To Pet or Not To Pet…
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To Pet or Not To Pet…

We should know that owning a pet is a huge responsibility and what it takes to prepare for a purchase of a pet and ongoing care. Christmas present first pets are so exciting… not so exciting when the pet doesn’t fit into your lifestyle, home or personality.

At GAWS we regularly have animals being surrendered due to the animal not meeting the expectations of family. Some of the reasons being, the puppy or kitten was too boisterous, we are unable to exercise or we need to move home and cannot accommodate.

Surrendering a pet can be a very emotional decision and we train our customer service teams to understand that each person’s circumstances are different and our service is to provide the animal welfare required when needed.

In saying that, let’s discuss some things to think about before purchasing a pet. Here are my top three:

1. What sort of animal do you want?
2. Are you looking for an active pet for your active lifestyle?
3. A lower key mature aged pet because you are looking for a companion?

Take your time and do your research. A pet is for life no matter what age, so you need to be prepared to fit this pet into your lifestyle and surroundings, as they will be with you for a long time.

GAWS rely on donations to run their unfunded shelter we re-homed over 2,200 animals last financial year. If you are considering a pet why not consider a rescue animal. Our GAWS rescue pet this time round is our mature aged cat Katie. It is kitten season and those fur babies are cute, but our Katie needs a home and has been waiting for 122 days.

The biggest benefit of an older cat is that their personalities are fully developed, so very much take me as I am. Kittens on the other hand, you are unable to tell what their personalities will be and at times as a result, we have kittens returned to GAWS as surrenders.

Katie is one of those shy girls and reserved at first, but once she gets to know you she won’t get enough of you and will enjoy your company.

GAWS Community Vet Clinic ensures that the pet is de-sexed, microchipped and vaccinated with up to date flea and worming treatments prior to your purchase, which saves you cash.

To adopt a senior cat, come in to GAWS and speak with the team in Cats. They will be able to let you know everything you need to know about the cat you are thinking about adopting.

If you would like to fundraise or donate to our unfunded shelter for all our fur babies please go to our website gaws.org.au.

I’ll leave you with one last thought… Every life is precious.

Written by Julia Ladgrove
Community Engagement Manager
GAWS

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