Why You Should Adopt an Adult or Senior Pet

November was National Adopt a Senior Pet Month. While that month has come and gone, December is still a time to talk about adopting an animal. Why? Because many families think about getting a dog or cat as a holiday present. If this describes your plans, please consider adopting an adult or senior pet.

What defines a senior pet? Well, it depends on the breed and the size of the animal. For example, smaller breeds of dogs live longer than larger breeds. So while a Labrador retriever might be considered senior around age seven, a Lhasa Apso isn't a senior citizen until about 11 years old. With cats, well, they live a long time. So they enter senior citizenship between ages 7 and 11.

While I've never adopted a senior dog, per se, I have adopted adult dogs. One dog was four when he came to live with us. The other was three.

One of the benefits of adopting a mature animal is that their personality is set. You know what you're getting when you take them home.

Or for the most part.

I've found that every dog I've adopted didn't bark for the first few weeks they lived with us. Wow, we thought, we got a quiet dog. Not so fast. Turns out they were just getting adjusted. Because eventually everyone barked when the UPS truck drove by or howled when fire engine sirens were near.

But an older dog isn't going to grow up to have fear aggression or food guarding issues. Because if the dog had that going on, it would have already been apparent.

Another benefit of older pets? When dogs and cats have lived with other families for awhile, they often come with training so will have good manners. Older dogs are less likely to be as destructive as puppies might be when they first come to your home. I know that when we adopted two of our dogs as puppies, no shoe, corner of a rug or pillow in the house was safe from being chewed. (Bitter apple spray took care of most of the chewing issues.) With older dogs, give them a Nylabone and they're good to go.

Also, no house training or litter box training. Enough said!

Like humans, older dogs and cats mellow out as they age. You won't have to play with them for hours on end to keep them entertained. Of course, they'll want to play sometimes and they'll need their exercise. But they won't drive you out of your mind.

An older animal is also more likely to be patient around small children. Of course, never leave a child alone with an animal you don't know well. And always have a meet and greet with children and the animal you're considering adopting.

Another reason to adopt a mature cat or dog? Because it's the right thing to do. They're the ones that are often overlooked at rescues and shelters. Everyone wants to see and play with the puppies and kittens. People often forget about the older animals.

Perhaps the only downside of adopting a senior pet is that it could begin having health issues sooner in your relationship than you might expect. So be sure that you've got the time and the financial resources to keep the pet healthy and give them the best life they deserve.

Like many rescued pets, somehow a senior dog or cat knows you've saved them. And they'll spend the rest of their days letting you know how thankful they are that you brought them into your life. It probably won't take long for all of you to bond, and then that pet will be fiercely loyal to you and yours for as long as that pet is a member of your family.