The Boksburg SPCA receives many different types of cats and dogs, both stray and also donated animals that are either no longer wanted by their owners or their owners can no longer afford to care for them.
SPCA manager Maggie Mudd highlights some of the advantages of adopting an older animal.
• By adopting an older animal you are not only giving that particular animal a new lease on life but will probably also save on money as the animal will not need all the puppy and kitten vaccines and will usually only need the one meal a day.
• An older animal may already have been sterilised and this speeds up the adoption process as once the pre-home inspection has been carried out and any ‘meet and greets’ carried out with any existing pets the animal is free to go.
• There are less ‘surprises’ in what the animal (this is more for dogs) will look like when fully grown.
Sometimes a dog adopted as a small pup grows much larger than expected and this can cause problems especially if the property is not suited for a large breed dog.
• It is easier to see what temperament an older animal has and in some cases, an older dog may have received some form of obedience training.
They are also usually pass the chewing, scratching and climbing the curtains phases that puppies and kittens tend to go through.
• Older animals can make far better companions for more senior people who may not be able to look after a puppy or kitten and may be looking for more of a companion to keep them company.
• An older animal does not need as much exercise as a younger animal does.
• Lastly, adopting an older animal will give you the satisfaction of saving a life.
It is a well-known fact in animal welfare that both puppies and kittens are adopted much easier and quicker than older animals, yet these more mature cats and dogs still have a lot of love and affection to give and really do deserve a second chance.
Downside to adopting an older animal
• Depending on the age of the animal he or she may start to develop age-related conditions such as arthritis in the joints. This can result in unexpected trips to the veterinarian for medical treatment.
• By adopting an older animal you would obviously miss out on the ‘cute’ phase of puppies and kittens.
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