Things to Consider when Choosing a Family Pet

Things to Consider when Choosing a Family Pet

Having a pet is something many families enjoy as it can be a fun and rewarding experience. All homes and families are different though and there are many different pets to choose from. For a successful experience, you need to choose a family pet that suits your home and schedule so that you can meet the animal’s needs well. If you want to read more about different pets, head over to ThePetStop.

Before you choose the newest addition to your family and your home, consider the aspects below to help you make the right choice:

• Size of Home & Garden

How big is your house and how much space can you dedicate to a pet? Do you have a garden that the pet can enjoy and, if yes, how big is it? Not all pets need a lot of space, but many do and many really benefit from having access to a safe outdoor space for play and exercise.

If you live in a small apartment and don’t have a garden, pets like a snake or fish might be a good choice for you. Fish tanks make a beautiful feature in your home too. There are lots of different sized tanks to choose from – once you know what size would work in your home, you can start looking at what kind of fish to get.

If you have plenty of space both indoors and outdoors, or you would be willing to travel to a stables perhaps, you could choose from a variety of pets of larger sizes too.

• Lifestyle & Exercise

When you’re choosing a pet, you need to consider your own lifestyle. Some pets, especially dogs, need a lot of exercise and plenty of walks and you need to be there to take them out. This all depends on the dog’s breed, health and age so research these aspects before choosing a dog to make sure their needs match your physical activity levels and schedule. Smaller dogs and other pets love playing active games too, but smaller ones can usually do this in your home and don’t need long hikes every day!

• Time Available & The Family’s Schedule

Some pets require a lot of time, care or simply company. Dogs especially need this and shouldn’t be left alone for longer than four hours at a time as they can feel lonely and distressed. Really, you should only have a dog if you have a very flexible job or your overall family schedule means someone will be home every four hours at least to look after the dog. Cats, for example, don’t require as much time at all as they are quite independent animals that don’t rely on their owners as much.

• Budget

Pets are not usually free. There’s the initial cost of getting the pet first as well as any equipment and toys you might need, then there are the ongoing monthly costs of pet food, health treatments, insurance and more, which all add up and can be a significant cost over the lifetime of a pet. Consider how much you have to spend initially and how much you can budget to spend each month on your new family member. Once you’ve made a choice, you can research how to make savings on insurance and food for your pets — Spillers Horse Feed is a great place if you’re looking for food for a horse, for example.

• Skills & Experience

You might love animals and have a perfect pet in mind but how much do you really know about owning this type of pet? Do you have any experience looking after an animal like the one you have in mind? Do plenty of research about the species and breed of pet that you would like and get as many real-life experiences as possible too before making a decision, to make sure you have the skills needed to meet that animal’s needs.

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