Bringing Home a New Kitten or Puppy

One of the most important parts of being a new pet owner is doing the research in how to be a responsible pet owner. Make sure you learn the proper feeding and grooming techniques to care for your little one. Many long-haired breeds require special and constant grooming. Consider whether or not you’re going to groom them yourself or take them to a professional. Remember that smaller breeds need to have their teeth cleaned often, as they are susceptible to tooth decay. Be sure to budget all of this first as it can become very expensive. Most importantly, make sure that your family is pet ready. Take care to especially educate younger children in proper pet care.
There may be a need or a special diet, so learn all that that entails. Puppies always require a special diet of higher calories and protein. Seniors and overweight dogs also have special diets made just for them. It may help to research the breed you are getting and many breeds are predisposed to being overweight. Also, there are some genetic problems associated with many breeds. For example, Chihuahuas have been known to be born with hip and spine defects. Basset Hounds are predisposed to being easily overweight. Finally, don’t forget to pick a cute name!

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Custom Cats: How Genetic Engineering is Changing the World of Pets

When people hear the phrase “genetically modified organism” (GMO), They picture fruits, veggies or grain that’s been altered in some way to be cheaper or produced more abundantly. Plant GMOs are usually made with the purpose of solving hunger problems around the world by producing enough food to feed humanity’s exploding population. However, now the term GMO can be applied to something many of us hold dear in our lives…our pets. The company Allerca Pet Lifestyles from California announced last month that they will be selling kittens next year that have been genetically modified to be hypoallergenic. Humans have altered animal genomes for thousands of years through artificial selection (breeding), and even though this new form of genetic tinkering needs to be thoroughly tested before it’s put up for sale, demand is bringing it rushing into the market.
It is hard for one to argue completely against humans altering other animals’ genomes, especially since we’ve already been doing it for much of our history. Diverse breeds of dogs and cats have arisen over the millennia through human efforts of artificial selection. Natural selection created the wild wolves and dogs from which our domesticated friends descended. One could argue that since we’ve already changed animal DNA to fit our desires and needs, there is nothing unethical about genetically modifying today’s pets. It just accomplishes in one generation what usually takes several generations of breeding. It also creates phenotypes that we might never see arise naturally.
One thing that many people agree on is the need for extensive testing before this technology goes to market. The PETA has argued that there is no way of knowing the long-term effects of genetic engineering on a cat’s genome, and they’re right. To date, no such study has been done proving that genetic engineering is completely safe for any animal. In this particular case, scientists have silenced a gene is cats that produces their most common allergen. The gene still exists, but it’s not able to produce it’s protein. What needs to be done is extensive research over many years to study not only the genetically modified individuals but also their offspring.
In spite of this, there seems to be nothing that can slow the tide of selling GMO pets. Proposed bills that would ban their sale failed in California last year. Though many people protest, GMO pets are coming to market. Hopefully there won’t be too much damage done.

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