Don't go on a blind date when adopting, buying a pet

Published in the Home News Tribune 12/01/03

By Tim Shenk
Gannett News Service

Bird, fish, mammal or reptile, the right pet can be hard to choose.
If your companion-to-be were human, you'd ask questions to see how
well you'd get along. You'd want to know if you had compatible
personalities or how you'd share a living space or what your new
friend would need from you.

Key Points
If you are planning to buy or adopt a pet, find out:
The animal's history
Its experience with children and other pets
If it has problems being fed along with other animals
If it has problems with being housebroken or running away
How much time it is kept outside. Troubled animals are often secluded.

Be sure to notice if:
It is interested in you. Does it want to interact?
It responds well to children. If it prefers adults, it won't be a
good match with kids.
Its coat, feet or ears show signs of problems. You also can get an
idea of how it has been cared for.
It gives people so much attention that it never leaves them alone.
This can indicate behavioral problems, such as separation anxiety.
Source: Sam Kabbel, president of Pet Behavior Solutions in
Scottsdale, Ariz.

But try asking a prospective pet pointed questions, and you'll be
lucky to get a bark or meow in reply. Experts say you'll have to
answer these questions yourself at the pet shop or shelter, with
knowledgeable help, if you can find it. This is "matchmaking," says
Cheryl Weiner, vice president of the Animal Welfare League in Phoenix.
Operating a "no-kill" shelter for dogs and cats, the organization
uses a practical approach to finding permanent homes for its animals.
It does "behavior screening" on the animals to figure out their
personalities and the problems they might cause at home. People can
use this information when they are choosing an animal.

The shelter's adoption counselors have questions for the prospective
pet owners: What are they looking for in a pet? How will it fit into
their lives? Then, like an episode of "Blind Date," human and animal
spend time getting to know each other before a decision is made.
"It really helps get away from that initial 'looks are everything'
response," Weiner says. When Mary Holohan, a 46-year-old hotel
concierge, came to the shelter looking for a cat, there was more than
one that caught her eye. After four hours, she decided on a brown-and-
white tabby named Sheri, who climbed playfully into her purse.
What helped make up Holohan's mind was the behavioral profile the
adoption counselors gave her. They assured her that Sheri was so
easygoing that she could get along with Holohan's other three cats,
and four dogs -- and the assessment has proved correct.
"She just walks all over the dogs and doesn't care," Holohan says.
Not many shelters do pet behavior screening -- it's a lengthy
process. But if pet shoppers get a sense of an animal's temperament
and know what's typical of a species or breed, they'll have a better
shot at making the right match.

A pet's personality becomes more important when considering creatures
that interact with people, such as dogs, cats, rodents and birds,
says Marc Morrone, host of the syndicated TV show "The Pet Shop."
"Those are the animals that recognize individuals," he says.
Personality can determine whether a dog or a cat is OK around other
pets or young children, says Sam Kabbel, president of Pet Behavior
Solutions, a Scottsdale, Ariz., business that advises owners and
shelters on animal behavior. Sometimes a dog's behavior at home
reflects its breeding, she says. Dogs that were bred to work eight
hours a day, such as terriers and border collies, won't be happy
cooped up indoors. Australian cattle dogs inherit an instinct to herd
cattle by nipping at their heels. "So you have children around, and
the children are actually being herded and bitten," she says.

The Arizona Humane Society discourages the adopting of a dog if
people don't have the time to give the pet adequate exercise and
attention. "We'll recommend cats, or sometimes we'll recommend a
guinea pig or a rabbit," says Dianne Decker, the humane society's
pets and people educator. But even with these pets, some owners are
in over their heads. They can be unaware that a rabbit, for example,
has a tendency to chew power cords and indoor walls. Decker's
advice: "Knowledge beforehand is a really important thing."

With unusual pets, owners need reliable information to avoid
surprises. Jennifer Morel, 21, has 36 rabbits, three dogs and five
cockatiels. She's no stranger to creature care, but she ran into
trouble when two iguanas grew to the unmanageable length of 6 1/2
feet. With aggressive personalities and long, swinging tails, the
iguanas can be problem pets. "If they slap you on the leg, you get
welts," Morel says.

Susan Hopkins, 32, sells birds at a pet store and knew what to expect
when she got a young macaw named Bullwinkle. A blue-and-gold beauty
at 2 feet tall, Bullwinkle loves to take part in Hopkins' daily life,
tagging along on trips to the coffee shop and even answering the
phone. But macaws as pets come with an added responsibility -- they
can live 60 to 80 years, so Hopkins had to make long-term provisions.
"Have I put her in my will? Yes," she says. "Because do I think I'm
going to live that long? I highly doubt it."

© 2003 Gannett News Service
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