Getting any pet, whether it's your first or your fiftieth (which probably shouldn't be the case, unless the majority of the other 49 are fish), requires a great deal of consideration. And rightly so: the novelty of having one aside, you're putting yourself in the role of steward for another living being. Unlike most other possessions, pets need a certain amount of attention, love and responsibility to thrive as they should, and if you're not prepared to deliver you shouldn't be getting a pet in the first place.

Here are a few things to keep in mind before getting a pet. Not all of them will apply to every pet, of course, but most provide good guidelines for caring for your new family member.

- Do you have enough money? Pets may not cost as much as some family members to maintain, but they still require a pretty penny almost regardless of what they are. Even fish, which may seem cheap at the time, need plenty of food and the occasional specialty product to keep going. If you don't have the cash to give your pet what it needs to survive, wait until you do.

- Do you have enough room? If your pet is in a tank all the time, then, fine, you're good to go. But what about a dog or a cat? You can't stick them in a cage. Are your living conditions adequately large to give them room to move around during the day when you're not at home? And, if you're in an apartment, will your landlord allow you to keep pets in the first place?

- Do you have enough time? Fish probably won't tax too much of your day away. Bigger animals need attention, though, especially since it's probably just going to be you and them. This isn't just a matter of devoting time to their meals and cleanliness, as well - you need to show them attention and love whenever you can. People who can't make allowances for this got a pet for the wrong reasons.

- Speaking of which, did you get the pet for the right reason? Most want companionship, and that's fine. They'll make great masters. But others want a particular pet because they look cool, and then give up on said pet as soon as they become a nuisance. That's not only inhumane, it can be criminally negligent if you take it too far.

- Are you allergic to the pet you want? Be sure to expose yourself to a given pet several times before you bring a member of its species into your home. You don't want to have to return something because you sneeze like crazy or break out in a rash whenever you touch it.

- Will this new pet conflict in any way with existing pets? Obviously enough, not every animal is going to get along with one another. You shouldn't, for instance, get a cat and already have a pet bird. Some species view others as prey, and bringing in two animals only a little removed from one another on the food chain isn't a good idea for the one who's on the lower end.

At the worst pets can require as much attention and devotion as any child. Don't make the mistake of jumping in over your head before you're prepared.

Learn more about this author, Matt Bird.
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