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To prevent unwanted pets we encourage pet owners to act responsibly and have their pets neutered. It is the socially responsible thing to do in any country and even more so here in Shanghai where there is a vast surplus of cats and dogs. Many of these animals end up abandoned or end up being rescued by organizations like PPAR whose resources to care for these animals are stretched beyond its limits. In fact, many more are neglected, even euthanized, if they are no longer wanted, or are left to become feral and continue to escalate the homeless animal population (where uncared for and unvaccinated they can continue to spread diseases amongst their animal community). Breeding facts Cats can re

The first thing that you must keep in mind when you find one or several abandoned animals is: “Do not panic!” You need to face the situation without getting stressed. If the kitten, puppy, cat or dog desperately needs help, the worst thing that you can do is to get nervous. You need to be objective and evaluate the situation according to the following points: 1. Does the animal look sick and/or suffering from starvation and/or sickness? Check if the animal is ok or not, and pay attention to the surroundings (if the animal is healthy and well fed maybe he belongs to somebody living nearby). If the animal belongs to somebody (even though it has no collar) you do not need to intervene. However,

What exactly happens when an animal is euthanized? Your veterinarian has special training to provide your pet with a humane and gentle death. Most often, he or she uses a two-step process. First, the pet is injected with a sedative to make him calm and comfortable. Next, he injects a special medication. These drugs function in such a fashion that the animal experiences no awareness of the end of life. The process is akin to undergoing general anesthesia for a surgical procedure. The process takes about 10 to 20 seconds. The veterinarian then checks to make sure that the animal’s heart has stopped. With this procedure, there is no suffering. Is there a “right time” to euthanize an animal? And

During the first few weeks of life, a kitten’s primary concerns are feeding, keeping warm, developing social skills and learning how to excrete on his own. In most cases, humans will simply watch the mother cat perform her duties. However, if the kitten under your care has been separated from his mother or if the mother cat has rejected her young or she cannot produce enough milk, caring for him is your task. How Do I Feed a Newborn Kitten? A mother cat’s milk provides everything a kitten needs during the first four weeks of life. If you have newborn kittens who’ve been separated from their mother, consult with a veterinarian, shelter or experienced foster care giver who can help you find a

The hardest part about adopting a new rescue cat/dog is knowing whether they are “the one for you”. If you have ever been to an animal shelter, then you will know that when all eyes are on you, knowing who to take home is quite the conundrum. If your head is spinning over who is the right rescued pet for you, then check out the following tips to help you decide: 1. Know Yourself – First things first, what exactly are you looking for in a pet? Do you want someone who will hang out on the couch with you and watch the latest TV, or do you want someone who will tag along on your daily jog? Other important aspects to consider is how much time you can devote to them, whether you have the space to

(1) Do not waste any time, call PPAR and other animal rescue groups to let us know about the situation of your lost pet, and begin your search as soon as you notice that your companion animal is missing. (2) Try to find the local police contact for your residential area. It is always possible that the police may have been picked up your animal and placed it in the local government facility. Often, you only have 48 hours to retrieve the pet (and they do not always inform owners that the pet has been taken before it is euthanized). If the local security in your building/compound speak only Chinese, find someone bi-lingual to assist you. (3) Ask everybody: neighbors, children, mail carriers, pa

Buying a puppy or kitten online is bad too! Whether you’re looking for a small dog or a big one, a Bulldog puppy or a Yorkie puppy, a cat or kitten, please don’t buy a pet online. To buy pets online is usually just as bad as buying them in a pet shop, maybe even worse! Websites that let you buy a puppy online often claim to be good dog breeders. They claim to offer cheap puppies for sale and will usually ship puppies right to you. They even us fancy terms like certified kennel, AKC registered, pedigree and health certified, and include photos of cute puppies for sale, like tail-wagging Maltese puppies, doe-eyed Chihuahua puppies or adorable German Shepherd puppies… but most of these dog bree

Today, shelters are still visited by tearful mothers-to-be with cats in tow, having made their appointments after well-meaning relatives or old-school obstetricians have convinced them that keeping a cat risks the health and well-being of their unborn child. Don't succumb to these old wives' tales. Knowing the facts will help provide ways to safeguard both fetus and feline. Before Birth The parasitic infection toxoplasmosis is perhaps a pregnant catkeeper's greatest fear. It can result in miscarriage, stillbirth or such birth defects as blindness, deafness, hydrocephalus or epilepsy. Since cats can become infected with the parasite by eating small mammals or birds, it is best to keep your ca