The Aspca Complete Guide to Pet Care

by Carroll, David L.; Zawistowski, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780452282728
• ISBN10: 0452282721
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-11-01
• Publisher: Plume

Summary

A guide to animal well-being includes health maintenance tips for traditional and exotic pets.

Table of Contents

The Big Choice: Deciding Which Pet Is for You	1	(24)
Establishing Your Pet Compatibility Ratio	1	(2)
What to Consider When Choosing a Pet	3	(20)
What to Do If an Adopted Pet Is Not Working Out	23	(2)
Home Is Where Your Pets Are: Living Comfortably with an Animal in a House or Apartment	25	(16)
Welcome Home	25	(1)
Making New Pets Feel Wanted	25	(2)
Making Your Home Safe for a Pet and Making a Pet Safe for Your Home	27	(8)
Laying Down the Rules of the House	35	(3)
Honoring an Animal's Rights of Privacy	38	(1)
Choosing the Right Toys	38	(1)
Protection in Times of Natural Disaster for Pets	39	(1)
Most of All, Have Fun	40	(1)
Children and Pets	41	(18)
Foremost Concerns	41	(2)
Matching the Right Pet to the Right Child	43	(1)
Temperament	43	(1)
Age	44	(6)
Helping Pets Deal with Children	50	(2)
Getting It Right: A How-to List for Children Taking Care of Pets	52	(4)
Recognizing When Children and Pets Aren't Working Out	56	(1)
Go with the Flow	57	(2)
Traveling with Your Pet	59	(19)
This Chapter's Time Has Come	59	(4)
A Word of Warning on Cats and Travel	63	(1)
Traveling by Car	63	(5)
Traveling by Plane	68	(5)
Shipping a Pet	73	(1)
Boarding Your Pet at a Kennel	73	(3)
Choosing the Right Pet Sitter	76	(2)
Keeping Your Pet Healthy	78	(30)
Overseeing Your Pet's Health	78	(4)
Finding a Veterinarian	82	(3)
Working with Your Veterinarian	85	(1)
Financial Concerns and Pet Insurance	86	(1)
The Warning Signs: When to Take Your Pet to the Veterinarian	87	(3)
Getting to Know Your Pet's Medications	90	(1)
Scheduling Regular Checkups	91	(6)
The ABCs of Emergency Care	97	(7)
Pet Care for the Changing Seasons	104	(1)
Special Health Concerns for the Older Pet	105	(3)
Saying Good-bye: Grieving for a Pet	108	(20)
Grief: The Universal Human Emotion	108	(1)
Stages of Grief	109	(2)
Giving Yourself Permission to Grieve	111	(3)
Ways of Saying Good-bye	114	(2)
Methods of Burial and Disposal	116	(2)
The ABCs of Grief Work	118	(4)
When Mourning Becomes Too Painful	122	(2)
Grief Counseling	124	(1)
Helping Children Grieve for a Pet	125	(3)
People's Best Friend: Caring for Your Dog	128	(51)
Origins of the Noble Dog	128	(1)
A Primer of Canine Behavior	129	(3)
Dog Breeds in a Nutshell	132	(6)
A New Puppy in the House	138	(3)
The Puppy's First Few Days at Home	141	(2)
Feeding a New Puppy	143	(3)
Step-by-Step Paper Training and Housebreaking	146	(3)
Dog Grooming 101	149	(4)
Feeding and Nutrition	153	(4)
Breaking Bad Habits, Teaching Good Ones	157	(8)
Maintaining Your Dog's Good Health	165	(7)
Other Important Health Concerns for Dogs	172	(3)
Tips to Keep Your Dog in Top Physical Condition	175	(4)
Caring for Your Cat	179	(51)
Your Mysterious Houseguest	179	(1)
A Primer of Cat Behavior	180	(3)
Cat Breeds in a Nutshell	183	(6)
Choosing the Right Cat	189	(2)
A New Cat in Your Home	191	(3)
Basic Cat and Kitten Care	194	(5)
Feline Nutrition	199	(4)
Secrets of Good Feline Grooming	203	(5)
Basic Training for Your Cat	208	(4)
Keeping Your Cat Well and Healthy	212	(5)
Common Feline Diseases	217	(7)
Further Cat Concerns	224	(6)
Small Furry Animals	230	(54)
Owning a Small Animal	230	(1)
Hamsters	230	(8)
Gerbils	238	(6)
Rabbits	244	(9)
Guinea Pigs	253	(9)
Ferrets	262	(8)
Rats	270	(6)
Mice	276	(8)
Birds	284	(40)
What Kind of Bird Do I Want?	284	(6)
Types of Pet Birds	290	(12)
Housing for Pet Birds	302	(2)
Food and Nutrition	304	(2)
The Art and Science of Bird Care	306	(10)
Keeping Your Bird Healthy and Fit	316	(4)
Common Bird Ailments	320	(4)
Fish	324	(38)
The Subtle Magic of the Fish Tank	324	(1)
Setting up the Aquarium	325	(15)
The Art and Science of Adding Fish to a Tank	340	(2)
Feeding Time	342	(2)
Choosing Fish for an Aquarium	344	(10)
Maintaining the Health of Your Fish	354	(8)
Reptiles and Amphibians	362	(49)
Why Keep Reptiles or Amphibians as Pets?	362	(4)
Reptiles	366	(34)
Amphibians	400	(11)
Appendix	411

Excerpts

Chapter One

The Big Choice:

Deciding Which Pet

Is Best for You

Establishing Your Pet Compatibility Ratio

For many families deciding which animal companion to adopt is a major life decision.

    Dogs and cats live ten to fifteen years, and other pets live even longer. Certain animals demand attention throughout the day. Others require handling and petting on a regular basis. All household creatures need to be fed, watered, cleaned, and cared for. You will be obliged to provide food, shelter, and love for your adopted pet 365 days of the year.

    Bringing an animal companion into your home is thus not only an amusement and a recreation but a long-term commitment, one that requires the same thought and planning you might give to any of life's important decisions. Sharing your home with an animal is a form of partnership, one in which both parties, human and animal, must be comfortable with the accommodations. This, in fact, is the first rule of pet keeping: both pet and person must be happily adjusted to their role in the relationship.

    What is the best way of determining which pet is best for you and your household?

    There are three principal factors to take into account: personal preference, social compatibility, and living space.

    Personal preference. First, there is the obvious matter of affinity and inclination. Which animal--or animals--do you like best? Which ones do you most enjoy having around? Which animal--or animals--would you most prefer to share your home and hearth with for the next X number of years?

    Answering this question is, of course, a purely personal matter. If you grew up with malamutes as a child you may prefer them above all other pets. The same is true if you were raised with Maine Coon cats, or parrots, or white mice.

    Or perhaps not. Our preferences in animals change through the years along with our tastes and personalities, and often these preferences take a more inclusive direction. Many is the animal lover today, for instance, who ends up keeping three or four pets at the same time, a dog, and a cat, a bird, some fish.

    Remember, there is no rule that limits you to having a single pet. As long as there is room in your home, room in your wallet, and room in your heart, the sky's the limit.

    Social compatibility. Second, there's the question of social fit: how comfortably will the pet adapt itself to the dynamics of your domestic life, your work habits, your financial situation, your daily schedule? How suited is the animal to living in harmony with the people in your household--your children, your relatives, your spouse, your significant other?

    Living space and household logistics. Finally, there are logistical matters to consider: Will a dog or cat, fish tank or bird cage, fit into the physical dimensions of your house or apartment? Will the creature in question get along with your living room furniture and with the neighbor's rose garden? What size and shape pet does your residence most reasonably accommodate? How will such factors as noise, smell, dirt, hairs on the sofa, paw prints on clothes, and other by-products of the animal world affect you? How will it affect those who share your living space? How will it be welcomed by the people next door?

    The answers to these questions differ from person to person and pet to pet, with endless variations on the theme. One good way to get a clear angle on your own special needs, and to help you decide which pet is best for you, is to determine your own personal pet compatibility ratio--that is, your overall personal and social affinity with whatever pets you are now considering. Establish this ratio and a clear picture of the animal (or animals) you're best suited to live with will emerge.

    The section that follows contains a number of questions all related to pet compatibility. They will help you make your choice from a position of knowledge rather than guesswork.

What to Consider When Choosing a Pet

Which pet best suits your affections, needs, and personality?

    Do you prefer an animal that greets you at the door when you come home from work each day? A pet that lies cozily on your lap while you watch TV? Do you envision a rollicking friend that jogs in the park with yon or that plays games on your living room floor? Are you looking for a constant, loving companion?

    Fine. Then you want a dog or eat. Dogs and eats are the most emotionally responsive of all domestic creatures, with the possible exception of certain large tropical birds.

    On the other hand, perhaps you'd prefer an animal that requires occasional contact but that does not pine away for your company the moment you leave the house--a small, independent creature that you or your children can pick up and play with from time to time, feed, clean, and admire. End of story.

    If this is the case, then gerbils, hamsters, mice, and guinea pigs are all solid bets. Or perhaps one of the friendlier small birds like a parakeet.

    Alternately, you may wish for a more exotic creature, something off the beaten track. Not necessarily an animal to cuddle with, but one to enjoy and share your home with in more subtle ways. Reptiles and amphibians fill the bill nicely here.

    Finally, you may simply be in the market for a creature that's wonderful to look at but not to relate to in any personal way. Tropical fish make ideal silent companions in this case. They can be watched and admired for hours by adults and children alike. Their colorful appearance and diverse behaviors fascinate observers, and bring a sense of peace and relaxation to any room.

    A first step in finding the right pet, therefore, is to calculate the degree of emotional and physical involvement you wish to have with your animal; and equally important, to determine what kind of emotional response you expect in return.

    Then act accordingly.

Which pet best fits the scheme and layout of your living space?

    The human species dwells in a variety of habitats.

    Some of us live in the city. Others live in the suburbs or the country. Some have a lawn behind their house, a terrace off the bedroom, a park up the block, a dog run in the neighborhood. Others do not. Some people inhabit a one-bedroom or studio apartment, a farm, or a twenty-room mansion. Others live with their families, with friends and mates, with an older relative, or a single child. Some of us live alone.

    Each of these living arrangements places different demands on a person's lifestyle, and hence on the type of pet it's most appropriate to keep. For no matter how politely behaved or inconspicuous a pet may be, there are always challenges.

    Dogs, for instance. They shed. They bark. They chew your bathrobe. They slobber. They smell. They track in mud. They jump up on visitors. They roll in manure. They burrow under the fence. They get sick. They eat a lot.

    Minor offenses, no doubt, from a creature that provides us with so many major rewards. Still, be sure you're prepared to live with these annoyances. Or at least to spend the time teaching the dog manners.

    Once a dog becomes your animal of choice, moreover, there's the fine-tuning to take care of.

    The questions to ask yourself now are, What kind of dog best fits my lifestyle and my living space? Do I want an outdoorsy breed suited for backyard frolic or herding sheep? Or a less athletic animal that adjusts easily to sedentary apartment living? Am I looking for a big dog or a little dog? Long hair or short? Pure bred or mixed breed? A dog with a hair-trigger bark to scare away intruders, or a quiet dog that doesn't bother the tenants next door? What are the pros and cons? Large dogs are more expensive to feed and board. Small dogs can be restless and bark too much.

    There's also activity level to be considered.

    Great Danes, hulks that they are, actually make rather good apartment pets because of their constrained temperaments. The diminutive Jack Russell terrier, on the other hand, can be a nuisance in cramped quarters because of a jumpy, hyperactive nature.

    Here a bit of homework on the different breeds will help. The chapters ahead on dog raising will answer most of your questions in this regard.

    A similar evaluation, with appropriate modifications, can be applied to cats.

    Do you prefer a longhair cat or short? Do you care if your cat is a mixed breed or purebred? Is there anyone in the house, an elderly person, or a young child, who is shaky on their feet, and who might trip over a tabby sleeping in the doorway or on the staircase? Are you thinking of adopting a Siamese? Know in advance that these delightful creatures express their affections with loud and continuous meows. This can be charming or annoying, depending on your tastes. Be prepared too for trips to the veterinarian. Annual visits for maintenance, vaccinations, and checkups are all part of the program, along with those unpredictable (and often inconvenient) occasions when illness comes.

    With cats there's the shedding issue, too. All felines, even those with short fur, sprinkle their hairs lavishly about on the bed and the furniture. Despite careful house cleaning on your part, these hairs tend to accumulate, eventually building up to a critical mass. At this point these hairs not only pose a cosmetic problem but a medical one as well.

    Why?

    Because when cats clean themselves the saliva from their tongues dries on their fur and turns into tiny, invisible flakes. Certain proteins in this dried saliva are anathema to allergically sensitized humans, and can trigger reactions in minutes, causing sneezing, runny nose, skin rashes, even wheezing and shortness of breath for asthmatics. If you sneeze and sputter a lot when you're around a friend's cat this can be a red flag. A number of people suffer from allergies to cat dander.

    Similar logistical considerations apply to other household pets.

    Thinking of fish? Is there room in your home or apartment for a twenty- or thirty-gallon tank? Is the table or shelf you intend to place the tank on strong enough to support the weight? Thirty gallons of water is a lot of water. And if you're really enjoying it and keeping a much larger tank, 120 gallons, say, how strong are your floor joists? This is not a joke. A hundred and twenty gallons is something like having a baby elephant in the middle of your room. And what will you do if you want to move the tank someday?

    Are you particularly noise sensitive? Will the low level bubbling from the aquarium filter annoy you or another family member? Is there a clear route from the fish tank to the sink, so that when you change the water you can empty the buckets of dirty water without stumbling over furniture?

(Continues...)

Excerpted from The ASPCA Complete Guide to Pet Care by David L. Carroll. Copyright © 2001 by David L. Carroll. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.