What could be cuter and more appealing than a cute fluffy puppy or kitten? Baby animals rarely stay in shelters for long before they are adopted. Unfortunately, there are still plenty that does not get adopted, simply because there are more baby animals being born than there are homes willing to accommodate them (mainly because lots of people do not get their pets spayed or neutered). Next to a baby animal, with its playfulness, huge eyes and paws, soft, furry coat, and energetic play, who would choose an older animal, with fewer years of life left, with less energy, and perhaps less appealing physical features?
Well, it is true that older animals will probably live for less time and so get to spend less time with you as a family. But isn’t that more reason to give that animal a decent few years of a happy, healthy, and safe life? Older animals that end up in rescue centers are often there because they have been abandoned, or have become lost when their owners have moved house. They may have been given to an animal charity to re-home them by owners who simply cannot afford the time or money to care for them anymore.
Imagine it in terms of a human child: utterly dependent upon and unconditionally loving its parents before finding itself in a strange place with strange people and no idea where mum and dad are. A dog or cat that has lived its entire life with a family (or perhaps with an elderly person, who has died) cannot understand what has happened and lacks the language or comprehension skills to be able to find out what is happening.
They will be afraid, confused, and sad. Adopting an animal like that can give it the reassurance of having a proper home once again and help to rebuild its confidence in having a ‘forever’ home. There are many advantages to adopting an older pet regardless of the emotional needs that you would be meeting (and of your own emotional needs that will be met by owning a loving pet). For example, you cannot really tell how the personality and temperament of a puppy or kitten will develop as it gets older.
Will you get a lively and happy dog? Or an unsociable, lazy dog that doesn’t want to go out? Will your kitten grow up to love sitting on your knee, or will it just want to know when you are next going to feed it? Of course, many personality and temperamental factors like these are determined by how a kitten or puppy is raised. Socialise and treat your pet well and you will usually reap the dividends. But if you want to know for sure what kind of adult pet you’re going to end up with, it’s very easy to tell by getting to know an adult pet in the shelter.
The staff at a shelter run by the RSPCA, for example, will be able to direct you towards older pets that they know are good with children, or are quiet or rambunctious or whatever it is you are looking for in your pet. Older pets will also already know basic house rules like where to go to the toilet, and what it means when you pick up a lead and many dogs may already know some commands like ‘sit’. They have also already gone through their teething phase, making it less likely that you will lose a piece of furniture whilst you are out of the house.
Make inquiries about your local animal shelter and ask about older pets that they have available for rehoming. You will be sure to find one that suits you and your family perfectly and will end up with an incredibly grateful, happy friend for life.
