As a “furmom” to three cats and a dog, I am a big believer in adopting rescue pets whenever possible. We have taken in a kitten dropped off on the side of a busy road and a black cat and a Corgi mix from a local shelter. Here’s some tips to help you find the “purrfect” animal. (Sorry, couldn’t resist that pun!)
- Consider your lifestyle. Are you away from home a lot? Do you spend time outdoors or do you prefer to stay inside? Do you have young children? Research the breed(s) you are interested in adopting to see if they are a match for your lifestyle. Some breeds are laid back and some are full of energy.
- Consider the cost. Many people fail to realize the expenses associated with pets. There are yearly shots, a spay or neuter fee (most areas have free or low cost services you can take advantage of), vet bills, and food. Our cat has allergies so she is on weekly medication and has to have a special food like Petcurean Now, a premium grain free cat food.
- Spend time with the animal before you adopt. Ask if you can take the pet to a quiet room in the shelter. See if the animal is fearful or friendly and check out its activity level. Take everyone in the family, if possible, to interact with the pet before adoption. Try to spend more than a few minutes with the animal, possibly even up to an hour, playing with the animal and petting it. Determine how it responds to the kids.
- Prepare for an adjustment period when you bring the animal home. Most animals, especially cats, have been kept in a cage with several other animals and are used to a small enclosed space. Naturally, the animal will be stressed. Prepare a small area of the house for the animal to explore and allow time for the animal to adjust before you begin lots of interaction. One of our cats was playfully batting our hands and meowing for attention at the shelter, but when we arrived home she went to hide for a few hours.
- Be prepared for minor medical problems. Some shelters (like the one we adopted our cat and dog from) don’t have the funds for medical needs for the animals. My daughter adopted two cats from our local shelter and found they had ear mites, while our adopted cat had parasites. Both were quick fixes and relatively inexpensive.
I am thankful everyday for our animals, who seem to know we rescued them and love to cuddle up with us or play. Did I mention they are spoiled rotten? Adopting from a shelter is a great thing to do, but be prepared before you go so there will not be surprises later.
We adopted out Maine Coon Cat through a Rescue Agency. He turned out to be a great pet! He is so shy and will not warm up to anyone but us. Because of that, I think it would have been hard to really judge his personality the first day we met him — even had we spent hours with him! This rescue group is great with animals and vet care, so we have never experienced any medical issues in the three years we’ve had him. They are good tips, though!
Those are some great tips. You also might want to visit any and all of the kill shelters first. You just might be able to save a extremely hyperr cats life by adopting from one of the shelters that only give the animal a limited time to get adopted before they are PUT TO SLEEP to make room for more drop offs, surrenders and strays.
We only adopt from these types of shelters. We gave a Beagle/Sheltie mix we adopted just days prior to being put to sleep. She was extremely hyper when we first got her but has since turned into the sweetest companion anyone could ask for.
Shelter dogs are not broken. The aee abandoned.
Yes, I agree! My daughter has three adopted cats that live with her from kill shelters. Rio and one of our cats came from a kill shelter. One of the cats we found dropped off on the side of the road when he was a baby. My big soapbox issue is people who abandon their pets or people who claim shelter pets are “used.” Don’t even get me started on that topic!
What a lot of great advice. We take in birds that are in need of rescue or just need a good home. I never knew birds have so much love to give. They are the neatest creatures. I have a parrot that gives me hugs and kisses and he has brought so much love in my life. But unfortunately, they are the same as other pets, they can get quite expensive to raise too. There are just so many things you should think about before getting a pet.
It is so difficult to adopt a pet from a shelter because you have a hard time picking just one. They all look so excited to have the attention and you feel bad walking away.
Every dog that I have owned has been a shelter dog. I feel good giving them a home and saving them from an unknown fate.
You’re right to place lifestyle at the top of the list. I think it’s definitely important because it can be very inconvenient, both for you and your pet.
These are some important things to consider. We adopted a shelter pet and his previously life affects many of his behaviors.
We have rescued pets and it is really important for folks to think about their lifestyle (the busyness of it) before they adopt or rescue a pet. Thanks for this post.
Great tips… I have never bought an animal for the shelter but I know a lot who have.
Great tips! We’re looking at getting a dog from a shelter!
Great tips, thanks for sharing. We’ve adopted a total of 3 dogs and we really had a rough time due to their issues. We were very naive.
Our pups are rescue dogs. These are some great tips on what to look at when considering who to bring home. I knew we were big dog people and I know we make the right choice. Get 2 dogs, a little crazy… but we got them at the same time because my husband thought our Lilly would be lonely. I am so glad we made the choice to bring Danny home too.
Great tips! My children are wearing me down on their quest to add one more member to our family and this helps give some guidelines on an adopting.
great tips and i love rescuing pets. both our cats are rescues pets and are now spoiled
Our dogs we rescued ourselves our girl was left for dead in a field in very bad condition at only 4 months,our other dog we rescued ourself too but all our other animals came from shelters i would honestly never buy from a breeder or a petshop,all your points are very good ones i hate seeing people get animals then can not provide or take care of them.
you make some extremely valid points – make sure you know what you’re getting in to and can afford the animal before adopting.
Great tips!!! I have a friend in the shop for a pet from a shelter right now. I will be sure to pass this along.
Great advise. We have gotten a cat from a rescue in the past! Our dog is from a rescue who had been beaten and then surrendered by the owners to a kill shelter. He still has a lot of issues from what happened to him but so glad is safe now and has a good home!
All are great tips! When taking on any new pet, costs are a huge consideration and usually when those are not factored in, the pet suffers.
My dog was from a shelter – she was 5 when I got her (or my ex did he then didn’t look after her so very soon he was out the door and she was in). She’s cost a lot over the years (she’s now coming on 13) some of those ailments are most probably down to the time she was a stray and she has some right hangups – hates men, hates dogs, hates carrier bags unless there could be food in the them then they are a dogs best friend but I wouldn’t change her for the world. x
These are so important for individuals to think about before adopting. Thank you so much for putting these together in a post.
We decided to adopt a cat a few months ago and when we went to the shelter to fill out the paper work (the cat we chose was in a pet supply store), we fell in love with a second cat. We brought both home the same day. We have two dogs and this was the first time ever that we did not have an adjustment period. Both cats came in like they were here forever – they were meant to be ours. Thank you for supporting shelter pets!
This is some really important info. I think there are a lot of people who don’t fully consider the responsibility that goes with adopting a pet. I have 2 rescue dogs, one with a lot of health problems and the other with socialization issues from spending a year in an enclosed cage. They require a lot of expense and care.
These are great tips! We adopted several cats and a dog from shelters. I think that’s the first place people should look, but everyone should also consider their lifestyle and the time they have before getting any pet.
I think it is great that you rescue animals. We love all of our fur babies and do our best to give them the very best
Great advice! We have a dog and just luv her. She was dumped (happens a lot) as a pup with 4 other babies by our house. Found homes for 3, one did not make it and Baby Girl just became ours.
Thanks for the tips! Adopting a new pet is a big investment of time, energy, and finances. It’s good to think things through thoroughly.
I’ve had a lot of rescued pets and even at first thought a puppy or a kitten might seem sweeter, all animals grow and it’s the adult animal who you’re going to spend your life with. So, it’s good to know his/her personality before you bring them home.
These are awesome tips. We don’t have a pet yet but have been considering it since the kids are getting a little older. Great check list for me to consider. Thanks!
I have got animals from the shelters years ago. I think its great to get an animal that is in need. Thanks for sharing this info for those looking to adopt.
It’s super different where I live.
Unless you purchase an animal from a licensed breeder ALL the animals you buy at a pet store come from the animal shelter.
We are big supporters of the animal shelter.
The last few years we have switched from “fur”pets to those who’s home is “under the sea”.
Sure miss the cute kitten stage!
These are great tips. When we adopted our cat, we didn’t have the chance to experience his personality on his own. I wish we could have taken a weekend to “try him out” before we adopted him. Although he did end up working out for us. I still wish I could have tried him out so I could have adjusted easier than I did.
Those are great things to remember, my brother just asked me yesterday if I wanted a kitten! I’m not ready for pets, yet, not with all my little ones to tend to.
we feed our senior dog Petcurean food. he loves it. he’s a rescue from 12 1/2 years ago!
We’ve had our dog for about 5 months now and can’t imagine life without her! While we did our research beforehand, we were in search of an entirely different breed when Waffles came over and “chose” us as her new parents. Spent time with her in the quiet room and it was love at first sight! So do your homework, but be flexible too in case Cupid hits! 🙂
That is so true! We went in looking for a different breed when we found Rio. He is the best little dog and was already trained too. He still likes to do tricks. 🙂
Thanks for the tips. Too many times someone adopts a pet without really thinking about what pet would be best for them – and then they take them to the pound. 🙁
All your recommendations are so important. Our pets are very spoiled too! We love them and they are part of our family!
Purrfect advice! We actually adopted a feral cat last year, but he never warmed up to us and ran away one day when the door was open just a little too long. My kids were so sad 🙁
we’ve always adopted shelter or rescue pets. for us the most important thing was a connection with the animals. the rest can sort out later IMO
Taking care of pets is a lot of work, I have a dog and he is like having a 4th kid. It is great that you share your knowledge here because there are a lot of things to consider when getting a pet.
Great tips! We’ve adopted cats and dogs multiple times and I’m rather fond of giving older cats a great home to retire. Though I thought I was prepared for the transition phase, we did have some difficulty introducing a new female with babies to our crew. Separating the animals for some time and then introducing them slowly, as you suggested, did the trick!
so cute, I remember when I was a kid my cat used to love boxes and paper bags. She would run in and out of the bag and hide, this brought back memories!
Our pug came from a rescue organization. While I wouldn’t trade her for the world, I wish we would have researched the organization more. She was not properly cared for at the organization, was kept in a garage with a ton of other dogs waiting for adoption, covered in fleas, and had parasites that she passed on to our other dog. It took a bit of work, but we got her all cleaned up, and 5 years later, she is one happy, loved little pug 🙂
These are great tips! I have always adopted pets from shelters as well and they have been great companions.
Great tips! We adopted a mom/daughter pair for a shelter 11 months ago and they have been wonderful additions to our family. They love our kids, our kids love them, and they are most definitely spoiled. I can’t believe it’s almost been a year! I think we’ll need a little celebration!
So true. I agree with these tips – wanting one and taking responsibility of owning a pet are different things. They have a life that you should treasure and take care of too.
When we get into out house sometime this year, my kids can’t wait to choose a pet from our local shelter!
What cuties! Two of our three cats came from the shelter. I am a huge advocate for adopting shelter pets!
I hear of so many people returning their shelter pets. *sigh* I understand it in some cases, but it seems like a lot of people are wanting a perfect pet, and if they don’t get it they resort to returning it. I don’t think anything alive is ever perfect. 😉 I enjoyed your post!
What a great post! My SIL is thinking on adopting a cat from the shelter. Will share this post with her! Thanks for great tips!
I’d live to adopt another dog but it’s just not the right time in our family
My cat came from a shelter. When I first visited her, she was so depressed that she wouldn’t use her back legs. I had never seen anything like it! As soon as we got home, she would not leave my side for days. She’s such a loving cat.
We have two dogs, one was adopted. It is a must to do a thorough research of the shelter where you are getting your pet.
We’ve only adopted a kitten from the shelter before and she was pretty nice. Those are great tips to consider though. Since they come with shots already done and they’re already spayed/neutered that’s also one less cost to consider.
We adopted our dog through a shelter and I did a lot of research before we finally picked a shelter & dog that we liked. Spending time with him before we brought him home was super important.