An oldie but a goody

While waiting for my 8-year-old dog, Gus, a few weeks ago at the vet's office, I picked up a copy of "Cat Fancy Magazine" with the headline, "OLDEST CAT CONTEST!!"

My daughter's cat, Scamp, was a tiny kitten when we adopted her from a shelter 18 years ago, so I was curious to see where she fit in. Imagine my shock when the cat winner was 36 and there were two cats who were 29! I would be thrilled if Scamp (or any of my other four cats) lived that long, in good health.

I thought about how many older cats and dogs end up at shelters everywhere, just when they need love and care so badly, perhaps more than ever. Shelter life is extremely stressful to the seniors who come there for so many reasons: owner died and no one to care for it, medical bills incurred as arthritis and other ills appear, etc., etc.

Yet, senior animals have so much to offer the right home. These animal's personalities are fully formed, so you know just what they will be like in your home. Kittens and puppies require litter and house training and, with their sharp claws and rambunctious ways, young animals and children often are not a good match. Puppies explore their new world by chewing any object within reach, and kittens love to climb curtains, and sharpen their claws on the furniture.

Most older cats enjoy your warm, quiet lap and a gentle hand stroking their fur. Senior dogs -some live well into their teens -have usually outgrown the exuberant behaviors of their youth and are content to give you love and comfort, without knocking you head over heels.

When asked, I always recommend a senior cat or dog to anyone over the age of 50 who is considering adding a new pet to their household. Certainly we don't want our beloved pets to outlive us, and leave their future undetermined. A friend of mine in her 70s just adopted a kitten. When I asked her what her plan was for the cat for the future, she realized that she hadn't considered it. Usually the first thought is family or friends to care for your animals in case they need to be rehomed, but she stated she had no family, and the only friend she had who liked cats, was her age.

I am now attempting to help her find a rescue who will take the cat, in the event she is no longer able to care for her animal companion, by planning for that possibility now.

As the Humane Society of the United States states, "Remember that you're making a commitment to love and care for your pet for his or her lifetime-which could mean 10,15, or even 20 years." If you choose a senior pet, you have given them, and yourself, a new "leash" on life.

By HOLLY DOWNING
Tribune Correspondent


Pic:   Penny is available for adoption at 4paws Qld

Reference: 4paws animals for adoption

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