Posted by QuickReadAbout.com Staff in Pet adoption should never be done spontaneously. There are numerous reasons why pets are being surrendered in shelters and rescue organization, most common reason is deciding spontaneously about getting a pet and then failing to do the responsibility that taking care of pets requires.
Therefore, before adopting an animal from rescuers or shelters it is important that the animal that you are choosing will be a life-long companion. Otherwise, this defeats the mission and goal of animal shelters and animal rescue organizations.
Shelters and rescue groups have wide selection of puppies and full-grown cats and dogs. It is important to identify which animal will be most suitable for the adopter’s personality and temperament. Adoptable cats and dogs (whether purebred or mixed bred) displays different characteristics. It is best not to rely only on the physical characteristics of these animals but focus more on their attitude and behaviour.
Choosing Your Feline Companion
Cats make wonderful pets. Although they value their independence, they crave for love and companionship. What is good about cats is that they can easily adjust to different lifestyles and types of residences.
When choosing cats in an animal shelter, it is best to ask permission or assistance from the adoption counsellor to spend some time with the animals. This is to better understand the behaviour and temperament of the animals. Although, keep in mind that since it is an unfamiliar environment for the animals, there are cats that tend to be timid, passive or frightened even if they are naturally sociable.
Having young children at home is another thing to consider. Young children usually cannot handle the responsibility of kittens. A cat, at least four months old will be a good choice.
If the adopter have other animals at home, it is best to help the new member of the family to adjust to its surroundings. Adopters can try isolating their new cats in a room and then slowly exposing them to the other animals. With this, they can slowly associate with each other until they accept the new cat’s presence in the house.
Choosing the Best Dog
Adopters sometimes get overwhelmed with the wide selection of purebreds and mixed bred animals in shelters. The best way to narrow down the choices is identifying the adopter’s characteristics or personality. Another thing is learning about the different personalities and temperaments of purebreds and mixes.
With this process, you can do a process of elimination by removing those breeds and mixes that do not match or complement the adopter’s lifestyle.
When visiting animals in shelters; always keep in mind that this is a stressful and unfamiliar environment for the dogs. The dog’s true character will be best displayed if they are in a secure and safe place.
Again, ask for the adoption counsellor’s attention to known several information about the dogs you are interested. Ask the age, the behaviour, and if the animal is good with children. It is important to narrow down the choices before going to shelter, this also applies for cat adoption.
Remember that the pets that you are adopting will be your companion for the next 10 until 15 years – or even longer. That’s why it is important for adopter’s to carefully choose their ideal pet. Pet adoption makes the most wonderful unions between pets and owners, as long as the decisions were made in no rush and with guidance.