November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month, an idea we heartily support.
Yes, kittens and puppies are always going to be the most popular options for those seeking a new pet and the advantages are many – the cuteness factor, longer lifespan, and playfulness, to name a few.
But older pets carry a whole different set of advantages and may be an ideal fit for you. Consider the following:
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You’ll be a hero. It’s far easier for shelters to adopt out puppies and kittens, but older animals sometimes languish there for long periods of time – if they’re not euthanized first. It’s a great feeling to help an animal in need.
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Maybe it’s anecdotal evidence, but older pets rescued from a shelter seem to be grateful for the second chance.
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Not that cost should be a deciding factor, but shelters usually charge less to adopt an older dog or cat.
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Older pets tend to be calmer and are already trained. If you’re an older person yourself, you might not have the energy and patience to train a rambunctious animal.
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Older pets also have established personalities. With puppies and kittens, there’s no telling what they turn into. With a mature dog or cat, what you see is what you’re going to get.
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Just because an older animal was in a shelter doesn’t mean it was a problem child. Perhaps its owner died or became incapacitated. Maybe the owner had to move and couldn’t take the pet along. Some people relinquish pets when allergies develop.
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Older pets aren’t necessarily unhealthy. Plenty of pets live healthy lives well into their teens – and even as much as 20 for some cats. Cats and dogs are considered “senior” as early as age seven or eight but have plenty of healthy years to go.
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Believe it or not, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Some say it’s actually easier to do so because an older dog is likely to have a better attention span.
So, if you’re thinking about adopting a new pet, don’t automatically assume an older animal isn’t a good fit. You just might make your furever love connection.
AG
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Adopting a Senior pet isn’t a bad idea. As humans need love, so do animals. So age shouldn’t matter, just give shelter to needy ones and have a happy time with them!
They give you the best company and help you forget your stress.
Senior pets are incredible & deserve to have a home. They were all puppies once too, and they still have that puppy feeling inside them. We recently said goodbye to our senior pup 2 years ago, it’s very hard to get through, but their love is so worth it. It’s the price we pay for having their unconditional love.
I love this! It makes me want to go to a shelter and adopt an older dog right now. And everything you said was really true as well. Having established personalities, a longer attention span, and the fact that they are often already trained are all great, true points. Thank you for the great article, well written!