Our website makes it easy for anyone with an internet connection to find descriptions and pictures of adoptable animals by location, breed, gender, age, size, and color. Over 9,000 shelters posts pets on our website displaying over 130,000 pets available for adoption at any given time. We also help volunteers connect with shelters, and currently host over 14,000 people listed in our volunteer database for shelters.
What Makes Adopt-a-Pet.com Unique:
- On our website, people can use something we call “Search Saver.” This feature will notify users by e-mail when a particular pet of their specifications in available for adoption. For example, I can tell “Search Saver” where I live, and what type of breed I am looking for. When that animal is available, I am notified the next time a pet matching my search is added on Adopt-a-Pet.com.

- As of this summer we have now made it easy for our visitors to find pets and then recommend them to friends and family via Facebook, Twitter and other social applications. We are calling the idea “Social Petworking.” Here is how it works; once you have searched and found a pet in need, on the pet details page simply hover over the button labeled “SHARE,” there you can send the pet details page to any of your friends. For more information visit this page http://www.adoptapet.com/socialpetworking/signup.
- In addition to dogs and cats, we now feature all kinds of pets for adoption, including rabbits, farm animals, ferrets, hamsters and other small animals, horses, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and even fish. This was a major initiative that took many months to research and program into the site, and it is being well-received within the shelter community.

- By teaming up with the renowned street-artist Shepard Fairey, who designed the iconic Obama “Hope” image, we have available a number of stylish ways to promote pet adoption. Shepard was able to translate his work with Obama to an image that can be used to represent pet adoption support. Merchandise can be found at HYPERLINK “http://www.muttslikeme.com”www.muttslikeme.com

- We have begun blogging and created a Twitter Page along with a Facebook Page. Our blog is located at HYPERLINK “http://blog.adoptapet.com/”http://blog.adoptapet.com/, there you can join our Facebook Group, or follow us on Twitter. Blog Highlights:
Adopt-a-Pet.com has recently begun blogging, and every week we publish posts from two separate columns. On Tuesday we blog about pet care tips, and on Fridays we do our best to find heartwarming stories about adopted pets all over the country. Here are a few highlights from our blog:

10 Ways To Help Homeless Pet, Even If You Can’t Adopt
What To Ask Your Veterinarian
Good News In Pet Adoption – A Weekly Post
10 Things To Consider Before Adopting

Often we need information on the go; when we are on the move. iPhone owners can avail a number of very helpful applications that can make life easier for them and their beloved pets.

1) Off Leash – A wonderful application that lets you find the location of up to 5 parks in your vicinity where your pet dog does not have to be on leash. The application throws up the information once you have entered your area zip code. What’s more, it will even map out the route to a park you select. A useful application for dog owners that travel and need to give their pet some good hard exercise periodically.

2) Pet Notebook – The pet notebook is a handy organizer that can carry useful information on your pet or pets. It also features a cool image gallery that stores all those sweet photos of your pets that can always get a conversation started. The data that you feed is easy to edit and arrange. You can fill in pet details, memorable landmark events, appointments with vets, registration information, and importantly any medications that the pet needs to take. The app can store the vet’s address and guide you to the location by connecting to Google maps.

3) All Pets Radio – This application connects you to the popular All Pets Radio station via your iPhone. Learn about pet care and listen to interesting news that is pet- and animal-related.

4) Diagnostic Imaging Atlas – A comprehensive atlas that contains information on normal physiology of animals and various pathologies. A great tool for both veterinary practitioners and lay pet owners. Use this tool to brush up your knowledge on what is possibly ailing your pet before you take it to the vet.

5) PawTrotter – PawTrotter is like an exhaustive Yellow Pages for pets. It is a very useful application that pet owners who also happen to be iPhone owners would do well to have on their phones. Look up pet-friendly hotels, the most reliable vets in an area, pet sitters with good ratings, and a lot more.

6) Petfinder – There’s a very strong element of altruism about this app. With this app you can search and review more than 290,000 pets from over 13,000 shelters and rescue groups. That is a big database. It is a novel idea that works for both pet owners and potential pet owners. You can get directions to the pet shelter as well as their telephone numbers and email ids via this app.

7) Pet Acoustics – This app is fun and perhaps a little decadent. Animals are sensitive to sounds that are beyond human listening capabilities. With this app, you can play music that has been particularly designed to smooth the frazzled nerves of your pet dog, cat, horse after a hard day at the vet’s place or if the animal is feeling low because of a stomach bug.

Rate My Puppy – An application that lets you show off your pet’s cutest poses to others using this app. You can rate their pets, make friends with other pet-owners, participate in contests and do much more. A nice interactive application that can help you create and preserve memories.

9) Cat Symptoms – A must-have for cat owners. You just don’t know when you may have to refer this one. There are hundred of cat health articles that are neatly categorized. You can also search by keyword. With these articles serving as a guideline, you are well-prepared to take care of your pet and if necessary ask the vet relevant questions.

Take a good look at your kitten, maybe for a couple of days. What are its most obvious endearing traits? Do its hazel eyes tempt you to name it…ahem Hazel? Or does it have a gait that could do justice to names like Queenie, Princess, Miss Royalty and such names. Does it show an early predilection to laziness, sloth, and a love for food? If so, then how about calling her Lazybones, Slacker, Chompers, Feeders, etc

Basically, the idea is that you use your imagination to come up with a name that your pet cat wants you to use. Okay, that’s stretching it a little too far. But you get the idea; don’t get stuck on Ginger and Tabby or worse, calling it Spot. If your cat ever finds out that you gave it a dog-name, it won’t forgive you

Research beyond the top ten names for 2010.

One reason why cats make such popular pets is that they have personality. They pack a lot of attitude in that small frame. If it is your cat’s attitude that is its standout feature then maybe you can call her Sassy. If it is the type that can shrug off a mishap and come to you for an ear-scratch minutes after being chased by the neighbor’s dog then maybe you can call it Happy. If it makes you feel good and cheery then maybe she is the Sunshine of your life.
If you’re the literary sort of if your cat looks cool wearing reading glasses then there is a plethora of names to select from. Here are a few names for your consideration – Puss from Puss in Boots; Tess from Tesss of the D’Urbervilles – okay, so Tess in this story wasn’t a cat but a pure lady, so what – treat your cat like a lady, and start by giving her a name that makes her feel that way. Lady Jane was a cat in a Charles Dickens story; Cheshire is a name drawn from the Cheshire Cat made famous by Lewis Carroll – a good name for your kitty if you detect that it wears a sly grin most of the time.

There was a time when cats were considered to have divine connections; there is a nice list of names to select from if you too feel that there is something otherworldly about your kitty – for example, Minerva, Cassandra and Aphrodite have a nice classical ring to them.

There are many other sources of ideas for you, politicians, artists, cartoon characters, food items, cat names in different languages, actors, precious stones, flowers, fruits, and many more thoughts that you can come up with.

The top 10 female cat names for 2010

The best thing to do, however; is to give the pet a name that suits its personality and importantly is not too long. Cats respond best to short and sweet names. You can draw inspiration from their breed, any pet name you’ve always wanted to use, body characteristics such as long ears or different colored eyes, chubbiness, etc.

If it’s a nice, healthy, outgoing, aggressive, mouse-hunting tom that you’ve got, one that raises an eyebrow when a stranger calls its name and unsheathes a claw if the person tries to get too close then maybe you can call it Action, Beans coz’ it’s full of beans and energetic, Badger, Bomber, Boss, Crunch, Chew, Fang, Flash, Ghost, Striker and so on.

If you have brought home a small breed, a wee kitten that will grow up to be an adorable male cat with saucer eyes and dainty paws, a roly-poly kitty that looks like the ball of wool it plays with then you’re spoilt for choices. There are many creative names out there such as Baby Doll, Bat Cat, Biscuit, Chubs, Cream, Celia, Doodlebug, Elf, Flopsy, Fern, Furball, Gypsy, Honey and many more.

If there is something about your cat that strikes you as a standout feature or the tom cat has certain endearing or exasperating traits, then too you have several naming choices. Here are some examples to set you thinking. Boom-Boom for your male cat with impressive vocal chords, Jabba the Hutt or Gremlin if it reminds you of these popular characters, Hobo – if it is happiest outside home stalking birds and coming home only to eat, Karma if it is a lucky stray that you chose. Remember it is his good karma as well as yours that has brought the two of you together. And here’s a nice creative one for a Chinese breed – Chairman Meow (Mao)

The most popular male cat names in America for 2010 , are Bandit, Blackie,Charlie,Felix,Fritz,Jingles,Morris
Rebel, Scout and Tom.

Other potential ideas for names for your tom cat include names of famous fictional felines in books, comics, cartoons, real life personalities, technology, the universe, food items, etc.

Cats are beautiful, gracious, sinewy, attractive, and also timid, incredibly curious, and often a little dumb. All these qualities have invariably led to cats having a presence in our popular culture. Whether it is real life, animation, novels, fairy-tales, or poetry we have examples of feline icons that continue to please us just as they offered pleasure to the generation before us.

1) Puss in Boots – Puss in Boots started life in the imagination of a French fairytale writer in the 1690s and a good 300 odd years later caught the fancy of Hollywood and etched its name as an animation immortal and Shrek’s wiseguy swashbuckling sword-wielding smart-talking partner-in-adventures. Puss in Boots has been one of the most popular fairytale characters ever. Children the world over adore it and know its story just as they know the tales of Cinderella and Snow White.

2) Felix the Cat – Before Garfield, Tom from Tom and Jerry, and Sylvester Cat, there was one cat that had caught the imagination of the world and it ruled the roost during the silent era cartoons. This was Felix. Such was and is the popularity of Felix the Cat that it still features on a wide variety of merchandise such as clothes, bags, badges, toys, etc inspite of no serious effort at new Felix films for the last 80 years. Otto Messmer is credited with having created this cat with a black body, handlebar tail, and a wide grin. This guy was the cat equivalent of Charlie Chaplin in antics and popularity.

3) Thomas “Tom” Cat – One half of the evergreen and super popular Tom and Jerry, this cat is perhaps the closest to what tom cats are like in real life. A little dumb, mice catchers, havoc wreakers, a little chivalrous, at time helpless, but always adorable. Tom is easily one of the most recognizable cartoon characters, nay fictional characters of all time. Whether a kid or an adult, he or she is more likely to recognize Tom rather than any Shakespearean character. With Jerry, his slapstick antics have warmed many a heart for around three generations.

4) Canadian Parliamentary Cats – These guys are for real and a very lucky bunch. This lot lives in and around the property of the Canadian parliamentary buildings. Their upkeep costs around $6k per annum and the funds are totally dependent on donations from animal lovers from all over Canada. Canadians have taken warmly to the feline denizens of Parliament Hill in Ottawa. There is a six-member team that has been established to take care of not only the cats but also the raccoons and squirrels that have benefited from the space and freedom provided to the cats. The cats, on their part, pay back by keeping the rodent population in check and by simply being cats.

5) Heathcliff – A wisecracking anti-establishment cat that has been around since 1973 and very soon will have a film to its name with a voice over from Tom Hanks, no less. That’s a cool leap even if you already have more than a 1000 comic strips syndicated in newspapers worldwide. What’s Heathcliff’s claim to fame? Well, he’s sassy, chases female cats, gets into trouble, and at the end of it refuses to learn his lessons.

6) Garfield – This overweight, lazy, pizza-munching feline holds the record for being the most syndicated cartoon character in the world. Add to that full-length films and animated TV series and you want to ask what this cat does to deserve such love. Well, he does what most men want to do, avoid Mondays and diets, be ready with a quip, be cool, and be their own boss. He strikes a blow for cats all over the world every time he gets the better of Odie, Jon’s pet dog, and that happens almost all the time. His takes on Jon being a social misfit and forever pining for the love of Liz, Garfield’s vet.

7) Cheshire Cat – We have all heard the phrase “grinning like a Cheshire Cat”. Indeed, those of us blessed with a toothy gummy grin must have received comparisons with the Cheshire Cat’s grin. This cat has had quite an impact on popular culture, finding its way to the coat of arms of illustrious families, church carvings, political cartoons, television, merchandise, etc. Although Louis Carroll made the character famous as the wackiest in a book full of wacky characters – “Alice in Wonderland”; the origins of the phrase are shrouded in mystery. This feline probably takes the honors for being the most influential of all cats in popular culture.

A: Many people who want to get a pet just are not aware of how many great pets are available at shelters. They might also have the misconception that pets in shelters might be there because there was a problem with the animal. In fact, most pets end up in shelters not because of any problem with pet behavior, but because an owner died, moved, or simply didn’t have the time or money to care for the animal. In some cases animals are lost and never found by their owners.
These animals are healthy and very eager to please.
Rescued pets are wonderful- just ask anyone who has one.
Some people are seeking purebred animals or puppies and think these animals are not available in shelters. In fact, nearly a quarter of all animals in shelters are purebred. Often someone buys an expensive purebred animal and then attempts to breed that animal to recoup their money. Often these animals are not placed in homes, and end up in the shelter. Puppies and kittens often up in shelters as well, but it is important to note that puppies require a lot of work and training and can be quite destructive (peeing on the carpet or chewing shoes). Puppies are great, but often people are much happier getting a dog who is older, and whose size and temperament is a known quantity.

Through Adopt-a-Pet.com and without even leaving their home, people can search all their local shelters and see pictures and descriptions of the pets available for adoption. This way, they can find the exact pet they want, call the animal shelter or rescue group, and get information on how to adopt that specific animal.

Q: What are the 5 most important things a potential adopter should consider when choosing their new pet?

A: We actually have a blog post on this highlighting the top 10 things we believe are important when adopting. Here are five, the rest can be located by visiting this page http://www.adoptapet.com/public/guides/permanentpets.html.

1. You need to make a real commitment to care for your pet for its entire life.
2. Verify in advance that you’re allowed to keep a pet where you live.
3. Never adopt a pet on a whim or because you feel it’s love-at-first-sight
4. Provide sufficient exercise and stimulation during the first few weeks, this will help the pet adjust.
5. Make any necessary modifications to your yard and fence to provide for your pet’s safety.

In the U.S, one to three percent of the domestic cats are afflicted by the condition. Common modes of transmission include from saliva to blood, which means bite wounds. A cat delivering kittens can pass on the virus to kittens; however, this mode of transmission is not observed very frequently. Similarly sexual transmission of the virus too is not considered a common cause. It is best that pet cats not be allowed to mingle with strays.

Once inside a cat’s body, the virus travels to the lymph nodes where it attacks the T cells, which are a type of white blood cells responsible for maintaining the body’s immunity against bacterial, viral, and fungal attacks. This is followed by a reduction in the RBC and WBC count. The virus can then go into a period of hibernation which may last for years. The infected cat appears outwardly normal but is infected all the same. Over a period of time, signs and symptoms indicating immunodeficiency appear; the cat can take ill even when faced with viruses and bacteria which it otherwise is equipped to tackle.

Loss of interest in eating and pain in chewing are common clinical symptoms of the condition. Recurrent infections of the skin, urinary bladder, and kidney are noted. Seizures and sleep disorders may be noted in some cats. Weight loss and wasting are noted in the later stages.

The condition is diagnosed using the FIV antibody test; positive results are corroborated using an ELISA test kit. The FIV test which checks for antibodies is popular because detecting the virus in the blood is difficult. The virus concentrations are often too low to appear in the test results. Some clinics may prefer to perform the Western blot or immunoblot procedure.

Because FIV itself is not treatable, vets try to treat the secondary conditions that arise. Antibiotics are administered regularly depending upon the nature of infection. Blood transfusions may have to be given. Particular care needs to be taken about the pet cat’s diet. A high calorie and protein rich diet should be followed to counter weight loss and wasting. Vitamins and anti-oxidants should be given.

Because the disease-causing agent is a retrovirus and there are multiple strains of the virus, it is difficult for researchers to develop a vaccine. However, single strain vaccines have been developed and these have exhibited good results in immunizing cats.

Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge,when an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food,water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor, those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing, they miss someone very special to them, who had been left behind.

They all run and play together but the day finally comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent, his eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted! and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.

The happy kisses rain down your face, your hands again caress the beloved head and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life, but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross the “Rainbow Bridge” together……

Performing CPR for dogs or cats is not entirely unlike that for humans. The concept is the same, however the applications are slightly different and largely size and weight dependent.

The first thing you need to do is relax. A levelheaded person gets the job done efficiently. Being hysterical serves neither you nor your pet any good. However, don’t take too long, your pet’s life hangs in the balance of your ability to act swiftly. Having a second person assisting you in performing CPR is ideal but not necessary to save your pet’s life.

Assuming your dog or cat is unconscious and non-responsive, check to see whether there is anything obstructing his or her airway. This should be done with care for two reasons. Even an unconscious animal has reflex actions and can bite down. The other reason is that you don’t want to harm your pet.
Next you’re going to try and get oxygen in your pet. Doing this for a large breed dog differs from performing CPR on a small dog or a cat.

For a large breed dog:

• Close his jaw tightly
• Breath into his nose (not his mouth, as with humans)
• Give two breaths
• Repeat until you see his chest rise

For a smaller breed dog or a cat:

• If you can, place your mouth over your animal’s mouth and nose and breathe
• Give two breaths
• Repeat until see her chest rise

As with humans, it will be necessary to perform chest compressions. Performance of these is again, weight and size dependent.

For large dogs, place your dog on his back and compress his chest as you would for a human. For smaller dogs and cats, it’s very likely you will need to lay her on her side and compress the side of her rib cage. If you are able to, you can place your dog or cat on her back and press on both sides of her rib cage. It’s important to understand that the rate of chest compressions varies depending the size of your pet.

1. Dogs over 60 lbs = 60 compressions per minute
2. Dogs or cats 11 – 60 lbs = 80-120 compressions per minute
3. Dogs or cats 10 lbs or less = 120 compressions per minute

Lastly, as with humans you will need to alternate between breaths and chest compressions. The ratio is going to be same as it is for resuscitating a human, which is approximately 30:2. In other words, 30 chest compressions, then two breaths and continue this until your dog or cat is breathing on his or her own.
Now that you know how to perform CPR,you can save a cat or a dog’s life, pass it on to your friends and family.

The scenario usually goes something like this. It’s 2:00 in the morning and Capote is begging to go out and do his business. In a semi-conscious state you let him out and stand there as he runs around. Still half asleep, you hear him yelp and you run toward him. Before you even see him, you know precisely where he is because you’re immediately assaulted by an offensive odor that is somehow familiar to you. It suddenly dawns on you that your beloved buddy was just sprayed by a skunk!

Most people aren’t armed with the solution and in their half awake state they find themselves rummaging through the medicine cabinet, the pantry and the dark recesses of their mind for the answers. They begin mumbling to themselves, “how do you get rid of that smell? What had my mom used to when this happened to old Cougar?”

In order to be successful at removing the skunk smell from your dog, it’s important to understand what you are doing. What comes out of a skunk when he’s feeling threatened is high in alkaline, which means a high pH. All the perfumes in the world, used to combat the smell, accomplish little if the ingredients in there aren’t designed to lower the pH that is causing your pet dog to make you gag.

The first thing you’ll want to do is not allow your pet inside the house where your furniture, carpet, clothes, etc. can all rapidly absorb the skunk smell.

If your first concern is how to De-skunk your dog using home remedies, rather than something with myriad of ingredients you can neither pronounce, nor know what its usefulness is, you’re in luck. Here are two surefire skunk smell removals for your dog.

If you have fresh tomatoes, tomato paste or tomato sauce, any one or in conjunction with one another will work. If not, this tried and true “De-skunker” formula will also work:

• 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of shampoo

Whichever concoction you decide to use, rub liberally all over him or her. Be mindful not to get any in your pet’s eyes. Leave on for at least five minutes and rinse. Repeat as necessary.

Although they are different, they each do the same thing. They lower the pH of the alkaline of the skunk spray.

Now that you know how to De-skunk your dog or cat, should this happen to you in the middle of the night, even in a semi-conscious state, you will know exactly what to do.