Have you thought about adopting a cat this year? Whether you are looking for your first cat, a companion cat to one you already love or an addition to a busy, active household, now's a great time to bring home a shelter cat.

If you think of shelters as gloom-and-doom places, you might be surprised at the changes in many shelter facilities. For cats, especially, the days of sterile, stacked steel cages are giving way to colony cat rooms, where the animals can relax and show off their loving personalities.

Still, I know going to a shelter can be overwhelming, since you can't take them all home. But if you think about what you're looking for in a cat, go in with a plan, and listen to your heart and your head, I bet you'll find the adoption option is easier and more rewarding than you think.

There are advantages to adopting from a shelter, and saving money is one of them. Adult pets are usually spayed or neutered before they're made available for adoption, and that's real savings. The cats you see usually also have been vet-checked, vaccinated and, in some shelters, evaluated for temperament. In many shelters you'll find staff members and volunteers who are familiar with each cat's personality and can tell you which ones are lap-sitters, which are playful, which ones like kids and dogs, and which ones would rather live without them.

Another plus is the variety of cats you can find: longhaired, shorthaired, tabby, calico and sometimes even pedigreed cats, especially popular breeds such as Siamese and Persian. Yes, that's right: If you've always dreamed of having a chatty Siamese, you can find one in a shelter, especially if you broaden your search by using Petfinder.com.

Want more reasons to adopt from a shelter? Many shelter cats are already familiar with home life because that's where they came from, often ending up in a shelter through no fault of their own -- especially in this economy. They're cool around kids or dogs, and they know the litter box routine. I'm no fan of declawing, but if you believe you must have a cat who is declawed, there's a good chance you can find one at a shelter.

Before you go, get a picture in your head about what you want in a cat. Lap-sitter or lively? Cool with kids and dogs? Chatty or quiet? Some shelters start with adoption counseling first, then introduce you to the cats who are the best matches. Other shelters give you a chance to look the cats over and visit with them first, then help you choose the one cat who's right for you.

And if your shelter doesn't have adoption counseling? Look beyond the cute and think of the home you're providing. If yours is a three-ring circus with boisterous children and lots of other animals, you'll want to consider those bold, friendly cats who seem to be handling the shelter environment well. If you have a quiet home, look to the shy cats who may just need time to relax and look around in a new home. That cat can also be a good choice if you enjoy the feline presence but would prefer not to have one who's "in your face" all the time.

Most important, look past appearance and "see" with your heart what's really there. Behind a plain-vanilla exterior of a cat who has been overlooked by so many, you may discover a sweet pet with the purrfect personality. Those cats are the keepers, no matter what they look like.

Which leads me to the best reason of all for adopting a cat from a shelter: that warm, fuzzy, tingly glow you get from giving a home to a cat in need and hearing him purr as he settles into his new digs -- after you get your veterinarian to check him over of course!

(Video bonus: Training expert Mikkel Becker shows how to teach your dog that running away is not acceptable (vetstreet/ train/how-to-keep-your-dog-from-running-away)

Q&A

Let your cat win

laser pointer game

Q: Are laser pointers safe? My cat really goes crazy when I get his out to play. -- via email

A: As with so many other things, I have to give an answer and a caveat. For many cats, laser pointers are wonderful for getting in a good workout. For indoor cats, especially, pretty much anything that gets a cat moving is a good thing. But for some cats, these toys have been blamed for the development of compulsive behaviors, such as excessive grooming.

The worry most people have regarding safety is about the laser itself. Of course you shouldn't shine the light into your pet's eyes (or your own) on purpose, but you don't have to worry if the beam hits an eye for a split-second in play.

The potential problem with these toys comes because the cat can never "win" the game. Even if a cat catches the moving dot, there's nothing there. The cat gets all worked up with no resolution -- every time. Even in the wild, a hunting cat will catch the prey now and then. But there's no catching that alluring, fast-moving red dot!

Although most cats will wind down from their hunting high with no harm done, some will redirect their frustration in ways that can hurt themselves or others. There's an easy way out of the problem, however. After you've used the laser pointer to exhaust your cat (up and down stairs can be fun -- StairMaster for cats!), switch to a toy that can be caught and "killed," such as one on the end of a fishing pole, or a stuffed mouse. Your cat can then wind down with the satisfaction of having won the game, with "dead prey" to show for his hunting prowess. -- Dr. Marty Becker

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.

THE BUZZ

Domesticated rats

can be good pets

-- Rats can be clever, playful and affectionate pets, perfect not only for responsible older children, but also for open-minded adults. When purchased or adopted from reputable sources and kept in good health, these pets usually live two to three years. Domesticated rats come in many colors and patterns and can learn tricks as easily as many dogs.

-- Raw vegetables and fruits are a wonderful treat for dogs. Veterinarians often recommend carrots and apple slices as a substitute for commercial treats, especially for dogs who are pudgy. (Another easy weight-loss trick involving vegetables: Substitute thawed green beans for part of your dog's daily food ration. They'll make your pet feel full without adding much in the way of calories.) Not all fruits and vegetables are good for your dog, though, and some may even be toxic. The absolute no-no's include raisins and grapes, avocados, onions and many nuts. When in doubt, ask your veterinarian or visit the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center online (aspca.org/apcc).

-- We all know that yawning is contagious among people, but dogs can also "catch" our yawns. When dogs yawn on their own, they're more likely doing it in an effort to relieve stress than to signify that naptime is coming.

-- Mikkel Becker and Dr. Marty Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and also the authors of many best-selling pet care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.

If you're looking for a way to lower your stress, improve your health and get your children off the couch, part of the answer may be fish -- not eating them, but keeping them.

Whether you choose a small tank with a few freshwater fish or a stunning saltwater setup that makes you feel like a deep-sea diver without getting wet, you'll be getting some of the proven health benefits of keeping fish.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to keep fish," said Dr. Roy Yanong, a veterinarian with a lifelong love of fish-keeping that he pursued into a career with the Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory at the University of Florida.

"Depending on the species, you can start with a 10-gallon tank. But you always have to think about the water," he said. "Fish make ammonia, which is excreted through their gills. You need the right number of fish, and a bio-filter with the right set of bacteria. If you don't have that, the water will turn toxic, and that's when fish die."

But just as you don't need to be an ichthyologist -- a fish expert -- to keep healthy fish, you don't have to be a chemist either, says Dr. Yanong. All you need to make sure the water is right for your fish is to test it yourself with easy-to-find kits, or have it tested at a specialty aquarium store.

"Help with fish-keeping is pretty easy to get," he said. "You can talk to someone who's keeping fish successfully. You can also find sites online that can help."

Dr. Yanong has been working with fish since 1992, which is also when the popularity of keeping aquatic pets started to grow. While the more complicated and expensive saltwater setups have remained the interest of only a tiny percentage of dedicated hobbyists, keeping freshwater fish has risen steadily for the past two decades.

"That's a pretty good rise," said Dr. Yanong, who, despite having fish all around him pretty much all his working hours, still keeps a tank of mud-skippers nearby. "Aquaria is a where a lot of kids first got their interest in nature. I know I did. And while any pet can be an entry into the world of nature, the fascinating thing about fish is that you're not just keeping pets, you're running an ecosystem."

At a time when it's hard to get kids to put down the video console and get off the couch, experts say looking into a fish tank may be key to getting youngsters up and out the door -- perhaps to a career in science. And it can all start with a small tank and a couple of guppies.

(Video bonus: Training expert Mikkel Becker demonstrates the proper way to teach children to safely hold a cat or small dog (vetstreet.com/train/how-to-pick-up-and-hold-a-cat)

Q&A

Is lighting behind

bird feather woes?

Q: Are fluorescent lights bad for birds? I have read online that they cause feather-picking. -- via email

A: I asked board-certified avian specialist Dr. Brian Speer (my "Birds for Dummies" co-author) for help with this one. He has his doubts that there's any problem with having birds in rooms lit by energy-saving compact fluorescent lights.

"Although there is a different flicker frequency that birds see as compared to ourselves, there is no confirmed direct causation between feather-damaging behavior and fluorescent lighting," says Dr. Speer, who owns the Medical Center for Birds, a birds-only practice in the Northern California town of Oakley.

He doesn't rule out CFLs completely, however, at least as a contributory factor to the problem. Feather-picking is complex behavior, he stresses.

"This type of light may function as a stressor, and it is possible that some stressors may trigger anxiety," says Dr. Speer. "Anxiety may be addressed by displacement behavioral activities, and of these, feather damage could be seen.

"But this is a bit of a simplistic 'cause and effect' assumption for a problem that more often than not is multifactorial in nature," he says.

Stopping feather-picking, in other words, will remain a difficult road for many bird owners, with a lot of strategies employed along the way to find the magic ingredients to the cure -- if it can be found at all. -- Gina Spadafori

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.

THE BUZZ

Disney crew includes

lot of veterinarians

-- Working for the Walt Disney Co. is no Mickey Mouse affair if you're a veterinarian. Dr. Mark Stetter, recently named as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University, leaves behind a big job at Disney. DVM360.com reports that Dr. Stetter directed the company's animal-health programs around the world and managed a team of more than 500, including veterinarians, curators, zookeepers and aquarists. He also helped to oversee the company's international wildlife research and conservation programs.

-- Of the more than 150 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, 13 commonly get ear crops, 48 have docked tails, and 11 have both cropping and docking. Ear crops seem more likely to disappear as a common practice sooner, as fewer pet owners choose to have their puppies' ears cut into an upright posture, and fewer veterinarians are willing to perform the procedure. The American Veterinary Medical Association opposes ear cropping and tail docking when done solely for cosmetic purposes, and has encouraged the elimination of these procedures from breed standards.

-- A "three dog night" was once described by comedian Johnny Carson as a "bad night for a tree." But the term originates with the Inuit tribes of Alaska, who measured nocturnal temperatures based on how many of their sled dogs they needed to serve as bed warmers. -- Mikkel Becker and Dr. Marty Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and also the authors of many best-selling pet care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.

If you're looking for a way to lower your stress, improve your health and get your children off the couch, part of the answer may be fish -- not eating them, but keeping them.

Whether you choose a small tank with a few freshwater fish or a stunning saltwater setup that makes you feel like a deep-sea diver without getting wet, you'll be getting some of the proven health benefits of keeping fish.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to keep fish," said Dr. Roy Yanong, a veterinarian with a lifelong love of fish-keeping that he pursued into a career with the Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory at the University of Florida.

"Depending on the species, you can start with a 10-gallon tank. But you always have to think about the water," he said. "Fish make ammonia, which is excreted through their gills. You need the right number of fish, and a bio-filter with the right set of bacteria. If you don't have that, the water will turn toxic, and that's when fish die."

But just as you don't need to be an ichthyologist -- a fish expert -- to keep healthy fish, you don't have to be a chemist either, says Dr. Yanong. All you need to make sure the water is right for your fish is to test it yourself with easy-to-find kits, or have it tested at a specialty aquarium store.

"Help with fish-keeping is pretty easy to get," he said. "You can talk to someone who's keeping fish successfully. You can also find sites online that can help."

Dr. Yanong has been working with fish since 1992, which is also when the popularity of keeping aquatic pets started to grow. While the more complicated and expensive saltwater setups have remained the interest of only a tiny percentage of dedicated hobbyists, keeping freshwater fish has risen steadily for the past two decades.

"That's a pretty good rise," said Dr. Yanong, who, despite having fish all around him pretty much all his working hours, still keeps a tank of mud-skippers nearby. "Aquaria is a where a lot of kids first got their interest in nature. I know I did. And while any pet can be an entry into the world of nature, the fascinating thing about fish is that you're not just keeping pets, you're running an ecosystem."

At a time when it's hard to get kids to put down the video console and get off the couch, experts say looking into a fish tank may be key to getting youngsters up and out the door -- perhaps to a career in science. And it can all start with a small tank and a couple of guppies.

(Video bonus: Training expert Mikkel Becker demonstrates the proper way to teach children to safely hold a cat or small dog (vetstreet.com/train/how-to-pick-up-and-hold-a-cat)

Q&A

Is lighting behind

bird feather woes?

Q: Are fluorescent lights bad for birds? I have read online that they cause feather-picking. -- via email

A: I asked board-certified avian specialist Dr. Brian Speer (my "Birds for Dummies" co-author) for help with this one. He has his doubts that there's any problem with having birds in rooms lit by energy-saving compact fluorescent lights.

"Although there is a different flicker frequency that birds see as compared to ourselves, there is no confirmed direct causation between feather-damaging behavior and fluorescent lighting," says Dr. Speer, who owns the Medical Center for Birds, a birds-only practice in the Northern California town of Oakley.

He doesn't rule out CFLs completely, however, at least as a contributory factor to the problem. Feather-picking is complex behavior, he stresses.

"This type of light may function as a stressor, and it is possible that some stressors may trigger anxiety," says Dr. Speer. "Anxiety may be addressed by displacement behavioral activities, and of these, feather damage could be seen.

"But this is a bit of a simplistic 'cause and effect' assumption for a problem that more often than not is multifactorial in nature," he says.

Stopping feather-picking, in other words, will remain a difficult road for many bird owners, with a lot of strategies employed along the way to find the magic ingredients to the cure -- if it can be found at all. -- Gina Spadafori

Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.

THE BUZZ

Disney crew includes

lot of veterinarians

-- Working for the Walt Disney Co. is no Mickey Mouse affair if you're a veterinarian. Dr. Mark Stetter, recently named as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University, leaves behind a big job at Disney. DVM360.com reports that Dr. Stetter directed the company's animal-health programs around the world and managed a team of more than 500, including veterinarians, curators, zookeepers and aquarists. He also helped to oversee the company's international wildlife research and conservation programs.

-- Of the more than 150 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, 13 commonly get ear crops, 48 have docked tails, and 11 have both cropping and docking. Ear crops seem more likely to disappear as a common practice sooner, as fewer pet owners choose to have their puppies' ears cut into an upright posture, and fewer veterinarians are willing to perform the procedure. The American Veterinary Medical Association opposes ear cropping and tail docking when done solely for cosmetic purposes, and has encouraged the elimination of these procedures from breed standards.

-- A "three dog night" was once described by comedian Johnny Carson as a "bad night for a tree." But the term originates with the Inuit tribes of Alaska, who measured nocturnal temperatures based on how many of their sled dogs they needed to serve as bed warmers. -- Mikkel Becker and Dr. Marty Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and also the authors of many best-selling pet care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.