B: To err is human; even the best of us make mistakes. Many a summer morning one of us will arrive at the Center to find a box on our stoop. While we frown upon this practice (as there is usually no note, or the animal has succumbed to exposure), we frown even harder when the box contains a domestic animal.
A: Don't get us wrong, we all love domestic animals here. Every staff person at SCWC has numerous pets at home and to be honest it's a relief for us to have contact with an animal that doesn't hate us every once in a while (as all our wild patients do). However, here at the Center, we are only licensed to treat wild animals and treating a domestic animal means risking our license. So we thought we would take this opportunity to describe the differences between wild and domestic animals (and everything in between), in order to prevent more domestics from winding up on our doorstep.
B: Ok, so, animals all started out wild. A while back, our ancestors looked at wolves and thought, hmm... what a great addition to the family. Not only do they provide help with the hunting groups, but they also provide protection for the family. Breeding for companionship came many, many years later. Also a while back, cats looked at us and thought, hmm... free food and a warm place to sleep.
A: And so, humans began the process of selective breeding. Beginning with goats and sheep, we carefully bred wild animals so that their offspring would exhibit desirable characteristics, such as soft wool, production of extra milk, and fatty meat. Aesthetics also became involved as we decided certain shades of fur and feathers were more desirable that others. Domestic animals are the result of thousands of generations of our "artificial evolution".
B: When those domestic animals, who were born and raised in captivity, then escape or are left without a home, they become stray. Most strays are easy to re-adopt into a home with loving caretakers. The problem is when unfixed strays breed and birth young. These young, though born in the "wild", are still a domestic breed. Called feral, these animals can sometimes be a bit harder to adopt into a new family, although it is possible for those with big enough hearts.
A: Though feral dogs are a serious problem across the globe, here at home we have to contend with feral cats. Unfortunately these animals are superb hunters and are responsible for millions of wildlife deaths each year, not to mention the spread of diseases and parasites. Ferals are the perfect hunter, one that humans have introduced into ecosystems that are simply not equipt to handle them. This global problem illustrates quite clearly why it is so very important to have your animals fixed!
B: It is also important to realize that if you are unable to care for a pet you now own, adopting it into another family is a much, much better idea than letting it "fend for itself" outside. Not only is pet-dumping inhumane, it is illegal in most states. Domestic ducks and geese are also included in this category. We are not equipt (nor do we want to be) to handle the large influx of hatching project ducks that try to come our way.
A: Hopefully by now we have shed some light on the complicated distinctions between domestics, strays and ferals. Our final category is of course wild animals. Wild animals are animals that have undergone absolutely no selective breeding. Any and all characteristics they possess (be they physical, behavioral or psychological) are the result of their lives in the wild. Left to their own devices, they do extremely well and their ecosystems benefit greatly from their presence. It's only when humans interfere that they require the services of an organization like ours.
B: Everything about our daily lives affects our wild neighbors - our cars, our homes, our yards, our pets and our garbage. Keeping an eye on your pets when they are outside (and never leaving them outside unattended) can help to reduce the amount of cat- and dog-caught wildlife. Adopting pets from shelters instead of purchasing them through breeders will help alleviate the some of the feral population problem.
A: Though we all have a place in our hearts of wild, domestic, stray and feral animals, it’s very important to remember that they may all survive only if they are kept separate. Domestics and wildlife do not play well together and one can easily have a negative effect on the other. By being responsible and conscientious caretakers and guardians, we can continue to enjoy animals in all their wonderful forms.
B: If only all were required to take the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm. While we understand that we have ventured a bit from our usual topic, we hope you understand that roughly 25% of our patients are admitted due to pet-related injuries. When it is cat vs. Bluebird, the cat generally wins and the world is short a Bluebird. When it is cat (or dog) vs. raccoon, neither party wins as the raccoon would have to be euthanized and the pet may have to undergo serious (and expensive) vet treatments.
A: In short- fix your pets, keep them inside, adopt, adopt, adopt and please, don't bring us any more chickens. The crowing upsets the 'possums.
B: And confuses the squirrels. TTFN!
