Furbabies PIP

luvdncn90

So this weekend while I was down visiting M, we went out to dinner and a movie and in between we had somet ime to kill. There was a PetSmart right next to the theatre so we decided to go take a look.

We don't have any furbabies besides my cat, whom I love to death but M is allergic, and I seriously have puppy fever. As we were walking out I saw this adorable boxer-mix puppy. I thought she was someones dog who worked there and whenI asked a worker what kind of dog she was, she told us that she was up for adoption.

They let us take her out and play with her and that's all it took. I fell in love with her. She is absolutely perfect and she fit M and I perfectly, her personality was amazing. She's was the dog we've been looking for and the sad part is...it's the wrong time. Perfect puppy, wrong time. She was only 150 bucks and you get 50 of back when she gets spayed.

We were so close to buying her, but since we live apart and we both are living at home thanks to school there was no way we could have gotten her. It broke my heart to leave her. I know we will find another puppy when the time is right and love her just as much, but it still sucked.

Sorry I sound like whiny brat....WAHHHH I WANNA PUPPY NOW! Ok whine over.

Here's a few pictures, we're going to get a boxer mix when the time is right...











Any puppy or kitty stories/pictures you want to share??

MLekathLEEN

Fi and I live with our parents, both go to school, work full time, and we have a puppy together. She stays wherever I'm at, so it's my house on the weekdays and his on the weekends. She loves going to "daddy's house" Friday- Sunday to see her aunts ( his family's poodles). I'm sorry, I'm horrible at talking people out if puppies. For responsibilities sake though, if it weren't for my dads friends dog having the pups, we probably wouldnt have gotten one until we lived together.

jeanacorina

I remember when we saw Pouncival- we were seriously considering getting a cat (had decided on one since our schedules are crazy and it felt cruel to get a dog and leave them at home alone so much). Anyway, so we were walking through PetSmart just checking out the prices on cat food and litter, to get an idea... and there he was in the adoption center. When he saw us, he meowed and started pawing at the window, and Josh said "That's our cat!"

He was big and awkward and such a goofball. The rest of the cats were napping and didn't care about us... but this orange fluffball was practically saying "TAKE ME HOME WITH YOU!"

We filled out an application online that same night. A week later, he was home with us and life hasn't been the same since!

HOWEVER, I will say that no one should ever adopt a pet (or purchase one for that matter), unless you are 110% SURE you want one, and are ready to provide all the care and attention they need. We just dropped $300 on checkups and bloodwork for both our cats, just to get a good healthy baseline in case things go wrong as they age. We buy them high-quality food and decent litter isn't cheap, either!

Plus, there's the time spent playing and paying attention to them- and cats are easy compared to dogs! Pounce is a little AW, though... I swear he's a dog in a cat's body. Etcetera is happy to sit on our laps all evening and play for 10 min before bed. Pounce has to be held and talked to and entertained all the time.

Boxers are a wonderful, but very active breed. It's good that you're waiting until the time is right. Someone great will come along for that puppy, and she'll have a wonderful home. When the time is right for you, you guys will find a great dog in need of a home.

I always suggest that people who love animals consider volunteering with a rescue or shelter. It's extremely rewarding- there's nothing else in the world like finding the right home for a creature in need. It's emotional, but worth every minute. I can't adopt any more animals right now (limit of 2 in our apartment), but I have many, many furry buddies that I see every Saturday, and it's great when my familiarity with their personalities and quirks help get them the perfect home. 4 cats and 4 dogs were adopted Saturday at adoption day- that's FANTASTIC. I am still so happy about it, and that feeling will last through the week and beyond.

Please, seriously consider volunteering- lots of people think it's sad or you'll want to take them all home... but I haven't found that to be true at all. Sure, I fall in love every week, but that's a GOOD thing. It doesn't mean I need to take them home, it means I work hard to find available homes FOR them.

luvdncn90

@ML- we live to far apart for us to alternate or visit each weekend and sad;y both of our parents have said no. Their houses, their rules.

@jeana- I absolutely love volunteering at the animal shelter but sadly my schedule doesn't allow it. They are usually closed by the time I get out of school each day. It's really hard because we have been wanting a puppy for a long time now, and I try really hard not to look at puppies when we're out and about because it makes me sad.

One thing is for sure though, when we do decide to get a puppy we will be adopting or buyign straight from a breeder. I feel so sad everytime I see a puppy or cat in the pet stores in the mall. It just breaks my heart.


I absolutely adore boxers, they are clumsy, lovable, and loyal dogs but they get big and we don't feel right keeping a big dog cooped up in a small apartment while we are busy working.

AudgiePodge

Aw, cute!

I want a kitty but I don't see us getting one in the foreseeable future.  It's not such a good idea right now.

jeanacorina

You could check with different rescues if you're really interested in volunteering- I know the group I work with needs people to clean the cat adoption center at PetSmart each evening. It takes an hour or less and is just once a week for each person. My night is Wednesdays. DH has been known to find cat toys on clearance and come into the adoption center like he's Santa Claus- handing out new toys to everyone.

There are also a lot of adoption days on weekends. PetSmart works with rescues and shelters to give them a place to hold adoption days- you could check to see if they have different groups coming on the weekends and then contact those groups about helping for a couple of hours on Saturday or Sunday for adoptions. I know we're always in desperate need of help setting up and cleaning up. We have a couple of people who sometimes come in just to do that. They don't stay the whole day.

Sorry for getting up on a soapbox, it's just something I'm passionate about, and I can tell you from experience that if the group I volunteer with just had more people to help with the little things, it would make a WORLD of difference for us. When I began volunteering last year, 9 people were doing EVERYTHING from the actual rescuing, to fostering animals, to running adoption days, to answering phone messages, to planning fundraisers... it was just impossible. Now we have probably 20 regular volunteers and many more who help occasionally or just for the fundraisers every few months. HUGE difference. Really, you can help a lot without it taking a ton of time. Just look around- there are probably other groups in your area who could use a hand during the times you're available.

[Deleted User]

How adorable! I think you made the right choice, even though I know how difficult that can be!!! BF and I got a dog together about 2.5 years ago (my siggy pic). He is wonderful and we adore him...but I'll be honest, he's a lot of work. If we had been smart, we would have waited until we lived together (BF and I are waiting until marriage to shack up)...and we would have waited until we had a house. I have a 3rd floor condo, and let me tell you - potty training was difficult. Do I regret getting my handsome baby boy? No...but I'm not completely sure I would have made the same choice knowing what I know now. I don't believe in getting rid of a pet...it's a commitment you make when you get an animal. I applaud you for making the tough call and waiting until you are truly ready. You'll find another one who is just as cute as this one is when the time is right!!

alanna91

Ahhhhh! She is so cute
but think, it's so cute that someone else is sure to fall in love with her. Also, so many pet lovers go into PetSmart so she'll get a lot of attention!

I had puppy fever before I got my puppy back in August. I was always searching those websites like Findapet.org and adopt a pet or something. I found the cutest Boston Terrier and everything seemed so legitimate, so I filled out the application and wired her over $300 through paypal.
She never responded to my emails, and the phone number she had give was disconnected. I started to panic, so I put a hold on the money though the paypal website. She finally sent me back an evil, mean email about how I was doing a horrible thing to the little puppy and how she works so hard to save the dogs from certain death. The thing is, I didn't feel bad. I knew she was lying. We found blogs and article written about her "pet saving" business. In reality, it was a scam to steal money from naive pet lovers like me...ridiculous, but it works.

My BF ended up finding our little nugget on craigslist, and we drove to Quincy MA to pick her up. That's why we named her Quincy!

My parents drove past a "Free Kittens" sign back when I was still in elementary school and picked up Charlie and Tony. Tony's been gone for a while, but Charlie's still going strong! He was hit by a car about 8 years ago and broke his pelvis. My neighbor found him dragging himself across our yard...who knows how far he had been going for. Cats are incredible like that!
Our other cat, Friendly, was named by eight year old me because he was a friendly cat. He once killed a rabbit and dropped it on our doorstep Easter morning- no lie.  

And jeana, I'm definitely going to check out PetSmart for volunteering...thanks for posting that!

[Deleted User]

aww!! You are totally entitled to whine when it comes to puppies! and kittens, too! lol

My sad kitty story:  My mom found a kitten in her apartment building a couple of years ago... She brought the kitty in but her cat was having a canary about it! So, she called me and it was love at first sight!! I brought her home and we were attached at the hip... but my dad made me get rid of her because he's a meanie pants!! 

Here's a pic of my little sweetie...



So, now that BF & I are moving to our own place I told him that he has no choice but to let me have a cat!! lol So, my uncle already found me one and it's just a matter of a couple of weeks before I can bring her home!! YAY

Get the puppy!! lol

SenoritaCupcake

Aw, I’m sorry you couldn’t bring this cutie home, but when you’re ready I would REALLY recommend adopting over buying an animal. It sucks that allana had such a negative experience (a reputable organization will never ask you to wire money, they’ll want to meet you in person to make sure you’re a good match) but if you look on petfinder.com there are thousands of adorable puppies and dogs looking for a family. Our furbaby was a week away from getting stuck in the heart when he was rescued (and we found him on petfinder), and there’s nothing like the kind of bond that creates.

P.S. If you want a certain breed, alot of rescues specialize. For example, my aunt rescues only Boston Terriers, she's breedist.

Kathleen,
BF and I have a similar arrangement (made possible through the love and patience of my parents). It’s making the apartment shopping process inherently more difficult but I wouldn’t give him up for anything. For Valentine’s Day, even though we haven’t gotten anything for each other yet, we got Hurley an edible card, a pink/red tennis ball, and his first kong. He had a *very* good night.

Here's the little lovebug shortly after we adopted him.

jeanacorina

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_furbabies-pip?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:ce4ce55d-d1cb-461f-ad46-b85453265e30Post:337a58f3-60ee-435c-bb32-6224948e95e0">Re: Furbabies PIP</a>:
[QUOTE]And jeana, I'm definitely going to check out PetSmart for volunteering...thanks for posting that!
Posted by alanna91[/QUOTE]

You have NO IDEA how happy I am that even one person is going to look into volunteering because of my long-winded soapbox post. THANK YOU.  I am about to respond to some volunteer applications myself (I'm the volunteer coordinator for the rescue) and this is a wonderful way to get myself perked up and ready to inspire people.

Alanna, I'm so sorry you had a bad experience with a shady person- most rescues are far more legit than that! Petfinder.com is a great resource for finding shelters and rescues. I can't think of a single shelter (including animal control!) who would ask for money without first meeting you to make sure the animal will be safe and cared for.

You can also search Petfinder.com by zip code and breed to find exactly what you're looking for nearby.

And if anyone is interested in talking about volunteering, feel free to ask me or PM me or whatever. Even if you don't want to volunteer in animal rescue- I think finding something you're passionate about and working to make a difference is just the best thing you can do. I'm always willing to talk about volunteering.

sparkles88

Speaking of furbabies, BF and I decided to keep the kitty we found. He's going to be neutered and he will get his shots tomorrow. We're calling him Fuzz Aldrin, and he's such a good cat! We also decided to keep him, because he's made such a difference in our first cat too. Sebastian was very grumpy and took all of our affection for granted. Now that we have a friend for him, he's simmered down quite a bit. Here is Fuzz waiting for a treat!

SenoritaCupcake

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_furbabies-pip?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:ce4ce55d-d1cb-461f-ad46-b85453265e30Post:459f4306-5f44-4dbf-ab54-c8cab0f828cc">Re: Furbabies PIP</a>:
[QUOTE]Speaking of furbabies, BF and I decided to keep the kitty we found. He's going to be neutered and he will get his shots tomorrow. We're calling him Fuzz Aldrin, and he's such a good cat! We also decided to keep him, because he's made such a difference in our first cat too. Sebastian was very grumpy and took all of our affection for granted. Now that we have a friend for him, he's simmered down quite a bit. Here is Fuzz waiting for a treat!
Posted by sparkles88[/QUOTE]

Yay! I kinda hoped you would. He's just so pretty. And I'm glad Sebastien has a brother :)

jeanacorina

Fuzz is WAY TOO CUTE. I'm so glad your guys are getting along!

bsidebella

I have major puppy fever. I don't live with my dogs anymore and I miss them horribly. Whenever I visit my mother, the dogs pounce on me and rub up on me and my one old mutt acts like a cat and purrs. Then when I have to leave them I get super sad and depressed. I miss my pups.

FI and I were just watching the Westminster Kennel Club dog show and aww-ing at all the dogs on there and talking about which ones we want and our favorite breeds. We both want a dog so badly but our apartment complex doesn't allow it.

MLekathLEEN

YAY Sparkles!! I'm so happy for you guys! So many new furbabies, we may need a furbaby roundup soon.

I 2nd (3rd?) Petfinder.com. All of the shelters around here use it as well as rescues. We used petfinder to find out chocolate lab after our dog died in April. There were two puppies in the littler so we took the boy and my cousin has the girl. He also has the sister of our old lab.

marleylikeair

Haven't read PPs yet, but SQUEEEEEEE! Cutest puppy EVAR, luv.

Yours is also impossibly adorable, alanna!

luvdncn90

Thanks for all the support and advice ladies! Sorry I didn't respond sooner, it's been a lonnnnnnnngggg day to say the least.


I'm sad we had to let her go, but I hope nad pray she finds a good home with someone who will love her as much as we would have! I can't wait till we can finally get one of our own. All good things come with time...and when the time comes we WILL be adopting