Shelter Cat Less Expensive Than ‘Free’ Cat

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Q: I am ready to get a cat. During the upcoming “kitten season,” there will be plenty of free kittens available from local farms and elsewhere in my community. Alternatively, I can adopt a kitten or cat from a shelter or rescue group, but that would cost money. Do you have an opinion about where I should go for my new cat?

A: Adopting a kitten or adult cat from an animal shelter or cat rescue organization has many advantages.

You mention cost, so I'll point out that adopting a pet will cost you substantially less than accepting one of those “free” kittens from your neighbor. That’s because reputable shelters and rescue groups place animals for adoption only after they’ve been sterilized, vaccinated, and dewormed. Many of these organizations also test for the feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency viruses and microchip their cats.

The “free” farm or neighborhood kitten will need these services, which will cost you substantially more than the shelter or rescue adoption fee.

Moreover, shelters and rescues offer a large variety of cats, and most organizations will match a cat’s personality to yours, increasing the likelihood that you'll be happy with your new family member.

Adopting from a shelter or rescue group also frees up a kennel, saving another life. Two more reasons to support shelters and rescues are that they take in unwanted pets and find them forever homes, and they educate the public about reducing pet overpopulation through sterilization.

Conversely, taking kittens off the hands of local farmers and neighbors perpetuates the cat overpopulation problem. As long as they can avoid the cost of sterilizing their adult cats by giving away the unwanted kittens, they have no incentive to get their cats spayed and neutered.

Q: My dog has a droopy eye. I took him to the veterinarian, who diagnosed Horner’s syndrome and said it would go away on its own. What is Horner’s syndrome? Is it painful? Will it spread to my other dog?

A: Horner’s syndrome is not a specific disease but a collection of clinical signs caused by damage to the nerves affecting the eye and eyelid. It is neither painful nor contagious to other pets or humans.

Clinical signs include rapid onset of a droopy eyelid, constricted pupil, the eyeball sitting deeper than normal in its socket, and elevation of the third eyelid so it covers the lower inside corner of the eyeball. Usually, only one eye is affected.

Dogs of any age and breed can develop Horner’s syndrome, though most patients are 5 to 8 years old. Golden Retrievers are especially susceptible, as are Collies, Doberman Pinschers, Labrador Retrievers, Shetland Sheepdogs, and Weimaraners.

In half the affected dogs, a cause is never identified, so the condition is called idiopathic Horner’s syndrome.

In the other half, the veterinarian can determine the cause of the nerve damage. Often, it is injury, stretching, inflammation, a mass, or another disorder along the pathway where nerves from the brain run through the chest, neck, and middle ear to the eye. Horner’s can even result from cleaning an infected ear if the eardrum is perforated.

Horner’s syndrome requires no treatment, unless a cause is identified. The idiopathic cases usually resolve without treatment in two months, although recovery can take as long as six months. Recurrence is rare.