About a year ago, my boyfriend and I decided to get a kitten. Why? Because why not. We went to the shelter and in the cage was an eight-week-old orange little fluff ball that was picked up by animal control. She was released for adoption about an hour before we got there. In order for this animal shelter to release the kitten, she had to make a certain weight, age, had to be fixed, micro chipped, and get all of her shots and tests. That was really cool about the whole adoption process because many things were included. However, this wasn’t the first time I’ve adopted a pet. My family has always adopted or taken in strays, so I’m a firm believer that adopting is so much more rewarding than going to a pet store and here’s why:
1. The price is significantly lower than buying from pet stores. Yes, that puppy in the glass window is cute, but not only is that puppy $500, you will have to get it fixed, vaccinated, and micro chipped on top of that. Adopting is 1/5 or less of the price plus all of that and more are included!
2. The truth sucks, but a lot of animal shelters get over populated and the animals that have been there for a while get put down to make room for new animals. With adoption, you are saving a life. What is more rewarding than that?
3. Adopting an older animal can save a lot of time. Many animals in the shelter have already had a home, so most are trained. Training puppies to go outside and kittens to not climb the curtains can be very time consuming.
4. Your money is going to a great cause rather than a puppy mill. If you don’t know what a puppy mill is and love animals I suggest you don’t look it up. Basically they breed dogs in an awful and unhealthy environment. Buying a shelter animal helps with housing the other pets and keeps them healthy.
5. Not only will your new pet make you a happier person, but imagine how happy you would make your new friend. Would you want to sit in a cage or be in a room full of other animals? Probably not. Your animal will thank you.
6. A shelter will not give you an unhealthy pet. All shelters keep their animals up to date on their shots and vaccines. If an animal comes in sick, they will nurse it back to health before handing it off to you.
7. If you’re not sure about how big your pet will get when it’s older or how it’s personality will develop, adopting an older pet can help with that! You will know their temperament and full-grown size so there’s no surprises in the future!
8. You’re doing a good deed. 100% of animals did not ask to be there. Mainly because they can’t talk, but they were either found or given to the shelter.
The next time you’re ready to add a fur baby to the family, I hope you remember this article and adopt! If you’re not ready to adopt just yet, stop in and give the animals some affection. It’ll brighten both you and the animal’s day.