<title>Oswego County SPCA

Dedication and the Oswego County SCPA (Oswego County Animal Welfare League) Board

The entire Oswego County SPCA board isn't just officials but also volunteers and foster care providers. In addition to their regular jobs, they spend a lot of their free time caring for their fosters, rescuing animals, transporting animals to the vet, adoption centers, clinics, etc. This board is dedicated to their cause 110%.

Did You Know…….

there is a misconception that an outdoor cat is a happier cat? This is not the case. While it may be fun for your cat to roll in the grass or feel the wind in his fur for a while the outdoors poses many risks that cats themselves cannot look out for. For example:

Traffic: A cat does not know how to interpret traffic signals and they are far too short for the average driver to see. Getting hit by a car is not an acceptable part of pet ownership. This risk is avoidable.

Poisons: It is not unheard of for neighbors to put poisoned food out to rid their neighborhood of a pesky cat climbing on the hood of their car. Often people do not view your pet as you do. Your charming little kitty may be wonderful to you but may be viewed as a nuisance to your neighbor. It is also possible for your cat to encounter and ingest poisoned mice.

Cruelty: Unfortunately there is never a shortage of human beings that view cats as disposable and therefore will not hesitate to make a friendly outdoor cat a target of abuse. We see these stories on the news far too often of cats being tortured at the hands of an uncaring and cruel human.

Disease: Even if your cat is vaccinated against the normal range of diseases it is possible for them to contract Feline Leukemia or FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), which are incurable and will cut the life of your cat much shorter than it should be.

Cats can have fun and fulfilling lives indoors. As a cat owner it is up to you to make their lives interesting with various toys, scratching posts, and just plain old petting. They are safer, happier, and loved. The best gift you could give your cat is to make sure they are safe from the dangers of the outside world.

Adoption tips for the Oswego County SPCA:

Adopting an Oswego County SPCA Dog:

-What size dog are you looking to adopt? Is your home large enough to accommodate it? Is there enough room to run around outside or are you willing to take this dog for frequent walks if you don't have a yard?

-Do you work long hours? A dog can only wait so long for you to get home before an "accident" will most likely happen. It's not the dog's fault. If you do work long hours, you might want to consider adopting a cat.

-Do you have children? There are certain types of dogs that are just family friendly. Then there are certain types that are questionable. Make sure to ask the foster caregiver if the dog has been around children.

-Do you have other pets? Before adding another to the mix, think long and hard about how it will affect the order of things in your household.

If you've made up your mind to adopt a dog, make sure to give the dog ample time to adjust to its new environment. Take into consideration where this dog came from and its past. If the dog was abused in the past, it will take time for it to build trust. If it was neglected, it might be very needy at first to make up for what it lacks.

Adopting an Oswego County SPCA Cat:

-Is this your first cat? Educate yourself on cats, what they eat, how they behave, etc. You do research when buying your new car, why not about your new companion?

-Are you adding a cat to the mix? Make sure to know all about the new cat as some are not quick to adapt to new homes, much less other animals that it doesn't know. A cat coming from a multi-pet foster home may be ok with its roommates, but that didn't happen over night.

-If you have other cats, are they spayed or neutered? All cats and dogs (unless you are breeding them) should be spayed or neutered. When introducing a new cat into a home, if the existing cat is not spayed/neutered, there could be behavioral problems.

-Cat or kitten? This is a tough one. Kittens are adorable, but are also full of energy and need a lot of interaction. If you work long hours, a kitten is not for you. It will get bored and destructive while you are away. A cat over the age of 1 or 2 is considered an adult. At this age, a cat is usually mellowed some.

If you've settled on adopting a cat, there is one important thing that you must do. GIVE IT TIME! If this means putting the new kitty in the spare bedroom with the door shut or the spare bathroom (if it's big enough). The point is, a cat new to its environment is going to be afraid (in most cases). It will take time for it to adjust to the smells and sounds. Cats senses are incredibly heightened over those of humans and with one breath they take in a LOT of information. If you are not willing to give a cat the time it needs to adjust and introduce it slowly to its new environment, I'd say a cat is not in your future.

Why you should spay or neuter your pet

There are so many good reasons to spay or neuter your pet ranging from preventing health issues, bad behavior, and unwanted kittens and puppies.

There are many cancers of the reproductive organs, which can be avoided by having your pet spayed or neutered by reducing estrogen or testosterone in the pet’s body. Fighting, roaming, and marking territory with urine are unlikely to occur if you have your pet altered while they are young. And the most prevalent problem being the overpopulation of pets by careless humans who do not spay or neuter their pets and allow irresponsible breeding.

Here are the frightening statistics of what happens if an unfixed male is allowed to breed with and unfixed female:

1st Year: 12

2nd Year: 66 C

3rd Year: 382 A

4th Year: 2,201 T

5th Year: 12,680 S

6th Year: 73,041

7th Year: 420,715 B

8th Year: 2,423,316 O

9th Year: 13,958,290 R

10th Year: 80,399,780 N

Within ten years there are over 80 million cats. Obviously there are not enough good homes for such a population and these animals will go hungry, cold, and most often meet untimely and violent deaths. This can be avoided by being a responsible pet owner.

There are many low cost spay and neuter programs in our area.

Do the right thing, spay or neuter your pet as soon as they reach the appropriate age. You and your pet will be glad you did.

is your dog protected against heartworm yet?

Heartworm disease is caused by mosquitos. It can occur in cats, especially outdoor ones, but is most prevalent in dogs. The parasitic worms attack a dog's heart and lungs. Heartworms are fatal if left untreated. It may seem costly to prevent heartworm in your dog, but the cost to treat heartworm is significantly more. Look at it that way. You can spend $10 a month for prevention or $800-1000 to treat heartworm once your dog has become stricken with it. Ten dollars a month is a small price to pay to ensure the good health of your beloved pet. Make sure to have your dog tested for heartworm and get on a regimen of heartworm preventative today.