Adopting older pets

[Catherine]

There are lots of good reasons for adopting older pets.
For one thing, they really need us. Lots of people will take the kittens and puppies. It takes a special person to take and old dog or cat and you get a special pet when you do it.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-...35481.html

I adopted two old guinea pigs one Christmas because it was heart breaking to think of those two old girls spending Christmas at a shelter. Rosie only lived 15 more months, but she was so funny and loveable. Just thinking about her makes me smile. Lily lived another three years and she was smart guinea pig and such a character.
If I had only wanted the young piggies I would have missed out on so much.

I hope people thinking of adopting will at least look at the older pets first. You might find your best friend is waiting for you to take them home.

[Tobi]

Yes it is a loving person who will adopt an old animal, and one with health issues. But they need some love in their last days/weeks/(even years). The most important thing to consider is finances when doing that, and will it be possible to meet their veterinary needs towards the end. But usually love will find a way....
It cost me thousands in the last year of Misty's life. I didn't mind one bit, and was grateful that I had the money. It came at exactly the time it would be needed. I got to the point where I didn't even "do the maths" any more. It was irrelevant. I would have given her my own blood if she could have used it. I didn't mind about a few thousand quid.

[Catherine]

When you love a pet, money is never the issue is it. Sadly, all the money in the world cannot give us more time with our special friends.

With dogs and cats you really do have to consider veterinary expenses. It is a little different with reptiles. There is so little we can do for them anyhow. Guinea pigs are much the same. Their biggest expense is fresh veggies when they are not in season. They still need to eat them.

I have always loved my older pets. They are calmer and sometimes a little quaint. They need us more than the young healthy ones.

[JasonW]

We went to the Dogs Trust to give an older dog a happy home but got suckered in by two 9 month old lurcher sisters who were too darn cute! They are 12 years old now and still going strong.

Next time!

[Catherine]

You see, you got your old pets after all. You just had to wait many years for them to be old.

It was good of you to consider an old pet, but it was very kind of you to take two sisters so they could be together. Sometimes we end up with the pets we were meant to have. You have had joy with your girls and they have had good lives with you.

Everybody wins when you adopt a pet.

[JasonW]

Wise words Catherine. Yes they were in the pen together and we had to convince them to let us take both, it would have been cruel to separate them. Is there a gallery thing here? Would love to show you them as they are now

[Catherine]

If you want to talk about your girls you can just open a new thread in the dogs section and talk about them and post pictures. You can also post videos. You do need an URL to post pictures on the forum. You cannot take pictures directly off your computer.
(I wish we could post directly. I am always trying to find time to upload pictures.)

We would love to see pictures of your girls. It would be great to see how they have grown and changed with you over the years.