Animals For Adoption Are Waiting For You!
If you are thinking about taking an animal in your home and family, you should honestly consider to visit a shelter with animals for adoption. If you are taking an animal home with you from a shelter, you know for sure that the animal is checked by a vet, in good health but just waiting for a new boss… I’m the proud owner of two beautiful cats. They are both long hair, so the shedding is an ongoing battle that I fight all year long. My oldest cat is a purebred Maine Coon. She’s registered, beautiful and has a little princess attitude. She swishes her fluffy tail around begging people to notice her. My younger cat has thicker and longer hair than my purebred. I adopted her from our local shelter and to be honest, has a sweeter demeanor than my Maine Coon.
Many people won’t even consider the fact that there are lots of animals for adoption at local shelters. Those animals sit in their small cages, desperately trying to catch the attention of people who walk by their cells looking for their new family pet. Every day, family pets become strays and soon will end up being on of those animals for adoption that I am speaking of. I used to be a fan of having a purebred, content in knowing what their bloodline was and where they came from. A trip to a shelter with a friend quickly changed my mind. She was looking for a dog to fill a void in her life. I was along for moral support and to make sure she didn’t bring home every dog she encountered. I followed her past the cages with all of the animals for adoption, and my heart absolutely broke. They don’t want to be waiting for homes, they want to be loved by someone. Here I was, spending hundreds of dollars for a fancy cat when there was a cage of kittens that were screaming to be held. The volunteer at the shelter told us that the number of animals for adoption had almost doubled from the previous year which was causing some big problems. Not as many people were adopting and just as many weren’t taking proper care of their animals leaving them to be confiscated. The volunteer told us that usually soon after the Christmas holiday the number of animals for adoption does increase. Kids beg for pets as a present and then within a few weeks or months later, the kids lose interest. That precious pet then ends up at the shelter. Hearing that made my heart break, again.
As my friend was bonding with a dog she had fallen in love with, I had silently decided that one of those sad animals for adoption was going to be going home with me that day. It had to be a cat simply because my schedule doesn’t allow time for a dog. I looked in at the playful kittens and one of them walked right up the cage door, looked at me and meowed. It was love at first sight. Later that night, as she climbed up the curtains and I gently removed her, she meowed at me again. I smiled, knowing that I had made the right choice.
I don’t regret my purchase of a purebred cat. I simply didn’t know at that time how many animals for adoption existed. Perhaps in the upcoming years I may add another cat to my family. It will be another one from the shelter. And I hope that anyone who is also thinking about a new family member will take a moment to think about those sad animals for adoption that could very well fill that void. Who knows, it could be love at first sight.
Pet News!
[CaRP] Can't open cache file.
[CaRP] Failed to open file: /home/petspets/carp/autocache/4b55cfd3821cf932ecd52e30dd30b878
[CaRP] Can't open remote newsfeed.
Posted: September 2nd, 2006 under General.
Comments: none