Pros and Cons of Adopting an Older Animal

I've come to the realization that my next animal will be an older animal and that what I wanted when I wanted to adopt this time was an older animal, but I got a kitten because my parents and grandparents say adopting an older animal will be nothing but trouble...that there's a reason they're in a shelter at that age and it'd be more than I could handle. In reality I found kittenhood really overwhelming.

Is it easier or harder to adopt an older animal?

My bias is that it’s easier. My guy was 6 when I adopted him. Now 10 yrs on he still plays with his toys and he quickly learned that I will not allow him up on anything in the kitchen. Having volunteered at a shelter that is simply not true of why older animals are in a shelter. Kittens take a lot more work and require more supervision. I have never allowed any of my cats on the counters in the kitchen and all of them were older shelter cats. 35 yrs ago it was isis. Then 22 yrs ago it was inka. All three of my cats were older and trainable. It takes persistence but so does a kitten.

Being really honest I couldn't wait for my kitten to grow up and grow out of his kitten phase. He's a year old now and still high energy and getting his nose in things he shouldn't. And since I adopted him I haven't had one good night's sleep. My mom teases me and said imagine having a toddler which she knows I have baby fever. It doesn't make me very hopeful if I find kittens so overwhelming.

My husband didn't want us to adopt a kitten the last time we went to the shelter. We ended up adopting the cat who had been there the longest. She was maybe 2 or so. She's been a good, although very bossy, kitty. She just got a good report from the vet. And she loves to cuddle up to me at night--the first kitty I've had who does that.

Twelve years ago I lost one of my dogs, and after a mourning period I decided to get another. The rescue that I've gotten all of my dogs from had one ready to go but they were fairly old. She was a great dog and she showed me lots of love. I had her just about a year.

The pro for me was she was so happy to be in a real loving home and was so loving.

The con was that I was only able to keep her for a year before she passed. I'd think it would be easier with such little time, but it was so hard anyway.

Was my life likely to be longer, I'd definitely do it again. I wish I could.

Lark, all the stories I've read about dogs from good shelters is that if they have behavior problems a) they spend time in a foster situation learning better behavior and b) the shelter will let prospective adopters know about any behavior or health problems.

When you say "older" how old are you talking about? BG was a year old when I got him from the shelter. So he was through all the puppy stuff like chewing, but he had absolutely NO training. Thankfully he is a quick learner.

If by "older" you mean middle or older one advantage is the doggone would be settled, no crazy puppy stuff. Depending on their situation they may have some training, like walking on a leash. The cons can be what Agent mentioned. You may have less time with the pupper. They may also come with medical problems. A reputable shelter should be honest about health problems.

When considering age think of what you said about Elwood's kitten behavior getting on your nerves. You are going to have similar, yet different issues with a puppy. They have to be house broken. They have to be walked. They cry during the night in the beginning. They go through a chewing stage!

I've given some thought to my next dog after BG's two rounds of cancer. He is only 9, but he may not live to an old age. I've toyed with the idea of an older dog. I'm not a spring chicken anymore myself. I don't think I have the energy to keep up with a puppy anymore. I also worry about my fur kids out living me. I'm making arrangements that they will be cared for, but I still worry.

Sorry. Didn't mean to write a dissertation. My recommendation is, when the time comes, go to the shelter and see which dog picks you.

I have to agree with Liz, let the dog pick you. With Sir I was ready but didn’t find the one for over a year. When I met Sir we both knew.

I know Elwood was fostered during his time at the shelter. They did wonders for him, and he was already potty trained when I got him and very social.

I had my heart set on him, so when I met him they gave me five-ten minutes in the room alone with him before my decision.

Yes, I want completely out of the puppy/kitten stage. I am not sure how I feel about "less time" because in reality even if an animal lives a full, long life it still isn't enough. I've done geriatric caregiving so I think I have the heart to do the same kind of work with an animal. I would say I would like an animal who is just out of the puppy/kitten phase, an animal that has just settled into adulthood.

A little off topic but now that I am 30, I get more weight in making my own decisions. My parents are against shelters (especially for choosing dogs) because they say shelter animals are unhealthy with behavioral issues, but I've learned that's not the case at all and never thought so.

I love, love, love Elwood with all my heart, and he's a great cat, but my next animal will be an older animal because aside from how hard kittenhood and puppyhood is, I do feel very sorry for those animals who get overlooked because they are older but could provide so much love.

Lark, I wasn't trying to take decision making away from you. I just believe that critters pick us, not us picking them.

Its easier with a older animal

No, I didn't think you were at all. I was more thinking of my parents who pushed me to adopt a kitten when I wanted an older cat, and to be really honest I wanted a dog but my parents don't think I'm capable of taking care of a dog.

I wanted to get an adult dog that maybe had some training, but i had trouble finding a dog. The rescues would try to push different dogs on me then the one i was interested in, I ended up rehoming a 9 month old poodle mix I found on Craig's list, We love him but he has some behavior issues. I don't know that he was socialized, He has improved but he is 6 years old now.

There's plenty of reasons a pet can end up in rescue at any age. Maybe the owner died, maybe someone was allergic, maybe the humans decided they wanted rid of the pet cause they painted the walls a different colour and they then decided the pet was the wrong colour (yes this has genuinely been a reason for people to hand cats into a rescue I used to volunteer at years ago), maybe the humans got a new kitten and decided "lets dump our old cat into rescue (again, this has been a reason in reality, I can remember that one from the rescue I volunteered at), maybe the cat or dog was picked up as a stray after getting abandoned for god knows what reason, when most of the time the pet has no health problems

I could go on, but most of the time it boils down to the humans - not a "fault" with the pet.

I've even known people take on two kittens from the rescue - 8 weeks old - then return the kittens. The reason? The kittens thought climbing the curtains was a brilliant game - just being kittens. So ANY age of pet can end up in rescue for any reason. Same as any age of pet can get rehomed and returned to rescue multiple times, due to humans being stupid and not thinking.

Like the example with the kittens: the person clearly didn't know how kittens behave, otherwise they might of thought twice before taking on kittens, then returning them for doing the kitten-thing of climb up the curtains .........