Want a Pet? Take Care of It

Sad eyes looking up at you. You can't help but want to take this cute little creature into your home, or your kids may desperately want a pet. This is what some people solely rely on when they decide to take a pet into their homes. Although it's great and very kind to take in an animal, a person does need to think more thoroughly about if they really are ready to have a pet. If you want a pet, you need to possess these qualities or traits in order to accommodate and fully care for an animal. A person must have the funds to care for a pet, compassion, and have some sort of education about the type of pet they want.

Having a pet is not cheap. According to the ASPCA, on average, it costs about thirteen hundred to fifteen hundred dollars to care for a pet their first year. This rate may include trips to the vet, getting shots, or conducting other essential procedures. Also, food, a litter box, litter, collar, leash, grooming, carrier, and spaying/neutering need to be taken into consideration. This is just a basic list and does not include everything your new pet will need. To get a better idea of what your pet needs, you may want to check out the ASPCA website. If you think this is too much money for an animal, well, I guess you don't have very much compassion for animals or your family. Animals carry parasites and diseases that need to be treated. These conditions can easily be transmitted from a pet to you and your family. If you are planning to keep your pet outside, these risk factors of disease and parasites transferring to humans will increase. This is because in an outdoor environment, animals are more susceptible to be in contact with other animals that carry a disease or parasite. If you don't have the funds and still really want a pet, there are low-cost clinics and programs that can provide affordable care for your pet. Do a little research and you will be surprised with what you will find. Some people just automatically assume that vets are expensive, so they won't take their pet to get help when they need it. That is just wrong. How can someone just be okay with seeing an animal suffer? You wanted a pet. Did you think it would be free to take care of your pet? Be ready to spend some money on your pet to keep them healthy and happy. If you are able to accommodate your new pet with essential expenses, then you have compassion and may be ready to own a pet.

How many times have you seen a skinny dog with his ribs showing? Such a neglected animal is desperately looking for some food on the street. Your heart literally feels like it dropped to your stomach. You begin to think, "How can a human being allow their pet to run away and go without food? Why did the owner not check his fence for holes or close the door to prevent their pet from running away?" This awful feeling of sadness you get deep in your heart means you have compassion. You can't help but have sympathy for an animal and all you can do is make sure that doesn't happen to your pet. Some people just don't have this compassion, to make it worse they have a pet at home. I can't remember how many times a student of mine has told me about seeing their dog on the road dead and say, "That was my dog!" These students tell me, "Well, it's okay because I'm getting a new dog next week." How can parents teach their kids to be so cold-hearted about an innocent animal and show them that an animal can be easily replaced like a sheet of paper? Why have a pet if you feel like they are not important and lack feeling or pain? An animal becoming road kill could have easily been prevented if the parents watched out and made sure the animal could not escape from their house or backyard. It's understandable that people work or do not have time to watch a pet twenty four seven. A solution can be to keep your pet indoors while you're gone and take the time to train your pet to hold their urine or feces until someone gets home. Seems easy huh? Well, some people just don't take the time to train their pets because they didn't have compassion in the first place when they decided to get a pet. It's not that hard to read a book or go online and educate yourself about how to train your pet to hold their business in or not tear up your house. You can even train your pets to use the restroom on a wee-wee pad while you're out, if you didn't already know that.

One of the main problems that people lack when having a pet is having the proper education on an animal. Just like people, animals get sick and hurt themselves too. Did you know that cats can get aids and leukemia? It can easily be prevented by getting your cat screened for these diseases at the vet or not letting your feline go outside. Cats can get this by getting bitten, scratched, or sharing food with another feline. According to PetMD, outdoor cats that are not spayed or neutered are more likely to get these diseases because they are in heat or protecting their territory. Let's just say you did get your cat screened for these diseases, and you let your feline go outside. Do you know the symptoms of feline aids? Did you know your cat can spread the disease like wild fire if you keep them outside? Feline aids is not known to be spread from felines to humans, so it is safe to keep your pet indoors if they do have the disease. Sadly there is not a cure for feline aids, but a cat can still live a fulfilling life indoors for years without spreading its illness to other felines. It is so important to educate yourself about your pet because you can save their lives or prevent them from getting hurt. For example, according to vetSTREET, allowing your dogs to stick their heads out the window while driving can damage their hearing. The wind blowing can allow debris to fly into their face or ears and cause damage. You may think your dog loves feeling the wind on their face, which he mostly does, yet as a pet owner you need to understand that this form of recreation can hurt your pet and cause another costly trip to the vet. Although only a few facts have been shared, there are countless situations that can harm your pet. A person needs to use common sense and do some research to keep their animal safe just like a human would take the proper precautions with a child or family member.

Adopting a pet and bringing them home entitles many new responsibilities as an owner. If you are ready to face the costs, have compassion, and willing to educate yourself, you will be a wonderful pet owner. Your pet will live a long happy life and appreciate everything you have done for them by showing you the love they are able to exhibit to human beings.