Puppies and Kittens are Cute, But.........

Puppies and kittens are impossible to resist. Few people can look at a litter of squirmy, pudgy puppies and not squeak, "aaah". Try walking by the adoption windows in the League's main lobby and not be drawn to the kittens playing, bathing, sleeping or doing anything kitten-like. It is impossible.


Kittens and puppies are cute. They are adorable. The are sooooooooooooooooo precious. And, they grow up. FAST. A cute, adorable, precious 8 week old kitten will morph into a gangly teenager in 4 months, and mature into a full-fledged adult by her first birthday! Those cuddly puppies can be little terrors. Until they are totally housebroken, expect regular accidents. And, don't leave a backpack on the floor unattended -- that is just a BIG chew toy to a curious pup.


I am not saying that puppies and kittens are bad. I'm just saying that they grow up fast and before they do, they are really, really needy and can be more destructive than an annoying little brother!

And, did you know that lots of those cute kittens and puppies are cast-off and left at animal shelters when they are no longer cute and cuddly? We have rooms full of really great adult dogs and cats just waiting for their forever homes. People leave them at shelters saying things like, "I didn't know he would grow to be so big," or "I really only wanted a kitten, not a cat". Can you imagine?

The great thing about adopting a full-grown cat or dog is that you know just exactly who you are getting -- no surprises. The big shepherd is done growing, no second guessing how big he'll be. And that pretty calico cat is not running up your leg; she is calm and friendly and really loves sitting on you lap.

Sometimes shelters get litters of kittens or puppies and get the mom cat or dog, too. Do you see a reoccurring theme here? DISPOSABLE SOCIETY! The Play Station is old, get Play Station 2! The dog and her puppies are a lot of work, get rid of them all. The kitten grew into a cat -- trade her in for a smaller model. One by one the kittens or puppies go home, and the mother cats and dogs stay, waiting patiently for someone to finally say "I really want to adopt an adult".

The Washington Animal Rescue League operates an adoption center with many, many wonderful cats and dogs waiting for new forever homes. We work hard to match animals with people, so that all concerned -- people and animals -- are happy. Sometimes that does not happen.

A co-worker told me that one of our cats was "returned" today. I went to see the cat -- an adorable young brown tabby with a cottony white belly. The cat looked good to me -- he did not shrink in the wash, his size looked to be right and he chased a toy the way a cat should. Was it that the people didn't like him? I returned a pair of boots to Macy's and pair of pants to Target because neither was quite right -- but returning a cat? Adopting an animal should be a careful, well-planned decision. A cat or dog becomes a family member the moment the adopter signs the contract.

I'm glad the people brought the cat back to the League where he will be loved and cared for until a real forever home can be found. That was the right thing to do once they decided that they did not want to keep him forever. But, what makes someone think they want to live with a cat, go through the process of choosing an animal only to change their mind after everything is already said and done and the cat has already moved in and is at home? I return mistaken clothing purchases to clothing stores but my animals are mine -- -- forever.