Pets · by Angel Reyes · 2026-10-18
Adopted a senior pet last year. Things I wish I'd known first
Last year I adopted a 10-year-old dog from a shelter and it's honestly been one of the best decisions I've made. That said, I went in a little naive about vet costs and how much slower the routine would be. Senior pets need more patience in some ways, but they also come with this settled calm that's lovely to live with. For anyone who's adopted an older animal, what do you wish someone had told you?
64 sparks · 19 comments
Comments
Ethan Brooks · 13 likes
Prepare yourself that the time together may be shorter. it hurts but every bit of it was worth it
Quiet Noodle · 5 likes
this is the hard part. we had 3 years with ours and I'd do it again tomorrow
Felix Weber · 11 likes
Get some rugs or runners if you have hard floors. older dogs slip a lot
Maja Wiśniewska · 12 likes
ours walks only on the rug path now like it's lava
Tomás Gómez · 10 likes
The calm is real. no chewed shoes, no 3am zoomies, just a buddy who wants to nap with you
Cedar Marauder · 9 likes
Senior cats are so underrated too. adopted a 12 year old and she runs the house
Marco Conti · 4 likes
of course she does, it's her house now
Noah Miller · 5 likes
Learn their quirks. mine had certain habits from his old life that took time to understand
Irene López · 6 likes
poor thing. patience goes a long way
Tola Ibrahim · 3 likes
the mystery of the previous life. ours is scared of brooms, no idea why
Oussama Alaoui · 0 likes
Budget for vet bills. not to scare anyone off, just plan for it and you'll enjoy them so much more
Bianca Santos · 5 likes
pet insurance for older pets can be pricey or have exclusions, read the small print
Priya Nair · 0 likes
we put a bit aside every month instead, worked better for us
Aarav Sharma · 0 likes
Took about two months for mine to really settle and show her personality. dont judge the first few weeks
Lina Al Harbi · 4 likes
the 3-3-3 rule people talk about seemed pretty accurate for us
Cozy Runner · 0 likes
thank you for adopting an older one. shelters have so many and they often get overlooked
Maya Williams · 2 likes
it was honestly the best thing, I'd tell anyone to consider it