Before You Adopt That New Pet…

Hi, it’s Leslie Harris. Happy Holidays!

This is the time of year when people often decide to get a new pet as a holiday gift. Before you go down that road, please consider the following:

First and foremost, do your research! So many pets get returned because people didn’t realize how much work it was to take care of that particular type of pet. This is especially important when it comes to adopting a dog. Some dogs are much more high maintenance than others. I love huskies, but they need a lot of exercise or they will become destructive. We got very lucky with our own dog. He’s not very active, but he’s always happy to go for a walk with me.

Many breeds of cats have different personalities. Orange striped male cats tend to be friendly, while female tortoiseshell cats tend to have what we call tortitude.

And please, please, please, do not, and I repeat, do not, dump your senior pet. If you dump your senior pet at a shelter, they will probably spend the rest of their life in a cage, or they will euthanized. Remember, when you adopt a pet you are making a commitment to love and care for that pet for the rest of its life, even when that pet is no longer cute or playful. You are taking a member into your family.

May everyone find the purrfect furry companions!