4 Things You Might Want to Know About Senior Pet Adoption
Thanks to our Adopt-a-Senior-Pet month sponsor ~ VCA Sno Wood Veterinary Hospital ~ for sharing their top four reasons for adopting a senior:
1. Housebreaking: A puppy or kitten can require constant attention. A puppy can hold his bladder just one hour for every month they’ve been alive. For instance, a 3-month-old puppy will need to empty his bladder every three hours! And yes, that does include the middle of the night! An adult dog’s bladder is already fully developed. Shelter dogs are most often already house-trained. You also have the advantage of knowing that your dog is physically able to “hold it” for several hours at a stretch. In most cases, adult dogs are by far easier to housebreak than puppies. You can teach an old dog new tricks! Many Senior Pets in shelters or with rescue groups are already trained and ready to go! Adults have a much longer attention span than puppies, too, which means they’re easier and faster to teach.
2. Personality: With an adult pet, what you see is what you get. Their personality is already developed, and you’ll be able to spot the characteristics you’re looking for. Shelters and rescue groups are able to assess the personality of each pet for adoption, and carefully match you up with the right dog or cat for your lifestyle.
3. Senior Pet adoption = an instant friend for life: Ask anybody who has adopted an adult dog or cat, and they’ll swear their bond with their rescued pal is as deep as they come. When you open your heart and your home to an older dog or cat who needs help, they really do show their appreciation for the rest of their life! Pets who have been uprooted from their homes, or have had difficult beginnings are likely to bond completely and deeply with their new human caretakers who they view as heroes. Pets who find themselves in the shelter or at a rescue group because of a death or other tragedy in their former human family usually go through a mourning period. Once they are adopted, however, they usually want nothing more than to please their new hero—YOU! No matter what circumstances brought them to the shelter or rescue group, most older pets for adoption are exceptionally affectionate and attentive pets and extremely loyal companions. But first you have to adopt one!
4. Senior Pet adoption = truly saving a life: When you adopt a senior dog or cat, you are doing the ultimate good deed. Let’s face it: a lot of people think they want a puppy or kitten, but not everyone is lining up to adopt the great seniors! Did you know that every year, approximately 4 million adoptable animals are killed? You can be sure there are a LOT of dogs and cats for adoption out there. With such a huge overpopulation problem, buying a pet from a breeder or pet store sadly contributes to this tragedy. Rescue groups that specialize in Senior Pet adoption work very, very hard to help adult dogs and cats find good homes. Rescues are almost always made up of a group of volunteers. They often keep their pets for adoption in their own homes while they assess their health and personalities. If a pet needs basic training, often the rescuer will provide it. If a pet needs medical treatment, many dedicated dog and cat rescuers pay for it out of their own pocket. These people are incredibly passionate about rescue, and they work tirelessly to make sure every pet finds a home. Nothing is as rewarding to these heroes as a successful adoption!
