Special to the Aroostook Republican
As amazing as it seems, many cats and dogs are lost or abandoned often by well-meaning owners while on vacation. How does this happen? Owners make grave mistakes when they assume animals possess certain skills they actually do not.
Contributed photoThis handsome boy was abandoned by his owners. He was lucky enough to be turned in by a caring neighbor, or he would have starved or froze to death in the wintry weather that followed his rescue. “Marco” was adopted to a loving home this spring.
Here’s what I mean. Myth 1 is, “Cats and dogs always know their way home.” Yes, pets do have impressive homing ability, but if you remove a cat or dog from a home he is familiar with, and you bring him to the lake or the ocean for your family’s vacation, all the familiar smells and neighborhood visual markers are gone. Studies show it takes pets about two weeks of confinement within the house before they can be trusted to “get their bearings” outdoors. If you let pet out too soon, he might wander too far and get lost. If you don’t walk your dog on a leash, your family might return home with an empty carrier and broken hearts.
I recently heard from a friend of mine who brought her two cats to her lakeside cabin for the weekend. She returned home with only one. Instead of taking your pets with you on vacation, ask a friend or neighbor to care for them, or board them at a local kennel where you know they’ll be safe.
Sure, there is the odd story about dogs or cats walking thousands of miles to return home, but don’t count on it. Many pets are struck by cars or starve before they get home. My own “indoor kitty,” Natasha, escaped from our home one busy evening, and she was gone about two weeks. Every day I’d walk the roads calling her but to no avail. On the sixteenth day, I found her dead in a roadside ditch not ten feet from my driveway. My baby was trying to get home. She had almost made it home. After 30 years, I still feel the pain of losing her.
Myth 2 is, “Cats can easily survive in the wild.” While cats are tenacious survivors, don’t count on finding the kitty you abandoned last summer waiting at the camp for you after a long, hard winter. Believe it or not, some people adopt a cat as an amusement for their children for the summer then leave the poor thing at the lake or cottage to survive the winter alone. If a cat doesn’t starve to death, it can be attacked and eaten by coyotes or fishers. It can contract disease from the feral cat population in the area. And it is at more risk for death by vehicular means. How cruel is that?
These are loving pets that depend on humans to keep them healthy and safe. They are not summer toys for your children. If you believe you cannot care for the pet that shares your home and your life, please bring it to your local shelter. Abandoning a cat or dog is illegal, cruel, and totally unnecessary. Loving homes are always waiting.
June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month. To celebrate our furry feline friends, Caribou Pet Rescue is keeping the low $25 adult cat (over 6 months of age) adoption price throughout the month of June. But on July 1, the price for all felines will revert to $75. Where else can you save fifty dollars and make a loyal, happy and loving friend? This special $25 price includes our cost of a leukemia test, treatment of all parasites including ear mites, worms and fleas, spay/neuter surgery, rabies and age-appropriate distemper shots. That’s about $130.00 worth of medical care for only $25.00. Also, both North Country Animal Hospital and Presque Isle Animal Hospital offer CPR adopters a free wellness health appointment within 30 days of adoption.
CPR is currently experiencing a shortage of cat litter. We use the plain litter for kittens and clumping litter for adult cats. Please drop off your donations at the shelter during our public hours. You can also purchase items at Paradis Shop ’n Save and drop them in our donation cart by the front door.
Thank you for your support through donations and volunteerism. Our shelter is located at 6 Richards Road in Caribou. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 488, Caribou, ME 04736. Our telephone number is 498-3800. Caribou Pet Rescue, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible. Visit our Web site, www.cariboupetrescue.org, for shelter news and photos of our adorable, adoptable pets.
Remember—Neuter and Spay! It’s the ONLY way!
