Springtime Birth
Springtime is here and so is the opportunity for new birth. Maybe you are a new Christian who has experienced new birth in Christ or maybe a seasoned believer who has experienced new birth in your relationship with Jesus. Not only does spiritual birth happen close to the beginning of a new year, so does physical birth. You might see forest animals who have just had babies, maybe baby animals grace your yard as you look out the window sipping your coffee in the morning.
There is no doubt that more babies are born during spring than any other season of the year. This might have you thinking of getting a puppy or a kitten. The first question you might ask yourself is “where might someone find a puppy or kitten?”. You may also ask “How do I know if someone is a reputable breeder or not?”. These are just a couple of questions you might ask yourself during your search. I will try to answer some of these common questions about buying a new pet.
Let’s start with cats and kittens. We will not look at getting a cat from a breeder due to the infrequency of the purchase of cats from breeders. If you have questions about that please contact me and I will see if I can point you in the right direction. The first question you need to answer for yourself is if you want a cat or kitten. Each has their pros and cons. Older cats generally take longer to adjust to a new home. However, if given time they can make great pets and learn your routine quickly. Older cats also tend to take longer to adjust to existing pets in the home, especially other cats. If you are getting from a rescue, be sure you adopt a cat that has had experience with dogs and other cats if you already have animals at home. This will ensure that the cat will have some experience with other animals, and it will not be such a shock to your new pet. The main pro to adopting an older cat is that they don’t normally destroy belongings like kittens do as they are exploring their world. Now let’s look at kittens.
Kittens tend to be a little more on the destructive side. However, they are oh so cute and playful! Kittens can be a lot of joy to have around because watching them learn and explore can be quite comical. They love to play and will often entertain themselves. Kittens require a little more dedication and more frequent feedings. They also adjust to their environment quicker. Take note that if you have a dog be sure to monitor the dog and kitten closely. Dogs can become aggressive with kittens either on purpose due to prey drive or because the dog is much larger. Always supervise your pets with each other especially during the relationship building stages.
Overall, cats will most likely come housetrained since they learn this habit almost immediately after they are done nursing their mum. They tend to eat a lot if left to free feed so I recommend feeding them an allotted amount twice per day. Cats also tend to drink water less frequently than other pets, so some people recommend feeding wet food to supplement hydration.
Dogs and puppies are a whole different animal (pun intended). There are different places that you can acquire a dog or puppy. However, all places are not good for business. The best places to get a dog or puppy are from either rescues or reputable breeders. A reputable breeder is someone who avidly does health testing, shows their dogs in conformation shows, and maintains their dog’s health and wellbeing. Rescues offer mixed breeds and often offer purebred dogs that have ended up in the rescue system for various reasons. If you are looking for a specific breed and are not planning to show your dog, then you can get it from a rescue that is specific to that breed.
Puppies can be gotten from many places. If you are looking for a specific breed of puppy, then you will most likely need to go to a breeder since rescues do not usually have pure bred puppies. This does not mean it is not possible, it just means it is unlikely. If you are looking for just a plain, all American dog puppy then you can get one from a rescue! The worst places to purchase a puppy are from backyard breeders (breeders who breed for money without regard to the dog’s health and wellbeing, they never show their dogs, and the dogs are in deplorable conditions) and hobby breeders (do not usually show dogs or do health testing). Breeding should only be done to improve a breeding program and done prudently. See my article Choosing the Right Pet to decide the type of pet and what age pet you need for your family.
If you are planning to get a puppy from a breeder and have questions please feel free to contact me and I will help you locate a reputable breeder or a rescue.
