The truth about cats and dogs - and kids

Adding a furry member to your family can be a fantastic experience - if you do it wiselyIt seems to be raining cats and dogs in the UAE, with handbag pooches, macho mongrels and cuddly kitties the accessory du jour for young expats and Emiratis. But before giving in to your child’s pleading, you need to think about more than if a cat or dog’s fur colour will match your furniture.The long haulDomesticated animals, such as cats, dogs and hamsters, need a stable, loving environment. It’s unfair to adopt one without being sure you can adequately care for it for the rest of its life.“Around 40 percent of the dogs we have taken in were abandoned by owners who left the country,” says Jackie Ratcliffe of non-profit dog rescue organisation K9 Friends. Since the economic downturn, this has practically become an epidemic, with shelters and fostering programmes often having to turn animals away because they have no room for them.“For many expats, if you lose your job, you immediately lose the right to live in the UAE, so you have to leave almost immediately,” says Leslie Muncey of Feline Friends, a non-profit cat rescue organisation. For expats, it’s therefore vital that, as soon as you adopt an animal, you start preparing in case you suddenly have to leave.“The rules for exporting dogs from the UAE vary depending on the country you’re taking them to,” explains Ratcliffe. The same legalities also apply to cats and a limited number of other companion animals. “It usually involves having your pet microchipped, vaccinated, blood tested once, and then again six months later. You’ll need the papers to prove it, and even with all this, some countries still insist on a quarantine period.” And, of course, none of this is free, so you’ll need to plan to pay the vet’s bills.If you can’t be sure of looking after a cat or dog for the rest of its life, there is an alternative. “Those who can’t be sure of a long-term home but who still want a cat or dog should seriously consider fostering,” says Muncey. “Both Feline Friends and K9 Friends are always desperate for fosterers to help us save more pets’ lives.”Family affairAdding a new member to your home, whether human, canine or feline, always requires adjustments, and unless everyone who lives in the house is on board, it could all end in heartache. That means you need to have a serious discussion with the entire family before committing to adopting.Topics you should discuss include: Is anyone in the home seriously allergic to animals? (Minor allergies, such as runny nose or itchy eyes, can be controlled with antihistamines, but the family member needs to be prepared, and able, to take these daily.) Who will play with the cat or walk the dog every day? Who will be responsible for feeding and watering? For taking them to the vet? For ensuring their overall safety, health and wellbeing?When dealing with children, it is a good idea to write down all the details of who will handle what, and have them sign it, like a contract. Bear in mind, however, that even if your child promises to take on some or all of the responsibilities, this is very unlikely to be consistent for the long-term, and it is you, the adult, who must ensure the pet is well-cared for. After all, this is an animals’ life you are dealing with, not a science experiment. If the child fails in his or her duties, you might punish the child after the fact, but it is the animal who will have suffered.Practically speaking“You also need to think about the expense involved - annual vaccinations, vet bills, food, litter, etc – as well as boarding or pet-sitting costs when your family goes on holiday,” says Muncey. And, of course, you need to make sure your residence allows pets. Otherwise, you could be forced to give up your much-loved new family member as soon as the leaseholder realises you have an animal.Also bear in mind that dogs and cats are banned from many public areas and parks, which you might not realise until you try to take Snookums for a stroll? If you don’t have a large garden or somewhere easily accessible to walk and play with your dog or cat, you could end up with an obese pet, with all the expensive and painful health complications that entails, as well a very unhappy one.Write down a schedule of essentials for the dog or cat, such as when they need to be fed, watered, walked and played with, then marry that up with your family’s own lifestyle to make sure the animal won’t be forgotten when times get busy.Hot topicYou’ll also need to be aware that companion animals must have access to the indoors and outdoors to be protected from the scorching UAE sun. “Many people still believe it’s OK to tether a dog outside,” says Ratcliffe. “The summer temperatures here soar to over 45 degrees and this is not acceptable.” It leads to heat stroke and an agonising death for many animals.Even worse than leaving your animals outside in the baking sun is leaving them in cars, even for just a few minutes. According the UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), dogs can die within minutes of being left in a car as temperatures rise rapidly: “When it is just 22°C (72°F) outside, the temperature inside a car can soar to 47°C (117°F) or even higher. For this reason, the RSPCA advises that animals are never left inside cars.” What’s more, “Leaving the car windows open or putting a bowl of water inside does not help.” So don’t take Butterball out with you unless you know she’ll be able to join you inside the shops, cafes or friends’ homes you’re visiting.A permanent supply of fresh drinking water is also essential, and this needs to be changed daily, rather than just topped up. Organisms can grow in water bowls that can make your pet ill, so cleaning the bowl is also crucial. Cats in particular can be sensitive to the taste of water, so if you have a fussy puss, you might have to filter the water to ensure they stay hydrated. Otherwise, your cat could end up with cystitis or even kidney failure.Sex (time)bombEven if you rarely see them, it’s a sad fact that the UAE is now teeming with homeless abandoned, stray or feral cats and dogs. The overflowing animal shelters and fostering schemes are proof enough of this. K9 Friends has taken in 4,000 dogs in the last decade, and it’s just one of the UAE’s canine shelters. The problem is as a bad, if not worse for cats.It’s crucial, therefore, that you don’t add to this exploding population with a litter of your own. It’s a myth that it’s good for cats or dogs to have one litter, so make sure you get yours neutered or desexed before their first heat.“Just one unaltered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in only six years. In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce an incredible 420,000 kittens!” according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Seems bizarre, but it’s true. It’s based on adding up the typical number of dogs or cats per litter, multiplied by the typical number of litters an animal can have, then extrapolated to include their litters’ litters. For male dogs and cats, this number is even higher as they can obviously impregnate multiple females.Desexing your pet is the kindest cut. Neutering does not cause weight gain, either, so don’t think that your svelte pup will turn into an obese ogre. Weight gain is caused by overeating and a lack of exercise, so keep this up, and your pet will be happy and healthy. Better still, neutered animals are much less likely to fight or stray, therefore living longer, healthier lives.If your companion animal has a litter, for every kitten or puppy you find a good home for, that’s another stray who will most likely be put down by the municipal authorities. Not a very good lesson to teach your children, is it?The right choiceChoosing your companion animal is the fun part. However, given the huge numbers of unwanted healthy kittens and puppies, as well as adult cats and dogs, don’t buy from a breeder or pet shop. In fact, if you’re desperate for a purebred, you’ll find that many animals in shelters are abandoned purebreds. But there are some serious considerations with purebred animals, no matter how much the breeder or pet shop professes otherwise.You might be under the impression that the only way to guarantee a pet’s temperament is to get a purebred. In fact, the Humane Society of the United States says that purebreds are more prone to genetic defects than mongrels or moggies, and this can affect their temperaments as well as their health. Just think about the very rare occasion you hear of an animal attacking a child. The animal in question is nearly always a purebred.The best way to ensure your pet will fit into your home life is to get the animal from a good shelter or fostering organisation, and get the whole family to spend some time with the cat or dog before deciding on it. If you won’t be home all day with the animal, at least for the first few months, it’s best to avoid a kitten or puppy and choose an adult cat or dog instead. An advantage is that they will probably already be housetrained, saving you the hassle.Crucially, though, if you’re stuck on a purebred, “please do not choose an animal meant for cooler climates, such as huskies, St Bernards, etc,” says Ratcliffe. “These are being brought in to the UAE regularly and really suffer.”Untamed beautyFinally, take care to avoid getting a wild animal, which can happen accidentally in the UAE. “Although many of the wild species are known and recognisable, some tend to look similar to domesticated animals,” says Moaz Sawaf, Education and Conservation Officer of Emirates Wildlife Society. “What make the matter more complicated is some wild animals are capable of cross breeding with domesticated and feral animals. In the UAE we have the Gordon’s Wildcat, which looks very similar to the domesticated or street cat, and they can cross breed, threatening the existence of the former."Worse still, some people – and this includes children - want to have wild animals as trophy pets. This can, and usually does, go disastrously for both the human and the animal. “The behaviour of wild animals is totally different from domesticated animals,” explains Sawaf. “In many cases, it is unpredictable, posing a danger to humans. Another important matter is wild animals carry certain types of bacteria and viruses that are foreign to the region, causing threats is family members as well as other wildlife."For more information on adopting or fostering, contact Feline Friends Dubai (www.felinefriendsdubai.com/), Feline Friends Abu Dhabi (www.felinefriendsuae.com) and K9 Friends (http://k9friends.c-lab.co.uk/).See the article online here:http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/family/the-truth-about-cats-and-dogs-and-children