Adopting a Shelter Pet
Adopting a Shelter Animal
Back in August, I brought home a wonderful little cat who I named “Tali.” She is an orange and white long haired cat with some health issues, including tear ducts which are too small and cause her to sneeze on everything! (You know you love a cat when you don’t mind if they sneeze on you.)
When I was thinking about getting a cat, there was no doubt in my mind that I would adopt one from a shelter or a foster situation. I also decided almost immediately that I would adopt an older cat and not a kitten. There were several reasons for this decision and I hope that if you are considering welcoming a furry friend into your home that you will follow my logic and adopt a pet instead of buying one from a breeder.
Shelter animals often come from bad situations; situations where they are abused or perhaps neglected or even where they were simply let out on the street to fend for themselves. They need love perhaps more than any other creature on the planet.
Take care in selecting your pet. I suggest several visits to the shelter or foster home to make sure that the animal is a good fit for you. Also, most shelters or foster programs require that all members of the household be present when meeting the animal. I highly recommend this, including having each person spend time alone with the prospective new addition to your family, so that the animal can get comfortable with everyone.
Another factor, of course, is the cost. Breeder fees are usually much, much higher than adoption fees, so if you are looking to get a new furry friend, adoption will cut down on costs. Keep in mind, that the cost of getting a pet is usually higher than just the adoption or breeder fees simply because of things like food and toys (and litter and box for a cat, leash for a dog, etc) as well as spaying or neutering. In this respect, it might also be better to consider giving home to an older animal. Kitten and puppy adoption costs are often double the cost to adopt a cat or dog who is only a few years old. To keep in mind also, the older and longer a cat or dog stays in a shelter, the less likely it is they will be adopted, but they often have great personalities and require less work than puppies and kittens!
By adopting, instead of purchasing, a furry friend, you are helping to curb the overpopulation problem of cats and dogs, which is a problem in many areas. These stray animals often wreak havoc on the ecosystem around them, so adoption is good for the environment as well. Please also remember to get your new pet spayed or neutered, though yet another benefit of adoption is the fact that many shelter pets are already spayed and/or neutered.
I adopted Tali from the Baypath Humane Society in Hopkinton, MA. They were absolutely wonderful people to work with and very friendly with a good facility. If you are in Massachusetts and considering adoption, please consider working with Baypath. Broken Tail Rescue is a good foster program, if that is more your preference.
Make sure to do your research and read reviews. Petfinder.com is a great resource. Baypath was up-front with me about Tali’s potential medical problems and would absolutely not let me take her home until they were sure she was healthy. They were honest about what kind of problems she might face, but I am lucky to see that she is a very healthy little ball of fluff!