NAIA Official Blog

We have become all too familiar with sad tales of people relinquishing their dogs due to economic and housing pressure over the last year. Dogs want to stay with their people, owners are often filled with sorrow or even shame at the choices they must make, and amid the fallout numerous shelters across the country report being filled to capacity or beyond. But what about the cats? Cats, despite being the second most popular companion animal in the United States, are an animal we have heard precious little about in recent months.

Indeed, in Vermont, humane societies and shelters aren’t reporting the same difficulties with cat relinquishments and adoptions as with dogs. And this makes sense: cats are less expensive and lower-maintenance than dogs. Cat-owning renters also face fewer hurdles when moving. It comes in handy that landlords often view cats as cleaner, quieter, more out of the way, and less of a liability than dogs. So maybe cats simply aren’t facing the same economic and housing pressures?

It’s certainly tempting (and comforting) to think so. However, smaller cat rescues in the state tell a much different tale: while it was hard for many rescues to keep cats “in stock” during 2020-21, adoptions in 2022 are way down and relinquishments are up. And at least one rescue owner is asking why some of the state’s humane societies still import cats from the southern United States while rescues and fosters are at capacity, and locals face growing wait times to surrender their own pets or strays. This isn’t an idle concern. You can argue the ethics of rescue importation until blue in the face without changing anyone’s mind, but you can’t change the math. If there isn’t enough room to house and adopt out local cats because you’re hauling in dozens of cats from out of state each month, you simply aren’t serving your community.

Resources
★     People are giving up pets. Blame inflation.
★     Higher intake, slower adoptions: Michigan animal shelters need your help

It’s officially winter, and the cold is coming on strong in many parts of the country. This year, meteorologists are predicting the coldest Christmas in decades – a chill deep enough to threaten pets, livestock, and wildlife.

For livestock, this means making sure their housing is dry and insulated, that they have plenty of food and water –  and that their water isn’t frozen. With animals that require heat lamps or heaters, care must be taken to make sure to avoid fire hazards, too – make sure the cure isn’t worse than the disease!

When it comes to our pets, care is simultaneously simpler and more complicated – use our eyes, knowledge of our companions, and a healthy dose of common sense. Don’t deny a young and healthy Alaskan Malamute a chance to rollick in the snow for a bit. That’s literally what they are made for! On the other hand, an older, short-haired pet might only be comfortable going outside for a minute or two.

Also, make sure to keep their feet clean and dry (this is especially important if you live where deicers are used). Our pets all have different needs and preferences; being aware of them and employing common sense will go a long way toward keeping them comfortable and safe during this cold snap!

Resources
★     Resources to protect animals during upcoming cold weather
★     Southern US cold snap could have iguanas falling from trees in Florida

Every December, we get a new set of think pieces on the topic of adopting pets during the holiday season. In the world of animal lovers, this may be as traditional as a 24-hour A Christmas Story marathon. Historically, discussions of holiday pet adoptions have come in the form of waggling fingers, or at the very least warnings that prospective owners be extremely thoughtful when acquiring their new pet. Blessedly, the rhetoric has become less judgmental and heated in recent years. Nevertheless, if you are a pet lover, these warnings about “Santa Cats” are the Holiday Special version of a “Never, ever leave your dog in a hot car” admonition – we’ve all heard it countless times, but its potential consequences make it worth heeding and repeating.

At NAIA, we don’t take the absolutist, finger-waggling approach toward this topic – no two people or pets are the same, and let’s be honest: if someone really wants a puppy for Christmas, they’ll find a way to get one. What we do appreciate, are collections of thoughtful and encouraging advice for prospective pet owners, such as the ones listed in this article by the Atlanta Humane Society. Instead of saying you must do this or that, they ask you to ask yourself some questions. Serious questions about how much time you have available to care for a pet. Questions about whether your living space is appropriate for pets – or if it even allows pets. Questions about safety for your family and potential pet. And finally – quite topically – asking yourself whether caring for a pet is something you can afford to add to your monthly budget?

Adding a pet (or pets!) to the family is a wonderful thing that we hope everyone gets to experience. But it is easy to be blinded by the stars in our eyes when falling in love with a puppy or kitten –  especially during such a festive time of year. Asking ourselves some pertinent questions before taking the plunge can be just the splash of cold water to the face we need… or, even better, a great way to help us realistically prepare for a new companion.

8 things to consider before adopting a pet this holiday season

Resources
★     Adopt a Pet During the Holidays? The Pros and Cons
★     Adopting a pet this holiday season? Shelters say: adopt responsibly

Saying “The Devil made me do it” is a well-known and lighthearted – but ultimately meaningless – way of exploiting theology to avoid accountability for our actions. But saying “The protozoans made me do it,” even if it doesn’t roll off the tongue quite so easily, actually has some scientific backing. There is a growing body of evidence that parasites play a large role in influencing animal behaviors… and one of the best known, Toxoplasma gondii, lives in the bellies of North America’s second-most beloved pet: the common housecat.

Many animal lovers already know about the effect of toxoplasmosis on rodents. In a nutshell, cats are the only host T. gondii can reproduce inside of… and wouldn’t you know it: toxoplasmosis-infected rats don’t show the same aversion to cat urine, making these rodents (and the parasites they are carrying) more likely to find their way into a cat’s stomach. This is a convenient coincidence (except for the rat)!

But such convenient coincidences may be just the tip of the iceberg. Newer research in the wild shows T. gondii-infected chimps and hyena cubs attracted to the urine of large, predatory cats. And infected humans display differences in behavior, too. While the odds of us being eaten by a cat are quite small, people suffering from toxoplasmosis engage in notably more risk-taking behaviors, and demonstrate less fear of failure when compared to the general population. Past experiences, our environment, genes, and social expectations are well-known factors that shape behavior, but as we’re learning with parasites like T. gondii, there may be numerous lesser-known – but significant – factors at play, as well!

Resources
★     Brain parasite may strip away rodents’ fear of predators—not just of cats
★     Toxoplasmosis in Cats