When looking for a cat, or any pet, most of us want a baby. Why? Because they are cute, that much is obvious. But, with a kitten you never know the personality you will end up with, what they don’t fit your family?
Jill Williams, web content manager for Best Friends Animal Society, and her family were looking for a kitty. She and her husband already have two young children and three dogs, so she was looking for a tolerant cat that liked kids and wouldn’t mind the dogs.
A Diamond in the Rough
Williams was drawn to a young, healthy cat with caramel-colored eyes. But she also knew the young kitties got adopted quicker than any others, so she was hoping to give a home to a cat that normally got over-looked.
Then there was Dexter.
Scrawny, rough-coated, and suffering from poor nutrition and a significant heart murmur, twenty-year-old dexter was nothing special to look at. He is even black-and-white, one of the most common and least desirable colors.
But Williams couldn’t ignore him. Literally. Dexter was making sure she knew he was available by weaving in and out of her feet and meowing loudly.
A bit hesitant about taking in a senior cat with two lively boys and three dogs at home, Williams just couldn’t turn him away.
The Best Things Come in Unusual Packaging
Before bringing him home, she prepped her kids telling them they needed to be gentle and calm with the elderly cat.
Dexter didn’t meet Williams’s expectations.
He blew them away.
An instant fit, he immediately took the boys, spending his days snuggling and playing with them. When they are playing, Dexter is right there with them – lying on the floor wagging his tail or resting his head on the boys’ laps while they play.
Dexter’s favorite activity is snuggling. Some of his favorite positions including curling up in their arms, rubbing his head or body up against them, and turning over for a belly-rub.
Super Seniors
Any of the fears Williams had about bringing an older cat into her home were completely dispelled.
“I love this cat so much; I’ve never had a cat who was this friendly,” says Williams.
What many people do not think about is that a senior pet has takes some of the guesswork out of adopting a new family member.
You could get a kitten that ends up not liking kids, or isn’t friendly and hides all the time. With a senior, you can tell their personality and they just seem more loving than a younger cat.
It could just be because they are older and slowing down, they are more likely to enjoy cuddling than destroying your drapes.
However, it does seem like it’s more than that; like senior cats are just more appreciative of their new home and the love you have to give them.
Learn more about Best Friends’ Love Is Ageless adoption promotion, and find a loving senior pet of your own.
