What Kind of Pet is Right for Me?

Not everyone is cut out to have children, own a dog, or a bird. How do you figure out which pet is right for you?  If you ask yourself this question before rushing out and getting an 8 week old puppy that gets up every two hours to potty and will go on to chew up a good portion of your house and do things that embarrass you worse than children ever could, you are way ahead of the game.  There are even people who make a career out of telling people what kind of pet to get.I don't want to scare anyone away from the innumerable rewards of having an animal companion but there are a few things to consider before just getting a pet.

Dogs are the first choice for most Americans. The breed and appearance are the primary factor for choosing which dog to get. But ask these questions before actually getting a dog.

1. Are you ready for a 15 year commitment. Only 25% of all dogs born are taken home to remain there for life. That means 75% will either wind up in a pound or rescue or be euthanized.  Dogs go through different stages during those 15 years.

2. Are you ready to invest approximately $1700 per year in cost for a dog. This includes food, vet care, grooming, and extras.  This does not include an emergency trip to the vet for things like torn ligaments, loose knees, bad hips, arthritis, etc. If you can not afford to get vet care for your dog please spare the dog a lifetime of pain or an early death and let someone who can afford to care for him take him home.

3. Have you thought about getting a dog for a while or did you just see one and decide on the spot to get it. Do you buy a car that way or would you have a child that way?

4. Are you patient enough to deal with training the dog? No dog comes perfect. They need training and exercise. A backyard for life is equal to a prison. An untrained dog is a dog that winds up in the pound.

If you can do all of that please consider adopting over shopping. 40 % of dogs in rescues and shelters are pure bred dogs.  www.petfinder.com is a great place to start looking for the perfect dog for you.

Maybe you are more of a cat person.  They require less daily care and place fewer demands on the owners attention. Let me just say that anyone who says a cat has no personality has never owned a cat.

1. Cats still require vet care although the cost is generally less than that of a dog and they have different emergency needs generally.  Cats can have urinary problems such as crystals in the urine and urinary tract infections. So you can still expect an annual cost of at least $1500 a year.

2. Cats do still need care and attention. Cats who avoid their owners need more attention. Most cats are very affectionate and loving. They need to be fed and have fresh water daily and their litter boxes need to be cleaned daily. Cats are extremely clean animals and get angry if their box is dirty which can lead to them using the bathroom outside the box.

3. Cats love to play and toys are a great source of enjoyment for them. Everything from laser pointers to anything with a feather. It is possible to own more than one cat or to have a cat and dog together. But they must be introduced slowly and carefully.

Birds are also very nice pets but also require a good deal of care.  They are beautiful to look at and very relaxing to watch unless you are one of those people with an extreme fear of birds.

1. Again there are costs associated with owning a bird.  Some vets do not care for birds and you must find one that specializes in exotic pets.  Their beaks must be cared for and their cages must be cleaned.  You need to buy food as well as nesting materials and other accessories. Some birds cost thousands to purchase and some live as long as 80 years.  Bird rescues are overflowing with birds whose owners grew tired of them and were not really ready for an 80 year commitment.

Fish are not as simple as getting a bowl putting in the fish and feeding them every day.  Their tanks will need to be cleaned and they will require frequent water checks to make sure the ph balance is . But they are buy far the easiest pets to care for. They even sell DVDs of aquariums so people don't have to clean tanks. They can be used on TVs or computers.

As for other pets such as lizards, iguanas, potbellied pigs, chickens, or monkeys just let me say please talk to a vet who specializes in care of these species before actually getting one to see what you can expect.  I hope you will still want to get a pet and I hope you will be prepared for the responsibility that comes with owning one. The unconditional love and loyalty is like nothing else on earth. I just hope that the more prepared we are the less likely an animal is to wind up in a pound or worse.