Dear Critter Corner: My husband and I have been thinking about adopting another pet for our family, but don’t know where to start! We both work from home and have back-to-back meetings during the majority of the day however we should not have any issues taking a new pup to the yard between meetings to play and go potty. Our 11-year-old cattle dog mix, Evie, has been friendly with all animals that she has come across and including my friend’s cats. With these things in mind, would you be able to help give some tips of how to find the best fit for our family?
Adopting a new pet without a plan can be challenging but can be stress-free if you are able to prepare and choose the best match for your lifestyle! That’s great to hear that Evie has met other dogs and cats in the past, which would indicate that she could possibly be able to share her home with a new furry sister/brother. It also seems you are already familiar with the long-time commitment and the financial expenses that will come with any adoption. The next step would be looking at your daily schedule and looking at how much time that you have available to offer this new pet and Evie. If you are able to dedicate a good portion of your day every day of the week to taking care of a new pet, you can consider possibly taking on a younger dog or cat. Younger animals have lots of energy and require more hands-on time more often than not compared to adult/older animals.
When picking out your perfect match at your local shelter, it is important to consult with adoption staff regarding the animal that you are interested in. If they feel it might not be a good fit with your lifestyle and Evie, they will definitely be able to recommend another dog or cat. It is important to go into this experience with an open mind and not have any specific expectations of any one animal that you see until you’ve heard their history and met them in person. More often than not we do not choose our pets, rather they choose us.