October is Adopt a Shelter Pet Month! It often feels like there’s no greater love than the love you get from your pets. And shelter animals often seem to love us the most, maybe because they know what they were missing. At Old Dominion Vet Clinic, we encourage you to consider adopting your next pet from a shelter! Here are a few things to keep in mind when you do.
The Benefits of Adopting a Shelter Pet
One benefit when you adopt a shelter pet is that a vet has already checked them out. That means they generally come to you with a certain amount of medical history so you can know that they either have a clean bill of health or have the information you need to take care of any health problems they do have.
Shelter pets are also usually spayed or neutered, eliminating that surgery expense from your pet ownership budget. That also means you don’t have to worry about that recovery time after surgery.
Finally, shelter pets are usually microchipped, especially from Southwest Virginia shelters. That’s one more thing you don’t need to worry about. Note: you may need to update the microchip records to reflect that you are the pet owner.
Choosing a Shelter Pet
When you adopt a shelter pet, you are picking the newest member of your family, so you shouldn’t rush in. It’s important to consider who will best fit your household. We have already written in detail about adopting a shelter dog in our August blog, so we will skew toward cats in our examples in today’s blog.
Some of the most important things to consider are whether your new pet will need to get along with other animals. If you have anyone with allergies in your family, you should consider hypoallergenic breeds.
Finally, you can’t neglect the “click” factor. Personality matters. So when you meet a cat or dog you like, take some time to get to know them. Are they cuddly or aloof? Do they need a lot of affection, and if so, is that what you want? Cats can live up to 20 years, so consider where you’ll be in 10 or 15 years.
Notice we did not put a lot of focus on looks. While a breathtaking coat might do well on Instagram, if the personality doesn’t match yours, neither of you will have a happy life. Besides, when you adopt a shelter pet, that animal will quickly become the cutest in the world to you!
Integrating a Shelter Pet into Your Household
We could write several blogs on integrating a new pet into your home, and many people have! So, we recommend diving deep into the best way to do it. But for now, here are a few quick tips.
Start Slow
Don’t rush into it. When you bring a new cat home, most experts recommend starting it in one room and gradually introducing it to the rest of the house.
Introduce to Everyone
Let each family member meet the cat in a space where it’s comfortable. For other animals, start by letting them get to know each other’s smells by introducing bedding from each to the other.
Get it Everything it Needs
Before you take a pet home, set your home up. Think it through and do your shopping before you get your pet. That way, you can go home and love your new family member without distractions.
Do You Want to Adopt a Shelter Pet?
Southwest Virginia has several animal shelters that will help you find the right pet for you. You can look beyond Virginia for breed-specific rescue organizations if you need a particular breed. There’s one for everything!
Once you adopt a shelter pet, you should immediately establish a relationship with your local vet. Consider starting with an introductory visit, so they’ll have some pleasant associations with the vet who will provide their care.
Good luck with your new family member!