Top 5
Considerations When Choosing What Type of Pet Is For You
by
Marian Brown
Pets are a wonderful
addition to many households. Over 60 million dogs, 70
million cats, 6 million rabbits and 2 million birds call our
houses “home”. This does not consider the millions of fish,
reptiles, small mammals and other “exotic” animals we keep
as pets. With this number of pets and the choices we have,
it is important to choose the one that fits us and our
lifestyle the best.
Keep these 5 points in mind when
considering adding a new or additional pet to your
household.
-
Your Time Commitment
Before considering any type of pet, carefully examine your
schedule. Look at the amount of free time you have now or
could make available for your new pet. If you work 12 hour
days, a pet that needs a lot of personal attention and
interaction shouldn’t be your first choice. What
activities, if any, are you willing to give up to spend time
with your pet for relaxation, for exercising, for training,
for cage cleaning, etc.? Be very realistic in this
initially assessment.
-
Your Space Available
Examine your surroundings and see what type of pet would
really “fit”. If you live in an apartment, a horse might
not be your first choice unless you have the financial
resources to board it. Just because you live in an
apartment doesn’t mean you can’t have a large breed dog.
Look for breeds that can adapt to the space and are more
docile.
-
Your Financial Resources
The initial purchase of the pet
is just the first outlay of cash. Your pet will need the
initial supplies like bedding/cage, food, food dispensers
and a “wellness” check with your veterinarian (in most
cases). Ongoing costs include food and veterinary
care. If you are on a limited budget, examine how much
you can spend per month on your pet and save for those
emergency needs.
-
Your Family
This might seem like it should come first, but, if
you’ve taken the time to research the first points,
then you can assume the choices left on your list
are feasible. Now consider, how would this pet
really fit into my family? If you are single, do
you have someone who would take care of the pet if
you were out of town or ill? Could you afford a pet
sitter? Do you have any family members with
allergies or health concerns? What about a mental
“phobia” to a particular animal? Will it be a
welcome addition or a burden?
-
Your Legal Ability to Own It
So, you’ve made it to consideration 5 and have the
perfect pet picked out. Now, can you legally own
it? If you are looking at a dog or cat, you might
not have too much to worry about unless you rent or
live in an apartment. But, if you are looking at an
“exotic” pet – even a ferret or hedgehog – can you
legally own it in your state/city/county? Ferrets,
for example are illegal in California and you can’t
have a hedgehog in Denver. Dogs that are labeled
“aggressive” breeds may also present some legal
challenges and you should consider these before
choosing your breed of dog for a pet.
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