Are you on your way now to the animal shelter to adopt your first pet? You might want to hit the brake first and consider adopting an older pet. Weeks-old puppies and kittens are adorably cute, but senior pets may surprise you with their own unique charms!
Dogs and cats during their sunset years deserve a warm home rather than being left alone at the local shelter. Give them the love and warmth they deserve by taking them home with you! By giving them a furever home, you also help the animal shelter take care of more dogs and cats.
Here are eight reasons why you will never regret adopting a senior pet!
A pup or a kitten can serve as your furry companion for at least a decade, but an older pet may only do so for half as long. That’s why many would-be fur parents prefer adopting younger pets over cats and dogs that only have a few years left in them.
Now is the time to reconsider adopting senior pets! Discover how adopting older cats and dogs can be rewarding to have as household pets, and read this section below!
One of the first challenges that new fur parents face is regretting the decision to adopt a puppy. The energy and chaotic potential of this little fur ball can be too much for new fur parents. That’s why this emotional state has been termed “puppy blues.”
Meanwhile, senior pets already know how to properly behave inside a home. They have already been “housebroken,” so to speak. Skip the broken vases and sleepless nights with a tempered and more experienced canine!
Some pet owners tend to think that just because a dog or a cat didn’t grow up with them, they wouldn’t be as loyal. However, many fur parents who have adopted senior dogs and cats would attest that their pets are as loyal as their younger pets.
You can form deep bonds with senior fur companions. They would be forever grateful to you since you are the one who rescued them from isolation. They would be more than happy to repay that with a lifelong fur-riendship.
Teaching young puppies and kittens some new tricks can be quite a challenge. As they are still young, they are brimming with uncontrollable energy. Getting them accustomed to training, responding to cues, and receiving treats as rewards can be draining on your part.
You can skip this entire ordeal with senior pets who may have already gone through pet training when they were still young. As a result, they can be more receptive to commands, old or new.
When you first see them eye-to-eye at the animal shelter, you get a faint idea of who they really are. As they are older, they already have a few years in them, enough to shape their unique personality and temperament.
Once you take them home with you, you don’t get to start with a blank canvas. You’re taking home a furry companion that has its own likes and dislikes. The fun part of it all is getting to know who your new friend really is.
Older pets have a calmer temperament which first-time fur parents will appreciate. For instance, you would want your pet cat or dog to settle down and mind their own business as you work at home or do chores around the house.
But when the time for play comes, they will quickly jump from their bed and approach you with enthusiasm. Despite their old age, senior cats and dogs wouldn’t turn down a chance to enjoy the occasional playtime. This balanced disposition makes them easier to have as pets.
Fur parents consider potty training as an essential part of pet ownership. You wouldn’t want your fur baby to make a mess around the house, needless to say. However, potty training can take at least four months, which is a considerably long amount of time.
Older cats and dogs may already have been potty trained in their younger years. Thus, you don’t need to spend the first four months in potty training. Older cats will already know how to use a litter box, and older dogs have already learned where they should go potty.
Taking a young puppy or kitten home is a bit of a gamble. You don’t know what they will look like when they grow up, nor their personality. You would only know when they have become full-grown.
However, when you first meet a senior pet at the animal shelter, you would already know what they are like. There will no longer be any surprises as they have already reached full maturity.
Whether you adopt a young pup or a mature dog, pet ownership will always be a challenge. You have to potty train them, take them out on morning walks, and take them to the vet regularly. So why not practice with a Perfect Petzzz before you take care of a real one?
Perfect Petzzz companions look and feel like real pets, helping you get used to a furry companion by your side.
Have a look at our Originals collection and meet your first-ever Perfect Petzzz!
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