals and some basic education. When considering a pet purchase for a child, make sure your household is ready, Guarnieri says. “You know your child. You know your house. There is a responsibility to know ahead of time that the guinea pig won’t take care of itself.” Though all animals require basic care that includes cleaning or grooming, changing of their habitat, food, water, exercise and love — the amounts and types are what differ.

As with any changes in your household, buying a pet will require some adjustments to your environment and schedule. Guarnieri recommends talking to your vet or other pet professional before you consider adding a pet to the mix. The key is in getting the right information ahead of time and taking the time to understand it. “Talk to your vet, they’re experts,” Guarnieri says.

“We want our teams to have conversations with pet parents,” Guarnieri continues. “We have care sheets that will walk through care of any pet we sell. Our associates will go through what the care is going to be, step-by-step. The care of a bird is going to be different from care of a reptile. We’ll spend that time with the potential pet parent to communicate those needs. We want to make sure that bond between a pet parent and a pet, from the very beginning, will be a good one — a fun one.”

When considering a pet purchase, many people are intimidated by exotic animals and the lingo associated with their care. Is your reptile terrestrial or arboreal? What is a Bearded Dragon and what does it eat? “With proper education and research ahead of time, there’s not going to be a hard pet,” says Guarnieri. “Don’t be intimidated by an animal, you just need to learn about it.”

HOMELESS ANIMALS
It is important to do your homework and some soul searching before taking on the responsibility of pet ownership, experts advise, as abused, neglected and abandoned pets end up in shelters every day. “We have dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils, iguanas and rabbits,” says Roseann Trezza, executive director of the Associated Humane Societies/Popcorn Park Zoo (AHS). AHS is unusual for a shelter in that it has a wide variety of animals. “Many pounds or shelters only take in dogs and cats.”

So where do these pets come from exactly? “Iguanas, rabbits and ferrets come from disenchanted pet owners or irresponsible pet owners who just dump them and illegally abandon them,” Trezza says. “They cannot survive in the wild.” According to Trezza, domestic pets are often given up because of allergies, landlord issues or relocation. “About 25 percent of the dogs and cats at the AHS are purebred animals. We have Siamese, Boxer, Airedale Terrier, Chihuahua, Pug, Yorkshire Terrier — there are much more, but they’re too numerous to mention.”

PetSmart’s Guarnieri says adopting a homeless animal can be a rewarding experience for your family. “I’ve been with PetSmart for 10 years and have been very fortunate to work with most humane societies throughout the state,” he says. “They’re a wonderful place to find a dog. Look adoption first.” Aside from your local humane society, Web sites such as Pets911.com and Petfinder.com will help link you with surrogate families in your area and around the country to find the perfect pet for your family.

Your local humane society staff and volunteers can help match you with the perfect pet for your needs. “We at the AHS have staff that clean and feed the same animals every day so they get to know their personalities,” Trezza says. She also says abandoned animals are no more dangerous. For the most part, “all neglected and abused animals are grateful for any kindness shown to them,” she notes.

Aside from offering abandoned pets the hope of adoption, humane societies and foster parents offer critical health and medical care to these pets. “Most pounds and shelters only have to take in stray dogs or cats,” Trezza says. “That means if someone owns an animal, the pound or shelter doesn’t have to take it. That leaves [the pet owner] to their own devices. Many people give their animals away ‘free to a good home’ and we have seen the disastrous results of this. So we provide all inoculations, spay/neutering, microchipping, etc.”

While the amount of time it takes to adopt will vary from person to person and from shelter to shelter, the basic process is the same. “People like to come to look at all of the animals and then they fill out an application. It is reviewed and the adopters are asked questions. Based upon that, we will make a decision if the animal is going into the right home or not. The animal is then looked at by a veterinary technician and stays for neutering.”

The Associated Humane Societies has cats, dogs, kittens and puppies for adoption at four shelters located in Newark, Forked River, Tinton Falls and Union. Small animals such as guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits may occasionally be available for adoption as well. The society takes in approximately 15,000 animals annually. While that figure includes wildlife, the majority of their animals are cats and dogs waiting for permanent homes.

If you would like to visit some of the pets currently offered for adoption, visit www.Petfinder.com and type in the ZIP code for your local shelter.

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