9 Feel-Good Reasons Why You Should Adopt a Senior Pet
By: Christine Schoenwald
Tags: Pet Adoption, Mental Health, Cats, Life, Education

Animal Advocacy

9 Feel-Good Reasons Why You Should Adopt a Senior Pet

Share your love with an animal who really needs it.

Photo by Tatiana Rodriguez on Unsplash

Kittens and puppies are dazzling — they’re adorable, fun, and everybody should experience having one and watching them grow. The problem is because these littles are so cute and attention-grabbing, sometimes we ignore the fact older pets are in desperate need of homes too.

More people adopt kittens and puppies than their senior counterparts, and the reasons that senior animals are in a shelter are almost always sad. They were surrendered because their family was incapable of caring for them, their humans got sick or died, or their family didn’t want them.

I personally can’t stand to see those pictures of older dogs or cats in the shelter feeling sad and confused. You can see on their faces and in their eyes the rejection they feel.

People have their reasons for returning their pets to the shelter, and some of those reasons are legitimate, but it still feels like a betrayal to the animal.

Adopting a senior pet will get you all the good vibes.

We all want to be loved and cared for, but no one is as deserving as a senior pet. They didn’t ask to be in this position — they thought their person would always be there to love and take care of them.

Adopting a senior pet is a good deed, a mitzvah, and an act of kindness that will have positive repercussions in your life. It’s grateful for the things that you have and, in turn, helping an animal in need.

You get to feel like a hero.

Even if you go to a no-kill shelter, you may be a senior pet’s last chance at happiness. Adoption is an easy way to save or improve a life. You’ll feel good about yourself for giving a home to an older animal, and they’ll see you as a savior.

They come already trained.

Training a puppy or a kitten can be costly. Private training can cost anywhere from $45 to $125.00 per class, Obedience training is approximately $35 to $75 per day, and Boot Camp ranges from $120 and up depending on the program. You can save a ton of money just by expanding the acceptable age-range of a new dog or cat.

Senior pets won’t take up too much of your time. They’ve already been trained, they’ll bond with you pretty quickly, and if you give them a treat or two, they’re deliriously happy.

They have an understanding of how the world works.

I’ve had senior, middle-aged, and young animals, and while kittens and puppies are cute and cuddly, they’re also very curious and haven’t developed a sense of danger.

Puppies and kittens will blindly try anything, no matter how deadly it may be. You must be on the alert at all times so that your pet doesn’t put itself into a dangerous situation.

A senior dog or cat knows the score and doesn’t need to figure everything out — they already know, and they’d rather take a nap than chew on an electric cord.

You can teach them new tricks.

The old saying you can’t teach an old dog new tricks isn’t true. You absolutely can, for you’re not starting from scratch but instead are building on a foundation of knowledge.

Many dogs and cats love to learn new things, and they get excited to show off what they’ve learned.

They’ve got a chill attitude.

Senior pets have seen a lot in their lives, and they’ve learned to take things in their stride. Their moments of zoomies and frenzied behavior are behind them.

Older animals are less likely to get over-excited, stressed-out, or agitated than their younger counterparts.

Senior pets are content to take naps in the sun, hang out with their humans, and get some head scratches.

You may not have to pay an adoption fee.

Many shelters waive the adoption fee for senior pets, so you save money while doing a good deed. You may want to give the shelter or the rescue organization a donation anyway.

If you’re of a certain age and want to adopt a senior pet, you probably won’t have to pay an adoption fee either.

The flip side of age and adoption is if you’re older, some shelters or rescue organizations won’t let you adopt a kitten or puppy because they want their adopters to be around for the life of the animal.

They’re grateful.

No matter if the senior pet has been in the shelter for a month or an hour, they’re thrilled when someone gives them their forever home. They see you as a rescuer and as their savior, and they’re incredibly thankful for you.

The adopted senior pet will give you unconditional love.

Most pets will love you no matter what, but senior pets sense that their options are limited. They see the cute puppies and adorable kittens being snapped up by loving families, and it’s almost more than they can hope that a kind person will choose them.