by mockingster

Created on: July 30, 2008

The first and foremost thing you need to consider before getting a pet is are you ready for it and why are you getting it. Many people get pets on a sudden thought "ah it would be nice to have a pet", some people get pets because their kids want one, yet other people get pets because their friend has one so it will be cool for me to have one too. But getting a pet is a huge responsibility and a lot of thought has to go into it before getting one as it is a commitment for the animal's entire lifetime and also having a pet means making changes to ones lifestyle as well.

Getting a pet because the kids want one usually ends up in you eventually having to look after it as more often than not the thought of getting a pet to a kid will initially have a very positive response "I will look after it, etc". But after a while they can tire of the routine of caring for the pet.
Having a pet means additional expenditure can you afford to have one. It would involve money for food, toys, collars, leashes, for veterinarian visits for sickness, accidents, and various inoculations.
How will it affect your lifestyle We travel whenever we get the opportunity usually for about 3 4 days. So when I decided to adopt "Ginger" a female cat I was specifically told by my husband. It is true you want to adopt a cat but please make certain that our lives will not revolve around the cat. For my luck I have found a person who comes and feeds Ginger when we are away .
Do you have the time, energy and patience to commit to looking after your pet - Different pets require different amounts of your time. For instance a dog would require more of your time than a cat would. Therefore getting a pet if you are working would be a tremendous strain on you. Pets require their daily food, water, exercise, play, care and also your companionship. Do not get a pet if you do not have the time for them. Many pets end up in shelters because their owners did not realize how much time and effort having a pet would involve.
Do not get a cat if you plan to move house unless you have an immense amount of patience and time. I had to move with "Ginger" a female cat - from my previous rented house to my own house and believe me it was a very tiring experience. We had to move in to an incomplete house as the landlord wanted his house, as a result I decided to leave Ginger behind and bring her later on when the house was completed and their were no workmen around. I used to travel everyday from the new house to the old one

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