How do pets take being given away?

Do you think it's possible for pets to never get over being given away?

Like when a baby is given up for adoption and it's okay because that's all they know, but it's different when it's an 8 year old child who's parents can't handle him anymore...

Is it possible that they never get over the feeling of abandenment?

Has anyone ever adopted an animal that seemed too sad by being abandoned to not be happy ever again?

 

That is sooo sad

 

I adopted 2 ferrets that had previous owners and they adjusted fine. But i heard of cases of large birds and dogs becoming aggressive or 'lazy' after being given away. Cats seem to not give a shit, but they are naturally independent whereas a dog is very dependant and loyal. In fact I've read a story when I was younger of a dog whose owner died and the dog was handed off to someone willing to care for it and the dog ended up dying...of anorexia...

 

I've only had two dogs (still have one, the other passed away 5 years ago) and I got both as puppies. She's 8y/o now and I don't think she would ever survive in another home. All 8 of her years has been with me.
I really do believe she would get so depressed without me she wouldn't have the will to live. I mean I go down the street to the corner store and she's at the window looking out until I get back. And when I do get back she goes nuts.
Pretty much every second of the day she's with me.

So to answer your question, yes I do think some pets can never get over being given away. Especially if they had a great life in their previous home.

 

I have always known that all mammals, us humans too; since we are part of this group too and feel a sense of abandonment on being separated from those we have come to trust and love.

I have adopted many abandoned animals including everything from dogs, cats, horses, pigs, goats and sheep. I have found that with the proper nurturing and a sense of belonging with a surrounding of true love, they eventually recover from the trauma of their past. Of course, we each have our own speed in the healing process and it is simply a part of every mammal on earth.

 

when i adopted my terrier, he was anxious and acted pretty crazy. he instantly latched onto me and has been a major part of me ever since.
he was definitely traumatized from being abandoned by his first owner. idk if that contributed to the mild separation anxiety he has now, but its certainly possible. as soon as he saw me walking down the aisle at the pound, he jumped up and down in from of his gate like a little spring, barking madly. he bouced off the walls for the first couple of days i had him home too, and when he slept, it was right up against my body. his enthusiasm scared off potential adopters till i found him, but he just wanted to be loved.
if for some reason i wasnt part of his life anymore (i would have to be dead, theres no other way id ever give him up) i think he might waste away. im the center of his world and he hates being away from me, or even sharing me.
so i think with some animals, the pain of losing their owner and best friend never leaves them. mostly with dogs i guess. cats dont seem to care much.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFec4ihQ8EY&feature=related
George Carlin Loves His Dogs.

Ive always loved this .. But yeah its sad if you have to get rid of a pet..
some pets do feel better being with a different family too, So I think theres a balance somewhere..:cheers2:TAKE CARE OF YOUR PETS...

 

My moms dog ALWAYS had abandonment issues since we adopted her...but she was REALLY a happy dog with my mom still, and loved her soooo dearly. Just if someone had to take her while we went away for a weekend or something she would spaz right out...

Other then that I have adopted ferrets, rats, birds and cats from people and they ahve adjusted just fine...


All that being said, I think it's best to try to offer any animal a stable home. I feel like that's really important. But if it's the situation that the animal does need to transfer owners I feel like they usually adjust fine as long as they are going to good homes.

 

let me put it this way, since some of you still live with your parents. if your parents were to die in a traffic accident, what would happen to you? hopefully, your parents have made out their wills, and have that provision added in there!
the same thing goes for pets. i have asked, and several people have agreed to adopt my pets if anything should happen to me. (i have four cats and two dogs.) i have set aside funds in my will for their care; sort of like a "trust fund" for them.
that is the best that can be done for them. you need to choose the best guardens for them that you can find, and set up a trust fund for their care. giving them a new loving home, were they are treated will, and funds for their new guardens too meet their needs... what more could anyone do beside that?

 

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Our little girl Spirit was 10 months old when we adopted her. This is her fifth "home" since birth. There was: her birth home, then she lived with a hoarder for most of her life & was part of a "forced to surrender" situation, then the pound, then her foster home, (she lived with these angels for two short weeks) and now she's with us -for the rest of her life.

Whether it's from beng shuffled around so many times, missing one of her former owners, or because of something that might have happened while with her first "owner" we'll never know but we are working through issues with general aggression, fear of strangers, apprehension around my son, and food-centered issues. Oh yes, and regression in housetraining! For whatever reason, she came to us with these issues... and with as quickly as she's "turning around" there's no doubt in my mind that these are learned behaviors rather than just her nature - so yeah, she's remembering SOMETHING from a former home! I have no doubt in my mind that a pet of several years could never "get over" being given away.
love,
mom

 

From what I understand, it is not traumatic for them. I've heard that they may know that something is different, but they are not saddened by it. Changes in personality come from changes in environment and lifestyle. Maybe you addopt an older dog from the pound and all it does is "mope" around. You think it's sad that it's family gave it up, but it could just be that his original family was more relaxed and lay-about. When my one dog died my other dog became weird. He would go crazy tearing about the house, then lay down and mope. We thought he missed the other dog, he really just missed the companionship and was bored out of his mind. He wasn't getting the same exersise as when the other dog was still alive. I don't know if this makes sense to anyone the way I put it, but that's what I think.

 

My dog went through 3 homes before my family adopted him, and he's doing better than ever. Apparently he's been a hyperactive terror since birth, so the disabled elderly women couldn't care for him after she purchased him from a breeder, then her daughter couldn't give him the attention and care he needed because of her own child, so he came to us. From the second we had out meet and greet with him to see if he'd be compatible with my family and other animals, he loved us like crazy, and we loved him just as much back. He now has 2 dog friends to play and cuddle with, and a family that showers him with love and attention. We've got him to calm down significantly, but we have to play with him a lot one on one so he won't terrorize the other dogs. He's extremely clinging with his people and the other dogs. If he's alone he won't stop crying until he's joined by either a dog or human. So I do think he has separation anxiety, but I don't think he misses his previous owners or homes at all. He has food issues too, but that's no wonder seeing how starved and malnutritioned he was when he came to us. All in all, he's an awesome dog, and I think he's happier than can be with me and my family.

 

It depends on the situation. My cousin gave me his dog because he worked night shifts and lived in a small apartment. My dog likes it at my house because it has a big yard he can run around in and someone is always home. If you give the dog away to some guy who is neglectful or abusive then it would be bad.