The Second Time Around

Adopting An Older Animal is the Best Choice For Many People Looking For a Loving Pet

by David Litwak

With blue skies and a bit of warmth again in the air many household s are thinking about a new pet. Spring and early summer are when people want to get out with a new puppy and as kitten season approaches soon kittens will abound in both pet shops and local shelters. As cute and alluring as a fuzzy kitten or puppy are, why not also consider adopting an older pet.

Shelters and rescue organizations are filled with older dogs and cats, and bird rescue groups are always being called to handle older parrots, macaws, and other large birds. For many homes an older animal makes the perfect pet.

The simple but cruel fact is that older animals have a much less chance of being adopted than younger ones. Puppies and kittens generally spend less time in a shelter than young adult pets, while older pets can spend months caged in a shelter or often spend the rest of their lives without homes. The prospects for older animals that find themselves in a shelter are usually bleak.

Older animals are not always considered for adoption because of several issues; they are not as cute or lively as younger animals, people worry about the animals past experiences (baggage), or think that it is harder for an older animal to fit into the family. There is also concern about an older pet’s medical condition and possible veterinarian bills. “Older animals suffer from the stigma that they will soon die, so few people want to invest the emotional cost of getting attached to an older pet and then losing it,” says one shelter director who has worked with mature strays for many years.

Age only effects wine

Younger doesn’t always mean better when it comes to pets. It really does come down to the equation of pet and family (family including ay other pets). For some homes there are distinct advantages to bringing an older anima into the family. For instance, if the family includes very young children then a young dog or cat may not be appropriate. they can be too aggressive or active for infants and toddlers. You have to be a little more careful when bringing a senior cat into a home with a very young child, It is generally better to wait until the child is a little older before bringing in a mature cat.

In a single-person household where the human is away most of the day, it can be rough on a younger animals being left alone and cooped up in a house or apartment. An older animal, while it still loves companionship, is better able to tolerate being on its own for longer periods of time without chewing up the house because of stress and anxiety. An older dog will also concur with the idea that some exercise can easily be replaced by a good nap during the day.

If the household already has a pet than the addition of a second pet may be easier if the new pet is older, this is especially true if the original pet is also older. According to experts, a young pet being brought into the home can cause a great deal of stress for an older pet that is already living there. If a very young pet lives in the home, especially a particularly rambunctious one, bringing in an older, calmer pet can actually work to teach the younger pet some manners. Of course, pairing an older cat with a kitten can be more troublesome than putting together dogs with a large age difference. When you bring in any new animal the introduction has to be done gradually and carefully monitored.

There are several other advantages to adopting older pets. Older animals have usually had some degree of training, both in terms of obedience and house manners. While there may be some lapses in their manners due to the confusion and stress of being in a shelter and losing their family, the training usually comes back quickly once the pet feels secure in its new home. Likewise, an older pet has already been socialized and has learned where it fits into its family, it has gotten along well in the past with people and other animals.

It has been said that pets give their owners unconditional love well senior pets tend to give that love even easier than younger pets. When a senior pet has been adopted, especially if it has been in a shelter, it tends to be very affectionate, according to adoption experts. This may be attributing human emotions on animals but older pets are said to be almost more grateful to their new family for rescuing them.

Senior citizens are particularly good candidates for adopting mature pets. Older pets generally fit much better into the lifestyle of seniors. The pets require much less physical involvement and exercise than a young animal, they also integrate more easily into the senior citizen’s home. There is almost a symbiotic relationship between a senior human and a senior pet, they face many of the same problems and have the same needs for companionship.

With the aging of baby-boomers and the increase in empty-nester households, older Americans are the fasting growing segment of the pet owning population. This should be a good thing for mature pets looking for good homes. A mistake that many seniors make is adopting young pets, especially small dogs, kittens or large birds. These pets often survive their owners, or their owners no longer can care for them which has greatly added to the number of older pets needing new homes.

History lesson

One rap against adopting older animals is that they come with a lot of “baggage’” meaning bad past experiences. Generally, this is not the case. Any animal that is up for adoption can bring with it many learned reactions to unpleasant experiences from the past. An older animal in a shelter is usually not there because of some egregious behavior problem, but is more likely there because its owner could no longer take care of it, the family had to move or the owner died. Older pets brought home from shelters tend to be fairly well adjusted and behaved.

The bottom line on prior life experiences of a possible adoptee is to learn as much as you can about the animal’s history. Talk to the shelter workers who work with the animal, or if there is a foster family talk to them. If possible talk to the pet’s former owner. It is also important to study the animal’s medical history. First, the medical history, as well as a thorough veterinary exam, will tell you the pet’s physical condition and alert you to any problems and expenses. Second, looking for past instances of bite, scratches or stitches may give an indication that the animal is aggressive and has gotten into many fights.

Possible ailments and medical costs are a legitimate concern with older pets. As with people, animals develop more medical issues as they age. However, if the pet is in good condition when you adopt it then the medical costs should be limited. Remember that there are also considerable medical costs associated with adopting a kitten or a puppy too (shots, spaying/neutering, training, possible declawing). Making sure the pet is in good condition is not meant to discourage the adoption of pets with medical conditions or disabilities, but it is important that the new owners be aware of these issues so they can be prepared to deal with them if they choose to adopt the animal.

The reason that some people are reluctant to adopt older pets, which usually is not spoken of, is that they are afraid that their new pet will pass away too soon. Let’s not dismiss this reasoning out of hand, all pets have a certain life expectancy, just as we do, if we’re lucky our animals will far surpass that expectancy, but the length of any life is still an unknown. It is a personal decision as to whether loving a pet for a shortened period of time is worth the emotional cost of losing that pet.

Even though a pet is older you can still have many good years with it. I recently met a man who had adopted a 14-year old Labrador Retriever. At 14 the dog was beyond the northern side of its life expectancy. That was two years ago, the dog is now 16, still going strong and a wonderful addition to the family.

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