Hello All!
It’s my turn to fill you in on the inside happenings at Legacy so I hope you are ready to read about my favorite subject, animals! I love animals, especially cuddly friendly ones…but really, who doesn’t? Who can resist a soft, fuzzy buddy that is there to greet you after a hard day at work or school? A friendly animal friend is one thing, but what about the kitten that is timid because she is not used to people? What about the puppy that nips when he gets too excited? What about the pet bird that picks out his feathers and bites anything that moves? Are they still worthy of our love and attention? Pet Pals Animal Rescue tells us “YES”.
Did you know that
animals get bored just like people do? While doing research for Pet Pals Animal
Rescue, I stumbled across many articles on parrots and how they develop similar
behavioral problems when neglected. Parrots are very social animals and some
species mate for life, meaning that they are simply wired not to live alone. When
a parrot is given proper food, water and shelter but is not given social
interaction, it becomes mentally ill. A bored, neglected parrot will clean
itself excessively to the point where it actually pulls out its own feathers.
As I read more, I found that dogs and cats also develop destructive behaviors
when neglected. Just like children, dogs and cats have been known to engage in
destructive behaviors around the house to get attention. As pet owners, people
must realize that food, water, shelter and medical care is not enough to ensure
a happy, healthy pet.
In Pet Pals Animal Rescue, there will be an “enrichment” portion of the game where you (as the player) get to help rehabilitate, socialize and train animals that come into the shelter. I thought this would be important to add to the game not only to break up the hard science with a little fun, but also to teach players that animals need second chances just like people do. A kitten that hides from people and lashes out when approached isn’t necessarily a mean cat, she is just frightened.
Animals that lash out at people out of fear need socialization. Socialization is just a fancy word for “fun times with animals”. The goal of a socialization session is that the animal has a positive experience with people. With more socialization, a timid animal can learn from repeated positive experiences that people are not to be feared and soon their guarded, defensive behavior changes to trust and affection. Pet Pals Animal Rescue’s version of the socialization process will feature traditional games that animals and people love to play together.
Physical exercise is a basic need for any species of pet. Mental exercise is actually required by some species of pet to keep them mentally healthy, this is provided through training. For example, dogs tend to get aggressive and destructive when they do not receive mental or physical exercise. A puppy that nips just needs a little training where negative actions like nipping are discouraged and positive behaviors (like tricks) are encouraged. Despite popular belief, cats can be trained; they just don’t require it like some other pets do. In Pet Pals Animal Rescue, the player will have the opportunity to train cats, dogs and parrots. The training not only makes the animals more adoptable, it exercises their minds and makes them happier overall. Because training is interaction, a well trained animal will not be lonely or bored. A well trained animal is a happy animal. When you are playing Pet Pals Animal Rescue, it is your responsibility that animals leave the shelter healthy, both mentally and physically. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but come on…do it for the animals!
Until next time!
-Natascha Thomas
(Producer)
Comments