Opening up your heart and home to a pet in need is one of the most noble things you can do in life. But make no mistake, taking care of another living, breathing, feeling, thinking being is a huge commitment. You’re taking on the burden of caring for a new friend for many long years to come, and that comes with lots of responsibilities, and not just financial ones.
In other words, you have to be absolutely sure that you’re ready and capable of providing for a pet. It would be heartbreaking to return them to an animal shelter if you realize that you can’t give them the life that they deserve.
Love, care, and affection are all necessary to make your new pet happy. However, you have to set your excitement aside for a moment and really look at your current lifestyle and resources. Ask yourself one simple thing: do you know what your new pet needs, and can you currently provide them with everything?
Do some research about the animal you want to bring into your life. Think ahead and look at potential costs, medical issues, longevity, etc. Meanwhile, be brutally honest with yourself about the time, money, space, etc. you can realistically offer the pet.
According to the PDSA, you have to ask yourself which pet is best for you, in terms of your routine and household.
What’s more, you have to look through your budget and see if you have the finances to afford a pet.
“It’s no secret that pets can be expensive, so as owners we need to budget and make sure we can afford all the costs,” the PDSA writes.
“Caring for different species will cost different amounts, so you shouldn’t expect a rabbit to cost the same as a dog.”
Aside from food, toys, equipment, and other must-haves for a quality environment, you have to think about veterinary bills, pet insurance, and the like. What’s more, you have to consider whether you can afford to have a fund that you set aside in case your pet has a health emergency. The latter can be immensely expensive.
In the meantime, does your daily routine allow you to spend enough time with your new pet to ensure its mental and emotional well-being? If it’s a more active, outdoor pet, will you be able to match its energy level every single day?
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The PDSA suggests considering the following things before you get a new pet:
- Are you settled? If you’ve just moved home, or are planning to in the near future, now may not be the best time to get a pet
- Is your routine normal? We can’t guess what life will throw at us, but we need to make sure everything is as ‘normal’ as possible before welcoming a new pet into our lives
- Are you ready? Do you have everything your new pet will need? Have you worked out where they’ll eat and sleep?
- Can you provide a calm environment? Moving into a new home is stressful for us and this is no different for our pets! They need to come into a nice calm home where they’ll have time to settle in and adapt at their own pace
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According to the PDSA, it’s also vital that you’re honest about whether you actually want a pet in the first place.
“This might seem like a daft question, but it’s important. Pets take a lot of time and commitment, so if it’s not something you’re fully committed to, then a pet probably isn’t for you. You should never get a pet on a whim or because you feel like it at the time, because you might change your mind. You need to be absolutely sure a pet is what you want before getting one!”
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