Natural Reality Check

Sustainable Pet Ownership Part 2

So this is the second half of my rant on pet ownership I think we were talking about cats and dogs. Why they should be spayed or neutered. Why you should keep them on a leash if you take them outside. If you didn't read the last one and want to know more, check out my last entry.

This time I'd like to just share some generic advice for all pet parents. Things you should or shouldn't do to get the best experience with your pet. Yes I'm bossy, you've been warned.

Socialization
I'm assuming that people reading this understand I'm not talking about making your pets Communists. There, humor laugh, move on.

Imagine if you had a kid. You didn't take them on play dates, to the park or anywhere else. Not school, not amusement parks, nowhere. And you never had any visitors of any kind.

Then, when they're eighteen or twenty one or whatever they're suddenly thrust into a world with other people, animals, noises sights and smells. Oh yeah and now they have to figure out how to live in that world and everybody just expects that individual to know how to act.

Putting aside that B.F. Skinner did something like this and that in modern times this is considered child abuse or neglect, let's think about what might happen.

Well first they're probably going to feel stressed, frightened and overwhelmed. Then they might wonder why someone got upset at them for cutting in line, standing in the middle of the road, or worse getting in a verbal or physical altercation with someone due to a misunderstanding. Then they might be arrested, sent to jail and in some countries institutionalized.

While your pet might not get arrested and hopefully they wouldn't end up in a shelter, some of the same outcomes can happen when pets aren't properly socialized.

If a puppy, kitten or other furry domestic animal isn't socialized, how are they supposed to learn? They won't know how to react when approached by a young human if they've never seen one. Let alone another dog, cow or [insert domestic animal here] if they aren't taught.

What does a mammal brain do in an unknown situation that contains either real or perceived danger? It enters a state called fight or flight. And if an animal cannot flight, they will fight. This ends really badly in under socialized animals, leading to injury of the individual, their "opponet"(even if that's yoga pants) and possibly their owners. Why? Because these animals have not learned social cues or when to back down.

So to prevent negative outcomes like these, have your pet exposed to other stimuli and animals while they're young and still have the brain plasticity to learn. You are your pet's teacher and your duty as a pet parent should be to lovingly teach them how to behave in a socially acceptable manner. That way your pet knows what to do and not do. Critical, common sense that should never be overlooked.

Do Not Free Your Pet

I know I just emphasized the importance of socializing your pet by comparing them to humans. Still domestic animals are not slaves in need of emancipation. I know Peta and similar organizations would disagree but let's face reality.

The Guinea pigs, goldfish, and most bred in captivity animals we call pets have been domestic animals for tens of thousands of years. Yes you can prove that fish have memories and some feelings and even more so with mammals. That doesn't mean they should be turned loose.

Actions such as these threaten local biodiversity. A good point in case is Australia. Both bull frogs and rabbits are not native to that country. Someone got the bright idea to release these animals into the countryside. Now they pose a threat to indigenous flora and fauna. They have become invasive species that is so firmly entrenched that it's hard to get rid of. Maybe this seems like a so what, I promise you I will write a couple of articles that will make this issue clearer. For now just know that this wasn't a good thing.

If you need more examples, there's escaped pet snakes. Not tiny ones, big old constrictors like boas and pythons. Where are they? In Florida's urban areas. That's terrible because these escapees are capable of entering homes and killing pets. There have even been reports of children being eaten by snakes originally imported for the pet trade.

Even if your pet's a goldfish things can turn pretty ugly. See, goldfish grow depending on the size of the container they're placed in. If you release them into a local pond or river and they manage to survive, they get much bigger(within certain limits) and can become either predators or competition of local fish species. Not exactly what you want if you're an angler or if you want a healthy ecosystem.

For the types of pets which cannot survive on their own. Seriously, don't release them. You're being cruel to them and that's not cool.

What to Feed and Not Feed

Sometimes we can be a little ridiculous in what we feed animals. They cannot eat all the same foods we eat.

According to PetMD and the educational signs at the zoo, you should never feed any animals onions. Not raw, not as part of something, not as an onion ring. Onions are poisonous to animals. They can get very sick and possibly even die.

Other things include garlic, artificial sweeteners such as xylitol, macadamia nuts, avocado, chocolate, alcohol, anything with caffeine, grapes and a lot more. I'm leaving a link. Yes I know the link says dogs but it also applies to cats, birds, fish and other non human animals. Although I should note that there are exceptions to the grape rule. (Ask your local vet or zoo for more information and if you want other sources.)

https://www.webmd.com/pets/dogs/ss/slideshow-foods-your-dog-should-never-eat

Anyways I think it's worth mentioning that some animals, such as domestic cats, are obligate carnivores. What does that term mean? It means they are on a meat only diet. Sorry vegans, you're never going to get your cat to eat an animal product free diet.

If you feed them any grain, fruits, nuts, vegetable or dairy, it will cause gastroenteritis in domestic felines. That means they will get a huge tummy ache and it is highly likely they'll get diarrhea, vomiting and inflammation of intestinal tract.

Then why does dry food contain cereal products like wheat or oats? Just to make it convenient for busy owners.

Pet cats are much better off on a fresh prepared or wet canned food diet. They'll be healthier and happier. And their owners will have to clean up less vomit and "mishaps". It takes time but like anything else, it's worth it.

That's pretty much all I have to say about pet care. If you don't have a pet be sure to research the animal you're getting. Make sure you can meet their needs!