Responsible pet ownership starts at the point you make the decision to welcome a new pet into your home and life. Owning a pet is a long-term commitment. You need to think about whether you have a suitable home and lifestyle and question whether you have the required time, energy and money to own a pet. Thinking about these points will help you gauge whether you are ready to have and if so, what kind of pet. Making the right decisions early will ultimately ensure that you and your dog or cat, are happier in the long run.
The Lost Dogs’ Home regularly receives updates from adoptees on how well their furry friends are settling into their new homes. Recently we received an email from Michael Rochman and his partner, who are the very proud owners of a stunning ginger feline they called Millie. As you are about to read, the pair demonstrated responsible pet ownership when they decided from the outset that the temperament of an adult cat would best suit their lifestyle.
My partner and I were looking for a cat and we decided to adopt from The Lost Dogs’ Home. We admittedly didn’t have the energy to take on a kitten, so we decided to give a loving and caring home to a mature cat that was at least three-years-old. Above all else, we felt it would be rewarding to give a grown cat a second chance, especially considering kittens are more popular among people looking for a cat.
We created a shortlist from the website and a cat named Jemima was admittedly down the bottom. In her profile, she was described as a loving and sweet cat, though during desexing, the vet noticed that she had an unusual set of reproductive organs and there was a chance that she could still go on heat down the track. If this occurred, The Lost Dogs’ Home assured potential adopters that they would conduct whatever surgery was required free of charge.
It is forgivable to instantly think “we’ll avoid that” when considering a cat to adopt, and we can’t deny feeling the same way initially as we had recently had to put our previous cat to sleep due to severe epilepsy. However, we then read a story about Jemima on the Home’s website, which mentioned that she had been mysteriously overlooked for a number of months. Staff were concerned she was becoming quieter; and that a once loving and sweet cat was starting to lose her spark due to prolonged periods in her cage waiting to be adopted.
Our heart melted after reading the story and we decided that, if she seemed happy with us, we would adopt her. When we approached her cage, she came up lovingly for a pat and seemed instantly attracted and interested in us. Without a moment of further consideration, we said “We’ll take her.”
The wonderful staff at The Lost Dogs’ Home seemed so happy that we were offering a new home to a wonderful cat that was overlooked up until that point. All we can say now is that it is one of the best decisions we made in our lives.
Jemima instantly took to her new home and showed love, affection, playfulness and joy. We renamed her Millie after a few days.
Millie could arguably be the best cat in history. Other cat-lovers will understand what we’re talking about when we mention her many positive traits:
• She does not wake us in the morning with meowing or a paw patting our face.
• She does not beg for food – she just grazes as she pleases.
• She loves going outside but never strays far.
• She doesn’t beg for attention, but melts when you give it.
• She doesn’t mind being patted or even picked up while eating. She pauses until you are out of affection then goes back to eating.
• She doesn’t miss the litter tray.
• She doesn’t get in your way when you’re trying to do something.
• She comes in at night time when it’s getting late and you want her inside without a fuss.
• She is never a trouble.
• She is loving and full of friendliness, companionship and wonder.
We are completely happy about the fact that we chose her and look forward to many years of fun and joy ahead.
We hope that others will read this and consider giving a loving, mature cat a new home, even if the wonderful and honest staff at the Home mention some issue that can be easily dealt with. Millie certainly has nested and will receive all the happiness and comfort that we can provide. Thank you The Lost Dogs’ Home – you are a wonderful team who do wonderful and often unrecognised work.
We are grateful that Michael and his partner chose to adopt lovely Millie from The Lost Dogs’ Home and thank them for sharing their heart-warming and informative story.
To find out more on owning a pet check out our Cat Handbook or Dog Handbook
Once you’ve done that, why not take The Lost Dogs’ Home Pet Licence test and also consider adopting yourself?
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