Getting a pet is an exciting time for everyone. You’re welcoming a new member to your family and a new addition to the household. But having a pet can be a lot of work and a lot of responsibility. You need to make sure you’re prepared and ready for this responsibility so that it doesn’t overwhelm you.
To help you here are nine of the most important things to think about when you’re preparing to get a pet.
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Cost
One of the first things you’re going to need to think about when you have a pet is the cost. Having a pet is more expensive than you think, and you need to make sure you can cover the financial expenses. You’ll have to pay for food, medical bills and facilities for your pet. You need to treat having a pet the same way as having a child. It is expensive and will need a lot of care and attention. Make sure you have the money to look after a pet otherwise it’s irresponsible to get one. If you get a pet with a partner or your family think about setting up a pet fund that everyone contributes towards.
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Regular Feeding Times
As mentioned before having a pet is a lot like having a baby. And one of the most similar aspects of this is the regular feeding times. You’ll find that your pet will need to be fed several times a day. Depending on the type and size of the animal you have, you’ll be looking at varied feeding times. You’ll also need to think about giving your pet a mixture of different types of food. For instance, if you had a cat you’d want to think about giving it dry and wet food. This will ensure your cat gets a healthier more balanced diet, with the nutrients and minerals it needs.
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Physical Exercise
Bear in mind, that a pet is a living breathing creature, and as such it will need regular exercise. Now this might involve taking it outside for a while. Or it could even just include making sure its cage or home is large enough for it to move around freely. If you have a dog, you’ll need to account for the fact it will need regular exercise. Dogs are energetic and will want to go for walks at least a couple of times a day. Make sure you make time to ensure your pet is getting the necessary physical exertion it needs.
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Where Will the Pet Stay?
You need to make preparations for where your pet is going to stay. Will you keep it inside the house or outside? Again this will depend on the type of pet you have. If you had a fish then worrying about where to put it would not be an issue. But if you have a rabbit you’ll need to decide between inside or outside. Then you need to think about the size of the hutch or cage it will stay in. If you have a pet that doesn’t live in a cage, then you’ll need to factor in that it won’t be house trained at the start. So you might want to keep it outside, or keep it in a specific section of the house.
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Get Jabs
Pets need to be looked after. They require care and attention in the same way humans do. Don’t forget that you’ll need to take your pet to the vets to get jabs. These jabs are necessary to protect your pet against illnesses and diseases. Your animal might need to have quite a few injections to protect them. So make sure you get it all done as soon as you can. You don’t want to overlook injections and then have your pet get ill a few months down the line.
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Prepare For the End
As morbid as it sounds, you do need to prepare yourself for the end. As soon as you get a pet you need to realise that it will die at some point. And you need to prepare yourself for this. Give some thought to where you would bury your pet if this happened. Also, have a look at things like pet memorial plaques to select a fitting tribute for your animal. It sounds depressing, but it’s important to do this because your pet’s not going to live forever. This is a reason it’s important for children to have pets. It teaches them about death and loss alongside responsibilities.
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House Training
It’s important to make sure you domesticate and house train your pet. This is vital if you have a pet that will spend a lot of time in the house like a dog. Your dog needs to be aware that the house is your domain. It needs to learn that it can’t go to the toilet in the house and it can’t rip the furniture, etc. It might take a while for you to fully train the animal in these ways. It’s easier to train them from a puppy as they haven’t picked up bad habits yet. Make sure you devote a lot of your time to house training your pet.
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Cleaning
Bear in mind that you will need to keep your pet clean and healthy. Hygiene is as important in domestic pets as it is in humans. If you have young children in the house as well, then this needs to be a priority for you. You’ll need to clean and bathe your pet on a regular basis. Depending on the sort of animal, there might be other grooming tips and cleaning rituals to fulfil. You also need to make sure your pets teeth and claws (if it has any) are kept clean and tidy as often as you can.
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Insurance
Pet insurance is something vital that you’ll need to prepare for. Pet’s can be fragile creatures and might need to have a lot of treatment. As your animal gets older, it will begin to develop more problems. When this happens, it will need to visit the vet a lot. Treatment for pets can cost an arm and a leg which is why insurance is so important. By paying for pet insurance each month, you cover yourself for treatments the pet may need when it gets older.