So you’ve just been to the animal shelter and seen the sweetest dog,or you’ve just finished watching the cutest kittens on YouTube again and you think you’re ready for a pet. Adopting or purchasing a new pet should not be done on a whim.  Pets require a lot of work and can suffer if the proper care is not provided.  Many pets are relinquished daily because the person who acquired them did not thoroughly think it through first.

Use the following questions to help guide you in your pursuit of a new pet:

• What is the purpose of your new pet?  i.e. companionship, agility training, therapy dog, etc.
• Does anyone in the family have allergies?  Consider all family members who may have contact with the pet.
• Do you have children?  If so, how old are they?
• What is your daily schedule?  Dogs should have at least one 15 min walk/day and should not be left alone more than 8 hours daily.
• Do you have the time required to teach a new dog housetraining and basic obedience?
• Do you have access to exercise areas?  Fenced yard, local park, or off-leash park
• Do you have time or a budget for grooming?
• How much room do you have in your home? A very large dog would not be an ideal in a small apartment.
• Do you have room for cages, an aquarium or litter boxes?  It is best to have one litter box per cat plus one.  So, in a 2 cat household, you should have 3 litter boxes to help prevent house soiling (which is a major cause of cat relinquishment).
• How much can you financially manage?  Do you have a budget for routine and unexpected healthcare costs?  The larger the pet, the more expense there will be to feed and care for it.
• How will adding a new pet affect your current pet?
• Have you had a pet before?  If not, it may be best to avoid a high maintenance pet or breed at first.

Once you have answered these questions, you will need to know a lot about the particular pet you are considering.  If you are gone a lot during the day, don’t have a high energy dog or you may come home to destruction of your property because the dog has nothing better to do.  Don’t get a nocturnal pet if you really need your sleep or you want a pet that will interact with you in the daytime.  Make sure you are prepared for the special needs of your pet.

Don’t assume that pocket pets (i.e. rabbits, rodents, etc.), birds, reptiles, or even fish are “easy.”  Most of them have very specific housing and dietary needs and can easily become sick if these needs aren’t met.  Please do your research BEFORE adopting these pets. Remember, the pet store employee is not always the best source of accurate information.

Spending the time to properly train and socialize your pet when it is young will be much easier than trying to retrain it when it has already developed problem behaviors.

Remember, dogs live more than 10 years, some cats live more than 15-20 years

and some birds can live 50 years or more. 

A new pet is no small commitment. 

Do the research BEFORE you commit.