Mad About Pets!

Puppies and kittens are only part of the great selection of pets available from the many animal shelters in the USA. Older, and in many cases, already trained pets make up a large portion of the population of these temporary homes for unwanted and unloved pets.

Animal shelters were set up as a safe haven for pets whose owners did not realise the amount of time, effort and money that is required in looking after an animal. It has been estimated that almost half the pets in the shelters are euthanized due to a lack of suitable new homes available. It is likely that many of these are older pets.

When visiting an animal shelter, chances are you will be immediately be drawn in by the cute looks from young animals just wanting you to make them your newest family member. But try not to neglect the great selection of older pets that are also available. These pets are often already vaccinated, spayed or neutered, de-wormed, and most importantly – toilet trained! So the chance of ‘little accidents’ is somewhat less than with young puppies or kittens!

It is an age old fact that kittens and puppies are bought as presents, which seems like the best idea in the world at the time. The realization of what you have let yourself in for only begins to sink in with the chewed up shoes, hairs in the carpet and the need to walk them or let them in the garden in the freezing cold and pouring down rain. Not such a brilliant idea now. Or the pet that was bought for a child that promised they would walk, feed and generally look after it which also loses its novelty when it is no longer so small and adorable.

What is often considered the easy option is to pack the pets off to a shelter where they can just be forgotten about. This is why there is such a huge amount of older animals being left in shelters. People seem to forget the famous saying, ‘a pet is for life, not just for Christmas’.

Now you wouldn’t want to be overlooked or ignored just for being an adult would you? Or be left on the shelf for a younger and seemingly more appealing model. So next time you consider a new addition to the family, why not take a look at the pets that don’t get the attention they most definitely deserve.

(This article was written by Ellie on behalf of GJW Titmuss pet supplies)

Photo credit: www.miccio.org