November 1, 2018

5 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Pet

  1. Know what you are getting. Ever looked at a puppy and wondered how big they will get? What colour the adult coat will be?   What will their personality be like?   How active will they be? With a senior dog, what you see is what you get.  Shelters often get “teenage” puppies surrendered to them, because they simply ended up bigger and more boisterous than their family had anticipated. Adopting a senior takes away this guesswork, and helps ensure a good adoption match!
  2. Senior cats and dogs are typically less destructive. By the time a cat or a dog reaches their senior years, they have usually outgrown the urge to chew up your new pair of shoes, or climb your curtains for fun.
  3. Older pets can make great companions for senior citizens. Elderly people often find the calm presence of a senior pet comforting, and many seniors enjoy the company of a pet that is in the same life phase as they are.
  4. Already trained, but still trainable. Yes, you can teach an old dog (and cats) new tricks! And often, they will learn these more readily than a younger pet due to their longer attention span and ability to focus.
  5. Kindness. A senior pet in a shelter knows what it’s like to live in a home, and will be extremely comforted to find a new one. Senior pets are the most difficult to find homes for, and seniors, like any animal, deserve a chance to live out their later years in a loving home environment.  Many owners form a very close bond quickly with their newly adopted senior pet because of the high level of attention and devotion their new pet shows them.

What should you expect from a veterinary perspective?

Veterinarians usually recommend a wellness exam twice annually for senior cats and dogs, as well as routine blood and urine screening tests.  This may seem to some like senior cats and dogs require more costly veterinary care, but the truth of the matter is that all pets will incur veterinary costs throughout their lifespan.  You never know what that young puppy or kitten will require for veterinary care throughout its life, whereas with a senior pet, you might have a better idea of what they will require.

November is adopt a senior month. Please consider adopting a sweet, loving senior cat or dog into your home.

Dr. Shelley Hutchings

Chief Veterinarian