Banana
Male Guinea Pig
Our friendly team is always on hand to help you through the process or answer any questions but here are some things that you might want to think about before choosing to adopt.
Considerations before you adopt
There are a few things to consider before applying to adopt an animal from us.
- Do you own or rent your house? Renting is not a barrier to adopting but in order to proceed with an adoption we need to see a letter from your landlord or housing association to confirm you are allowed pets in your property. If you are able to, it’s always better to get this as soon as possible to make the adoption process as smooth as possible!
- Have you discussed the adoption with everyone at home? Adopting an animal is a big decision to make for any family so it’s important to make sure everyone is on board.
- Do you already have animals at home? Have you thought about how you’ll introduce your new family member? It’s important to be careful about making introductions between animals, particularly with cats, dogs and rabbits. Our team will guide you through the process and offer advice before and during, but it’s good to consider and research what this might look like.
- Will your lifestyle suit an animal? Every animal in our care requires a different approach but some have particular traits related to their breed or species. A young, active dog will like a lot of exercise for example, so would suit a home where they can be out and about a lot of the time, whereas an older dog might prefer to curl up and have some treats. Before adopting, it’s important to research some of these behaviours and levels of care needed so you can decide if you can provide appropriate amounts of enrichment and care.
- Have you made any plans for if you go on holiday? There are lots of different options on what you do whilst going on holiday including using a cattery, kennel or pet sitter. Have a search for local services so you can plan ahead.
- Have you researched what local veterinary services are available? Depending on the animal you are adopting, there’ll be different options when deciding which vet you should register your pet with. You don’t need to be able to drive, but researching which veterinary services are accessible and nearby is really important in case of an animal emergency.
- Are you aware of how much it might cost to care for an animal? Between paying for food, toys, equipment, vet bills, insurance and boarding fees – caring for an animal can get expensive! Exotic animals might also require particular levels of heating or lighting in their enclosures which will lead to an increase in utility bills. Make sure to do a little research as to other costs that might pop up so you can be prepared.
