Cost of Having a Fuzzy Companion

Please be prepared to spent at least one thousand dollars a year or do not get a companion. If you like being around dogs or cats, volunteer at a shelter, baby sit the neighbor's fuzzy children, etc..
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2%201671&aid=1543

Parvo

Parvo has an incubation period; it's very easy to pick up and sometimes there is no way to prevent it from occuring but there are ways to minimize it's occurance. #1 of course is a course of immunizations. The pups must get shots at regular intervals when they are very young Can the puppy still get parvo even if he/she has all of his/her shots? Yes. That is why a very young pup should not go ANYWHERE until the course of immunizations are complete. When you get your new baby DO NOT: Let him/her roam around in your front yard - you don't know what dogs have been through your front yard - you baby could not only pick up Parvo but a host of other diseases Let your puppy walk on the floor in Petsmart - there are vet clinics in Petsmart and people might be bringing sick dogs through the store Let your puppy walk around on the floor in a vet clinic or Animal Shelter Let your puppy anywhere outside on the ground Note: If you have lived in your house for over a year and you know that you no other unimmunized dogs have been in your backyard, then you can let the pupp outside briefly to potty. Otherwise wait until your pup has had a full round of shots (about 16 weeks old) before ever letting him/her step foot outside Also very important - if you know that a sick animal has been inside your house, clean everything with bleach (or something that your vet recommends kills parvo) and DO NOT bring another young puppy into that house for at least 6 months. So if you adopt a young puppy that comes down with Parvo and dies, do not get another puppy for at least 6 months or the new puppy will get sick also. For the person whose pup died within 3 days. Yes, there is an incubation period but there should have been some signs if he died that quickly. Diarrhea, lethargy, not eating, etc.. Yes, Parvo can be recoverable, but not always. So... if you plan on getting a very young pup, be prepared to spend a lot of money You must have enough money to get the pup his/her full round of shots You must have several thousands dollars in savings available because sometimes a pup might still come down with Parvo or Distemper or another disease no matter what you do and it will cost several thousand dollars to treat him/her And then you must have at least 100 dollars a year set aside just for yearly immunizations. Adult dogs can also easily get Parvo if they don't get their shots every year. So how can you prevent the heartbreak of getting a seemingly healthy puppy that all of a sudden gets sick? #1 - Adopt an older dog - 6 months or older. One that has already been through the puppy stages. Adult dogs make great pets. Many of them come housebroken and obedience trained and old dogs can learn new tricks #2 - Do not buy from a breeder when there are thousands of perfectly great dogs that are put to death every year. It only incourages irresponsible breeding #3 - If you must buy from a breeder, buy from a reputable one. A breeder that uses free advertising on craigslist is not reputable. A breeder who keeps puppies outside is not reputable. A breeder who wants to meet you at a public location rather that at his/her house or facility is not reputable. A breeder who is not certified and can't show you papers on their animals is not reputable. A breeder who can't show you her/her permit is not reputable.

Safe Outdoor Cats

Cats should not be allowed to roam outdoors. The can wander into the streets and get run over. They can be picked on, injured or even killed by mean humans. The can be injured or killed by predators - dogs, other cats, or other creaters.
If you really want your cat to go outside, take him/her outside on a harness. Kitty won't like it at first, but puppies don't like leashes at first either. They will adjust.
Or build your cat a nice outdoor enclosure. Something with a top so they can't climb out. If you want to get really fancy, build the enclosure around a window or a door and put in a little cat door so you cat can go in and out at will and stay safe.
Think you can't afford an enclosure? Then either keep the cat inside all the time or find way to come up with the money at http://fuzzychildren.blogspot.com/2009/08/if-you-cant-afford-vet-care.html

References, pictures, ideas
http://habitathaven.com/
http://habitathaven.com/catalog/8_Photo%20Page.pdf
http://habitathaven.com/catalog/10_Page%2010%20WITHOUT%20FLOOR.pdf
http://habitathaven.com/catalog/11_Page%2011THREE%20SIDED.pdf
http://www.catsofaustralia.com/cat-enclosures.htm
http://www.classypetshop.com/cat-enclosure.htm?gclid=CJDz4u7z1ZwCFchM5wodX1aVQQ