An important note about "bonding" with an
adult pet
How do I decide what age pet would
be right for me?
Every pet has a history, no matter how young
or how old. Some backgrounds are mysterious,
and some animals come equipped with detailed information about their previous lives.
A pet of any age can bond with those people
who love and care for it, giving as much in any
relationship as it gets in return.
Some pets who have very negative memories
of humans may need extra time to adjust and
learn to trust. But the majority of adult cats
and dogs can develop a bond with a new family
as strong as that of pup or kitten raised from
extreme youth.
Many people assume that young puppies
or kittens are the only "right" age for a
new pet to be introduced into the family. In fact, there are many situations in
which an older pet would be much more
suitable.
Choosing An
Older Pet
However, those first few weeks aren't
the only time for learning. The first six
months of life are vital to these babies,
and all puppies and kittens require a
great deal of time, care, and energy.
Many households are not able to provide
properly for this busy period of highrate learning and growing. Baby animals
who are not properly taught and cared
for during this time will find it difficult
to develop the proper social skills, and
poor social skills can lead to aggression
later.
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There are important differences between the needs and abilities of puppies
and kittens and those of dogs and cats.
Puppies and kittens learn many of their
most important skills - how to be a dog
or a cat - from their mothers and littermates until they are ten to twelve
weeks old. Baby animals taken from
their families before that age need specialized lessons and care. Just because
they can eat grown-up food doesn't
mean they've grown up!
D O C
W I L L I A M S
S P C A
Depending on the type of cat or dog,
most pets can be considered "teenagers"
or young adults at six months to 16
months old. These puppies and kittens
are still growing and developing
(through adolescence) but are beginning
to show the direction which their individual personalities will probably take.
They are still high-energy "kids" and will
test your patience at every turn.
If you seek a pet with certain personality traits, it is much more likely that you
will find the right companion to fit your
lifestyle if the candidate is at least six
months old. If you don't have the patience or energy for a teenager, you
should consider an adult dog or cat - at
least a year to eighteen months old.
They learn quickly, have more coordination and control over their physical functions, and have more predictable natures.
But first you must decide if you have the
time, energy, space, and money to give
to any pet - a huge decision and commitment. Then you need to determine
whether a baby animal or a more mature pet is appropriate for your lifestyle.
What do you really expect from this new
member of the family? Ask yourself
some important questions to help you
weigh the "pros" and "cons" of dogs and
cats vs. puppies and kittens for your
lifestyle.
How much time does an adult spend
at home during an average day in my
family?
Puppies and kittens need more physical
and emotional involvement with their
people than you can give if you are away
from home more than six hours a day.
Most adult pets can easily adjust to your
schedule. However, they also need time
to learn what is expected of them. Some
dogs never grow accustomed to being
left alone. If you are away from home
more than eight hours most days, you
should re-consider whether your household
is appropriate for a dog's life.
Are there children in my household?
How old and how many?
While many families think that they want
"a pet for the children," it actually takes a
very special combination of parent/child/
pet to have a successful relationship if the
child is younger than six and the pet is
younger than four months. Puppies and
kittens play "hard and rough." Without
careful supervision and training, one or
both of these babies will have a nasty experience which could have serious consequences.
An adult pet is usually past the stage of
becoming overly excited; you can better
gauge how hardy and tolerant the animal
will be toward childish enthusiasm. While
a family pet offers children a wonderful
opportunity to learn about responsibility
and caring, regular pet-care duties must
be carefully supervised by an adult. No pet
can be totally "for the children."
Also consider what will happen as your
child's life and interests change over the
next ten or fifteen years. The ultimate
responsibility for the animal's care and
safety is that of the adults in the household.
Although an adult animal will generally be
more tolerant than a pup or kitten of a
child's alarming movements and sounds,
part of your responsibility to your pet and
to your child is to monitor their interaction. The relationship between your pet
and your child will be strengthened by
your respect for the animal's needs and
feelings.
Your pet is not a toy or privilege to be used
to bargain between parent and child. Teach
by example that your pet is an important
family member, not a toy to be neglected
and tossed away when no longer new. What
better way to teach your child responsibility?
Will this pet be a companion to another
pet?
It's best to introduce a younger animal to an
adult resident pet in your household... but
not too young. Your resident cat or dog may
respond to a very young kitten or puppy as
prey to be hunted. In addition, the older pet
may not like the constant bother and play.
Very young pets lack the social graces to
read your older pet's irritation and the reflexes to escape if the situation becomes
tense. Four to fourteen months is a good age
range to introduce a pup or kitten to your
adult pet.
Most pets do like to have at least one
"buddy." A wonderful possibility for a household looking for a pair of pets is a "readymade" family. Could you offer a home to a
pair of adult pets, already accustomed to
and attached to each other? Many families of
this type (especially cats) are surrendered to
shelters each year when their human families are no longer able to care for them. The
benefits of keeping the family together
would be innumerable... to the pets and to
the household that adopted them.
Do I want a pet who will participate with
me in outdoor activities?
If you want a dog to take hiking and camping, to play ball and swim in the lake, or to
train as a famous catcher of flying discs you
should consider a teenaged pup or young
adult dog. For major outdoor activities the
dog should have a certain amount of size and
natural hardiness, and not all dogs (not even
all retrievers) are naturally inclined toward
catching things. This is an excellent example
of finding the right combination of traits to
fit your particular criteria.
In addition, dogs who are involved in these
sorts of activities must have excellent manners. You must be willing and able to build a
strong relationship with your pet and to
work on constant, thorough obedience training.
Many pets, like many people, are bad travelers. Some reasons for chronic car-sickness
can be remedied, but if you specifically want
a pet to travel with you to local activities or
on short vacations, don't expect miracles of
a young animal. There is no way to tell
which pet has the stomach for it.
Do I want a "lap-pet" who will be physically affectionate and cuddly?
Most puppies and kittens will accept some
physical affection, but they don't all grow up
to be pets who like to be cuddled. This is
another good example of a specific personality trait which, if it is important to you, will
be easier to find in an adult animal.
Do I have a preference for a certain
physical appearance, coloring, or coat?
If you like big cats, shiny dogs, or fluffy
coats, you can do some "educated guessing"
with a pup or kitten. But you'll still be
guessing!
By the time the pet is about six months old,
these physical traits will be clear. And you
will be much better able to judge what kind
of personality traits go along with the package.
How large is "too large" a pet for my
lifestyle?
If you rent your home - Have you checked
the pet policies in your lease - especially
regarding size?
Puppies and kittens grow up. Thousands of
puppies and kittens lose their homes each
year because someone didn't think a year
ahead to what the pet's adult size might
be. If you have a specific size in mind for
your ideal pet, don't guess with a baby.
Many large dogs are surrendered to shelters
because they were cute, fluffy puppies one
week and big, clumsy teenagers the next...
with the enthusiasm to match. It takes
time to teach any dog (more time with puppies) basic manners - not to pull on leash,
not to jump on people, not to play too
roughly.
You can benefit from someone else's poor
planning if you adopt that adult or teenaged dog, but only if you're willing to do
what they did not... teach the dog what is
acceptable and unacceptable behavior. This
training may take weeks or months, but it
can begin very simply with a dog over six
months old who is ready and able to learn
quickly, with good muscular coordination
and some knowledge of social skills.