Feature photo: Why I adopt special needs and older pets.
The animal shelter was crowded with people huddled around the kennels holding kittens. Teenage girls oohed and aahed as they held the tiny lumps of fur in their hands. Mothers gently placed kittens in their childrens’ arms, showing them how to properly hold the critters.
And then there was Toby. Full grown and more than a year old, he lay by himself on a cat climber in the corner of the room, lazily licking his paw. This scene was nothing new to him, especially considering he’d been living at the shelter for nearly a year.
When my husband walked into the room, a young girl had been petting Toby.
“How about this one?” she asked her mother.
“We don’t want a broken cat,” her mother replied.
That had been the story of Toby’s life since arriving at the shelter. No one showed any interest in the cat with one eye, half an ear and half a tail. So we did the only logical thing: We adopted Toby.
Why We Do It
Toby is not our only adopted critter. In fact, my husband and I made the decision long ago never to have children and began adopting special needs and older animals instead. Though I could go on for hours about our choice to have animals instead of kids, suffice to say that I believe that, in a world that is already overpopulated, there is no need for me to reproduce. I also believe that a lot of women have children because they think they’re supposed to, or they’re pressured into doing what their mother, grandmother, sister, best friend or hairdresser tells them to do.
Not me. I make the decisions about my body, and one of the things I’ve decided with my husband is that we’d much rather provide a comfortable home for a handful of four-legged critters instead of children.
The Special Needs Problem
In many ways, Toby is a normal cat. He needs no special medications and doesn’t have any medical problems due to his physical shortcomings. We can’t sneak up on his blind side and occasionally he loses his balance, but he loves lying in the sunshine and pouncing on toys just like any other cat.
Many people see physical deformities in an animal as a sign of a shortcoming, but this just isn’t true. Nor is it true that an animal with a medical or mental problem is any less of an animal. The real problem is that they require extra care—perhaps medications or a special diet—and possibly more vigilance, which sometimes equates to more money.
Many people see physical deformities in an animal as a sign of shortcoming, but this just isn’t true.
For people who just want to adopt a pet and not a family member, this added expense is an issue and many of the animals who have special needs are cast aside for more ideal models.
My definition of special needs doesn’t just encompass noted physical or mental issues. Many animals that are rescued have been neglected or abused, and they have emotional scarring that requires special attention. My husband and I adopted our dog, Butch Mbwa, from Kenya, a logistical and financial nightmare that was worth his happiness. Though it takes him a long time to feel at ease around unfamiliar men and he still gets nervous at the dog park, he lives a safe and comfortable life now.
Older Animals
Everyone wants to adopt a new, cute, perfect animal, but kittens and puppies don’t stay small forever, and many of them are returned to the shelter once the novelty of having a pet wears off. This doesn’t make sense to me personally; the pets we’ve adopted are our family members, and the idea of returning a kid to the hospital after a few months is ludicrous, yet people surrender animals all of the time.
Photo by: W J (Bill) HarrisonJust as special needs animals are at a disadvantage when it comes to being adopted, so are adult and senior animals. I’m not sure why people are so hesitant to adopt older animals—perhaps they think of them as used or past their prime of life?—but my husband and I go out of our way to adopt older pets for several reasons.
Older animals are already trained and require a lot less moment-to-moment maintenance. They’re significantly more laid back than younger animals, and they’ve had time to develop a demeanor and personality, so you know what you’re getting when you adopt.
However, older pets may require additional care or medications, which equates to a larger financial commitment.
We know that when we adopt older animals, they won’t be with us for a lifetime, but I like to know that we’re providing a relaxed place for them to live out the remainder of their lives. Our Chihuahua/Boston terrier mix, Bianca, for example, joined our family when she was 10 years old. She is deaf, has a heart murmur and is now nearing the elderly age of 12. The vet told us she’ll probably live to be 15 or 16, so we don’t have a long time with her, but we’ll care for and love her until her last day.
Adopting older animals also gives us the opportunity to provide more animals with a home. We can’t adopt every needy animal that crosses our path, but by adopting older pets, we know we’ll be able to provide more of them with homes over a longer period of time.
Adoption Considerations
Adopting a special needs or older pet is similar to adopting any pet, but there are additional considerations. Instead of jumping in to the decision, you really should think about all of the circumstances surrounding the animal’s needs. One of the worst things that can happen is you find the fit is wrong, forcing you to surrender the animal you’ve just adopted.
If you’re thinking about adopting a special needs or older pet, there are a few things you need to ask yourself, including:
Adopting a special needs or older pet is similar to adopting any pet, but there are additional considerations. Instead of jumping in to the decision, you really should think about all the circumstances surrounding the animal’s needs.
1.) What are the additional financial costs? Think about any special medications, treatments or diet plans your pet will require. Animals with mobility issues may need therapy while those with medical problems might require more vet visits or surgeries. Older animals will need to have their teeth cleaned more often than younger animals.
2.) Can I accommodate the animal? Special needs pets might need medications at certain times of the day or particular living arrangements so they can move around. As a caregiver, you’ll need to make sure you are available to meet these needs or find a way to address them before introducing the animal to your home.
3.) How will the animal fit in with the rest of the family? Animals with emotional issues may feel overwhelmed with young children or a lot of people in the house. Additionally, introducing new animals into a home where pets are already living can be a challenge. Before you adopt, inquire about any environmental conditions the animal cannot tolerate. Some organizations allow you see if a pet would be comfortable living in your home with a short-term “fostering” period. This might be an overnight stay or a few days.
Where to Adopt
Special needs and older animals everywhere need homes, so you won’t need to look far to find one to adopt. If you need somewhere to start, consider these places:
1.) Your local humane shelter. Many cities have an animal shelter packed to capacity. Inquire about those animals that have been there the longest, are the oldest or need special care.
2.) Animal database networks. There are rescue groups that take in stray or abandoned animals all over the world. Once the animals are immunized and spayed or neutered, they’re placed in an online database that people can search based on animal type, breed, age, size, gender and special needs. In the United States, for example, Petfinder offers a service that matches people with the ideal pet, even if they initially live thousands of miles apart.
3.) Breed-specific rescue groups.
Pit bull photo by: stephpowellIf you’re interested in adopting a specific breed of animal, chances are there is a rescue group that would be happy to place a pet in your home. Rescue groups often receive the animals saved from breeding mills that are shut down; they also get greyhounds that can’t run anymore, pit bulls that have been banned due to city restrictions and dogs who don’t otherwise “live up” to the hype of their breed.
4.) The street. Though it isn’t safe to approach a wild dog or feral cat, if a stray animal adopts you, consider adopting it. If you’re considering adopting an animal off the street, ask around the neighborhood first. In many nations, animals roam around without identification, and what may appear to be a stray actually belongs to someone else. In many other places, however, the concept of a pet doesn’t even exist and the animals on the street truly are homeless.
5.) Foster. If you absolutely must have a kitten or puppy, consider adopting an older or special needs animal, then volunteer to foster young animals that need to adapt to socialization or grow older before they are suitable for adoption. It feeds the need to have cute, young animals, but still allows you provide a forever home for those who are less likely to be adopted.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Have you ever adopted a special needs or older pet? Tell us about your experiences.
Want to meet some of the Matador community’s pets? Check out this Matador pet photo essay.
About the Author
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20 Comments... join the discussion!
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It’s such a bummer that so many animals are abused, but very, very true that with time, patience and attention, these pets turn out to be affectionate. Sometimes I’m surprised how forgiving they are. I think us humans could learn something from them.
I’m so glad to hear your mom’s cat is doing better. Thanks for giving her a safe home.
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All fantastic points. And yes, I can’t imagine “returning” an animal like a shirt that doesn’t fit. Bizarre.
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Bizarre but, unfortunately, not uncommon.
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My family adopted our dog from a local SPCA shelter which had rescued from a high-kill shelter in Atlanta, Georgia (nearly a thousand miles away). He is bald on the top of his head and his belly, and has only 12 teeth, most of which are pointing straight out of his mouth. Despite this, he only takes a garlic pill for ticks (better than the scary medications with neurological side effects) and children’s Benadryl for allergies.
He had been at the shelter for over a year. It amazes me how shallow otherwise good people can be when it comes to pets. The mother’s line in your story about Toby just breaks my heart.
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It sounds like you dog has had a rough life, but I’m so glad to hear he finally found a loving home, even after a year in the shelter.
Our dog, Butch Mbwa, has almost no teeth as well (they were rotted and kicked out), but there are some really good healthy, organic, soft treats which we give him and he loves them! No big rawhide pieces for him, but he’s content with gumming an occasional snack.
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I adopted a 5.5 year old female pitbull mix a year a half ago. It was tough work with training & finding the right food for her stomach… but it’s been a pleasure having her around! She reminds me to live in the moment. If I had to do it again, I would say YES in a heartbeat.
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Good for you for adopting a pit bull. There are so many pit bulls in need of homes because of the preconceived stereotypes about them. One of our interns here at Matador has a pit bull and it seems like she is constantly educating people about how kind her pet – and the breed in general – is. It’s an uphill battle for pit bulls, but I think as people continue to adopt them and become ambassadors for them, there is a chance that they’ll begin to be more accepted.
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I didn’t know that woman said that about Toby – how terrible! He is lucky that you found him
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Yeah … poor Toby had a rough start to life, but he’s living in luxury now.
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My family has always rescued or adopted animals – the only way to go! Though, we’ve never adopted an older one. What you are doing is really great, I think.
You should have posted pictures of your family members with this article! Would have loved to see Toby, Butch Mbwa and Bianca
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You can see photos of my four-legged furries in this Matador photo essay:
http://matadorlife.com/photo-essay-meet-matador-pets/
Mine are in the seventh photo down; the only 4-way photo in the series.
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I love this post!
I do plead guilty to having a four-month-old puppy… but I also have six cats, five of which are rescued in some way.
There’s Princess, a black cat with no tail (a farming accident) – she showed up hungry one day, and stayed. Princess had four kittens – we kept two are were thankfully able to place the other two.
There’s Black Boy, another black cat… he appeared with what seemed to be a gunshot wound in his hip and a torn ear. We nursed him back to health and now he’s the ’senior cat’ about the house.
Pretzel just materialized behind a rock – she couldn’t have been more than 4 weeks old. She must have got lost as her mother moved from one place to another, so she calls this home.
There’s Cumin the Siamese… he has only half a tail…
All these cats provide so much joy, especially the ones who need us more. I try to stay away from the shelter because I know I’ll come home with a new family member – still, for now, six cats and a dog will do.
And yes – taking a pet back to the shelter (unless there’s a serious reason) is a difficult concept for me. My pets drive me nuts, they’re costly and time-consuming and hard to organize – but my life would be so much emptier without them!
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You’ve got quite the family Scribetrotter! I’m impressed to hear you nursed Black Boy back to health from a gunshot wound! It’s incredible how resilient animals are, especially if they have support from caring humans.
I hear you completely about staying away from the shelter. I would also be guilty of coming home with a new critter every week. My husband and I do foster cats, though, so we usually have a few extra family members with us until they find forever homes.
Thanks for sharing the stories of your cats!
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What a wonderful and insightful article!
I made the decision a long time ago to adopt pets from humane shelters, as apposed to pet stores or breeders. I feel that there are so many wonderful animals that are homeless out there, that just need a little love and care!
Our newest addition to the family, Pumpkin, actually adopted us. Although he had a street/feral background and we didn’t know anything about his past, we could immediately tell that he was a ’special needs’ cat. He had obviously been physically and emotionally abused throughout his young life; his ear had been burnt and was missing the tip, he has problems with his hips (sometimes dragging his back legs around when he goes down stairs), has weak teeth, and is incredibly skittish around any people besides his immediate family/new circumstances.
But he is the sweetest, strongest personality, funniest cat that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. His injuries are quite easy to handle and do not require any special medications or extra vet visits. His emotional stress has been the hardest to break through, but as time goes on…he becomes more and more content with changes.
I definitely recommend looking into adopting special needs and/or older animals, they bring such a wealth of love and happiness to a home…it’s well worth putting the time and effort into the relationship!
Thanks for writing!
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Pumpkin sounds fantastic … I’m so glad you’ve been able to give him a home.
We’ve found that the emotional stuff can be more difficult than the physical issues as well. Time and patience are so important in making sure an abused animal feels safe and comfortable in a new home.
My husband and I have also discovered that the animals who do bounce back from emotional stress often end up being the most appreciative of our pets. Though all of our critters love a good ear scratching and cuddling time, there is something about those who have been abused that really shows they appreciate having people around who really care about them.
Thanks for sharing Pumpkin’s story.
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What a cool breath of fresh air! I love this post and you are so right about so many things. I have always been bringing home animals that have some sort of issue or another. I always end up with the most amazing animal friends as well – which I don’t think is any coincidence. I don’t know why anyone buys purebreds since there are so many animals that need homes. To each her own I guess.
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I agree Bethany. Like I told Nick above, I’m always amazed at how forgiving and affectionate rescued animals can be.
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Thank you for this great article! All of my critters were rescued. Gigi came from the shelter and is our princess (and she knows it); Lily was on her way to the pound from a relative’s home when we took her in; and Baby Cat was a stray when my mom found him, and after Mom passed away, he came to live with me. Baby is doing his best to fill the void left by Gray, my feline friend and constant writing companion, who passed away just after Christmas. Gray’s first people threw him out, and he became almost completely feral — he was hunting finches off my bird feeder when I started feeding him to get him to leave the birds alone. Then he had an injury from a cat fight and showed up on my back porch for assistance. The road from feral to friendly was rocky, but we made it. We had him for nine great years. I miss him daily. Bravo to you for taking care of animals & for encouraging others to adopt special needs critters. They all deserve good homes.
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Thank you for doing the same. I’m so glad you were able to give Gray a home while he was alive. He sounds like a very lucky cat.
I hope that, as people share their stories about rescuing animals, more people will decide to make the same choice.
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