Do You Prefer To Buy Pets Or Adopt Them?

Discussion in Pets started by akiii123 • Feb 2, 2015.

  1. akiii123

    akiii123Active Member

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    I am a great believer in adopting pets. Paying a great deal of amount just to buy a pet seems like a really bad thing to do when there are so many animals who are not having Shelter. What are your thoughts on this matter?
     
  2. 003

    003Well-Known Member

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    I really don't bother at all, but I think I'd rather have a pet adopted because it's cheaper than buying, especially if that pet is just gonna be given to you. But if it happens that I really like to have one and that there's no apparent one available, I'd just definitely buy one, provided that I have money and that the offer is good.
     
  3. May102014

    May102014Active Member

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    My dog was a gift I received from a good friend. He was only 2 weeks old when I had him. But between buying and adopting pets, I prefer adopting. There are a lot of pets in the shelter and they all need love and care. By adopting, you have actually saved a life.
     
  4. Mattenheimer

    MattenheimerNew Member

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    I also believe adopting pets is the best. Breeders can charge a very high price when you can find a dog or cat that really needs the home. Most shelters could really use the revenue from adopting out the pets much more than the breeder who sells dogs or cats at a thousand dollars a piece! Some of these animals have been there way to long, and end up having to leave us! :( I am a big believer in the adopting of animals.
     
  5. Kitty Reeves

    Kitty ReevesActive Member

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    Pretty much all of our cats came to us from people dumping them on our road. We did get one non stray cat, who was a kitten and originally from a pet store, that our cousin dumped on us. (She tried to take the now adult cat back two years later, but my mother refused.) The only time we adopted any cats, was when I was volunteering at the animal shelter and we adopted two "feral" cats that were set to be put down the next day. And guess what? Once out of the super stressful shelter environment, with minimal noise and lots of room to roam around, and toys of their own and a cat pan they actual fit in and people who gave them treats and gentle pets, they turned into the sweetest cats ever! Well, the black one was never super friendly, but she would let us gently pet her and would chill in the same room. The skinny grey tabby turned out to be the sweetest cat though. She bonded instantly with our old cat, and learned how to do everything from her. She was also one of the fastest cats we ever had! When that cat ran past, you didn't see the cat go by, you saw a grey blur. She was that insanely fast.

    But yes, all pets should be adopted. There is no need for breeding of animals anymore, and people only want pure breed animals as a "status" symbol. :cool:
     
  6. meenz

    meenzNew Member

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    I hate the idea of going to the store to buy a pet. These animals are treated very well already considering they're trying to sell them (so they have to keep them in the best shape possible), so there is a large chance someone else will happen along them and buy one. But why waste money, and lose the chance to help an animal in need? There are so many commercials about saving animals by donating money a day. If you truly want a pet, you should help them by adopting them. They might be shy at first because of how they were treated by their previous owners, but if you treat them right they will grow to love you.
    My dog was a shelter dog, and she was beaten as a puppy. Even though she was extremely shy, we still adopted her. She was extremely nervous at first, but she now loves us all. She gets scared of new people still but she eventually warms up to them. If we hadn't adopted her, there would be a chance of her still sitting there, waiting, or not getting adopted and being put to sleep. We helped her come out of her shell. It's just so rewarding to save an animal.
    If you'd be willing to save a person's life for practically nothing, why not save an animals?
     
  7. JosieP

    JosiePWell-Known Member

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    People will never stop buying pets and animals in shelters will continue to overcrowd and die, so it's just a matter of contributing to what matters most to you and accepting the fact that there isn't a whole lot that we can do. I will never buy an animal (although, I have to buy them from the shelter, but at least I know I'm saving a life). Having a pet with a certain look means absolutely nothing to me. Breed means about as much to me as race does in humans.. it's nothing. I'd rather keep a poor, homeless animal from death and it breaks my heart to know I can't save them all :(
     
  8. Metalhead

    MetalheadNew Member

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    Every last time I got a cat, it's been from the streets. I don't like buying them, and not because I'm paying for them, but because there are so many animals out there that could use a home, why buy when you could save them and offer them a better life ?
     
  9. NanaTracyAnnHintz

    NanaTracyAnnHintzNew Member

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    I would only get a pet that is in need of a home. I would love to have a German Shepherd again. The last dog we had ended up passing away from cancer. So sad, her name was Daisy and she truly was part of our family.
     
  10. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    I also would love to adopt a stray kitten since I love cats, but sadly, all that I come across are either afraid of people or fierce. I also would love to have a Persian or Siamese cat, so one day when I can afford them I will buy one.
     
  11. tipoywizard

    tipoywizardActive Member

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    I love adopting dogs from the animal shelters. I have two in my house already. I'm very sad to see the lonely and sad faces of the dogs in the shelter.By adopting them I can give them a better home, food and a spacious place to play. I don't want them to die in streets hit by cars or starve to death.
     
  12. jneanz

    jneanzActive Member

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    The first cat I informally adopted was a kitten but the landlord and my now-ex hate cats so I had to love it from a distance. It was so sweet but ran away after a nice feeding. When it returned years later, the cat looked ragged and it almost seemed like they were begging for a place to stay. I couldn't do it though.

    Last year, I adopted a cat and this time it was for therapy due to illness. This cat was a feral cat and though she was loaded with personality, she was also a lot of work. I hated having to return her but once again, I had to consider another person's (not the ex) feelings.

    I may catch hell for this but I want to buy a cat that is not so energetic but has a cuddly disposition.
     
  13. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    I'd prefer to adopt as much as possible just because I think those animals will have a much more difficult time finding a home so it's best to find something from there if possible. However sometimes I'm tempted to get a special breed that I see because it looks so good to me and in those cases I think I'll allow myself to just buy one instead just so I could have a breed that I specially Picked myself.
     
  14. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    It's normally very hard to find a 6 week, cute puppy in an animal shelter. Because I prefer raising my pets from their infancy, and I know a few breeders, it's a lot easier to just walk over, select the puppy I'll buy and get it when the time is right.

    Now if shelters had such an option, then I'd consider adopting pets instead of buying them.
     
  15. Laura Greenbrier

    Laura GreenbrierNew Member

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    Our current cat, the beautiful tortoiseshell Carolina (in my avatar) was a shelter castoff. She is such a lovely animal that I find it hard to believe how this gorgeous kitty ended up in our local shelter. Yes, I'm another staunch fan of adopting, and only adopting. I wish I could run an animal sanctuary as a full-time job and my heart aches when I think that the beautiful animals in our local shelter may not find forever homes. There's too big a risk to me that pet store animals may come from animal mills--I just will not run the risk of participating in that industry when our shelter is, sadly as always, full to bursting with beautiful animals.
     
  16. Aladar

    AladarWell-Known Member

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    We never bought a pet, always adopted. Technically, my tortoise I got as a gift when I was little was bought, but, that was a gift so.. Yeah. :)
     
  17. wander_n_wonder

    wander_n_wonderActive Member

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    I like adopting pets, but I am very picky when I do adopt. There are pets that have a very bad background that they grew up to be a rather rough pet. It's a bit risky to adopt pets like that and you may have to spend a lot of time training them. Overall, I also like adopting pets who are still quite young (below 6 months) old because I think they will learn habits that I want because they have not been greatly exposed to harsh environments yet.
     
  18. jbepp

    jbeppMember

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    It really depends on what I'm looking for. I personally prefer adopting, but sometimes you want a specific breed that isn't exactly easy to find. I have three cats, one British shorthair that I bought and two strays that I adopted when they were kitties. That way I have the best of both worlds.
     
  19. xTinx

    xTinxWell-Known Member

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    Pets in the shelter are in need of more care, so I'd rather adopt them than buy a fancy pet. Their owners have already disposed of them or they never had a home to begin with. The pound will eventually dispose of strays if they fail to get adopted. Shelter pets live a very sad existence. So at least for the remainder of their lives, not only are they fed and sheltered but they also get to feel what it's like to be loved and cared for.
     
  20. CyberGal

    CyberGalMember

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    All of my pets are adopted. Most of them have been through Craigs List but I did pick up a stray cat when she was a baby and do have a service cat through a local organization. I just think it's better to help those who are already here than to pay breeders to produce more. My 13yo daughter believes this too, so much so that she actually wants to adopt a child when she's older :)