As a result of impulse buying, and many other factors, many unwanted animals end up in a situation where the owner is searching for a way to get rid of them. Whether it is by classified ad, or just a phone call.

I have seven pets. My african grey, budgie, and dog have been taken from people who didn’t want them. There are many factors that must be considered, the main one being the animal. Usually the animal comes with a cage and or accessories, but unfortunately these generally aren’t all the necessary or appropriate ones. The cage could almost always do with improvement, and proper toys etc, are usually lacking. Another thing you must consider is why the animal is being dumped of in the first place. Some excuses include allergies, moving away, and behaviour problems. When someone buys an animal which they know nothing about, a small, improperly delt with behaviour problem could often escelate into a large one. An example:

A parrot has a screaming and feather plucking problem. This could be caused by medical or psychological problems. Boredom is the cause in this case. The owner is sick and tired of the noise, and so, puts the bird in an offhand room, and covers them to keep them quiet. This makes the problem worse, by making the bird more bored. It is now completely isolated from its “flock.”

So, when “rescuing” pets, you must realise that there are probably things that need to be dealt with, like screaming, barking, biting etc. A vet check-up should also be part of the plan. Many people that give up these animals didn’t know how to properly care for them in the first place. This could lead to malnutrition, and many other things which should be evaluated by a veterinarian.

An animal that has been neglected, is probably a lot more expensive than an animal which has not been. Even though the up front cost of the animal itself may be cheap, you must consider that additional purchases must be made. Cages, toys, accessories, vet care, are all expensive. Besides those, you must also dedicate alot more time to this new animal. Behaviour problems will need to be corrected, etc.

The “sympathy buy” is another thing that must be carefully thought through. A “sympathy buy” is when you go into say, a pet store, and there is a sick or injured animal there. You feel sorry for it, and want to get it out of that terrible situation (which is what should be done.) But the problem with that occurs when you end up paying for it. The pet store doesn’t care what reasons you had for buying the animal, they care about the profit (in cases like these.) When they make money on situations like these, they are not encouraged to stop. It’s actually quite the contrary. The best thing is usually to contact your local SPCA or humane society. Then you can get the animal into a better situation, while also telling the pet store that what they’re doing is wrong.

How much is too much?
There comes a time when you get a lot of pets, that you develop a reputation. Friends of friends start realising your love of animals, and decide they want to give you theirs. Sooner or later you’re going to have to turn down new animals. Now, in some circumstances, these animals need to be taken out of their previous homes in order to survive. This does not mean you must adopt them. There are alternatives to taking them, which still keep the animal in mind, and do not make you feel guilty. There are probably local shelters in the area you could talk to, friends, rescue groups etc. Do not think that you MUST adopt an animal.