Pets Stack Exchange
Pets Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [adoption]

The act of permanently assuming responsibility for a pet from the original owner(s).

Adoption is permanently assuming responsibility for a pet from the original owner(s). Adoption is different from guardianship as the latter is only for a temporary period. This tag should be used along with the pet tag e.g , , etc.

113 questions
47
votes
8 answers

Is this normal first day home behavior for my kitten, or should I be concerned?

My girlfriend and I received a kitten last night from a neighbor whose cat had a litter. It's my first cat (first interactive pet), but she's had experience in the past. According to our neighbor, our kitten is a little over a month old…
Glenak1911
  • 573
  • 1
  • 4
  • 6
24
votes
5 answers

Is it ok to adopt a kitten if you have a murderous cat?

So my sister wants to adopt a little kitten that is roughly 3 weeks old. My fear is, our cat is somewhat of a murderer. He just kills for fun and not eating. You may see him hunt a rat, slash the back, make the rat run, then slash the hind legs and…
Mr.J
  • 282
  • 1
  • 3
  • 9
22
votes
7 answers

Is it a responsible action to adopt a starving kitten when I live in a very small place?

Recently, I expressed to a friend my reservations in adopting one of the starving kittens badly needing someone to take care of them, due to my worries that it will ultimatly be miserable living in my small place (one bedroom, one WC and a corridor…
Courage Mind
  • 323
  • 2
  • 5
20
votes
1 answer

As a complete novice, what costs should I plan for when adopting a shelter cat?

I have never adopted an animal. What costs are there? What about: The adoption costs Food costs Litter bix/bedding Vet Pet sitting for trips Etc. What categories did I miss? How often do expenses arise in each category, and what is a rough range…
Brian Rushton
  • 1,236
  • 2
  • 10
  • 21
20
votes
2 answers

What do I need to know before adopting an FIV-positive cat?

When I adopted my current cats last year, the folks at the shelter asked me if I would consider adopting some of their Feline Immunodeficieny Virus (FIV)-positive cats since I did not have any other cats at the time. The adoption counselor and I…
Monica Cellio
  • 8,285
  • 6
  • 43
  • 83
18
votes
1 answer

Are there any health or behavioral issues specific to tripod (3-legged) dogs?

There is a very sweet dog at the shelter that was in an accident and only has 3 legs. Are there any specific behavioral or health issues I should take into account when deciding whether or not to adopt him? Are there any activities he won't be able…
Julie Baumler
  • 1,328
  • 11
  • 12
12
votes
1 answer

What "due dilligence" measures should I follow when adopting / buying a dog?

My wife and I are about to be first time pet owners, and I am wondering, what should I do as "due dilligence"? So far, I can think of the following items, but I am sure I am probably missing some things: Make sure their shots are up to date Make…
Jonathan
  • 751
  • 1
  • 6
  • 16
12
votes
2 answers

Cat REALLY wants to leave his "safe" room after 1 day at our house

We got a Birman cat a day ago and he just sits at the door of his safe room at meows a majority of the time I'm sitting in his room. He will also come to me and wait for me to notice him and then walk to the door and start meowing. The afternoon…
JoshMann15
  • 121
  • 1
  • 1
  • 8
12
votes
6 answers

Is it a good idea to buy fish online rather than from a local pet store?

I'm very new to keeping fish as pets. I was surprised to find out that you can order fish online and have them shipped. Is there any way to be sure that the fish will be healthy? Should I just stick to local stores?
Michael Whatcott
  • 283
  • 1
  • 3
  • 8
12
votes
3 answers

How to convince people not to buy, but adopt

I live in India where there are significant numbers of local dogs in need of adoption into loving homes. However many of the people looking to get a dog are instead more focused on purchasing Labradors, Golden retrievers and German shepherds. Are…
Ram Keswani
  • 727
  • 6
  • 11
12
votes
2 answers

What should I know before I decide to adopt a rabbit?

We are thinking about adopting a pet rabbit. We would love to have one in our home for Easter and I do not think that they would be much work or require much time the rest of the year. But I do not want to rush into this. So what should I know…
user9
11
votes
3 answers

How do I spot potential problem behavior when adopting a dog?

Frequently people are adopting dogs from rescue shelters. Adopting any adult dog can be a bit of a challenge in that it's hard to know the dog's history. Some rescue dogs have a history of abuse and/or neglect. The process of meeting and choosing a…
user6796
11
votes
4 answers

How long should you keep an adopted rescue cat indoors?

I was wondering how long you should keep an adopted rescue cat indoors before allowing it to explore outside. I've been told anything from 2 weeks to 3 months. Thanks everyone. At the moment she's happy enough in the house. We've moved the bird…
Wildwookie
  • 141
  • 1
  • 2
  • 7
11
votes
2 answers

How long can I spend with an animal to get to know it before adopting?

When adopting a pet I obviously want to make sure I'm making the right decision. Taking an animal that I would have to return later would cause unnecessary stress to the animal, as well as being unhappy for me and for the shelter staff. So, in order…
starsplusplus
  • 3,764
  • 8
  • 33
  • 59
11
votes
3 answers

How to stop adopted stray/feral cat from scratching trees?

I'm in New Zealand. The cat (probably female), has been with us for 5 years, but my parents are sick of her killing our trees with her claws. We think she was abandoned by her previous owners and lived alone for some time. She took over after our…
user18587
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8