Get Over It and Adopt an Ugly Pet

[joeybee12]

Humans are attracted to beauty. We buy things because gorgeous models sell them, we fall in love based on looks, and, yes, we often choose pets based on appearance.

"What we have found is that people are really picky," Dr. Emily Weiss, vice president of shelter research and development for the ASPCA, told Yahoo Shine. They often arrive at an animal shelter with a preconceived idea of what they want in their pet, and looks usually top the list of important factors.


It's not the best strategy for finding the ideal animal companion. "Beauty is fur deep," animal behavior expert Nicolas Dodman, PhD, author of "The Dog Who Loved Too Much" and "The Cat Who Cried for Help" told Yahoo Shine. "Pretty pets get adopted more often." He emphasized that it's crucial to prioritize temperament above appearance picking a pet. More than four million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the United States, a number that he feels could be reduced dramatically if prospective pet owners put more emphasis on choosing a pet with a personality that would complement their lifestyle.

http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/over-adopt-ugly-pet-210600707.html

[pa28]

1. Definitely. Go for the "ugly" shelter cat that wants to be taken home.

I have two of those and it turns out the "ugly" is just a case of hard knocks that can be reversed with a good diet, trust and some TLC. It's rewarding to watch that "ugly" shelter cat turn into a real beauty right before your eyes.

[Taitertots]

2. I got an ugly dog so when ladies see me walk it, they think I'm the cute one

[Doctor_J]

3. Pssh. No such thing

[Joe Shlabotnik]

4. Say no to purebreds, and adopt older animals too.

They're friggin' companions, not status symbols or a idealized depictions of you.

[LoveMyCali]

5. Both of my cats were literally found out on the street

As the shampoo commercial used to say "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful"

[joeybee12]

10. Gorgeous babies!

[mythology]

6. That's why I adopted my last cat

She was older and not particularly cute. But she did grow very attached to me (and me to her) such that she slept on top of me every chance she got and pretty much ran away from everybody else.

[Arugula Latte]

7. I just read this story recently ...

When I finally found an apartment where I could have a cat in my new town, I immediately headed to the animal shelter.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do, I'd wanted to do this for as long as I could remember, I didn't even want to look at all the cats I could choose from so I asked the lady at the shelter's front desk to show me the cat that had been here the longest, the ugliest, or the one no one seemed to show any interest in. The lady immediately grabbed a file and took me back to the cat rooms.

"I have a cat here I think fits your description pretty well. He was brought here as a kitten six years ago. People never look twice at him because he has skin allergies and is missing a lot of fur and he has always had a deformed ear. People see the bald patches and that ear and they move right on to the next cat..."

http://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/ars/story/a-girls-best-friend741?utm_source=social&utm_medium=crc&utm_campaign=a-girls-best-friend741&utm_term=20140129&origin=ARS_FACE_CRC_STRYBFF_012914_CTG

[joeybee12]

8. Poor little guy!

Glad he found a home!

[Arugula Latte]

11. Yes! I wish more people would ask about kitties that have been at shelters the longest.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

9. Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder, anyway.