Animal Adoption Vs. Buying at a Store
Personal Experience
As a proud owner of two abandoned kitties I am proud to say that they were both adopted. I found my male cat Tuni at a local shelter. I remember it was a very snowy day, and I wandered into the shelter discovering a young skinny black cat peering at me with big green eyes from behind his cage. I noticed something very peculiar on the sign of his cage, Tuni only had three legs. I reached up to pet him and he rubbed on my hand like crazy. Needless to say I had to have him. I was very lucky too, because a lady came in right as I was filling out the adoption papers and asked for him. So I am glad I went to the desk when I did. Tuni is the most loving cat I have ever had. He is playful and loves to be held and snuggled. He comes when he is called and loves meeting new people.
Now my second cat is an entirely different story. I also found her on a snowy November day when I lived on a farm in Pennsylvania. I had walked out to get the mail when I heard a faint meowing. I walked down the farm road a bit and discovered a tiny little kitten lying in the driveway alone. I scooped her up and carried her into the house immediately. Thankfully she wasn't so young that she needed milk, but it took her time to gain some weight. I named her Boo and she is adorable. She has huge eyes and is still small despite being full grown. While she is skittish around other people, she is always cuddling up to me. It is not uncommon for a cat to have a strong bond with only one person.
I have to say that I would feel incomplete without my two kitties. They are a delight and make my family complete. I chose adoption over buying at a store, because I wanted to save some animals that otherwise wouldn't have a fighting chance. Because of the number of strays many shelters are not no-kill shelters. Most shelter have reasonable adoption fees and you will be saving not only the life of the animal you adopt, but also the space you open up in the shelter to save another.
Buying at a Pet Store or Breeder
Yes, if you go to a pet store you can buy an animal that has never had an owner and you can train it yourself. Sometimes the store will even sale the animals with their first shots. However, there are some things to consider. If you are buying from a store then you need to keep in mind that you may be supporting pet mills (You can google the specifics but they can be awful.) If you want a specific breed and are looking into a breeder you need to make sure that they are legit. There are a lot of people who get scammed and then the innocent animal pays the price by typically being abandoned.
Animal Adoption
The adoption process is very simple and beneficial to the animals. Always be sure that you can give a caring and healthy home for the animal involved. The benefits to adopting are that you can give an innocent animal a second chance. There are so many animals that have been abused or abandoned. Many animals innocent animals are killed each year simply because shelters do not have enough room. When you go to a shelter you can find an animal that is compatible with you.They are also usually already litter/bathroom trained.
Shelters have reasonable fees that cover the adoption and usually the shelter supplies free shots and/or a free neuter/spay. "Adoption limits impulse buys and child's presents since adopters are thoroughly screened, educated, and must fill out an application." However, ALWAYS MAKE SURE IT IS A REPUTABLE SHELTER. Some places have claimed to be shelters and they were con artists. You can find adoptable animals on petfinder.com and key in your local zip code.
