Pierre: Did you know that November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month? My vet called me a senior cat, but I sure don’t feel like one, and there are lots of other cats out there who feel the same way, too.
It isn’t unusual to find senior cats at shelters because their owners can no longer care for them. Some senior cats have lived their whole lives in a home and are frightened or confused in a shelter or rescue, which makes them seem like less appealing pets at first glance, but senior cats can be wonderful companions.
Want to know why? Here’s just ten reasons:
- Most senior cats are already spayed or neutered, so that’s one less trip to the vet you need to make with your new friend.
- With seniors, you know what you will get. Their personality is already set, not evolving. If they’re cuddly now, you know they aren’t going to outgrow their cuddly phase once they hit cat puberty.
- Senior cats are less destructive than kittens who still have to go through the holy terror stage.
- Got kids? Senior cats less fragile than little kittens who are more likely to be injured by unintentionally rough handling by well-meaning children who are just learning to interact with cats.
- Seniors who come from previous homes already understand the rules for living in a house with a family, including already being litter trained.
- There are senior cats of just about every breed you might want available through breed-specific rescue groups.
- Want a chilled-out kitty? Seniors are happy to spend more time relaxing instead of having bouts of the kitten crazies. A senior may be the perfect lap cat you’ve been looking for.
- Senior cats can be the perfect companions for senior humans because they’re less demanding and needy than kittens but provide companionship.
- Your senior cat may come with information that can help you make a decision that fits your family, like whether she is good with dogs, children, or even other cats. That can otherwise make for difficult trial and error.
- Cats are considered seniors (by the American Association of Feline Practitioners) from age 11 – 14, but many cats live into their late teens or even their 20s. A cat can be a senior and still love you for many, many years!
This is all so true, but I have to differ on #3 – at 14, Binga causes WAY more trouble than I do! But then, she is a tortie, and also an exception to the senior rules.
So true… when Alex turned a senior he had the best years of his life and we did too with him…
Pierre, thanks for sharing these things about senior cats. You’re right…seniors can make the best pets and we hope humans will give them a chance.
Thanks for getting this message out, Pierre. It’s always heartbreaking when hearing about people turning in their senior cats to shelters for whatever reason.
You’re preaching to the choir here. We love seniors!
p.s. You look so handsome. You look so young for a senior kitty!
WHAT A WONDERFUL POST!! MOM AND DAD HAVE ALWAYS SAID IF THEY EVER ADOPTED ANOTHER KITTY IT WOULD BE A SENIOR.
I TOLD THEM THEY ALREADY HAD A SENIOR CAT…ME
HUGS MADI YOUR BFFF
These are great reasons to adopt a senior cat! 🙂
Wonderful advice, Pierre, and such an important message. Prior to Truffles the last 3 cats I adopted were 8+ years old!
there is a handsome 7 year old boy at our local shelter….mom spent some time on Tuesday just sitting and scritching his ears 🙂
Spot on guys! Except some sof Norsled are abandoned so it is. Ot possible to know their history with kids, dogs, other cats etc. but kindness, love and patience will surely help humans learn quickly. What a PAWSOME post! Senior Rescue Totally Rocks!
We know this is so true. Although technically Abby wasn’t a senior when we adopted her she was 2 weeks shy of being 6. So she was middle aged. We agree about adopting older cats. As much as we love to oooo and ahhhhh over kittens we would never adopt one unless they adopted us by default. We’re not looking for any adoptions! MOL
pierre….eye am de senior in de familee…. N eye dunno bout ewe…. but eye am STILL WAITIN on me social secatity chex……arent we s’posed ta get that at this age ?? yea…..
boomer ♥
I am a senior now and I have never been better.
You are so right seniors make loving pets.
Sis Lexi is pawsum and weez kuldn’t magine what it wuld be like fur her to be in a shelter at hers age. She wuld be terrified. But she is da bestest senior evew. Gweat posty.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
I am all for senior cats! Of course, I am one myself.
I’m glad you posted those stats cos TW keeps saying I’m a senior and the oldest I can be is 10. I’ll never be a lap cat and I’m totally needy. MOL! My peeps would never adopt a kitten but they’re a bit afraid of adopting a senior cos of medical bills and stuff.
Thanks for getting this message out, Pierre !
You are so right seniors make loving pets <3
My "Grandpa´s" cat Gustav is over 15 uears old but he still knows how to play with toy´s 🙂
XOXO
Excellent post touting the benefits of senior cat adoption. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
Wonderful post. Have tweeted it 🙂
Purrs xx
Athena and Marie
Wonderful information, except for #4 *not so much*. Kids need to be supervised, taught, and absolutely restricted from “rough handling” of ANY cat or kitten. And senior cats, just like senior humans, can be MORE fragile. HANDLE WITH CARE AND CARING, or not at all.
Hey dere Pierre. Ah am da elder here an ah thinkin that dis post is all dat. All dat an more in fact my cat.
Yessir
Buddy Budd