So You Want A Pet?
A Pet Dog, A Pet Cat, A Pet
Rabbit, A Pet Hamster, or Perhaps Some
Goldfish?
You have made the decision that you would like
to own a pet, but the trouble is you are not sure which type of pet
is best suited to you.
It is easy to walk through an animal shelter
and see a gorgeous puppy dog gazing adorably up at you, or a cute
little kitten all fluffy and playful, but you need to be sure of a
few things before you take the next stage in pet ownership.
Cats, Dogs and many other types of pets are
able to give us totally unconditional loyalty, they can provide
friendship and are great companions. You do, however have to bear in
mind that deciding to own a pet is a big decision, and especially
if you choose a pet cat or a pet dog, they require lots of time and
financial commitment.
A dog or cat can live for 15 years or more.
It can, and will be very rewarding to own a
pet, but you do have to look at a few pointers first.
Some of the questions you should be asking
yourself are:-
For
what reasons do you want to own a pet?
You have to be sure of your own reasons for wanting a pet, and not
find yourself being swayed perhaps by the younger members of your
family.
Are
you able to afford the financial commitment that will be involved
in taking on pet ownership? There will be vets fees to pay, vaccinations
to organize as well as the day to day costs for the pet food
etc. Don’t forget you
will probably have to pay for care for your pet whilst you are on
vacation.
Do
you have the spare time that is necessary to look after your new
pet?
Any pet that you choose to own,
will need a certain amount of your time, for instance a dog needs
walking regularly, a smaller animal needs it’s living areas cleaned
out often.
Is
your family situation right for a pet at the
moment?
If you have very young members of the household you will need
to consider this carefully. A small child can easily
hurt or mistreat a new pet. Are you out at work all
day? If so you will need to make sure you only look for a pet
that is able to be on its own for long periods of
time.
Is
your accommodation suitable for a pet?
For instance if you decide
to have a pet dog, do you have a garden for it to use? Are
there plenty of areas to take him for exercise? If you are in rented
accommodation is a pet allowed under the terms of the
lease?
Will you be a responsible pet
owner? This does not
just include caring for and loving your pet, but also getting your
pet spayed or neutered as necessary, having vaccinations for your
pet, and taking care of your pet if it is ill. You also need to be prepared to
look after your pet for its lifetime, which can be 15 years or
more, depending on the pet you choose.
Have you thought about some of the
disadvantages of owing a pet? Kittens will scratch your furniture, puppies
will make a mess on your carpet until they are house trained, you
may well get flea infestations in your home, your dog will need
lots of training and so the list can go on. Think carefully about
the pro and the cons before you jump into pet ownership.
Once you have gone through all of the above,
and are certain which type of pet you would like to own you can
then look into where to obtain your new pet.
If you have chosen a pet dog or a pet cat,
then a visit to a local re-homing shelter would probably be a good
start, or you could go to a recognized puppy or kitten
breeder. You may be
lucky enough to know someone whose pet dog or cat has just had a
litter of puppies or kittens.
Should you be looking for a smaller pet such
as a pet rabbit, pet hamster, pet mice, pet budgie or goldfish take
a look in your local pet store.
Pet
Dog
Goldfish
Pet
Cat
Pet
Budgie
Pet Rabbit
 
 
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