Forgot to mention - I recently dropped some kittens and their mother at the Worcester Rescue (someone abandoned them in front of the vet clinic). When I dropped them off, I asked the woman in charge what their chances were. She said they’d all be fixed the following Friday and would go up for adoption the day after. She said she could guarantee that the kittens would all be adopted before they closed on Saturday. The mother had a chance because she was still young. She said it was always the same with kittens and puppies - they stay long enough to get fixed and then they have a home. The good thing is that the money raised from adoption fees for kittens and puppies pays to take care of the adults.
Am I the only person who’d rather adopt an adult pet (relatively young, so I’ll have plenty of time with him/her) than a puppy/kitten? Sure, the “kids” are adorable, but I’ve raised enough of them to know how demanding that can get (especially with puppies), and tend to prefer a mature pet who’s calmed down a little.
I think what puts a lot of people off is the fear of the animal having issues from being maltreated before it came to you. Obviously the younger the animal, the less time it’s had to be mistreated by people.
I would suspect this would be more of an issue in adopting a dog than a cat, given that you don’t expect much (any) obedience from a cat.
After getting 3 puppies within the space of 15 months and dealing with puppy issues with all 3 of them - I can’t see myself ever adopting another dog under the age of 2. The primary reason we went with puppies this time was because I had no experience with dogs at all and I wanted the full experience (Potty training, obedience training, etc.) Now that I’ve been through it, I don’t feel the need (ever again please god). I’m way too lazy for puppies.
It is very definitely Linus who is unhappy about the new addition to the family. That’s been something of a surprise because he’s never minded too much when my parents visit with their dog.
Lily, or anyone else, is there a brand of dog food you’d recommend? As we’re new to this, we are certainly open to advice!
Thanks for the good wishes, everyone!
My experience is that Labs (and lab mixes) are “teenagers” for a longer stretch than most dogs. People don’t realize that they really do grow out of that phase, decide they’ve got a “bad” dog on their hands, and voila, another 1-year old Lab at the shelter.
2-year-old Labs are awesome. 
He looks like a winner. Good on you for giving him a home and a kid and some furniture to call his own.
He’s adorable!
For everyone wondering about the shelter pet shortage…Generally there are less homeless pets in the North. Our shelters down here are hemorrhaging with animals. Probably due to lower incomes and culture. No one around here raises an eyebrow at breeding EVERYTHING you can and chaining it in the front yard.
I just don’t get the lack of love for grown cats and dogs. Am I really that weird?