Share the Love by Adopting a Pet

My wife didn’t grow up with pets, so one of the unspoken promises after we decided to get married was that after we became homeowners we’d become pet owners. There were always cats around my house growing up (and the occasional dog), so it was no big deal to me.

When the time had come for the big trip to the Humane Association, my wife couldn’t be happier. We first went to the store to buy a few pet supplies (we knew we were going for two cats), like a litter box, cat food, and a cute little food bowl with fish painted on it.

After arriving at the animal shelter, we became quite overwhelmed with all of our options. As one may expect, there are a lot of animals out there that need loving homes. We went to the cat section of the facility and began taking the felines out of their cages and playing with them to see if they’d be a good fit.

My wife had done some research online and really wanted to get two sister cats. Since we work days and the house is empty, we wanted to make sure the two furry critters liked each other and could keep each other busy while the adults were away.

Sadly, that day there were no sister cats to be had. So we made a plan to return in a week.

The next time, there was a newly admitted litter of six. We went in the room where the sextuplets were playing and soon found two who would be perfect. After a few minutes of playing, we knew the ones we wanted, told the fine folks we’d being going home with them, and my wife was very happy.

You have to fill out some brief paperwork, just so the Humane Association knows you’re not mean or will ignore the animal or want to bring it back in a week. It’s really not that big of a deal. Then, we paid for our cats (adoption fees vary; cats are cheaper than dogs; we also suggest making an additional donation), put them in the car, and went home.

Obviously, caring for these animals require more than the 49 minutes and two trips it took to get them, but we don’t mind. Pets require attention, love, feeding, and vet visits, but ask any pet owner: the rewards are myriad.

The adoption process is easy and fun, and you get a lifetime of rewards.