Let’s Celebrate “Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet” Week

By Lauren Puckett

On average, cats spend 55 days in shelters before they’re adopted. That’s according to a 2020 study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. The study showed that socialization levels and age had an effect on each cat’s length of stay.

Adult cats and dogs, and especially seniors, and other animals perceived to be less desirable are the focus of Adopt a Less Adoptable Pet Week. Celebrated the third week of September, the week shines a light on animals that remain in foster care or shelters longer than they should.

“Less adoptable” pets may include those that are older, have special needs, and even look or behave a certain way. In the study mentioned above, for each additional year of age, it took cats an average of 3.7 more days to get adopted. Behavior also affected length of stay. Interactive cats stayed an average of 36.9 days, while approachable and unapproachable cats took 50.8 days and 118.7 days on average, respectively.

But, factors like age and even initial behavior don’t necessarily matter in the long run.

6 Reasons to Adopt a “Less Adoptable” Pet

That pet might already be trained: Less adoptable pets are often older, which means they are more likely to be housebroken and understand common training cues than puppies or kittens.

An older pet shows its true personality: Adoption applicants are often looking to adopt a kitten – but a kitten’s personality isn’t established until it reaches maturity.

“If you want a certain disposition (e.g. a lap cat), foster families can tell you much more about adult cat personalities than kittens,” says HSLC Adoptions Coordinator, Kathy Janiga.

Your lifestyle might be a match: Less adoptable pets often have special needs – and those needs could be a fit for your lifestyle. Maybe you live alone and have the time to devote to a pet with medical needs. Or maybe you have a big family who can take on a high-energy animal. There are lots of possibilities for perfect-match situations.

That pet has lots of love to give: The longer an animal spends in a shelter or foster home, the more grateful they’ll be when they do find a loving home.

That pet needs a loving home: Less adoptable pets have likely been at animal shelters or in foster homes for a long time. At the same time, they have often had difficult pasts, and are more in need of a loving home than many.

You can help other animals: Shelter overcrowding is a real problem, and foster homes can be hard to come by. By adopting a less adoptable pet, you’re freeing up space and resources and helping other animals in the process.

So this week, let’s celebrate those less adoptable pets. And when you’re ready to bring a new pet into your life, consider adopting that senior dog or cat, or the one with special needs. Because that “less adoptable” animal may just become your best friend!

Looking to be the hero in an overlooked animal’s life? Check out our adoptable animals.