How to select the right pet for you and your family

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So, you want the companionship that owning a pet can provide. The decision of which kind of pet to get should be well thought out. If you really think it through objectively, you and your new pet should have a long healthy relationship.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Paper and pen
Budget
Schedule of your average day

Step1

The first thing you probably want to do is list all the types of pets that you have an interest in learning more about. Talk to friends and do some internet research of all the different kinds of pets there are available to you. You can choose to have anything from a horse to a hermit crab, depending on the space and time you have availble to care for it.

Step2

Through a process of elimination, narrow the possibilities down to just a few. Evaluate the amount of time you have to devote to an animal. Write a budget to give you a good foundation on how much money you can afford to spend on a pet. Don't forget the initial purchase price, and housing or vet bills. How much can you spend in monthly costs, such as food, grooming, and toys?

Step3

Get on the internet and research the few pets you've narrowed to, list the costs involved, and the time the animal will require of you. For instance, a ferret will require a minimum of 30 minutes per day (at least 10 to clean the cage and plenty of run around time.), preferably much more. A cat will require a minimum of 15 minutes per day (five minutes to build sand castles in the litterbox, and at least ten minutes of petting dipersed thoughout the day.). A dog, on the other hand will require about two hours per day (at least two training sessions per day, and lots of exercise and bonding time).

Step4

Another thing to look at when selecting a pet is you and your family's energy level. Certain breeds of dog are high strung and extremely active, whereas some don't require much of your time at all. If you are leaning towards adopting a dog, please research the breed, or predominent breed if it's mixed. Pay special attention to the breed's energy level and trainability.

Tips & Warnings

Please consider adopting an animal from a rescue source, such as Petfinder.com. You can find all types of pets and/or farm animals on this site, all are availble for adoption, so please check it out!