I really couldn't help myself ::sigh:: and posted this on craigslist. Think I went overboard?
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this is in response to no particular post, it's just that I have seen a plethera of these posts and I would like to address them.
Why do I keep seeing "I'm moving in 3 days and I have to get rid of my 7/8/9/10/week old puppy/kitten" posts? I mean, it's bad enough that people are getting rid of their pets when they are moving anyway (Seriously, how hard in this day and age is it to find a place that takes pets?) but BABIES?
Was moving a SUPRISE? Did you not realize when you got the animal that you were going to be moving in two weeks? Did you just want a toy for a few weeks and figured you'd dump it later?
I know it's pointless to try to convince people who think that way that these animals aren't like furniture, a TV or something like that, but I thought I would try anyway. When you adopt or purchase an animal, you make a commitment to take care of it for the rest of its life. How would you feel if someone you loved just decided to ignore you and ditch you because you were just a bit too much to handle? Have you people never heard of trainers? Books? Heck, you dont even have to buy books anymore, its all there for free on the internet. Spend a couple of hours one night researching on how to stop excessive barking before you shove Rover out of the car door in an abandoned parking lot.
Look people, in 99% of situations, its NOT ok for you to look to rehome your dog/cat because it "Got too big", it "won't housetrain" (most likely your fault anywho, not the pets) "im moving and I cant take it" "we're having a kid" (Yes, I suppose none of us can balance kids and pets...) "I got a new puppy/kitten and they dont get along", "I dont like the way its color turned out" (I cant even dignify that with a response), "I dont have time for it" or "I travel too much" (Didnt you think about that BEFORE you got the pet?)
And all of these exotic pets? I hate to inform you, but the $12 7 inch long iguana in the petstore CAN get as long as a couch. A burmese python CAN reach 20 feet and require regular feedings of rabbits and pigs, along with special housing, expensive vet care, and lots of training/handling. A parrot is GOING to scream, make messes, require lots and lots of attention and love and training, expensive vet care, and special diet. Ferrets need as much attention and vet work as a dog, at least 4 hours of time out of their cage a day, they have an "interesting" smell, and they are expensive to keep. Same goes with sugar gliders, rabbits, cavies, and to a lesser extent, rats, mice, gerbils and hamsters. Do your research!!!! Plan ahead! PLEASE stop these impulse buys! Join web groups, find RESPONSIBLE breeders and talk to them about what you are about to do! But stop wasting your time and money on a pet that you are just going to throw away- your wasting a LIFE. And guess what?? you just can't sell these guys when they get too big! No one wants to take on your problems! I have seen so many ferret postings on here lately it makes my head spin. Do you know that when a rescuer takes in a ferret, 9/10 times they have to spend at least $300 on it JUST to get it caught up on vet work? Do you really think someone is going to pay $100? $200? for your 3 year old ferret and cage? People who know ferrets wont spend a cent on a ferret that isn't UTD on shots, ADV negative and has been checked out and proven its not adrenal, insulinomic or lymphomic. And guess what? Over 50% of ferrets over the age of 3 are at least one of those things. I am SICK and TIRED of finding out that most of these ferrets looking for homes have been showing symptoms of some disease but hasn't been taken to the vet. For your own information, there's no such thing as a "Rare hairless ferret" (Adrenal disease) if your ferret can't walk in a straight line and falls over constantly (insulinoma) that's not "Just the way he is". Those lumps (lymphoma) under his tail aren't his testicles, since all petstore ferrets are neutered. and please, if I have one more ferret brought to me unable to walk at all, completely naked, rail thin, dehydrated and overheated with his poor eyes sunken in and am cheerfully told by the "owner" that the petstore gave him a full health clearence 3 years ago and he has never been sick a day in his life, I am going to go on a homicidal spree.
I check craigslist every day, and it just breaks my heart. I see "free to good home, we just dont want him anymore" ads, "Puppies for sale but we're going to call it a $250 'adoption fee' so we can get away with it" ads, "What were we thinking when we bought this" ads, and perhaps the most disturbing "I'll trade you my "pureblooded AKC schnoodle" (When are people going to learn that these designer breeds are nothing but mutts, available for a minimum adoption fee at a local rescue or shelter, and are NOT registerable with any REPUTABLE canine registry?) for your (fill in the blank)". Sometimes I see the same dog posted 5 different times by different people as he passes from hand to hand.
I know that most of these will eventually end up in shelters, dead on the side of the road, tied up in some indifferent persons backyard (Who just wants a lawn ornament, status symbol or "guard dog") or living cold and alone on the streets. But I guess most people just dont care.
