This week is Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week, brought to us by Petfinder. Black pets, Deaf pets, FIV positive cats, Puppy mill dogs, there is a long list of criteria that shelter workers find tend to make pets less adoptable to the public, even though they are wonderful animals. In honor of this week, I’m going to highlight a few “less-adoptable” or “more-loveable” pets you can find at our local shelters!
Here’s to you, Bella! This wonderful young pup is only 10 months old- so why is she on my list? She’s black, she’s a pitbull/husky mix, and she’s been in the shelter for a while. She simply doesn’t show very well because she is so excited to play, and comes off too strong. Plus, with the misconceptions about pitbulls, she finds it hard to attract someone who will love her for the rest of her life. So if you are interested in a younger dog who would love to play all day with you, go to the Dubuque Humane Society and ask to see Bella (Lady)!
Hats off to you, Pat! Coonhounds don’t tend to get adopted very quickly around here unless they are very well trained. Pat is an older coonhound, about 8 years old, and the shelter doesn’t have a lot of information on her. She too has been looking for her forever home for a while- almost 4 months, actually. Find her at the Dubuque Humane Society.
Then there’s Baby. Baby is a 2 year old tiger shorthair cat who was adopted as a kitten and then brought back to the Dubuque Humane Society as an adult because the new baby was allergic to her. Adult cats just can’t compete with kittens- kittens tend to fly into homes, while adult cats have a harder time finding a home to love them forever. Adult cats have a lot of advantages- many times they are already litter-trained, they have less of a scratching desire a lot of times (although they do need to have a scratching post or pad if they have claws), and they are often quieter and calmer than kittens, which could make for an awesome lap cat!
Other cats that tend to have trouble getting adopted are the teenage cats. The Dubuque Humane Society has a whole room called Kitty City that right now is full of cats about 5 months to about 8 months, I think. My son and I went to visit them yesterday, and he had a blast picking them up and snuggling them, letting them leap on and off his back, and exploring their wonderful ramps and toys with them. All of them were very well-behaved and tolerant of my toddler. If you’re in the market for a cat or know someone who is, I would highly recommend checking these guys out- they are keepers!
Disclaimer: My foster kitties are not “less adoptable pets” as they are only about 9 or 10 weeks old by now, but there are three still at the shelter! Amigo, Aries, and Argos have a plexi-glass cage in the Critter Room at the shelter to play in. Amigo is a spunky orange tiger who likes to take his time before loving on you, and Aries and Argos are both super out-going, super friendly kittens. Aries is my son’s favorite- they love snuggling with each other and playing together! Argos is black, but don’t let his coloring dissuade you- he will keep you laughing as he races from one end of your house to the next!
So the take-home message this week is to get out there- visit your local shelter, and keep an open mind. Hidden inside that dog who’s bark-bark-barking at the fence when you approach could be a wonderful family companion who is ever grateful to you for a forever home. Lenny is that “less-adoptable” dog, and he’s currently laying at my feet in a home that would never be as complete without him.