Tips for Choosing the Perfect Pet

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Pet

December 7, 2018

You can go to any animal shelter in the country and find a large number of dogs, cats and other animals looking for their forever homes. This can be an overwhelming experience for people looking to adopt a furry friend—there are so many to choose from! Therefore, it’s important that you spend some time thinking about what type of pet is the best fit for you, your lifestyle and your household.

Here are some tips from our animal hospital in St. Francisville, LA about a few factors you should consider when choosing a pet:

  • Time: How much time do you have to train and care for your new pet? Are you away from home all day? There are some pets that thrive on a lot of interaction with people and their owners, and they can get separation anxiety if left home alone. Others are just fine being left to their own devices for extended periods of time. With dogs, some need to be walked and exercised more frequently than others, which can be challenging if you don’t have the time. Be honest with yourself about how much free time you have and are capable of committing to your pet.
  • Space: How much space do you have in your home? If you have a tiny studio apartment, it doesn’t exactly make sense for you to get a mastiff. What other qualities exist in your living space? For example, if you have a yard, is it fenced in? If you rent, do you have permission from the owner of the property to have a pet? Some landlords don’t allow pets at all, while others only allow caged animals, others only allow cats and others have few to no restrictions at all, so make sure you check your lease.
  • Cost: What are you able to afford when it comes to purchasing a pet? If you’re going to adopt, you probably won’t have to pay much more than a couple hundred dollars for adoption fees and other costs, like vaccinations and spaying or neutering. But if you are going to purchase a pet from a breeder, you can find yourself paying several thousand dollars, depending on the breed. You should also factor in how much money you have to pay for pet care per month and year.
  • Size: Do you have any strong opinions about the size of animal you want? This is going to be more of an issue with dogs than cats—there’s much more variance in dog sizes.
  • Age: While puppies and kittens may be extremely cute, they are also a lot more work. Are you willing to put in the work to train them, and deal with all the frustration that comes with having a puppy or kitten? Keep in mind that there are plenty of older cats and dogs that are just as lovable and in need of a good home and companionship.

These are just a few factors to consider when choosing a pet. For more tips, contact our animal hospital in St. Francisville, LA.

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