When choosing a pet there are various matters to consider, not only for your convenience and pleasure, but for the comfort, health and happiness of the animal. It is a sad fact that the most common cause of death for domestic animals is not sickness or accident, but premature euthanasia at the request of the owner. This is due to behavioural problems caused by choosing the wrong pet for a family’s lifestyle and experience in keeping animals.
Therefore, some of the questions you should ask before selecting a pet are:
(a) Do you have time for a pet?
The time commitment necessary for caring for a pet varies greatly from animal to animal. Fish and birds require a minimum of care while puppies and kittens need a huge amount of attention and time devoted to their training and maintenance, and even older animals must be walked, groomed and kept company every day.
(b) Do you have room for a pet?
The space you need to keep a pet will depend a lot of the type of animal; hamsters or rabbits need a only a small cage, while larger breeds of dog need space to run about as well as daily exercise. Some leases for houses and apartments also have clauses prohibiting the keeping of pets, which usually applied to dogs, cats and other larger mammals, but sometimes allows tenants to keep caged birds or fish.
(c) What kind of pet do you want?
In choosing a pet you must consider the lifestyle of yourself and your family, and try to select an animal which will fit in with your usual activities. You should think about the amount of care and attention required by different types and breeds of animals, as well as what arrangements will need to be made if you go away from home and cannot take your pet along. Also think about others in the family: are there existing pets who may object, or does anyone in the family have allergies, or simply not like animals?
(d) Can you afford a pet?
Some pets are not cheap, and even once you have bought or been given an animal, ongoing costs include food, shelter, health checks and vaccinations. You may need to pay to board your pet if you travel, or attend obedience classes to assist in training. And if you or your pet show poor aptitude, further expense in the form of damage to house and furniture may follow! If you still can’t decide, just click on www.petuniverse.com.au for a free online Choose-a-Pet service.
Therefore, some of the questions you should ask before selecting a pet are:
(a) Do you have time for a pet?
The time commitment necessary for caring for a pet varies greatly from animal to animal. Fish and birds require a minimum of care while puppies and kittens need a huge amount of attention and time devoted to their training and maintenance, and even older animals must be walked, groomed and kept company every day.
(b) Do you have room for a pet?
The space you need to keep a pet will depend a lot of the type of animal; hamsters or rabbits need a only a small cage, while larger breeds of dog need space to run about as well as daily exercise. Some leases for houses and apartments also have clauses prohibiting the keeping of pets, which usually applied to dogs, cats and other larger mammals, but sometimes allows tenants to keep caged birds or fish.
(c) What kind of pet do you want?
In choosing a pet you must consider the lifestyle of yourself and your family, and try to select an animal which will fit in with your usual activities. You should think about the amount of care and attention required by different types and breeds of animals, as well as what arrangements will need to be made if you go away from home and cannot take your pet along. Also think about others in the family: are there existing pets who may object, or does anyone in the family have allergies, or simply not like animals?
(d) Can you afford a pet?
Some pets are not cheap, and even once you have bought or been given an animal, ongoing costs include food, shelter, health checks and vaccinations. You may need to pay to board your pet if you travel, or attend obedience classes to assist in training. And if you or your pet show poor aptitude, further expense in the form of damage to house and furniture may follow! If you still can’t decide, just click on www.petuniverse.com.au for a free online Choose-a-Pet service.