A Second Chance 

Authored by Nicole Batts

Point of View: You’re looking to add a furry friend to the family, so naturally a kitten or puppy are your first ideas. You go to a local shelter or rescue foundation and see all of the young cats and young dogs jumping around, and immediately gravitate to them.  

What about that dog who can’t quite jump as high or run as fast as the rest of the puppies? Or that cat whose purr is just a little calmer than the kittens’? 

When looking for a lifelong companion, a senior pet isn’t always our first thought, but they deserve as much love and can be exceptional pets. Unfortunately, senior pets often remain longer at animal shelters and rescue groups, due to potential adoptive families’ worries that health and behavioral problems may develop. I’ve been there personally and am happy to say that the opposite was true. 

When I made the decision to adopt Princess, a senior cat, I knew our time together would be shorter, but I also knew I could give her the ‘golden years’ she most definitely deserved. My biggest worry was how to make the remainder of her life as fulfilling as possible. 

In 2019, through a series of unfortunate events, a stunning, loving older cat named Princess came to stay permanently at Companion Pet Hospital. Although I had met her during previous visits to the hospital in the past, having her here full time gave me the opportunity to see how much life she had left in her. It didn’t take long before I decided she was going to live out her days with my family. She did have some health issues, but that only made me feel better about giving her a loving home.  

Princess also came with some unexpected bonuses because of her senior status:  

• She already knew her way around a litter box 
• I didn’t have to wait for her to grow up to find out what her personality and temperament would turn out to be  

• She enjoyed quiet alone time  

• She was already spayed  

• She was already accustomed to being groomed  

• Being transported in her cat carrier wasn’t a new obstacle  

For the next year and a half, Princess lived out her dream of eating cream cheese, getting an entire bed to herself and having more cat toys than she knew what to do with. She was the addition to my family that was unplanned but entirely necessary.   My time with Princess taught me a lot about the magic of senior pets. If you are considering bringing one into your life, here are my top tips for life with a senior pet: 

• Make sure they have a nice comfy bed as some of the older pets can have arthritis
• Check in with your veterinarian about which senior diet and/or supplements would be best
• Multiple water bowls is always a good idea
• An easily accessible bathroom space (low litter box or flat yard space) will help tremendously

Eventually Princess became too tired, and it was time for our journey together to end. The footprint she left on our hearts was a deep and rewarding one.

  Adopting a senior pet can be a difficult choice knowing that the inevitable will happen sooner rather than later. You can find comfort knowing that you are giving that animal a second chance to be loved, give love and live their life to the fullest. It is a decision that is greatly rewarding for everyone involved.

Adopting a senior pet may require more dedication depending on if there are any health issues but having them live out their golden years in a loving home is well worth it.