Ready for a Pet?
Undeniably, pets bring great joy to humans’ lives. Here, we will try to help you know if you are ready for one.
Check these questions and honestly answer yes or no.
- You do not mind waking up at 2:30 am to pick up a #2 accident and clean it up immediately so the house is clean and free of bacteria.
- You are ok with cleaning their eyes, noses, ears, mouth and tooshies whenever they are dirty. Yup, just like in a baby or a toddler, you need to care for your pet.
- You are fine with the colour of their fur even though it does not match your furniture’s. Yes, I had one couple that did not want to adopt a perfect cat because he was white and their furniture might “reveal” the fur!
- When you see tumblers of fur around the house, you are fine with vacuuming/sweeping them all up!
- You gladly examine your pet’s body to check for masses or weird growths. Caressing a pet not only allows bonding but also allows you to check for things that are not right.
- You have enough financial stability to afford an Emergency visit to the vet. Yes, one time one of our doggies decided to go hide and swallow whole 2 squeaky toys we had given her for Christmas; just because she did not want to share them with her sister. The visit: USD$5,000.00 for emergency surgery, X-Rays and hospitalization. Many pets are put down because their owners decide they do not want to spend the money or they do not have the funds to afford treatment.
- You are delighted when your pet does something bad anywhere and you have to either profusely apologize, or clean, or both! They are your pet and you love them no matter what.
- Your idea of correcting bad behavior ONLY includes positive reinforcement.
- You understand that the pet’s needs go before your wants and when the pets needs you, you will be there unconditionally. This means things like moving ONLY to pet-friendly rentals. Many people give their pets up because they want to move and prefer the apartment than the pet. Another example is subjecting the pet to painful treatments and suffering because of the owner’s religious beliefs or being in denial that the pet will pass away due to the cycle of life “taking its course”.
- You are not getting the pet because your children “want” a pet. Remember, children want a lot of fun things, but the responsibility of caring for the pet will ultimately fall on you. I see a lot of pet parents giving away their pets because they do not have the time, patience, dedication to care for the pet and only got the pet because they had promised one to their children.
If you responded YES to ALL of these, congratulations! you are ready to be a pet parent! Please visit your local shelter and please adopt your new family member!
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