Educate Yourself Before Bringing A New Pet

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One of my biggest pet peeves is to see a pet owned by a family or an individual without being cared for. I see people adopting pets without any consideration for their future in mind and fall into a famous cute trap. I am not sure if there is any state law that I have missed in my research, but I could not find a single regulation to monitor the eligibility of a person adopting a pet.

Just like a little child, puppies and kittens are required lots of care and attention, a good and safe environment and constant care. I have been researching and asked many in my neighborhood and sent out a survey to my friends asking them to help me in this article. What I requested from them to answer was a question “What was the main reason you needed a pet?”

The answer I received was:

70% I got a pet because it was so cute and couldn’t resist.

20% I got a pet because my friends had one and they liked it.

10% I got a pet because I was ready to adopt and help one.

Then it mesmerized me that from 50 people I sent a request to help me, almost 90% were influenced and adopt (purchased) a pet based on a sudden glimpse of love without awareness of the pet’s need and requirement.

I mostly am going to base my article on cats and dogs since they are the most accepted pets in every household. However lets not ignore other pets or at least what people call them as their pets either.

The next step was for me to do a little more search on this subject and I found many helps from local library or online search. A person who is thinking of accepting a pet or is debating on the influence of having one should ask few questions prior to the final commitment.

- Am I a pet person?

What does it really mean to be a pet person? A pet person is a person who can live with and care a pet. Before saying yes to this high responsibility of having a pet, ask yourself if you are a pet person. The following concerns and point should cross your mind while considering responding to the question.

- Why do I need a pet?

Put the pet down and walk outside and sit in a quiet corner where no one can influence your decision. Then review the need for the pet.

A- You are getting a pet because you are emotional and a pet can heal your emotions by being there as a friend.

B- It is because you need another member in the house not to feel alone.

C- Because you want to teach your kids responsibility task and a playmate

D- You want to help a pet in need of adoption and you are prepared to do so.

E- It is for fun

F- Because to keep up with the Joneses

No matter what the reason you come up with as long as you are not under others influence or the cuteness hasn’t blind your eyes.

- Can I afford the cost of having a pet?

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Many are not aware of the costs and expenses involved in having a pet and are surprised when come cross to it. Here are a short of list I came up with that costs for pets

Food: A 7-10 pound Dog’s organic food runs about $150 a year and up (suggesting Innova)
Resting place: For a small dog, who sleeps inside the house, a small resting pad or “bed” costs about $30 in Amazon.com
Medication: For a small dog under a 10 pound medications such as heart-worm and other protection costs $34 twice a year (can be purchased at 1800petmeds.com
Quarterly check up with a Veterinarian: Depending on what kind of dog, some need quarterly check up on their heart rate and digestive system. Every visit costs $60 if no medication is prescribed ($180 a year)
Yearly examinations and vaccination: cost an average of $125 to $160 depends on the animal hospital and exams.
For dogs and cats: Flea and other insects protection: Fleas and ticks are more popular in warmer climate but are suggestible for pets that are in contact with other pets throughout the season. Depending on the package usually comes in 3 packs for 3 month (one for each month) in form of and oil tube to be squeezed behind the neck to the edge of the tail. If living in a warmer climate with high possibility of fleas do it once a month. Each pack of 3 is $45 ($180 a year)
Daily grooming tools: Brush (regular daily brush and flea brush) and wet tissue. The price of these varies depending on where to shop but a regular brush runs from $9.99 to $29.99
Grooming and bathing: Every dog needs constant grooming. If you do your own grooming make sure to follow full instruction for nail clipping and bathing to protect all the sensitive part of your pet. Many bathe their dog without covering and protecting the ears. If water gets in there causes ear infection. Be very careful and take a training class prior to grooming. If not familiar with the pets needs for grooming, depending on the size of the dog and the amount of work, a simple grooming and nail trimming costs around $45-$60 for every 2 month. ($270 a year)
Toys: Every pet needs toys to play with. For the pricing refer to your local pet store
Treats: Other than daily food, pets rely on treats. Treats other than giving the pet the pleasure in taste, it also provides vitamins and important nutrient. A small bag of treat good enough for a month for a small dog runs about $15-$20 ($180 a year)
Insurance: This is an optional choice but like any other members of family it is important to have insurance. Animal hospitals are very expensive and insurance can help reducing the cost. For a healthy young adult small dog, insurance costs $100-$299 a month. I did not reference the insurance that I got the quotes from since I didn’t discuss for their permission. But search and try to find the best competitive rate as you shop for your own health insurance.
Pet sitter and trainer: You need a sitter to look after your pet when not around and a trainer to train your pet to behave. Each are costly and a sitter charges hourly from $10-$20, a trainer runs from $35-$70 a session.

And this list is not including the fancy stuff and gifts the pet owners spoil their pets with. Also I did not include any unfortunate accident and hospital bills.

- Do I have time to spend with my pet?

Another very important think to go over before making the commitment is to consider whether you have enough time to spend with the pet.

A) Fun

Every pet is playful and needs to play. Pets like dogs love to run outside and walk along for about an hour and others like cat like to play in the house. For dogs it is necessary to walk them 3 times a day for doing what we all need to do (going to restroom). It is important to be responsible and pick after our dogs. This is very important specially when living around any ocean or lakes since it can poison the water and make people sick. Always have proper bag and respect the neighborhood. Some people hate to do that and I’d say did you ask yourself the question of being a pet person before getting the pet? Pets need the playful attention and require your time to spend it with them. Do you have enough time to spend with your pet in your corporate world?

B) Training

Every pet, especially dogs and cats need constant training. Especially at the beginning, it is a non-stop task. If you do not spend enough time for their training, it gets harder and harder to control their behavior. You can also hire a professional trainer to help you with the style and methods. Find your pet trainer by posting on Bids By Pros.

C) Care and hygiene

Every pet must get clean every time that runs from outside to your clean house. They need to be brushed and fully cared for fleas and wiped. This is a constant and important task for the health of your dog to keep their hygiene top notch and also to protect your health from any brought in bacteria. Do you have enough time for your pet? Pets are like newborn babies and need attention constantly. Be ready!

- Do I have a long-term pet sitter?

If you work as many of do daily, you need to arrange for a pet sitter. Taking your dog out in the morning and coming back to take them again at the end of your shift after 8-9 is not healthy for their bladder. Can you hold yours for that long? I doubt it so don’t expect them too do it. Hire a pet sitter and they can walk your dog once a day while you’re not home. You might say I only work for 5 hours and I do not need a pet sitter or pet walker. Always consider incidents, traffics and hold ups. You do not want your pet to suffer and am sure if they let it go in your house, you get upset.

- Is my house pet friendly?

Other important point to consider is to consider how friendly is your house.

A) Pets allowed: If you live in a community complex, check with the management and make sure your complex allows pets and find out their standards such as weight and type. Some complex do not allow big dogs over certain weight or have policies against fish tank or other kind of pets. Do not get yourself in trouble with the management of the complex and think twice. This can be another costly option since many complex charge pet fees. I contacted many complexes in California and the pet fee runs from $150 to $500 per year.

B) Living in a community where pet is welcome:

If you have a house and are not concerned about management, then be considerate to your neighbors. It is a common courtesy to ask your direct neighbors if they don’t mind you bringing a pet. Some might have small children and your big Rottweiler can be a concern. Do the same if you have a poisonous pet in the house. I wouldn’t want to live beside a neighbor who is in love with Python or other so called “pet”

C) Space in the house:

Does your pet have enough space in your house? If you have a 500 square footer apartment in New York, maybe that is not such a good idea to bringing a Bernese mountain dog.

D) Stairs, Balcony and other hazards:

Consider pet safety and if your house provides enough safety for your pet. Stairs, flooring type open balconies and windows in high-rise could all be big danger and hazards for your pet. As I mentioned earlier, pets are just like a kid. Lets rephrase it and say is your house childproof?

I just maybe covered a small portion of the pets concern. Please be responsible and consider all the points. Educate yourself and study about the pet you’d like to have. Just like parents preparing themselves for a newborn, take classes and consult with pet trainers and pet caring facilities. You are bringing another dependent to your family.

I didn’t want to open a subject on a shorter life span on pets than us human and dealing with the emotions and attachment. You are doing yourself a favor by making an educative decision than a haste one based on an irresistible cute eyes staring back at you.

Now ask yourself these question” Are you ready to have a pet?”

Join me in the debate in the comment box about should there be any state regulation on monitoring dog adopting and breed?

Resources: Online about.com, Amazon.com, Petcare.com in library: books like being a pet person, cost of having a pet, Can I afford a pet? Why there is no monitoring for adopting a pet? Pet vaccination and hygiene.