It's Spring, and for many animal shelters, breeders, and animal lovers alike, Spring is baby animal season! Whether it’s kittens, puppies, or even more exotic critters, there’s no shortage of cute, fluffy animals to ooh and aww over. If you’re looking for a pet, it makes it an exciting time with seemingly endless options.
Besides the cute factor, though, what are some things to consider? Are all sources of animals the same?
You can check out our two-part series on knowing if a pet is right for you and how to prepare financially for a pet for some great information on the introspection stage—but what if you’ve done your homework and are ready to bring home Puppy or Kitty?
One of the most important decisions you’ll make is where you get your new friend from. The three most common options are to adopt from a shelter or buy a pet from a breeder. Sometimes, though, you might end up with a chance to rescue an animal. After all, we've all seen the free-to-a-good home puppies, or cats left to fend for themselves in need of a Good Samaritan.
Which option is right for you?
Let's look at rescuing, adopting, and buying from a breeder.
Rescue: Due to the overpopulation of cats and dogs, it can be surprisingly easy to find pets for little to no money upfront. The danger in this is that these animals will often end up costing you the most in medical bills for things like spay or neuter surgery, vaccines, and potentially for cuts and bruises from being out on their own. If you don’t have experience with the animal in question, you also risk running into behavioral issues you may not be equipped to handle, putting undue stress on you and your furry friend both. If you’re an experienced pet owner or ready to put in the work to learn, however, rescuing your pet can be one of the most emotionally satisfying ways to form a lifelong bond, and rescues often live long, happy lives. Anecdotally, my first family cat was a rescue cat who was purposefully left behind when her family moved. It took weeks to earn her trust, but she was one of the most loyal, loving cats I've ever met to this day!
Adopt: Many people prefer using shelters for their variety of pet options and ease of access to vet care. You also often get insight into the pets’ personality before bringing them home from the shelter or rescues staff. An extra bonus is that your adoption not only frees space for another animal in need, but directly funds the care of the other animals in the shelter. Still, it can be easy to be sticker shocked by shelter prices. It's understandable, but it makes sense when you consider how much money the shelter puts into the animal. Even if they charge several hundred dollars, between vet care (which includes multiple rounds of vaccinations, spay or neuter surgery, flea and tick preventatives, and as-needed medical procedures), rent or mortgage on the shelter building, utilities, and the cost of housing and feeding the animal, shelters actually rarely cover the cost of caring for the animal. That's also why so many depend on the generosity of donations to function! Shelter pets have all of the love and loyalty of a pet that's been rescued, but they've had a helping hand to get back on their feet -- meaning you can come in and just offer them the peace of a home.
Buy: What if you don’t feel equipped to handle the potential realities of a rescue pet? It’s OK to adopt straight from a breeder! Many ethical breeders will not breed a litter until they have enough interest to ensure that each animal bred goes to a good home and doesn’t contribute to the overpopulation of shelters. In addition, many breeders are making great strides in improving the genetics of their chosen breeds to the point that some have even helped eliminate certain genetic diseases.
The big caveat is to be careful not to be taken advantage of by pet stores or puppy/kitten mills. Mills are different than ethical breeders and are known for their inhumane breeding operations that produce pets for profit, rather than the animal’s health and wellbeing. Pet stores almost exclusively get puppies and kittens from such mills. As long as your breeder is ethical and legitimate, though, they're a great way to find a healthy animal with desirable traits and physical features. Of course, ethical breeding takes a lot of work and money, so the price tends to reflect that and make it the most expensive option. However, a truly ethical breeder will have accreditation from their animals’ organizations (CFA or TICA for cat breeders, AKC for dog breeders, etc.) and register each litter with the organization, have health certificates and proof of vaccination from their vets, and offer a wealth of knowledge on any breed-specific behaviors and potential health problems. Most will also take the pet back if you end up unable to keep them for any reason. That makes breeders a valuable resource!
All in all, there's plenty of ways to come by your new best friend! Whether you're choosing the pet or the pets choosing you, they certainly make wonderful friends and members of the family for just about any stage of life.
Do you plan to have pets during your retirement? Do you already have them? Visit AZTEC’s social media on Facebook or LinkedIn and let us know!