Most everyone in the world at one time or another has owned or wanted to own a pet. Coincidentally there are millions of abandoned animals in the world that were given up because their people made poor choices. Many times people look at how cute an animal is and that is the main factor in deciding to adopt the pet. Some of these pets require a lot of time, training and socialization which was not considered before the person obtained the pet. I’ll give a quick list of questions to ask yourself and consider in the hopes that one fewer animal need be abandoned or euthanized because of a lack of a proper home.

1: What sort of pet do I want?

Some people know right away that they want a dog or cat and others remain undecided until they actually see the pet. Large animals like horses, farm animals and very large dogs can be challenging to own and expensive in terms of upkeep plus they require a lot of training and socialization. Cats can require a lot of patience as they are an animal that refuses to be completely domesticated and like to do their own things. Small pets like rodents can be portable and are usually not loud or too messy but they do require frequent cage cleaning and sometimes people are put off by the animals, particularly rats. Birds vary with the time an energy it takes to care for them. They all require frequent cage cleaning and like attention from people.

Some like attention more than others and larger birds like Cockatoos have been known to scream if they feel neglected. Fish usually are good pets for people that like looking at something pretty but don’t have to interact with the pet too much. They are usually don’t require much looking after but the water needs to be clean or they will get disease. Reptiles vary in their care but keep in mind that many species eat other animals from crickets to rodents and are not a good pet if you have a problem with that.

I strongly discourage people from trying to make wild animals pets. In some places big cats, monkeys and apes are legal to obtain as pets but I think such ventures are fool hearty and will usually lead to heartbreak for the person, animal or both as wild animals can be aggressive even when raised from an infant by humans. Wild animals should remain wild.

2: Where should I obtain my pet?

Once you have determined what sort of animals you want to welcome into your home it’s important to figure out where to obtain that pet. The first choice is a reputable breeder. Many large animals or rare breeds can only be obtained through a breeder. Some may turn up elsewhere but it’s quite unusual. If you have something special in mind or wish to breed or show the animal a reputable breeder is the place to go.

Reputable breeders usually have very clean establishments, keep full documentation on their animals, have no hesitation to show you the facilities, only sell animals that have been weened at the appropriate time and have at least one parent on site. If a breeder refuses to show you the facilities, is evasive about answering questions or has sick, injured or filthy animals they are most probably a commercial breeder that cares only for money. Reputable breeders care about improving the breed and breed for health and the breed standard.

Another place to get a pet is a shelter or animal rescue program. There are two types of shelter. The first is often called the Pound. These are shelters run byy the city or county that they serve and are often run by the local animal control. Animals are usually euthanized after a certain amount of time if they are not claimed, adopted or rescued. The second type of shelter is a No-Kill shelter. These shelters are often run by an independent organization and do not euthanize animals no matter how long it takes to be adopted unless the animal is terminally ill or an endangerment to society. Animal rescue groups hold adoptions for animals they take in from shelters, find as strays or are surrendered by their owners.

Rescues may take various types of animals from Horses and Farm animals to Rodents, Birds and Reptiles. Though most rescue groups take in mainly dogs and cats. They often hold adoption events at pet stores, events or they are personally contacted by potential adopters.

Animals can also be obtained at pet stores. Most reputable pet store will not sell dogs or puppies. If there are puppies at a pet store most probably they come from puppy mills and may have serious physical and mental problems, some which last a lifetime. Puppy mills are horrible institutions in which animals are often either kept in cages or tied to dog houses and forced to breed every time a female goes into heat. Conditions are usually unsanitary and animals are often sick or abused.

Pet stores that are reputable usually have cats for adoption on a regular basis but not for sale. Small animals, birds, fish and reptiles are easy to obtain and usually all right to get from a pet store. Things to make sure of before purchasing such animals are that the cages are clean, there are no foul odors, animals are not scratching uncontrollably, fish tanks have clear water and there are no dead fish in the tanks. Petco should be looked upon with suspect because they rarely care for the animals the way they should. If you don’t like the way the animals are cared for don’t buy one because there probably will be a problem.

Do I have the time, space, patience and money to bring a pet into my life?

Most people love the thought of owning an animal but all too often the notion is more enjoyable than the outcome because people don’t have the time, money or patience that goes along with owning a pet. If one doesn’t have much time then  a dog wouldn’t be a good choice. A better choice might be a cat, small animal, fish or bird because such animals either want you on their own terms, like the cat, or require less attention. If space is an issue it’s good to limit your choices accordingly.

A Border Collie would go crazy and probably destroy half the apartment if left to it’s own devices all day with nothing to do. If one has limited space and wants a dog than either a small dog or a large dog that is often taken for a walk and inactive indoors is best. Pets are expensive to upkeep and take for vet care. A single medical procedure can start at a couple hundred dollars for a simple one up to thousands for complicated surgery and some animals may require daily medication.

Some pets like rodents, birds and reptiles may have difficulty finding a vet because most vets either work mainly on dogs and cats or large animals like horses. One must also be patient when training animals, particularly baby animals like dogs and horses. It’s best to start as early as possible with training and remember that what is cute in puppyhood is not so cute when the puppy is 60 pound half grown doing the same behavior. If you don’t want the animal to do the behavior as an adult don’t let it do that behavior as a puppy.

Those are a few things to consider before obtaining a pet. Pleas take them into consideration in order to make a good decision and not have another animal in shelters, rescue or on the street. Research well into what you want and make sure it is ideal for you and your family.

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 4:47 am.