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Welcome New Pet Owners!

Pets play a major role in American life. Over the years the appreciation for pets, and their humane treatment, has taken on a new importance. It is said by having a pet that we live longer, healthier and happier lives. Few human friends can make that claim!

If you have never had a pet before, the following information will be very important to you. If you have had a pet in the past, this information may be even more important to you! Why? Because the way many of us have been taught to treat pets in the past, by our families and society, is not appropriate and sometimes, inhumane.

Some examples of things pet owners used to do, that we now know not to!

Tie your pet to a tree or post. We now know that this is not only inhumane, but can cause a pet to become aggressive.

Rub your puppy's nose in its waste. This is not a good way to train your puppy not to "go" in the house. They do not understand why you are doing this. Puppies prefer to go outside, and by verbal command and frequent visits outside, they will learn quickly.

Hit your dog. It has been shown that physical punishment is not effective in creating an obedient and loving pet. Pets respond very well to strong verbal commands and positive reinforcement. Pets do respond to dominance. A loud, but gentle slap on a muscular part of the body can be effective.

Let your cat run free. Some people insist that it is natural to let their cat run free. In a ideal pet world this may be true, but living in a society changes the rules. Letting cats run free spreads disease, causes overpopulation and kills thousands of cats each year. Many cat owners like to think that their cat was "adopted" when it doesn't come home, when in reality it may have been killed by a car or put to sleep in a overcrowded humane shelter.

De-Barking your dog/De-Clawing your cat. The American Pet Association does not feel a pet should be anatomically changed to suit our needs. Both barking and scratching can be controlled by proper pet selection, training and environment.

They will eat anything. We have learned that a pet's nutrition is as important as our own. Pets can now live longer healthier lives with the fantastic new pet foods available. If you consider cost, also consider the savings in vet bills over the long term!

Other

These are just a few considerations. It is not incorrect to say, when dealing with your pet, to treat him as you would want to be treated!

By becoming a member of the APA, you will not only have membership benefits and the best identification and recovery protection available, but access to the APA's toll free Member Answer Line. Any question, any time (well almost any time!).