Commonly Overlooked Pet at Animal Shelters Unveils the Heartbreaking Reality of Adoption

When I first adopted my rescue cats, I was in the market for a kitten. I figured that was how it worked when you got a new pet—you get a baby one, so it can grow up with you. And though we do love the kitten (now fully adult cat) we ended up adopting, our entire household agrees that we got the best deal of all, because we not only brought that kitten home with us…we also adopted her mother.

Every year, animal shelters are inundated with homeless puppies and kittens, as well as the homeless mothers who gave birth to them. And though it’s relatively easy to adopt out the adorable babies these poor moms have painstakingly borne, nursed, and weaned — the mothers often struggle to find new families long after their children have gone to their forever homes.

For my family, we were told that we were not good candidates for adoption of a kitten because we had never had a cat anymore, and they preferred to either adopt kittens in pairs or sent them to a home with an adult cat. Two kittens, two kids, and a pandemic sounded like more work than I wanted to take on, but I had a brainstorm. I could get an adult cat—the baby’s mom.

Related: Stray Mother Dog and Her Pups Instantly Trust Woman Who Came To Save Them

It was the best decision we ever made. There are a ton of benefits to adopting a mama cat, and I now recommend the practice to everyone. Not only did our sweet mama cat keep the baby kitten in line, making sure she practiced good litter box manners and always used the scratching posts instead of our furniture or curtains, but she also blossomed into the most lovable, affectionate, and grateful cat, with a purr that will make your heart melt, and the softest fur I’ve ever touched. Even lifelong cat-haters have fallen madly in love with her.

And to think we could have missed out on her because we were so obsessed with the idea of a kitten!

Other Animals Overlooked At Shelters

New moms aren’t the only animals that often end up languishing at shelters. Anyone who has worked in animals rescue will tell you that black dogs and cats are often harder to place than pets of other colors, but whether this is due to superstitions about the animals being “bad luck” or just because it’s very hard to get a good photo of animals with black fur (I’ve got a black cat. Can confirm), is uncertain. In many instances, breeds like Pit Bulls or larger dogs in general are harder to regime due to residential laws and also personal prejudice. And the preference for puppies and kittens doesn’t just leave their mamas without homes—it’s harder for senior pets to be adopted as well.

Older Pets Need Love Too

In many cases, senior pets are ignored because there is fear of how much their vet bills might cost, though babies have vet bills too. (Spaying costs a fortune!) Other times, people get emotional about how few years they may have with the pet. But speaking as someone who lost a young dog to cancer, you never know how much time you’ll have with your furry friend.

Often, however, the prejudice exists simply because the idea of “get a new dog or cat” is so strongly associated with “get a new puppy or kitten.” But there are so many benefits to getting a senior, or even just an adult dog or cat. They are usually past their juvenile misbehavior and are probably calmer in demeanor, with less need for constant activity. They also usually exhibit some level of basic training, such as being housebroken and knowing the usual commands. Getting an older dog can mean bypassing all the headaches of a frantic, untrained puppy.

We suspect our mama was only a year or two old when she came to us, which means we still have many years left to enjoy her.

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