Pet Adoption Tips

Are You Ready to Adopt?

When adopting, you are making a commitment to care for an animal for the rest of his life—that could mean 10 to 15 years for dogs and up to 20 years for cats. As you go through lifestyle changes such as moves, the birth of children and new jobs, your animal will remain a permanent part of your life. If circumstances change, will you still be able to care for your pet?

• Owning a dog or cat costs more than the initial adoption fee. Food, veterinary care, vaccinations, spaying or neutering and proper identification—that means a collar with tags and a more permanent form of ID such as microchipping—can add up.
• Time is also a factor. Dogs benefit from several hours of exercise and companionship every day. Cats are healthiest and happiest indoors and love to be treated to energetic play sessions. If your work demands that you travel often, or if you're out of the house most days and evenings, this may not be the right time to adopt.
• It is important to consider whether your children, along with your resident pets, are able to accommodate the addition of a cat or dog to your household.

Which Pet Is Right for You?

Your personality and lifestyle, along with challenges such as space restrictions and amount of time spent at home, should be explored to determine what pet is right for your household. Research different breeds and ask shelter staffers for guidance—they're experts at making perfect matches!

Whether it's tightly sealing your garbage cans or paying attention to dangerous decorations during the holidays, you'll need to make your home safe before adopting. That includes keeping toxic foods, pet-unfriendly plants and dangerous household items out of paw's reach. Here are some suggestions for preparing your home to welcome a new canine or feline companion.

• Put a cozy bed for your pet in every room. Pets are much more likely to keep off of furniture if they have attractive alternatives.
• If you have a cat, try putting double-sided sticky tape or upside-down carpet runners on furniture to discourage her from scratching.
• Avoid vertical blinds, pooling drapery, ornate tassels and long cords that can become strangulation hazards.
• If you have cats, be sure to install high-quality metal screens on all windows.
• It may be a good idea to roll up and store decorative rugs until your new dog is fully house-trained.
• Provide your new cat with a variety of scratching posts and perches.
• Use dog crates and gates to confine your new dog when home alone until his house manners earn him unsupervised freedom.
• Provide plenty of “legal” things for your dog to chew. If he has attractive toys and bones of his own, he’ll be much less likely to gnaw on your things!
• Check to make sure that plants in and around your home are not poisonous to pets, and if you use a diffuser please make sure the scented oils are nontoxic to pets.