Do you have a dog or cat? If you adopted her from an animal
shelter or pound, you're smart! Animal shelters have the best
selection of pets anywhere, from the purriest tabby to the
furriest kitten, from the waggiest puppy to the shaggiest dog.
Ever wonder where shelters get all their animals? Sometimes
people let their dogs and cats have litters, and then the people
can't find homes for the babies. And sometimes unlucky pets get
lost and are found roaming the streets. Life on the street is
tough for dogs and cats. They don't get regular meals and tender
loving care like your pets do, and if they become sick, there's
no one there to bring them to the veterinarian. They don't even
have a cozy bed to curl up in when it's cold outside. It's such
a hard life that most strays will not live more than a year or
two. The sad story continues when stray animals mate and have
babies. Cats can start having kittens at 4 ½ months of age, and
dogs can have puppies at 6 months of age. And they can have
litters every 3 months—