Haley and Slater, from left. Awwww! :) |
Are you considering getting your kids a
pet? If you don't have kids, are you thinking of getting a pet for
yourself? I don't have to tell you that there are a lot of things to
think about. What kind of animal do you want to get? Why do you want
a pet? Are pets allowed where you live? Will you be able to put in
the time and money to care for it? These are just a few of the
questions we ask ourselves when we think of taking a pet into our
homes. Once you do decide you want a pet, where will you get
it from? While I don't have anything against private breeders or pet
stores for cats and dogs (provided the animals are treated well), I
am a strong advocate for animal shelters. All five of my cats are from shelters; that's two of them above! You may have already
thought of this, but here are some more reasons you should consider
adopting a cat or dog from a shelter as opposed to a pet store.
First and foremost, animals in shelters
are there because they need homes. Either someone had to give up
their pet, or they found an animal that didn't have a home to begin
with. Regardless of how a pet got there, shelters can only take in so
many animals. While some will end up at 'no-kill' shelters that do
not euthanize animals, many others are not so lucky. The length of
time varies from agency to agency, but animals in 'regular' shelters-such as the city pound-only have a certain amount of time they will be kept for adoption before
the agency is forced to euthanize them. I say 'forced' because, as I
said before, there is only so many animals the agency can support.
The reason I call my shelter kitties 'rescues' is because that is
exactly what they are-they were 'rescued' and given a home. When you
adopt an animal from a shelter, you are essentially giving that
animal a second chance.
Another reason to adopt a pet from a
shelter is that many shelters 'foster' their animals-the animals are
taken care of and socialized with humans and other animals while
awaiting a permanent placement. This is very useful when adopting a
dog because he will likely already be 'housebroken' before you adopt
him. If you've ever had to house-break a dog, you know how much time
and effort it takes! As for cats, getting them used to being around
people and other animals in a home setting can make a big difference
in how they adapt to a new space. Even if they haven't lived in a
'home' setting, shelter animals have usually been around people
before and can adapt much easier than one who hasn't. Pet stores, on
the other hand, don't always socialize their animals or even let them
outside a confined space.
If I listed every reason to get a cat
or dog from a shelter rather than a pet store, I'd be here all night.
If you think you might want a dog or a cat, you can do an internet
search for animal shelters in your area. They usually have photo
listings, and many even come to pet stores on the weekends for
'adoption fairs'. Who knows, you might fall in love with one and
have to bring it home with you right away! Don't get carried
away, though, or your furniture and carpets might get *really* scratched up...in other words, they might look like mine. :)
Those cats are adorable! But I agree, 'rescues' are the best. I got my Daniel Tiger from a shelter and he has been with me through a lot of stuff. He's such a good cat.
ReplyDeleteVery convincing post. You persuaded me.
ReplyDelete