Growing up, it wasn’t unusual to have a pet, especially a dog. I grew up in a neighbourhood filled with dogs, I also had a dog and a hamster at some point(a weird choice I know). But I loved having pets, feeding them, playing with them. As a young girl, they became my companions of some sort. Coming into adulthood, I’ve always known I would have a pet but I’ve never quite gotten round to it because the circumstances when I had a pet and now are totally different. So if you’re looking to get a pet and it’s not something like a goldfish that requires little attention, but maybe a cat or dog, there are a few things you need to consider.
Do you really have the time?
If you’re hardly home or you travel a lot and you have no one to take care of your pet then you may have to reconsider getting one. Pets are almost like children. You have to feed them, bathe them, take them outside to poop(if you’ve trained them to do this), walk them, play with them and generally give them some measure of attention.
Is your living space conducive?
I lived in a family house with lots of outdoor space and a wooden house was made for my pets. So they weren’t restricted and there was plenty of space to play and poop. Of course nowadays, many pets stay indoors with their owners but you will still need to find a sleeping spot(unless you don’t mind them all up in your bed). Also, you would have to re-arrange in a way that you don’t come back and find your pet eating or chewing on valuables.
Are you willing to train them?
In order to avoid the scenario painted above, you would need to train your pet. Otherwise, you’ll come home to meet poo and wee and your house turned upside down, especially if it’s a dog. You also don’t want them attacking your guests. Dogs can turn anything they see into a toy but they’re also quite intelligent so if you take out the time to train them, they learn to understand boundaries.
Can you afford it?
Like I said earlier it was fun having pets as a young girl and they became my companions but more so because I wasn’t carrying the financial burden lol, my parents were. So you have to consider feeding costs and more importantly taking them to the vet for regular checkups and if they fall ill. Bearing in mind that vets don’t come cheap.
If you’ve recently acquired a pet, how’s it going so far? 🙂