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There is something about those wide eyes and cute
little faces that make puppies and kittens irresistible, and it’s
why many people choose a baby animal when they decide to get a new
pet. But, is a baby pet the right choice for your family?
 Nancy
Nancy knew that she wanted a mature-aged dog. She
lived on a property 20 minutes from town in a rented house and she
worked full-time. She also had a bothersome possum, so she thought
an older dog would get to work immediately on any furry
housebreakers. Two weeks later Nancy found Boof, a golden Labrador
aged six years old. He was well trained, house trained and seemed to
have a good bark for scaring possums away. Boof loved his new home,
became friends with the possum and found peace at the end of Nancy’s
bed. It was a match made in heaven.
Jemma
Jemma is animal mad, but was renting so she was
unsure about taking on the commitment of a pet. “We had a long-term
rental, but I wasn’t sure about taking on a kitten even though our
landlord said we could. As it happened a friend of mine was moving
and she had inherited a cat called Nanny (it was very old!), and
Nanny needed a new home. Nanny had been a feral cat and was
‘owner-ised’ by a guy who looked after her for some years before she
went to live with my friend. Nanny was unusual. Being a cat lover, I
found her to be really peaceful, although very sensitive. She had
all the symptoms of an older cat so you had to be around to help her
out sometimes. Having Nanny made me aware how much I missed having
cats and so through friends I later got a fluffy kitten that was the
opposite of Nanny. Thankfully they liked each other.”
Andrea
Andrea has three kids aged five to 12 and the
family had been through a divorce and relocation. “I wanted to give
my kids something special to care about. I suppose it was a whim and
I now warn people to be prepared, but we brought home a cute little
Jack Russell Terrier. Oh! What a handful! We attended puppy
preschool together, but I really wasn’t prepared for the extra work
involved. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t been so rash, but then you watch
your children having ‘moments’ with the animal and you know
everything is as it should be.”
David
David knew he wanted a puppy. “I grew up with
animals and I wanted to form the bond for as many years as
possible,” he says. David works from home in a downstairs office,
which is also home to a lot of computer hardware. “I wanted a dog
that would be a good guard dog but also a valuable companion to me
and my friends.” David didn’t mind spending the extra time training
his Rottweiler, Benny, who is often described as a ‘big goo’.
 Maria
Maria is 63 years old and had lost her much-loved
Dalmatian, Woo Who. Maria couldn’t bear to buy another dog,
especially one of the same breed because she didn’t want to replace
Woo Who. She was also concerned about the commitment involved in
starting out with another pup. Her daughter, however, heard of a
Staffy cross called Lucy that needed a home. Her owner was a young
man and he wanted to travel, so Lucy spent a trial weekend with
Maria to see how things worked out. Lucy is probably not the sort of
dog that Maria would have chosen, but they somehow seemed to need
each other at the right time and have been the best of friends ever
since.
Elizabeth.
“My children are quite young and I’d never had a
dog before,” says Elizabeth. “I didn’t want to get a puppy and then
fail miserably. My friend worked at a shelter so I was encouraged to
look for a dog there. When we arrived, we had to walk through the
cat area to get to the dogs and that’s when the kids saw Fuzz, a
fluffy ginger kitten with big round eyes. That was the end of dog
hunting which in a way was a big relief for me. Fuzz has adapted
really well to our house and the kids simply love him and enjoy
looking after him.” |
