May
31
2009
It has been a few weeks since I wrote last on this blog. Much has happened in the animal world and our family even had a small crisis that is still un-ended. Three days ago our house cat that has lived only in the house for all of her 3 years, got out. It happened during the night. She knocked out a window screen in our bedroom and got out. We live in a rural area so given she was out most of the night before we discovered she was missing she could be anywhere.
What puzzles us is why would a cat that was content to stay in the house want to go out? She is spayed and has been since she was 6 months old. Other than sitting in the window occasionally she showed very little interest in the outside world.
As I write this she has been out of the house for 3 days now. The whole family has taken turns looking and calling for her every few hours. I have notified our neighbors of her coloring and asked that they let me know should they spot her. She is normally a very friendly cat but now that she is in unfamiliar territory she might be very different. I am hoping she shows up.
May
11
2009
That question often comes up when someone is either looking to purchase a puppy or when someone who knows very little about dog breeding breeds their female dog. The American Kennel Club recommends that puppies stay with their moms and litter mates until they are 12 weeks old. This is to insure that the puppies learn how to act like a dog and can react to other dogs in a social manner when they are older. Puppies that are separated younger than that often have behavioral problems around other dogs.
All too often the future puppy owner is thinking not when the puppy is mentally able but more along the lines of if the puppy is weaned and on solid food. The backyard breeder is thinking more along the lines of how soon can I get rid of the pups and get some money for them.
Thankfully many states and even localities have enacted laws to prevent puppies and kittens from being given away or sold before a certain age. Often those laws prevent people from even advertising puppies for sale unless they state the date when the puppies will be available to leave their mother. Most laws state 8 or 10 weeks as the minimum age for a puppy to leave their mother but before you, as a breeder or buyer either place or buy a puppy check with your local laws and think first of the puppy’s mental health.
