November is Adopt-A-Senior Pet Month and it is a time for shelters and animal organizations to feature their senior pets. It is sad when senior pets enter a shelter or animal organization after losing their home because senior pets are often overlooked by adopters due to their age. But there are so many wonderful reasons to adopt a senior pet. Here are 10 reasons why:

1. When senior pets are adopted, they seem to understand that they’ve been rescued, and are all the more thankful for it.
2. A senior pet’s personality has already developed, so you’ll know if he or she is a good fit for your family.
3. You can teach an old pet new tricks. Senior pets have the attention span and impulse control that makes them easier to train than their youthful counterparts.
4. A senior pet may very well already know basic household etiquette (like not attacking your feet at night) anyway!
5. In particular, senior pets are often already house trained, litter trained and are less likely to “forget” where the box is.
6. A senior pet won’t grow any larger, so you’ll know exactly how much pet you’re getting.
7. Senior pets are often content to just relax in your company, unlike younger pets, who may get into mischief because they’re bored.
8. Speaking of relaxing, senior pets make great napping buddies.
9. Senior pets often know that scratching posts (not furniture) are for scratching and toys (not hands or feet) are for biting.
10. Senior pets are some of the hardest to find homes for — so when you adopt a senior pet, you’re truly saving a life.

Cleo (featured in the photo) lost her home at the age of 16, but was adopted from King Street Cats in Virginia and is still giving her mom joy, even after 4 years. If your local animal shelter is celebrating Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month, praise and support them for taking in senior pets and giving them a second chance at a good home.