BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Exotic Pets Have you ever adopted a abandoned animal?

Hearts soften during the holiday, perhaps more people would consider pet adoption at least after the chaos of the holidays is over.

Have you ever adopted an abandoned pet?

Embracing Animals - Pet Adoption

Yes, but not an exotic pet. It's not so easy to adopt an exotic pet where I live.

We just adopted an abandoned chihuahua. Never thought about adopting that particular breed, but it was in need of a home. Here in CA, thousands upon thousands of chis are abandoned. They are trendy but people change their minds once they get them as they are a bit on the needy side.

Also, backyard breeders send them out onto the streets after they produce a litter.

As for exotics...I would love to adopt a Bengal cat but those aren't available here either. What are some exotics that I can adopt here in CA?

It makes me feel warm and glowy when I hear that someone has adopted a pet. I can't imagine what a pet feels when they have lost their family and everything they know.

Education is the key to less abandonment. Perhaps a difficult test before a license is issued for pet ownership? I wish I knew the answer.

California...not many. Bengal Cats are legal but they are a true domestic cat. Here are CA exotic pet laws CA Exotic Pet Regulations

My friend just adopted a kitten from the same shelter. {glow}

When we saw our little chi shivering in the cold cement cage, our hearts broke. Now, I heat her blanket in the dryer and wrap her up all toasty warm! She has a little t-shirt that says, "It's freakin' cold!"

We do spoil her, but she part of our pack now. And we're all spoiled in one way or another! She's right here snuggled up beside me as I type this.

We spoil our pets and our pets spoil us. It is funny though, last night my husband found me sitting in the dark shivering. I have a heck of a time sleeping at night so somethings I just sits and thinks He asked me why I wasn't at least wearing my robe. I told him the cat fell asleep on it and I didn't want to wake her up. In just about every room I have an animal that is glued to my side. In the bedroom is my ragdoll cat (rescue) Office is Molly my black cat (rescue/feral) Ferrets one rescue, one because I have trouble getting out of a pet store without a ferret. I can't decide between a Bengal or a Savannah. Then I need a skunk and a raccoon. Both end up on my doorstep in the spring. Wish a Bengal or Savannah would

Yes -- but not from a shelter -- directly from the outdoors. I live in the country and in the last year, 2 young cats showed up at my doorstep. Could not say no!

Our dog was roaming the countryside and eventually once we located his owners, they agreed that they were not capable of taking care of him, so we adopted him too.

They've all grown to be part of the family, and I know they appreciate the fact that they have a new home with caring owners.

I wish I could understand how someone could give up / abandon their pet...!

Both are precious lives, children and pets, both are abandoned and abused. I don't understand it either. There are always options. At the very least if a person were to come upon trying times, don't abandon an animals outdoors. It is sentencing the animal to unimaginable trauma, pains, suffering, and perhaps death.

Children and infants can be brought to a hospital or a fire department, no questions asked. Safe surrender programs. Find out the details in your state.

I have a multitude of stories of the pets I have adopted, both feral, from rescues, city pounds, humane societies, or dumped on the street. Here is one of my stories Embracing Animals I wish I could have saved the puppy that was still in the bagged, he had already been run over. It broke my heart.

We've adopted lots of abandoned animals over the years. One cat I found along side the road when I was walking and he just died at age 14 about a year ago. My daughter found one of our cats on the median of a busy highway when he was a kitten.

One of our dogs came from a shelter and another of our dogs was left at a house alone when the family moved away.

We never turn any away.

Forgot to mention that two of our cats adopted US! They just moved in one day. One leapt in through an open window with a feather cat toy in her mouth. My neighbor told me that she had left it on her front porch and it went missing one afternoon.

The stray took a liking to the toy, I guess, and just packed it up and moved in with us. So funny.

Our current feline family member was brought to us by a little boy whom we'd never seen before. He and his friends knocked on our door saying, "Here is your cat. She keeps following us."

I told the boy that this wasn't our cat and that maybe, if she was a stray, he could take her home with him. But when he put her down, she just ran into my home. And that was that. She comes and goes but always stays nearby to sleep, eat, play, and receive lots of loving. She adores my daughter and her warm bed.

Sometimes, the animals choose us.

A strange young cat showed up in the neighborhood and my husband insisted we not feed her, since that would effectively mean adoption. I'm not sure for how long my young daughter and I would have gone along with that, but in fact, he saw the cat eating a bit of cauliflower that had fallen out of the garbage bag and gave her some proper food.

Indeed once fed, she was ours. (Our other cat certainly didn't think much of her.) Our daughter named her Pwtin Grwndi. Pwtin means a little bit of something. And Grwndi means purr. So . . . a little purring thing.

But soon it was evident that we'd acquired more than one cat -- even though she herself wasn't much more than a kitten, she was obviously pregnant. In due course, she produced a litter of three and was an amazingly good mother.

We were fortunate to find a home for the two ginger tabbies, but the pick of the litter - a calico like her mother - went unclaimed. It had been decreed that the household couldn't have three cats - though I assure you there was no way this baby was going to be put down, if need be, we WERE going to keep her. Then I found someone who wanted a cat, but wanted a male as they'd lost their kitty after having her spayed and felt that the loss was bad enough, but couldn't afford more vet bills too. (Our domestic harmony was maintained as they took the kitten - and they adored her - but I paid to have her spayed.)