How to select a pet
Jennifer Barr
You’ve made the decision
to get a pet. Good for you! Now you need to decide what type of pet will
work well with your lifestyle.
Step 1: Choosing among the
species
Dog…cat… fish….
hamster…. iguana? The choice is yours, but remember you will be caring
for this animal, so you need to pick something that will be able to live
comfortably at your home.
Think about why you want a
pet in the first place. Do you just want an animal you can talk to? Smaller
pets, like fish or rodents are good for that. Do you want a pet that will
play with you? Dogs and cats are good options for that.
Step 2: Narrowing it down
Once you’ve decided on
an animal, you may want to select a specific breed. With animals like
gerbils, this isn’t so much of an issue. However, with some animals,
especially dogs, it is important to make a wise decision regarding breed.
Here are some important questions
to ask yourself:
- Do you have enough space
for a large breed?
- Do you have small children?
- Do you have the time and
energy to exercise with your pet?
- Do you have enough money
to support a pet's eating habits?
Here are some helpful links
about choosing a breed:
Step 3: Shopping around
Looking for a cat or dog? Humane
Societies are a great place to start looking. Animals there really need
a good home. Also, adoption fees are less expensive than purchasing a
cat or dog from a pet store or a breeder. Another added bonus is that
you may find older animals who are past the puppy stage, and may already
be house trained. If you can’t find what you’re looking for
there, I would suggest looking in your local classifieds for pets. If
you are looking for a smaller animal, pet stores are a good place to look.
Step 4: Preparing a home
Before you bring your pet home,
I would suggest getting some necessary supplies ready. (see sidebar) This
mostly applies to larger animals, like cats and dogs. Make sure you know
where your pet will sleep, eat, and go to the “bathroom.”
Step 5: Welcome home!
Your new pet may feel a little
traumatized at first. They have to get used to their new surroundings.
It’s important to spend a lot of time with your pet at first (and
always). Show them how you want them to behave. Make them feel welcome.
Give them a name, and use it a lot.
Step 6: Enjoy your pet!
Pets can offer a lot of joy
in one's life. If you are good to it, it will be good to you.
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The Story of Farley
My parents and I adopted Farley
in 1997. He came from the Morrison County (Minnesota) Humane Society.
It was important to us to adopt our pet from a Humane Society and not
buy one from a store.
There were only two cats at
the shelter that day. One was a black, crabby thing who wanted nothing
to do with us. And then there was this skinny orange and white kitten.
He was mewing and sticking his paw out of the cage. I knew immediately
that he was the cat for me.
Farley was 5 months old when
we got him. It took him only about a week to get fully adjusted to our
house, and he certainly feels at home now.
More
information on Humane Societies
Keep in mind:
Humane Societies promote spaying
or neutering your pet. In fact, they may require it. This is a good step
to take so that we don't end up with unwanted pets.
Necessary Supplies
- food
- food and water dishes
- "bathroom" supplies,
such as cat litter or newspaper
- a bed (It doesn't have to
be fancy. An old blanket works just fine.)
- toys (You can improvise
with what you have at home. Sometimes an old sock will provide more
enjoyment than a store bought toy.)
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