Senior cats can be great companions
Senior cats have been featured in this space before, but their cause deserves all of the attention it can get. This is an ideal time to feature senior cats, as November is Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month.
Yesterday, we looked at steps one can take to relax a shy senior cat in a shelter or rescue. Today, let us list some of the benefits of adopting a senior cat.
- Senior cats have been using a litter box for years, reducing the risk of "accidents."
- Senior cats can be just as healthy as younger cats. They may need two regular vet visits per year instead of just one, and it is a good idea to have blood panels done, but by and large a healthy cat is a healthy cat.
- By the time a cat reaches 7 years old and is considered a senior, her personality is established. In other words, a senior cat is not going to be a laid back lap cat one day and decide to be a curtain-climbing hellion the next. Kittens and young adults need a couple of years to cycle through their phases before their true nature dominates.
- Senior cats are often turned in, rather than found running stray. This allows shelter staff to get background information that can be insightful: Does the cat get along with other animals? Has she been around children? What is her veterinary history?
- A senior is a good companion for a senior. Senior pets can be good matches for the lifestyles of senior people. They can also become good friends to other senior pets in the home (unlike a kitten that would torment an older pet with its playful shenanigans).
- You, the adopter, are definitely saving a life. Most people overlook senior cats because they do not have as many years left as kittens (which is true) and because they are shy in their kennels (because most of them came from homes to the shelter and are nervous and/or depressed). If the cat is not adopted, it is at an increased risk of mental or physical breakdown. By adopting a senior, you are ensuring that it will live out its life in a home rather than a cage.
Humane Society of Rome (HSR) has several spectacular seniors in need of loving homes. Please take a moment to view the slide show and meet them. Maybe you can help us congratulate these kitties as we do Cleo, Orion and Maggie Mae on finding their forever homes. At HSR, all senior adoptions are at a reduced price, and, in the case of sisters Daisy and Minnie, you can adopt two cats for the fee of one.
