Most of us have pets or would want to get a new pet into our family. But how do you know what pet to get? A cat? Dog? Rabbit? How do you know what pet will fit your family and most importantly, what pet you can take care of? A pet is very much like a child, and having a pet is like having and raising a child so you need to make sure that you know exactly what you can handle before getting into one. Much like a child, once they get here, you can’t really wish them away – you’re pretty much stuck so make sure you get the best friend possible in your new pet friend.
- Your Lifestyle
What sort of life do you live? Are you always home and in that case, you can get any pet you want since you’re able to take care of them without needing someone else to set in too often? If you’re a constant traveler and have a pet, that could be a problem as you’d forever be needing to more your poor pet to someone else’s house. It is destabilizing and discomforting for a pet if they are moved around so much, or if you’re never there to play with them and keep them warm and safe. Again, it’s like having a little one and never being there for them. They might not say much but they feel it.
So, if your lifestyle is one on the road and you’re never home, then consider waiting for a time that you’re more available to get a pet. Or make sure you have all the backups lined up before you commit to a pet as pets can tell when you’re present in their lives and when you’re just a blimp, showing up every few days and disappearing for months on end. So, don’t commit if your lifestyle won’t let you be the best pet owner that you can be as that would be unfair to the animal if you’re not available to love them.
- Your Workstyle
Much like your lifestyle which can keep you on the road and away from your pet, your workstyle might also keep you away from them. Even if you don’t travel for work, you might have a seriously busy schedule that makes it impossible to care for a pet. If you’re always staying late at work, or working very long and hard hours, think about the new pet you’re about to get and worry about who will take care of them those times that you’ll be inadvertently gone due to work commitments. If you have a reliable sitter or pet hotel, or have a partner or kids that can take care of the pet, then by all means, go ahead and get one, but if you live alone or everyone else in your house is super busy, then getting a pet and taking care of it might be something hard to fit into your current schedule and should be carefully thought about to make sure you have all the help you’d need. A pet is serious work and even though those loved animals are the best friend we could have; we also want to be best friend they have. So, get an animal that you know your time would allow you to care for as best as possible.
- Your Inner Feelings
We know it sound crazy but if you listen to yourself, you’ll know that you’re drawn to certain types of animals for whatever reason. You might want a dog so badly while you can’t stand a cat. You might want a bunny but a hamster will drive you crazy. Maybe all you can handle is just a fish as that is what you connect with. Or you might want three dogs all at once as your sprit calls for it. So, take some time out and think about what sort of animal appeal to you. Some people get pets as adults based on their experiences as a kid. If you have a dog you love as a kid, chances are that you’d want to have a dog in your adult years. If you have a cat you loved, you might want to opt for a cat. And if you didn’t like the pets you had as kids, you might also want to steer way from all things cats and dogs. So, listen to yourself and see what resonates with you and then get an animal you know you can live with and take care of for as long as possible. This is about the last we’d owe the loved animal.