There are some common myths about cats and dog. Here are a few.

Myth - Spaying or neutering my pet will change his personality.

There is no real evidence of this. Males have sometimes been reported to have a slight decrease in energy, and their desire to roam will often decrease, but personality is not typically affected. In fact, there are health benefits to this procedure particularly for females.

Myth – Cats will suck the breath from a baby.

This is completely untrue. The main theory about how this myth developed is that possibly a baby had trouble breathing because he curled up to closely with a cat. This however is a guess. There are zero reported cases of a cat sucking the breath out of a baby, and there are very few reported cases of babies having any sort of problems with cats at all.

Myth – Pets will let you know when they are sick.

The opposite is more accurate. In the wild a weak animal would be at risk of becoming prey if they appeared sick or wounded. As a result, instinct tends to tell animals to hide an illness or injury.

Myth – Black cats are bad luck, or black dogs have supernatural powers.

For some reason black pets have a history of being lighting rods for often elaborate myths. The black cat myth is thought to have some roots all the way back to ancient Egypt and then they became linked to witches the Middle Ages. Black dogs have gained notoriety through literature and apparently are connected with some current UFO stories. Having had a black dog as a kid the UFO’s and supernatural powers clearly skipped over our dog.

Myth – It’s better to adopt a puppy or kitten than and adult pet

There are some excellent practical reasons to adopt an adult pet. First, basic training is often already done. No need to housebreak most adult pets. Second, their personalities are developed and finding a good match for someone’s particular circumstances is often easier with an adult pet. Third, the time commitment particularly for a new puppy is much greater than the time committment needed with a grown animal. Finally, there is a real need for homes for adult pets, and adopting a grown animal in many cases is actually saving their life.