Things You Should Ask Yourself Before Getting a Pet

Once we are in a pet store, we pour on the owner tons of questions about dogs, cats, birds, turtles, fishes and any other kind of pets we are considering having as ours. But the thing that we miss, is that we should ask more questions before even setting foot in the pet’s store. We should ask ourselves if we are able to handle more responsibility, and whether we have enough budget to afford a pet’s need or not, and why are we getting a pet in the first place. The following 3 questions are the main questions we should be able to answer before making our minds up about getting a pet.

Are you ready for extra responsibility?

A pet is a living creature, not a piece of furniture or decor that you can just purchase and put a side. It will require taking daily care of and some can be low maintenance, while others can be a little bit more difficult to handle.

• The most normal thing that should jump into your mind right after you think of a pet is budget. Your pet will need food, toys, shelter, cleaning… How much are you able to spend on that?

• After money, comes what’s more precious: Your time. Having a pet is almost similar to having a child, you are obliged to clean after it, and will of course need to interact with it and spare time to feed and walk your pet. Can you squeeze that into your daily schedule?

• In case you are a businessman or just a person who travels a lot, you should certainly think about what are you going to do with your pet when you are travelling, are you able to find someone to watch over it while you are away? Or can you afford taking it along?
• Personal space is very important, some people can not stand bumping into their pet every time they try to move, if you have a small apartment you should consider getting a small pet. If you are renting, you should first check if you are allowed to have pets.

• In case you already have a pet or more, you should be rational about whether you can afford addition or not. You should also take in consideration how will your current pets might react towards the new member.

What are your Reasons to get a pet?

Everyone has his/her reasons for getting a pet. Some would like having companionship, a pet they can take out for walks or jogging. While others would prefer having a pet they can pat smoothly while reading a book and drinking tea. Other people would be more delighted with a pet they can just see and hear, like birds for examples, or maybe just see, in the case of fishes. Before getting a pet, ask yourself: What am I looking for in a pet? Whether it’s companionship or just the cozy feeling of knowing you have a pet around, you are bound to make the right choice.

Which pet would be more compatible with you and your  kids?

Almost every parents in the world have to deal with their children’s demand at some point to get a pet, either because they are jealous of their friends, or they are just lonely and need some company, especially in the case of a single child. Before purchasing or adopting a pet, you should take few factors into consideration. Usually, in order to convince you to get them a pet, your children will promise to take care of it and it’s hygiene, but are your children old and mature enough to handle that and commit to it? If not, are you ready to take over most of the responsibility? And do you have enough time and energy to fulfill that duty? Usually, having a pet can be a lifetime commitment, so do not rush into it, unless you are able to handle it. There are some pets that are low maintenance as such as fishes and turtles, those will work great wil children that are calm. But, if you have energetic children that like to play and have fun, you will have to get a compatible pet that is usually a cat or a dog.