3 Things To Add To A Questionnaire When Adopting Out A Pet

and why everyone should ask them

At one time, we were all first-time animal owners. Whether you were raised around these pets or you are an adult getting one for the first time, the truth is, you still learn something new every day when owning a pet, just as you do when raising a child.

Many animal rescues have a standard questionnaire that they ask potential adoptors to fill out, but why should this be standard practice across the board and why should this include more than just a standard set of questions?

Learning About The New Home

Experience is the best teacher, and you know your pet better than anyone else could, while some people may not ever have to worry about a potential home owning a cat when adopting a hamster; you know if it is going to mean more trouble for your little Houdini than it would a typical cage bound pet.

For this reason, common questions like; are their children in the home, what other pets are in the home, and what is your away from home schedule like, will help you find the proper home for your beloved pet.

Experience and Past Animal Companions

Yes, people can lie; but it is usually easier to spot a red flag than it is to hope for the best. Asking about prior pets and experience in the care of your pet can help you learn whether or not this person is the forever home you hope for, or whether they are just looking to buy for profit (flippers) or are just intrigued by your pet but don't understand the care required.

A common red flag is when people state a long list of experiences but offer no explanation for what happened to those pets. It may not always mean that you have run into a flipper or someone with malicious intent, but it can signify a problem with responsibility or long-term commitment to an animal.

Yes, this is no guarantee, everyone has gotten in over their head with a pet before, but this also helps you to see if they will tough it out or throw in the towel immediately. We all hope the next home is the last, and though there is no way to ensure it is; this can help ensure it is.

Quiz About Care Requirements

The truth is, someone looking to care for and love a pet for the long term won't mind a few questions. Yes, they can look up answers; but at least if they do they know the requirements, right?

Everyone started somewhere and sometimes experience doesn't always ensure a good home. Simple questions like; what are the dietary requirements of this pet? What are the cage requirements? What are 3 things to never give your (insert pet here)? These are great questions because if they don’t know, they will after researching the question. It also helps you to ensure that the basics are covered when rehoming an animal.

There Is No Guarantee

Unfortunately, we can not hook up a lie detector test for everyone we rehome an animal to. Even if you could, you never want someone without compassion or love for a pet to keep them because they feel like they have to. If someone gets in over their head with care, they can neglect the animal, we can only do our best to avoid this.

A Promise To Return

No, usually these are not legally binding; but they can offer an outlet for someone if they do get overwhelmed with care requirements or life circumstances change.

Offering an open return policy only ensures that that pet has a safe home regardless of what happens. It isn’t always possible to uphold this promise; but for those who can, I always recommend it.

We All Started Somewhere

I started out with a $10 baby turtle from a reptile show and a plastic bowl. After weeks of research and hundreds of dollars in supplies, I finally ended up with the correct setup for Bullseye, who now spends his indoor days in a 92-gallon tank and outdoor days in a 300-gallon pond. I was fortunate enough to learn quickly and Bulleye was one of the main reasons we started The Odd Pet Out.

There is too much misinformation

By asking these questions and doing a small quiz, you have the chance of notifying and educating the person on the current care ahead of time. I would never say to not adopt a pet out to someone because they didn't KNOW everything, the willingness to learn is helpful though.

Would You Own Your Pets If You KNEW It All From The Start?

I often wonder if Bullseye would be part of our family had I known ahead of time the $10, quarter size turtle would need so much. I don’t regret it, however; had the person been honest to me about care requirements at the time of purchase, I wonder if I would have passed up the opportunity.

I wouldn't trade him for the world now and we have done a lot of growing together over the last 6 years; still, with my lesson learned I hope others can learn from my mistake. If I had chosen not to research, little Bullseye may not be here today, and that is not a chance I think you are willing to take, is it?

I hope this helps when it comes to the hard choice of rehoming your pet or adopting out foster. It is hard to see them go, but it is also comforting knowing that they are going into hands that are prepared to hold them with care.

Soon I will post a few short example forms on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/oddpetout, that can be used by anyone in the adoption process. Also, stay tuned for “Questions You May Want To Ask Before You Adopt A Pet”!

Photo by Timur Garifov on Unsplash