"What Would You Warn Someone Before They Got Your Type Of Pet?": 46 Honest Tips From Our Community

When you adopt a dog, it's for the rest of their life, not just whenever you stop finding them fun. If you aren't going to commit to caring for a dog properly—providing fresh food and water daily, regular yearly vet visits and vaccinations, treating them as part of the family, and emergency visits as needed—then don't get one.

Ferrets. Cute, funny, playful, affectionate. BUT… too intelligent for their own good and safety. They have the intelligence of a toddler and are extraordinary problem solvers. They are never reliably litter-box trained. If you allow them into a room once, they will always want back in—sometimes digging through carpet and padding just to squeeze under the door.

They steal and stash things. Females mostly create secret food stashes, like in dresser drawers. Males go for socks and similar items. They must inspect the bottom of every cup, full or empty, often tipping it over to do so.

And the scariest part: if they escape the house, they are brave and bold enough to approach any other animal—size be damned—to say “howdy.” The terror of not being able to find your little carpet shark after checking the whole house and running around outside calling for them… then you come back inside, and there they are, sleepily blinking at you, wondering what all the excitement was about.

Chihuahuas are more than an accessory. They are very smart but stubborn and usually bond with one person more than the whole family. Be prepared for health issues—my first one had teeth problems and then heart issues, and my current one is suffering from tracheal collapse, even though I only use harnesses and never a collar.

But they are incredible companions, loving to be next to you and to touch you. Lexie loves to sit on my chest and put her face in front of mine, which makes watching TV a bit tricky.

They need to know that you are in charge; otherwise, they try to take control, which can lead to aggressive or bitey behavior. They have no idea how small they are and will boss larger dogs around.

Love them.

To anyone who hasn’t been around indoor pets before, such as cats or dogs, please know that they do shed. There will be cat (or dog) hair on just about every surface in your home—and on you, too.

Another important consideration, especially before adopting a cat, is to think ahead 20 years. Many cats can live that long, and some even longer.

Because of my age, I won’t be adopting cats again. I’m not sure I’ll be around in 20 years, and what will happen to them if I’m not?

Tortoises, especially Hermanns, are escape artists—they will climb fences. They will chase you, bite your toes, and sneak up on the cats to nibble their tails.

They are complete and utter cookwombles. Needless to say, I love mine to bits.

All that stuff you’ve heard about Belgian Malinois? All those memes you’ve seen about the breed? Yeah. It’s true. It’s all true. You can’t handle a Malinois. You may think you can, but you can’t.

What’s that? You’ve had German Shepherds for decades, so you’re prepared? Cool, cool. But no—you still can’t handle a Belgian Malinois.

It’s like owning an F1 car as your everyday vehicle for driving to work and the grocery store. Except you can at least turn off an F1 car and take the keys out. You can’t turn off a Belgian Malinois.

Parrot owner here. (Well, to be honest, I'm not sure who owns whom)

These birds are highly intelligent and will challenge you in ways you'd never imagine. They need to be active, to interact, and to have various toys and playgrounds—otherwise, they develop behavioral and health issues, such as screaming or feather-plucking. If you cannot match their energy, get them a bird companion.

They are very messy and require daily cleaning. They can—and will—chew, break, or destroy things in your house, even when they have plenty of toys. That’s because they are extremely curious and like to explore your house (which, by the way, is now theirs).

They bite—often drawing blood (even budgies can do that). Even if you’ve earned their trust, they can still bite for reasons you can’t foresee: they may be hormonal, want to be left alone, dislike something about you (clothes, color, hairdo, perfume), or be upset that you’re eating without sharing. Or it could just be bedtime—and that’s totally unacceptable.

They are loud. In the wild, parrots communicate with loud calls; they call, chirp, whistle, and mimic sounds to express themselves. If you want a quiet pet, don’t get a parrot.

They have a long lifespan—up to 30 years or more for medium-sized parrots such as Senegal, conures, and caiques. Talk about a lifelong commitment…

The joy and color they bring to your life is absolutely amazing. However, if you cannot handle what I’ve mentioned above, you might want to consider getting another type of pet.

If you have a cat, be prepared for constant “help” while working on the computer.

Border Collie: extremely high energy. Don’t get one unless someone has the time and energy to keep up with them. They are also prone to seizures.

Cats: Learn their body language. Learn how to interact. They are not dogs and show affection, trust, fear, and stress very differently. Cats are subtle. Cats do care—they are not aloof or uncaring.

Hence My Cat From Hell, where the cat educates the owners, not the other way around.

This is the most important thing: cats respond to how you treat them.

Vaccines are a yearly thing, so if you want to have a pet, be prepared to budget for them. Also, have insurance or set aside pet funds for unexpected trips to the vet. I have three doggos, and they’re part of my monthly salary—haha!

You will spend more time and money ensuring the quality of their food than you do on your own.

I found the sweetest rabbit, who had been left behind by her owners. I had to adopt her a buddy, though, because rabbits are not happy alone. But if one of them dies, I’ll have to get another one again. You see where this is going? I’m stuck with rabbits forever!

If you get a Golden Retriever, be prepared for a goof. They love to play and cuddle, and they get their feelings hurt easily, so go easy on the reprimands. They will follow your commands when taught and are easy to train because they are such pleasers and jokers.

My wife and I have adopted many Golden Retrievers over the years, and each one had its own personality. They were all joys in our lives.

Orange cats: they’ve either never seen The One Brain Cell in their lives, or they’re diabolical geniuses. There is no in-between.

Do your research before getting a tarantula. Some species are wonderfully docile with weak venom, while others are super fast, super aggressive little escape artists with venom strong enough to harm your curious cat. And don't think kitty can't get at Mr. Spider—I once had a six-month-old kitten smash a huge, heavy glass enclosure to pieces by somehow knocking it off a shelf. Thankfully, Lady Eats-a-lot was a big softie who was woefully unprepared to become a play toy. (Poor girl didn't survive.)

I rescued a Dalmatian from the local shelter. Her previous owner was neglectful and wouldn’t feed her, so she was half the size she should have been and only a quarter of the expected weight. At her age, she should have been about 60 lbs (27 kg), but she was only 19 lbs (8 kg). Here’s what I discovered:

• Food insecurity: She will always be food insecure. If she’s awake, she’s looking for food. If I let her eat as much as she wants, she will eat until she vomits—and then eat the vomit. It’s heartbreaking to watch. Even though she’s well fed now, she’s always scared she won’t get her next meal. She will eat anything she can get her mouth on. I have a gate to keep her out of the kitchen; otherwise, I’d have to hide everything remotely edible. She even ate a cake wrapped in tin foil—foil included.
• Hearing issues: Dalmatians are often deaf, and she fits that profile. She doesn’t know her name and won’t respond to noises or verbal commands. On the bright side, she’s not afraid of fireworks or thunderstorms. On the other hand, I’ve had to spend a lot of time and money developing alternative training methods. I even hired a professional to help me safely take her for walks without risking injury and ensure I can call her back if she gets outside.
• High energy: Dalmatians have a lot of energy. They need plenty of time to run and burn off energy. They also like to chew, so make sure to provide plenty of toys. I rotate her toys so they feel fresh and fun to play with.
• Sweet personality: She is the sweetest dog on earth, and I love her to death.

Bengal cats. My friend has them; I’ve only cat-sat. Don’t get me wrong—they’re beautiful and amazing cats, but there are many Bengal rescues for a reason. Super smart and curious.

Things my friend has dealt with:
• No longer owns anything breakable—no vases, no knickknacks.
• Child locks on all outside doors, cabinets, fridge, and freezer. Prior to the locks, the cats pulled all the food out of the freezer while she was at work—more than once.
• Pulled up vents in the floor and tried to go inside.
• Pulled paintings off the wall to see what’s behind them.
• Fell into the bath multiple times while walking on the shower rod.
• Stole my gum (mint) out of my purse.
• Took my wallet out of my purse to get the gum.
• Opened the door and left the vet exam room while people were talking.

When I sat for them, they threw a huge tantrum—purposely pushing a block of knives off the counter—because I wouldn’t let them outside (on the balcony) in the middle of the night.

These are not just cats—they are a full-time job.

I always wondered why my cat seemed to love water. I’d had cats my entire life and had never seen any of them enjoy water like Lucy.

I had to tighten all my taps as much as possible every time I left the house—and she’d still find a way to open them. I’d come home from work to find her running around my flat, soaking wet and loving it. She’d even jump into my bath water if I left it unattended for a second.

It wasn’t until she got sick that a vet told me she was a Turkish Angora, a breed known for their love of water and affinity for joining people in their baths!

Lovebirds. They are LOUD and smart. They are clever enough to open their cage—they can figure out which way to rotate the door, and if there’s a padlock, they understand it’s the key to opening it and will try to break it with their beak.