ONE of the best moments in life includes the day we bring our new furry friend home. However, there is a lot to consider before making a decision to adopt a new pet into your life, and often the excitement makes us forget what a huge commitment it actually is.
Many puppies and kittens are bought or adopted because they are so cute. Sadly, many people tend to take this commitment lightly, and when they tire of the no-longer cute puppy, or the responsibility becomes too much, the pet is easily discarded. Similarly, people tend to abandon a pet at a shelter when their life circumstances change. It seems for many it is easier to surrender a pet to a shelter than to follow through on their commitment, or to find a suitable place to rehome them to where they will be loved.
On commitment
Dogs and cats generally have a lifespan of 10 to 16 years. This is a long time to make a commitment to a pet, and thus thinking your situation through before making this kind of commitment is of high importance. It’s vital to take into account that pets need a lot of love and attention, and investment in terms of time and training. From a financial point of view, pets need to be taken to the vet regularly, and if a pet falls ill vet bills can be quite costly. Make sure you budget in vet visits, or pet medical aid, pet food, and other pet accessories. Decide whether you and your family are all ready for a new pet and that everyone will be on the same page when it comes to the responsibility of looking after a pet. Should you have other pets, make sure you integrate them well and be patient with both the new and the old pet. Be ready for an adjustment period.
Get to know the pet that will suit your family best
From fish to chinchillas, birds, hamsters, snakes, cats, and dogs there are a lot to choose from. If you have a busy lifestyle or young children it may be a better option to choose a pet that needs less attention and work. It’s also a great opportunity to teach a young child the responsibility of looking after a smaller pet before moving on to a cat or a dog. But keep in mind, no matter how big or small, all pets need attention.
When it comes to dogs, take into consideration the size of your garden and the amount of exercise you may need to give it, should your garden be too small. Then decide who is going to be the primary caretaker, otherwise, you’ll spend lots of time arguing while your new dog stares at his empty food bowl. To avoid confusing the pup, hammer out the house rules ahead of time. Will the dog be allowed on the bed? On the couch? Where will the dog sleep? Are any rooms of the house permanently off-limits?
Adopting or buying?
Unfortunately, there are an incredible amount of animal shelters with dogs and cats of all ages in need of a loving home. Should you be an older couple you might consider adopting an older pet. It’s always good to consider adoption first, but it’s important to research well on the history of the pet before you adopt it. When you are ready to meet your prospective companion, spend time with him or her. This may be the most important research you do. Handle the animal, watch the interactions with you, with other family members or friends and, if possible, with other animals. Be certain that the pet will fit in with your family and that it has the personality you want to live with.
Another thing to consider is if you get one or two pets. In my experience, it has been truly beneficial to have gotten Vinkel and Koljander together. It means they have never had to be alone as they’ve always had one another. They’ve been able to play together from a young age, and I’ve never had the guilt of leaving one dog at home alone, while I go off to work.
Be responsible
Consider spaying and neutering, consult your vet should you be unsure whether this will be best for your pet, but most vets will tell you this is the right thing to do. Often when adopting pets from a shelter they will insist the pet is spayed or neutered before it is handed over to you. Finally, ensure your new pet is properly outfitted with ID, so that if it should ever get lost you will have it safely returned to you. Have your contact information on your pet’s collar, either printed directly onto the collar or on a tag. And have your pet microchipped, so that it can be scanned at a vet should it somehow lose its collar or tag.
That’s it for this week, from me, Vinkel and Koljander. Paw five! Woof!
