- OLDER DOGS HAVE MANNERS – Unlike puppies and kittens, many “grown-up” dogs and cats have shared homes with humans for years, thus learning to with human lives. Many have received obedience training and have learned to respond to commands like sit, stay, down, or to keep off kitchen counters. Most are house trained, and it only takes a few hours or a few days to help them learn the potty rules in their new home. As some know, puppies can be as much as an eight-month or more commitment.
- SENIOR PETS ARE LESS DESTRUCTIVE – Most older adoptive pets are well past the search-and-destroy phase. You don’t need to worry as much about finding a favorite pair of shoes or a table leg chewed or scratched beyond recognition. Chances are your senior kitty who has no urge to overturn your potted plant or shred the handmade quilt your grandma gave you.
- WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET – Senior pets hold no surprises as to how big they might get, or what color their adult coat will be, or if their hips will be healthy. Senior pets come to their new home with history, which should make their future more predictable than that of an 8-week old puppy or kitten.
- YOU CAN TEACH OLD DOGS NEW TRICKS – Adult dogs can focus on the task at hand, unlike many of their younger counterparts. If your adopted older pet needs to learn a few things in their new life with you, don’t worry. Enroll them in an obedience class, contact a trainer, or go the do-it-yourself route. Older dogs are more attentive than puppies and more eager to please their humans.
- YOU CAN CUSTOM ORDER YOUR SENIOR PET – Looking for a short-haired cat or a kitty with no history of dental disease, you can search until you find an older pet with exactly those attributes. If you already have a cat and need your adoptive dog to get along with cats, again, you’ll have a much better chance of finding an older adoptive dog who is a perfect companion for your family.
- YOU CAN ADOPT A PUREBRED PET IF YOU WANT – If you’re looking for a specific breed of dog or cat, chances are there’s a breed rescue club that can point you in the direction of older purebred pets in need of homes.
- SENIOR PETS ARE GREAT COMPANY FOR SENIOR PEEPS – Many elderly humans find the calm presence of an older pet very comforting. They appreciate having a furry companion who is also ‘getting up there’ in age, doesn’t mind hearing the same stories again and again, and is content to move through life at a slower speed.
- OLER PETS ARE RELAXING TO HANG WITH – Senior dogs and cats have the basics down and aren’t full of wild energy to burn. Because you’re not constantly chasing around or cleaning up after your older pet, you’ll have more time for the fun things or just relaxing together.
- ADOPTED SENIOR PETS ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR KIND WAYS – Somehow, older pets seem to know you gave them a home when no one else would. Many new pet parents form a close bond very quickly with their senior dog or cat, shown in the deep level of attention and devotion unique to older adopted animals.
- YOU CAN BE THEIR HERO – Almost without exception, pet parents who choose to adopt an older shelter pet feel a unique sense of pride and purpose in opening their homes and hearts to hard-to-place shelter pets. Doing good really does make you feel good!
Blog Post Credit: HealthyPets.mercola.com & Bethany Anderson, APS-FH Shelter Manager