Soon I will be celebrating Kiwi's adoption day.
This is a big deal for us both, as it's officially been 1 year since I adopted her, my very first kitty cat.
Kiwi was a rescue, she was dropped off at the Toronto Cat Rescue after her previous rescuer's dog attacked her. Her previous owner didn't want to give her up but the dog was adopted first and she needed to be somewhere safer.
I originally didn't want a cat like her, being so dedicated to animals as I am I was fully intending to adopt a senior black cat (the least adopted cat but the most commonly abused and abandoned). I saw her dainty little picture, with the name "Puff" (seen right) and for some reason I immediately drove 2 hours to get her. She was sleeping in a display cage and barely made a peep. She looked so lonely. I poked her and she hissed at me.
I was immediately in love.
Kiwi has never hissed since, she also isn't quiet, she talks as much as I do - and that's saying something. She has such a variety of meows. She says "Okay", "No", "Why" and "Thank you". I swear to God she does, I'll film it one day. She also has a really bizarre vocabulary of meows and grumbles.
She's obsessed with snuggles and pets and would happily let me kiss her for hours. She head bonks you every time you feed her too, she's so polite.
Like shaggy says, I always tell her "You're a queen and that's how you should be treated." she agrees.
So these are my 10 reasons for why you should adopt!
1.You'll save a life.
Kill Shelters - I'm sure you heard of them, the name isn't to intimidate you, it's true. These shelters deal with over-population but putting animals down AKA KILLING THEM. 2.7 million dogs are euthanized in shelters each year.
2. They're likely already house-trained.
A great thing about shelters and rescues is that they will do as much training as the possibly can while the animal is in their care. What that means is the pet you're adopting is most likely already trained. This also translate into pets with poor behaviour as well, they take the time to help with behavioral issues and these animals can completely be transformed and rehomed.
3. You'll help control backyard breeding and puppy mills.
There are disgusting people all around the world that simply think quantity over quality. They just want to make profit off these living creatures. By adopting from rescues it's a safer chance that you aren't paying money for an animal bred in sickening conditions. Many many pet stores purchase animals from mass breeders and puppy mills and you'd be paying into that and helping it thrive without even realizing.
4. You'll help break the cycle of over-population.
I understand those who want pure-bred, but for all the people who are buying mutts and mixes off craigslist and kijiji are not helping the cause. Instead of waiting for a breeder to get thier dog to reproduce why don't you adopt someone who is already homeless. By adopting from a shelter rather than an independent or breeder you're discouraging the people who mass-produce and illegally breed as well as you're helping to lessen the demand of breeding in general. This in turn will help lower the population.
5. There aren't any major surprises.
When you adopt from a shelter, the animals are typically vet checked, neutered/spayed and groomed. The staff evaluates things like temperament, behaviour, energy level, bite history, age - etc.They try to provide you with every bit of information they can get up. Sometimes though, you won't know that pet's exact age which is the ONLY downside, but that's why you make their birthday their adoption date or intake day, like I have done with Kiwi. Most of the time when animals relinquished it actually has nothing to due with behavioural issues.
6. Variety.
There are sooooo many different types of animals in shelters, from huge fluffy black cats to teenie tiny Chihuahua mixes and bunnies. It's like walking through a museum only filled with original one of a kind pieces of art. You're guaranteed to find someone special who can match your personality and lifestyle (no matter how weird you may be!)
7. You've got a support team and knowledge resource furever.
Shelter employees love nothing more than a great adoption story, ask any of them or take it from me. Having someone come back in to thank you and tell you how amazing their pet is doing can sometimes bring you to tears. To this day, if any of the people I had adopted out to came back to ask me a question or advice or wanted to tell me of something good happening or even a pets passing. I'd still care. We had a lady who would bring in her Chihuahua Sarai back in to see us every once in a while, just because she knew Sarai loved us too. (She was with us for about 1 1/2 years before she was adopted). That little girl is spoiled now and we are SO HAPPY every-time we hear about it. Shelter staff will always care. Pet stores? Sold. Please don't refund. That's how they work.
(disclaimer: I am not saying pet store staff isn't dedicated - my team was - It's more of a generalized comment, so chill)
8. You help support a valuable charity and community.
Animal shelters and rescues for the most part run on donations. So every penny counts. These people are the key to helping end animal homelessness and overpopulation and you can be a very valuable asset to that movement. For those who don't adopt (or even those who do) donating supplies like bowls, treats, blankets, towels and toys. It's all valuable, and when you adopt your pet, the money you spent is going to be used to help more animals find homes. Not into someone's greedy pockets.
9. It costs less and encourages more.
With shelters taking care of things like spay/neutering, vaccinations and micro-chipping you're saving yourself a lot of money on a first vet visit. They usually have an on-staff or dedicated vet which allows them to make adoption more affordable and more complete. Also when you adopt, it encourages others to adopt - when you tell your adoption story, it makes others want to have an adoption story and feel the love that you feel!
10. It feels incredible and it will change your life.
These animals want nothing more than love and comfort. It's so simple to help them, and the love and comfort they offer in return is something you can only get from a pet. Most often, these babies really do appreciate their new furever homes and will adopt you as well. I often look at Kiwi and think, "You are the best decision I have ever made", and it's true, she is.
With the opportunity to make such a huge difference in the world, why wouldn't you?
Remember, Adopt - Don't Shop.
This is a big deal for us both, as it's officially been 1 year since I adopted her, my very first kitty cat.
Kiwi was a rescue, she was dropped off at the Toronto Cat Rescue after her previous rescuer's dog attacked her. Her previous owner didn't want to give her up but the dog was adopted first and she needed to be somewhere safer.
I originally didn't want a cat like her, being so dedicated to animals as I am I was fully intending to adopt a senior black cat (the least adopted cat but the most commonly abused and abandoned). I saw her dainty little picture, with the name "Puff" (seen right) and for some reason I immediately drove 2 hours to get her. She was sleeping in a display cage and barely made a peep. She looked so lonely. I poked her and she hissed at me.I was immediately in love.
Kiwi has never hissed since, she also isn't quiet, she talks as much as I do - and that's saying something. She has such a variety of meows. She says "Okay", "No", "Why" and "Thank you". I swear to God she does, I'll film it one day. She also has a really bizarre vocabulary of meows and grumbles.
She's obsessed with snuggles and pets and would happily let me kiss her for hours. She head bonks you every time you feed her too, she's so polite.
Like shaggy says, I always tell her "You're a queen and that's how you should be treated." she agrees.
So these are my 10 reasons for why you should adopt!
Kill Shelters - I'm sure you heard of them, the name isn't to intimidate you, it's true. These shelters deal with over-population but putting animals down AKA KILLING THEM. 2.7 million dogs are euthanized in shelters each year.
2. They're likely already house-trained.
A great thing about shelters and rescues is that they will do as much training as the possibly can while the animal is in their care. What that means is the pet you're adopting is most likely already trained. This also translate into pets with poor behaviour as well, they take the time to help with behavioral issues and these animals can completely be transformed and rehomed.
3. You'll help control backyard breeding and puppy mills.
There are disgusting people all around the world that simply think quantity over quality. They just want to make profit off these living creatures. By adopting from rescues it's a safer chance that you aren't paying money for an animal bred in sickening conditions. Many many pet stores purchase animals from mass breeders and puppy mills and you'd be paying into that and helping it thrive without even realizing.
4. You'll help break the cycle of over-population.
I understand those who want pure-bred, but for all the people who are buying mutts and mixes off craigslist and kijiji are not helping the cause. Instead of waiting for a breeder to get thier dog to reproduce why don't you adopt someone who is already homeless. By adopting from a shelter rather than an independent or breeder you're discouraging the people who mass-produce and illegally breed as well as you're helping to lessen the demand of breeding in general. This in turn will help lower the population.
5. There aren't any major surprises.
When you adopt from a shelter, the animals are typically vet checked, neutered/spayed and groomed. The staff evaluates things like temperament, behaviour, energy level, bite history, age - etc.They try to provide you with every bit of information they can get up. Sometimes though, you won't know that pet's exact age which is the ONLY downside, but that's why you make their birthday their adoption date or intake day, like I have done with Kiwi. Most of the time when animals relinquished it actually has nothing to due with behavioural issues.
6. Variety.
There are sooooo many different types of animals in shelters, from huge fluffy black cats to teenie tiny Chihuahua mixes and bunnies. It's like walking through a museum only filled with original one of a kind pieces of art. You're guaranteed to find someone special who can match your personality and lifestyle (no matter how weird you may be!)
7. You've got a support team and knowledge resource furever.
Shelter employees love nothing more than a great adoption story, ask any of them or take it from me. Having someone come back in to thank you and tell you how amazing their pet is doing can sometimes bring you to tears. To this day, if any of the people I had adopted out to came back to ask me a question or advice or wanted to tell me of something good happening or even a pets passing. I'd still care. We had a lady who would bring in her Chihuahua Sarai back in to see us every once in a while, just because she knew Sarai loved us too. (She was with us for about 1 1/2 years before she was adopted). That little girl is spoiled now and we are SO HAPPY every-time we hear about it. Shelter staff will always care. Pet stores? Sold. Please don't refund. That's how they work.
(disclaimer: I am not saying pet store staff isn't dedicated - my team was - It's more of a generalized comment, so chill)
8. You help support a valuable charity and community.
Animal shelters and rescues for the most part run on donations. So every penny counts. These people are the key to helping end animal homelessness and overpopulation and you can be a very valuable asset to that movement. For those who don't adopt (or even those who do) donating supplies like bowls, treats, blankets, towels and toys. It's all valuable, and when you adopt your pet, the money you spent is going to be used to help more animals find homes. Not into someone's greedy pockets.
9. It costs less and encourages more.
With shelters taking care of things like spay/neutering, vaccinations and micro-chipping you're saving yourself a lot of money on a first vet visit. They usually have an on-staff or dedicated vet which allows them to make adoption more affordable and more complete. Also when you adopt, it encourages others to adopt - when you tell your adoption story, it makes others want to have an adoption story and feel the love that you feel!
10. It feels incredible and it will change your life.
These animals want nothing more than love and comfort. It's so simple to help them, and the love and comfort they offer in return is something you can only get from a pet. Most often, these babies really do appreciate their new furever homes and will adopt you as well. I often look at Kiwi and think, "You are the best decision I have ever made", and it's true, she is.
With the opportunity to make such a huge difference in the world, why wouldn't you?
Remember, Adopt - Don't Shop.
