The decision to share your home with a pet is an important one, and there are many things to consider. It is even more complex if you have small children.
Why Get A Pet?
There are many positive reasons to introduce a pet to your home, including:
- To provide an animal with a safe and happy place to live
- For companionship and to connect
- To teach your children responsibility
- To help shy children or children lacking in confidence
- Some animals are known to boost the immune system and help reduce the likelihood of allergies and asthma
- To increase your fitness levels
- To reduce stress and help you feel more relaxed
- To provide a playmate, companion, and confidante for your children
Things To Consider
When deciding which pet is best for your family, there are many factors to take into consideration.
1. Expense
There’s no doubt about it; pets can be expensive. As well as the cost of the pet itself, you will also need to factor in food, bedding, accessories, vets bills, possible costs for boarding if you go on vacation, etc. Of course, some pets are more expensive than others, and so it is worth doing some research to determine your budget and whether this rules out any of your choices.
2. Time
Whichever pet you choose, you will have to devote some time to it. This will vary depending on their needs. Horses are probably the most time-consuming of pets as they will need to be exercised and mucked out daily. Dogs also need a lot of time devoted to them. Depending on the breed they will need to be walked once or twice a day as an absolute minimum. Whereas cats are much more independent and will require significantly less time.
If you have a very busy lifestyle and no time to exercise pets, fish are a great solution. Apart from tending to their environment and food, they will look after themselves. You can find many varieties of fish for sale online, from goldfish to koi.
3. Illness
Like humans, pets can get ill. This can be extremely distressing for their owners who become attached to them. And at some point, they will die. This is something you need to be aware of, especially if you have young children. In many cases pets become part of the family and losing them is a significant loss and should not be underestimated. On the other hand, loss is something we will all have to come to terms with at some point in our lives. Many parents feel that it teaches their kids about life and death.
4. Allergies
Does anyone in the family have pet allergies? If so, this will affect your choices. Depending on the severity of the allergy you may be able to reduce exposure to the pet and establish rules to keep them out of bedrooms, etc.
5. A Pet Is For Life
You know the story. In the early stages, everyone wants a pet and promises that they will look after them. But as the weeks go ago, the novelty of morning walks and cleaning out cages begins to wane. It is important to be aware that any pet is a big responsibility and they are for life.
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