Tips for speaking with and meeting potential adopters
Speaking with enquirers
Getting to know the family interested in your pet will help to make you feel confident that you’re selecting the right home for them.
Open and honest conversation is the best way to communicate. It gives you a chance to share all about your pet and the enquirers the opportunity to explain why they would like to adopt.
If you’re not too sure where to start when opening the conversation lines, here are some great places to begin:
- Tell them how ‘Fluffy’ came into your life.
- Share the best things about ‘Fluffy’ with them.
- Let them know some of the not-so-great things that ‘Fluffy’ may do (let’s be honest, we’ve all got some qualities like this!).
- Ask them what drew them to enquire about ‘Fluffy’.
- Ask them to send photos or a description of their home environment. An energetic pet may not be suited to a small apartment but is better in a rural setting.
- Chat about pets that they’ve had before.
- Tell them about ‘Fluffy’s’ favourite things in life. It may be that they are beach lovers too or are partial to an arvo snooze on the couch as well.
To find more questions to ask the potential adopter, click here.
Meet & greet
When you’re ready for the next step, a meet and greet is often arranged so the enquirer can interact with your pet.
Meeting your dog:
- Invite other members of their household to come along.
- Try your best to stay calm and relaxed, as your pet can sense your feelings.
- Encourage everyone to get down to the dogs level when first meeting.
- Make slow introductions, allowing time for pre-sniffing (of humans and other pets!).
- Provide some delicious treats that the enquirers can feed to your dog.
- If your dog likes toys, let them spend some time playing with the enquirers.
Dogs meeting other dogs
Remember, not all dogs are going to be best friends at first. If they are tolerating each other at this point, then that's a good start. With a willing and patient adopter, managing a slow introduction at home can still be okay!
Resources:
Introducing dogs to each other
Meeting your cat:
- Invite other members of their household to come along.
- Try your best to stay calm and relaxed, as your pet can sense your feelings.
- Put the cat/s in an enclosed room to prevent you all from running around the house.
- Supply some toys, such as feather sticks, to entice the cat to come and play.
- Let the enquirers feed the cat some special treats to encourage some connection.
- If your cat is shy, take a video before the meet and greet showing them feeling comfortable. Often shy cats can spend the meet and greet hiding. Being able to show the enquirers what they are like when new people aren’t around can be reassuring for all.
If you have time, it’s a great idea for your pet and the adopter to create a bond before the adoption takes place. This way, your pet’s transition will be less overwhelming, and they can get to know each other before being thrown into the deep. Ideas for dates with your new pet are to take your potential new pooch for a walk or bring their favourite toy and play on the beach or in the local dog park. It’s helpful if the pooch’s owner joins to explain their behaviour and any useful tips or tricks. If the pet is a playful cat, you can bond through a play session. Sometimes connecting with a cat can be as simple as offering food and treats.
Remember, it’s ok if it doesn’t go to plan! Call it a day and wrap up the meet and greet. Make note of what happened and update your pet’s profile for future enquirers.