Should I Adopt Two Adult Cats at the Same Time?

By Langley Cornwell



My mother-in-law recently decided to add a heartbeat or two to her solitary life. We went to the animal shelter with her because she wanted our advice and moral support. I’m amazed that my husband and I didn’t come home with another four-legged family member, but that’s beside the point.



She set out to adopt an adult cat because she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep up with a kitten or adolescent cat’s high energy level. What’s more, we know that adult cats are harder to place and, as a rule, we try to help the animals like that.



When we entered the shelter, we told the staff what we were there for. They offered helpful advice on various adoptable cats that fit her criteria. After a brief conversation, we walked the aisles, surveying the available cats and watching my mother-in-law’s reactions. It was during this time that the shelter manager approached us and started in with her targeted and compassionate sales pitch. Mind you, this is the same shelter that has – thankfully - talked my husband and me into many pets that we didn’t intend to bring home. They’re good, very good!



We all know that adults and especially children gravitate towards the kittens and puppies in a shelter. Let’s face it, older animals just don’t radiate the same cuteness that the snuggly little kittens and puppies do, so adult animals often get ignored. Even so, there are real and measurable benefits to adding an adult pet (or two) to your family.



One of the top reasons that I personally would adopt two (or more) animals – not necessarily at the same time – is to save their lives and also to bring twice the amount of unconditional love into my life. But that’s just me, and you all know what an animal lover I am.

If you want to hear from a real expert, Christina Travalja, the North Shore Animal League’s cat behavior specialist, offers many reasons why adopting two adult cats at the same time is a good decision.



• Even though adult cats do not demand the same level of attention that kittens and adolescent cats require, they still flourish when they receive lots of stimulation and interaction. All animals are more likely to get destructive or into trouble when they’re bored. If you have two cats, they will appreciate the companionship of each other when you’re out of the house or just too tired or busy to interact.



• To further that point, cats are less likely to engage in disruptive behaviors like scratching, biting, chewing, etc. when they have another cat to socialize with. Two cats offer each other built-in socialization, exercise and playtime.



• Older cats have already developed their personalities, so the shelter staff will know if the specific cat you’ve taken a shine to prefers the company of other felines or not. Also, most adoption specialists are skilled at knowing which cats do best together. In fact, animal shelters often have pairs of adult cats who are already deeply bonded. Some are in shelters because their owner died or relocated to a place that didn’t allow animals. These pairs oftentimes grew up together and are already known to get along beautifully. Many of these bonded pairs would be devastated if they were separated.



• Veterinary studies reveal that when a cat shares his home with another cat, both cats are healthier. Just like people, animals with playmates do not get sick as often, and when they do get sick, they recover much quicker. Generally speaking, animals with companions live longer and happier lives.



What did my mother-in-law do? She chose a six-year-old brother and sister pair of long-haired precious mops. I’m happy to report that all three of them are much happier than they were before they united!



Top photo by chuckoutrearseats

Bottom photo by Lhoon



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The personal opinions and/or use of trade, corporate or brand names, is for information and convenience only. Such use does not constitute an endorsement by CANIDAE® All Natural Pet Foods of any product or service. Opinions are those of the individual authors and not necessarily of CANIDAE® All Natural Pet Foods.

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Photographing Dogs and Cats– Which is Easier?

By Langley Cornwell



As you might imagine, I am one of those people who takes crazy amounts of pictures of our dogs and our cat. Now that so many cell phones have decent cameras, it’s easy to capture those precious moments.



What got me thinking about this was an article I read in Catster. The writer volunteers as a photographer at her local animal shelter. In the article, she chronicles her change of mind – at first she preferred photographing dogs but eventually came to enjoy cat photography more. With dogs, she liked the camaraderie and thought her photos were better with natural lighting and nice outdoor backgrounds. When she ventured into the cat room to take pictures, there was too much commotion. She couldn’t get a cat to sit still long enough to snap a good shot. And, when she got lucky and captured one of the elusive creatures on camera, the backgrounds were cluttered with litter boxes, cages, supplies, and maybe a few bags of CANIDAE Life Stages cat food, all lit by severe fluorescent lighting.



Then one day the shelter manager hung up a donated blanket and two heat lamps in an effort to spiff up the cat photos. The photographer mentally rolled her eyes, thinking there was no way a cat would sit in front of that thing long enough to have her picture taken. She was wrong. In fact, she now believes that cats intuitively know what she is trying to do and pose for the camera.



This revelation made her change her stance on the topic. The cats posed so well that she could photograph twice the number of cats in half the time she usually spent on the dogs. With dogs, she spent time following them around the exercise runs or waiting for them to get still enough to be photographed; they were more interested in sniffing the grass for the latest bit of news than being caught on camera. So her final answer was that cats are easier to photograph than dogs.

Jet "meditating"

If I was forced to give a straight answer, I’d have to hedge. In my experience, cats get into more “photo-worthy” poses, but I can’t manage to get a good shot of our cat Jet with his eyes open. Experienced photographers could probably give me a few tips, but I’m just an animal lover with a cell phone and no skills. When I snap a shot of the kitty, a flash usually goes off and he, with his cat-like reflexes, closes his eyes in that split second. I have so many cute shots of the little guy but it always looks like he’s meditating.



For kicks, I decided to pose the question to some friends. The answers were divided. Diane at CANIDAE says that dogs are much easier to photograph than cats. “Cats have a habit of turning their heads at the last minute – totally frustrates me to no end.”



Dana, a local friend who takes pictures for the Charleston SPCA, believes that dogs are easier because you can grab their attention more easily. She loves photographing cats too but says it’s harder to “stage” or anticipate a moment with most cats.



I have another friend named Jenne who takes photos for an animal shelter. She also believes that dogs are easier. “After having to photograph hundreds of cats at the shelter, dogs are easier, hands down. Treat in hand, ‘here doggy,’ perfectly still – snap snap. Cats, you gotta chase them around and even then it takes forever to get one useable shot.”

Jet napping

Another friend believes dogs are easier because they show a much wider variety of expressions and emotions. Then there were those that absolutely preferred photographing cats. Some laughingly said they can only get a good photo of their cats if they are sleeping. But some prefer to photograph cats because they simply don’t move around as much as dogs.



Crystal said “I'd have to say cats. Dogs want to walk up to you for attention, and some won't sit still for the camera. A picture of a big black nose isn't something you'd want to put in a frame. Cats are more laid back about it. They just sit there and stare with an expression that says you're a silly human.”



Most people can make a good argument for both sides. Tamara calls it a tie: “Cats may move around more, but I've never met one afraid of the camera , like some dogs. On the flip side, some cats will let you follow them around like the paparazzi they deem you to be, while some dogs love the attention and will pose like good models.”



A childhood friend and photographer named Blake also says it’s a tie: “EXCEPT that cats don't necessarily want to play with you like dogs do, like when I crouch down on the ground to get a different perspective and the dog subject thinks that means he's supposed to come to me and play. I love taking pictures of both, though!”



As you can see, there’s no easy answer. What about you? Which side of the coin do you fall on?



Dog photo by Jelene Morris

Cat photos by Langley Cornwell



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The personal opinions and/or use of trade, corporate or brand names, is for information and convenience only. Such use does not constitute an endorsement by CANIDAE® All Natural Pet Foods of any product or service. Opinions are those of the individual authors and not necessarily of CANIDAE® All Natural Pet Foods.

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Teaching Pet Safety Rules to Kids

By Langley Cornwell



The dogs we share our lives with now have never been around young children. The one time that my sister-in-law brought her grandchild to our home, our dogs cowered in the corner of our bedroom during their entire visit.



If we are out taking a walk with our dogs and a young child runs towards us, we step between the child and the dog and divert the kid’s attention. We’re just not sure what would happen. Since we aren’t around kids often, we have not properly socialized our dogs in that area, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones.



In order to avoid any potential issues, why not err on the side of caution? If you are a parent of young children, it’s important to teach them sound pet safety rules.



If your child is approached by a strange dog



In these circumstances, it’s important to teach your kid to:



• Stand tall and firm, like a tree.

• Keep her hands down at her sides.

• Stare straight ahead. Don’t look at the dog. If your child looks into the dog’s eyes, the dog may interpret that as an invitation to fight.

• Stay still, never try to run away. Dogs have a prey drive and love to chase moving objects, even children.

• Keep quiet. Calling for help or screaming out of fear may scare the dog.

• When the dog loses interest, back away slowly, one step at a time.



If your child follows these steps, most dogs will simply take a few curious sniffs and then turn away. Still, it’s important to let your child know what to do if she is ever attacked by a dog. If the unthinkable happens and a dog attacks, your child must curl up in a tight ball and cover her face with her hands.



Adding a four-legged friend to your family



We all know how important it is to have a family pet. As far as kids are concerned, growing up with a pet is known to teach cooperation, increase self-esteem and help develop nurturing skills. What’s more, bringing a pet into your family allows the creation of an unconditional, loving bond that brings incalculable joy to the household.



Even so, before you bring a pet home it’s your responsibility to teach your kids a few basic rules to protect against issues like scratches and bites, which are often caused by children not understanding that they shouldn’t approach an animal suddenly, chase him, corner him, try to ride him, or yank on his tail.



In these circumstances, it’s important to teach your child to:

• Never approach any animal, even your own pet, when he is eating, chewing on a toy, sleeping, or resting in his crate.

• Avoid approaching an animal from behind.

• Never touch an animal’s eyes, ears, nose, mouth or genitals.

• Don’t make loud noises or abrupt movements when approaching an animal.

• Leave a mother animal alone when she is caring for her young.

• Always pet animals gently. Don’t pull on them or force them to do anything.

• Ask an adult before approaching any animal she doesn’t know.

• If the adult says the pet is friendly, your child should extend her hand with the palm facing up and slowly offer it to the pet for sniffing.

• Stay away from a dog or cat’s waste, which can transfer disease.



A few additional tips to keep in mind:



• Never leave a young child unsupervised with any animal. It’s just not worth the risk.

• Don’t let your child stand near a dog during times of heightened concentration or excitement. For example, the child should cut a wide berth while a dog is eating, when someone rings the doorbell, or when the dog is barking at a person, bird or squirrel, etc. in the yard.

• To encourage bonding, allow your child to offer your pet high-value treats such as CANIDAE TidNips.



Please take this opportunity to teach your child that a pet is a living creature with needs and feelings. As such, they must be cared for and respected. Pets rely on their families for companionship and loving care, and for that small price, they give so much back in return.



Top photo by Mollypop

Bottom photo by Beth Nazario



Read more articles by Langley Cornwell

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The personal opinions and/or use of trade, corporate or brand names, is for information and convenience only. Such use does not constitute an endorsement by CANIDAE® All Natural Pet Foods of any product or service. Opinions are those of the individual authors and not necessarily of CANIDAE® All Natural Pet Foods.

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