Two of my babies, Jet and Gidgy.
Are you considering a pet for your household? What type of pet should you choose? Is it worth the headache of pooper scooping?
I'm going to share our experiences with pets and a few observations I have noticed over the years. My thoughts are blunt and this is definitely an opinion post. We do foster care for pets and I'm taking some of our experiences from that perspective, this is your heads-up!
Who should have a pet?
Some people just shouldn't have a pet. If the dog is going to be tied up outside and never really be apart of your family, don't bother. If you get a cat and let it outside, know it will only live to be about 8 years old. Indoor cats can enjoy a full life up to 15 to 20 years old! A pet is suppose to be apart of the family, if people can not dedicate to this promise, don't get a pet. Just don't. This pet WILL end up in a shelter/pound and 15 million pets get 'put to sleep' every day!
Is the spaying and neutering cost worth it?
Most importantly, weigh the cost of getting your pet spayed/neutered BEFORE you decide. If you adopt a pet and it seems expensive, compare the cost to the price of spaying/neutering. Chances are the pet from an adoption agency is already fixed and that's included in the price. The vaccinations are done too. If you are adopting from the pound, ask if the pet is fixed already. If it isn't, please consider the cost. 1 cat and her kittens can result in 420,000 kittens in 7 years. 1 dog can produce 76,000 puppies in 7 years. These pets end up in pounds/shelters/adoption programs or worse, outside to fend for themselves. Worse case scenario, they end up being killed (euthanized) because the shelters and pounds don't have the room.
Allergies:
If you're allergic, then obviously a big furry pet isn't for you. However, there are pets that are considered non-allergenic. Non-allergenic doesn't mean they don't shed, all pets shed unless they are like the hairless cat of Egypt. Non-allergenic means the fur is more like hair, than fur. Do your research and ask around and learn about breeds before getting one. Or you can opt for a turtle!
I'm going to share our experiences with pets and a few observations I have noticed over the years. My thoughts are blunt and this is definitely an opinion post. We do foster care for pets and I'm taking some of our experiences from that perspective, this is your heads-up!
Who should have a pet?
Some people just shouldn't have a pet. If the dog is going to be tied up outside and never really be apart of your family, don't bother. If you get a cat and let it outside, know it will only live to be about 8 years old. Indoor cats can enjoy a full life up to 15 to 20 years old! A pet is suppose to be apart of the family, if people can not dedicate to this promise, don't get a pet. Just don't. This pet WILL end up in a shelter/pound and 15 million pets get 'put to sleep' every day!
Is the spaying and neutering cost worth it?
Most importantly, weigh the cost of getting your pet spayed/neutered BEFORE you decide. If you adopt a pet and it seems expensive, compare the cost to the price of spaying/neutering. Chances are the pet from an adoption agency is already fixed and that's included in the price. The vaccinations are done too. If you are adopting from the pound, ask if the pet is fixed already. If it isn't, please consider the cost. 1 cat and her kittens can result in 420,000 kittens in 7 years. 1 dog can produce 76,000 puppies in 7 years. These pets end up in pounds/shelters/adoption programs or worse, outside to fend for themselves. Worse case scenario, they end up being killed (euthanized) because the shelters and pounds don't have the room.
Allergies:
If you're allergic, then obviously a big furry pet isn't for you. However, there are pets that are considered non-allergenic. Non-allergenic doesn't mean they don't shed, all pets shed unless they are like the hairless cat of Egypt. Non-allergenic means the fur is more like hair, than fur. Do your research and ask around and learn about breeds before getting one. Or you can opt for a turtle!
Gidgy in a basket!
Gidgy and Jack spooning
If you are still considering getting a pet, read on!
My boys have ASD, ADD, SPD, among other issues, getting pets was the BEST therapy we have ever had!!
What does having a pet teach children?
With ASD, having a pet teaches compassion, joy, empathy, caring for another being, being aware of the pet's responses to your child's actions, and most importantly, unconditional love.
With ADD, having a pet teaches time management with feeding times, pooper scooping, taking for walks, and training. It's easy to have a long attention span with a loving furry pet that hangs off your every word, and unconditional love.
With SPD, having a pet offers a sensory experience with tactile progress in petting, with the wet dog after the rain, with the litter when scooping, with deep pressure when the pet sits or lays on your lap, and most of all, unconditional love.
Volunteering!
My boys are presently taking care of our own pets, two dogs and a cat, along with foster pets through an adoption program. This is teaching them to be unselfish because we can't keep the foster pets. It teaches them to care for another being, for another family. It's a selfless give-forward service. Seeing the new family happy and excited and knowing they put all that work into the pet in order to get him/her ready for this, is a great sense of accomplishment! Volunteer work is great character development, looks good on a resume, and is a whole lot of fun!
Don't Shop, Adopt!
Please consider adopting from a pound/shelter or a fostering agency for pets, rather than a pet store. Here is an article on about pets in pet shops: http://www.peta.org/issues/companion-animals/pet-shops.aspx
Please visit Petfinder and start your search there! http://www.petfinder.com/index.html
Put in your location on the left and click search and it will show you all the pets waiting for you to adopt them in your area.
The unconditional love, joy, humour, and love (did I mention love?) is completely worth every second you spend with your pet!
Pets teach us unconditional love
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