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Share the Love by Adopting a Pet
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The next time, there was a newly admitted litter of six. We went in the room where the sextuplets were playing and soon found two who would be perfect. After a few minutes of playing, we knew the ones we wanted, told the fine folks we’d being going home with them, and my wife was very happy. My wife didn’t grow up with pets, so one of the unspoken promises after we decided to get married was that after we became homeowners we’d become pet owners. There were always cats around my house growing up (and the occasional dog), so it was no big deal to me. When the time had come for the big trip to the Humane Association, my wife couldn’t be happier. We first went to the store to buy a few pet supplies (we knew we were going for two cats), like a litter box, cat food, and a cute little food bowl with fish painted on it. After arriving at the animal shelter, we became quite overwhelmed with all of our options. As one may expect, there are a lot of animals out there that need loving homes. We went to the cat section of the facility and began taking the felines out of their cages and playing with them to see if they’d be a good fit. My wife had done some research online and really wanted to get two sister cats. Since we work days and the house is empty, we wanted to make sure the two furry critters liked each other and could keep each other busy while the adults were away. Sadly, that day there were no sister cats to be had. So we made a plan to return in a week. The next time, there was a newly admitted litter of six. We went in the room where the sextuplets were playing and soon found two who would be perfect. After a few minutes of playing, we knew the ones we wanted, told the fine folks we’d being going home with them, and my wife was very happy. You have to fill out some brief paperwork, just so the Humane Association knows you’re not mean or will ignore the animal or want to bring it back in a week. It’s really not that big of a deal. Then, we paid for our cats (adoption fees vary; cats are cheaper than dogs; we also suggest making an additional donation), put them in the car, and went home. Obviously, caring for these animals require more than the 49 minutes and two trips it took to get them, but we don’t mind. Pets require attention, love, feeding, and vet visits, but ask any pet owner: the rewards are myriad. The adoption process is easy and fun, and you get a lifetime of rewards.
Commentsgavin commented, on August 20, 2006 at 1:13 p.m.: congrats on the cats.. even though i am the dog person. i have two dogs through rescue and couldn't be happier. it's the way to go Stephen commented, on August 22, 2006 at 8:28 a.m.: 
this morning a little 5 pound dog came bounding up to my daughter as we were getting in the car to go to school. the dog had no tag (other than an out-of-state rabies tag) and so the search began. it lasted only 20 minutes, and we found the pup's (dobby) owner, and thankfully, they were grateful to have him home. please leash your pets and make sure they've got accurate contact info dangling from their neck. we wouldn't have minded keeping this cute thing, but our 25 pound boston terrier very well may have disowned us. Jan commented, on May 29, 2008 at 9:11 a.m.: After my beloved 17-yr-old cat died last August, I was going to wait a few months before getting two. Aaand then I went to the SPCA in mid-September just to "look." I have had 2 rambunctious boys since then, and they are great fun; it's hard to be sad with all that furry adorableness around! Kim Taylor commented, on September 16, 2008 at 4:57 p.m.: When Joshua, our elderly Cairn terrier became ill in July, I began the search on Petfinders, to give him a companion. Sadly Joshua died in August, only 2 weeks before we adopted McTavish (another rescued Cairn) from Louisiana. We believe that Joshua sent this new little guy our way...Bless our pets! Post a commentYou must be a registered user to post comments. |
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Joanna commented, on August 18, 2006 at 4:05 p.m.:
Congratulations on your new addition!
I also recently adopted a pet - a cat - from the Humane Society. We went in and found a slew of adorable, friendly kittens who were mewing and looking cute - ready to be adopted. We considered getting almost every one, but realized that most of them would quickly get scooped up by some little girl and her family looking for a new pet. We opted to find a cat who had been there the longest (generally up to two months - many shelters pass along a pet once it has been there for several months), who might be older or not quite as outgoing and might not get adopted anytime soon.
We picked Red, a six-year-old orange tabby boy, who was curled up in his corner. He'd been there for two months, and the caretakers repeatedly mentioned how sweet he was. They also mentioned that he had been brought to the shelter from a home with several small children and another cat, where he often hid in the closet. While there were plenty of perfect kittens competing for our attention, we decided that it was more important for us to give Red a quiet home where he could be king of the castle. We went through the short process of adopting, and within an hour he was ours!
We've had Red now for three months, and he's very relaxed and happy at our house. He never hides in the closet, or under the bed, unless the vacuum cleaner is running. And even then, he quickly comes out afterwards to see if anything has changed.
I encourage anyone who can offer a good home to an older, less adorable (but still incredibly fun and attractive!) cat to opt for saving these good old boys and girls.