Many people will head to the pet shop at the mall as soon as they’ve decided which kind of pet they want. Pet shops, like puppy mills, should be the last resort. It’s rare that you can’t find a suitable animal elsewhere.
The first place to try is the local animal shelter, pound, or humane society. These locations always have more animals than they can house, and many have young puppies and kittens as well. In addition to stray animals that you may have reservations about adopting, loving pets whose owners have died also end up here.
All of these animals deserve a second chance, and can be had for a modest fee. A benefit to adopting from a shelter or rescue organization is that the animals almost always have had their shots and have already been spayed or neutered, saving you the cost of these procedures.
If you desire a pedigreed animal, contact a breeder’s association. They can direct you to reputable breeders of your chosen species.
The local newspaper probably has a pets section in the classifieds. In the spring there are always ads for kittens, usually free to a good home. Often, local breeders will advertise here, too.
How to Pick a Healthy Pet
While the specifics will vary from species to species and breed to breed, some general rules apply. For breed-specific information, try the local bookstore. Almost all healthy pets have the following in common:
Clean, wet noses
Bright eyes with no film or residue in the tear ducts
A full, shiny coat, free of mats or debris
Clean ears, free of small black mites
Undamaged whiskers of a fairly even length
Clean teeth and pink, not red, gums
Clean paws and tail
Clean under-tail area, free of irritation or worms
Any animal you wish to adopt should appear alert and interested (yes, even aloof cats can be interested!), and not recoil from human contact in the form of gentle petting or scratching behind the ears. You may want to pick up and squeeze that perfect-looking pooch, but he may not take well to that until he has learned to trust you.