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Whether you’re considering a first pet or thinking about getting another, the choice can be a difficult one. It can be especially hard if you’ve recently lost a pet. What should you consider when thinking about getting a pet? |
I just got my second dog. I felt sorry for my other dog and he was getting very chubby from sitting around all day. Well after a few weeks of getting acquainted he lost some of the weight and is finally having fun. But then again she is giving all of a run for the money. Her name is Lil'e but I should have called her Rocky J Squirrel because she does a superman dive off of the couch. It is hysterical.
We have 5 little dogs who play like crazy. They are all related by one parent or the other. We got the Maltese first, then the Maltese/Yorkie and Maltese/Pom, then a year later got a Maltese/Papillion and Papillion/Pom. They play well together and wrestle and run all over the house and are frisky and things are never dull. They mostly don't shed, but need to be brushed. They have hair so they are hypo-allergenic and the sweetest one of all is the Maltese/Papillion. The two with Papillion in them are very smart, as Paps are one of the smartest dogs out there. This is truly the meaning of "the more, the merrier"!
I'm so excited! My daughters bought me a bishon fries for my birthday. He is so gorgeous. We also have a Golden Retriever, they are so different in size and personality!
hello my husband bout me a lasapo for my birthday a couple weeks ago and my family and i just love him... his name is cuddles and he is very cute and smart. he is defently a momma's boy.
My son and I recently lost our ferret that we had had for over six years. We still have our 4 cats, but there was a huge hole in our family. We know that, at some point, we will be getting other ferrets, but it felt like it was too soon. This weekend, while visiting his father, my son called me to ask if he could get a hamster. I told him that he would have to be 100% responsible for it, buying supplies, cleaning the cage, feeding and watering, etc. I was a little concerned that even a different species of animal coming so soon after Bueller's death would be just trying to fill the hole... What a difference, though!! Doidinha (her name), has brought laughter (BUCKETS OF IT!!) back into our home!! Whereas, before, we would look at Bueller's cage and want to cry because he was gone, now, because of the hamster, we remember how much we used to laugh at Bue and his antics. Even though we have his empty cage, we no longer feel his loss as much as we remember how his presence in our lives made every day feel sunny!
Getting a pet is agreat companion. They are always fun to have around & give unconditional love. But before you go out and get one make sure you know the responsibilities of getting a pet. Make sure you pic one that fits your lifestyle...will this pet grow up to be a big animal?, do we want an inside/outside pet?, who's going to feed it, walk it, can we afford vet bills? After it grows out of its cute baby stage is the family still going to want it? These are some questions your family should ask itself. You should also check your local shelter when looking for a new pet. There aer so many unwanted pets that will soon be put down due to over crowding. Either way a pet is a long time commitment...just make sure your really ready, and not getting one because its free or cheap. Love your animal & care for it...you wont regret it
Our family has 3 dogs, 2 cats and a lot of fish. We love all of them and they bring great joy. I will have to say that they are expensive. One year we spent 4k on one dog and yesterday we spent $900 on another dog. As everyone knows as we all age we have more medical problems- well that is what is happening with some of our animals. Even though I have human kids :) the four legged ones are like my kids as well. I couldn't imagine my home with out animals.
Right now, I have four cats. All of them came into my life as bone thin, emotionally traumatized strays. When I moved cross country, back in 1997, I put one on a plane to stay with a friend before the move. My uncle put my other two cats on a plane after my move. I thought it would be less stress to fly them cross country than spend up to a week sitting inside cat carriers in the car during the cross country drive. One of my Pittsburgh cats is still with me. Saddly, the other two (shelter cat rescues) have since died, one from kidney failure and the other from cancer. The Pittsburgh cat who is still with me was a sad, sad stray in such bad shape I didn't think he would survive. But, happily, he is now 15 years old and doing well. He had to spend several days at a local ER animal hospital then as an inpatient at my vets to treat crystals in his urinary tract. Now he only eats Science Diet C/D prescription cat food. Another stray who showed up on my patio when he was a teeny three month old kitten developed the same crystals in his urinary tract along with kidney stones. So he's on the same prescription diet. Another one of my cats was a stray who showed up in a friend's backyard, very thin and distrustful of humans. It took 2 months before she would let me hold her, another month before she would sit on my lap, and another 6 months of TLC before she began to purr. The last cat that came my way was a starving stray who started hanging out around my apartment complex. I was trying to place her in a good home (I take in strays, have them examined by my vet who gives them their shots and spays or neuters them, then I find them good homes) but she would have nothing to do with any new owners. She did her best to make any possible new owners find her to be a bad pet choice. After the potential new owners left she would become so sweet, jump on my lap and give me kitty kisses. I finally got the message, she did not want to live anywhere else but where I was living.
This is a topic I am an expert at! I am a registered rescue agent for pitbreeds, bulldogs, rottweilers and dobermans.I have had up to 9 perminant dogs in my small 1,200 sq foot house, To be more exact I had a great pyrenees, 2 rottweilers a doberman and 5 pitbulls living with me. This does not include the rescues that I take in, so one thing that will completely upset me is anyone lazy enough to even ever dare suggest that their dog is too big and has to live outside. If you feel your dog must be a total outdoor dog, then get a tree and plant that. There is NO breed that is too big to live indoors. There is NO breed that deserves a life on a chain, the first thing to realize is that if you do not have a yard or intend to chain the dog, then go buy a stuffed animal because you are definately not worthy of keeping a pet. I never know from week to week how many dogs I will have,nor will I know what condition they will be arriving in. What i DO know is that there SHOULD NEVER EVER BE ANY PETS ADDED UNLESS YOU INTEND TO KEEP THAT DOG FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS!!!!!!!!!! I have nothing but disgust for people who get that puppy then decide 3 years later oh,we want kids we have to get rid of the dog so we have room. guess what? That just means you should NOT have kids as you are admitting that you have no respect for the life of that animal. In over 25 years of dog rescue I have never found a dog that I had to get that was such a horrid beast that it needed removal, what I have found is people who did not train, did not realize what they were doing or decided they just were tired of responsibility. *yea these are the ones who get rid of the dog because they had a baby* scary to think of what type of parent thinks a simple dog is too much work and then thinks they can take care of a child properly? I think people need to realize that dogs shed, drool,poop ,drink and eat. Sounds silly but most people do not take into consideration the time that training some puppies will take. Yes dogs eat, some breeds do best on 3 small meals a day,that means 3 poops a day, plus trips out after water time ,nap time or play time. It usually takes me an average of 4 weeks to fully house train a new dog into my home. Some breeds more,some breeds less ie a lab is not as smart as a doberman and will usually take longer to train. The other most important thing you can consider is what Will you do if you decide you dislike this wonderful puppy aka spur of the moment playtoy. The humane thing to do in most cases is have the dog put to sleep. There is a minimal chance your dog you take to a shelter will be adopted, the dog Will most likely be put down at the shelter so it would be in the dogs best interest to not have to go thru the stress of shelter life only to end up on a kill table anyway. I have to say I love dogs, I love dog people,but I have spent my life saving and taking care of dogs that people got only to get rid of them when their lifestyle changed. Your dog will adapt to any lifestyle right along with you if you care enough,or are smart enough or are not lazy and do the easy route. Getting a dog involves years of involvement. Do not consider adding one lightly.
Not long ago we rescued a english bulldog I would highly recommend adoption to anyone she came potty trained, micro chipped, all her shots and everything. Its alot cheaper that breeders and all the hard work is done for you. And most times they have foster parents so they have been loved and not locked up somewhere
I am getting a Yorkie in about a week, I have been without a pet for five years after my little pomerian died, I was so heart broken I didn't think I could bare another dog, but my niece called me from Utah and said she had a puppy for me, Now I am excited and can' wait until he gets here, I have all ready named him Toby!!
I saved a dog from an abusive home,now she is spoiled rotten.I already had a cat named moomoo,but he is getting old,so we got another cat which was an orange tabby,well she had 4 kittens and I end up keeping 3 of them,now we have 4 cats,1 dog and 2 turtles,my very own pet shop lol
We lost our beloved Labrodor 10 months ago. A month ago (after saying never again1) we got a rescue kitty from the Humane Society! She has brought much love and laughter into our lives and I'm really glad we could finally open our hearts to another pet. The first day was very emotional but it did not take very long at all to feel like she was one of the family! Pixie Doodle is a hoot. She takes a lot of time and effort to care for, but makes up for it in JOY!!
I think lifestyle should be a great consideration before getting any pet. My husband got our German Short-Hair (long before we were married) from a guy who lived in an apartment and kept him kenneled all day long. When he let the dog out of his kennel he was bouncing off the walls with so much energy. German short-hairs need to run and get lots of excercise...clearly this was not an ideal situation. You must take into consideration the pet's needs and your ability to meet those needs before taking on that responsibility.
It took years before I gave in to getting a dog. Now I'm so happy I don't know what I'd do without my Siberian Huskey. She is 3 years old now. You need time at the beginning to get the pet use to the change as well as you.
- EVA said:
I just got my second dog. I felt sorry for my other dog and he was getting very chubby from sitting around all day. Well after a few weeks of getting acquainted he lost some of the weight and is finally having fun. But then again she is giving all of a run for the money. Her name is Lile but I should have called her Rocky J Squirrel because she does a superman dive off of the couch. It is hysterical.
Funny you mention a dive off the couch. My Siberian Huskey Blizzard makes a run around the house so fast that includes a jump over the side of the couch and then back over, its so funny!
My husband and I love cats . We just have to find the the perfect baby kitten for our home . It will be one of the many interest we share together .
- Judith said:
My husband and I love cats . We just have to find the the perfect baby kitten for our home . It will be one of the many interest we share together .
Why not adopt an older cat from a shelter? There are so many out there that need good homes-Think about it, and maybe go to Petco or Petsmart when they have their adoption drives-You may even find a purebreed cat, if that is what you are looking for. Advantage to an older cat-They are usually already litter box trained, spayed/neutered and don't need the attention a baby does. Good luck on finding your new family member!Dawn
Bringing any kind of pet home is a huge comittment. Make sure you know what you are taking on when deciding on a pet. It's best to start with a small caged pet to determine if you can handle the comittment. Then move on to the larger animals. Cats are much easier to care for than dogs. They don't need to be walked or taken outside. Trust me, I learned the hard way. I have a 6 yr old dog that is still not completely potty trained because I brought him home at a time in my life that I could not be at home as much as he needed me.
I love my Little Oreo and he loves me. A dog can be a stress relieve, loves you no matter what.my husband didnt like to kept a dog but he has growing to love Oreo. Its a big responsibility. but in a long run its worth it
Delores Cannon
We have the neiborhood zoo at our house. All the petless kids hang out here plus some that have pets...we did foster care for our local humane society and accumulated 4 cats, 1 yellow lab and the kids picked a rabbit from friends. My youngest daughter loves amphibians so this past summer we had anywhere from 20-30 tadpoles and frogs in various stages of life as well as salamanders. She also discovered Cicades hanging from trees so we had a big box of buzzing creatures...it's a bit trying at times but for the most part we love all the creature comfort and education that pets bring to our family
I got another dog partly for my 1st dog and partly for my kids. I thought they would enjoy a small dog, since our 1st is a german shepherd. Needless to say, the dogs are best buddies! Then last week the sweetest cat came to live with us! She's an outside cat, but she always greets us when we walk out the front door 
We adopted a stray that was beaten and looked like it had never been fed. It is the most loving dog now, although he has a hard time making friends with the other nieghbourhood dogs. We live in farm country and he just loves to run. Now he follows the cars and ends up lost, waiting where he was till one of us drives by, then he tries to lead us home. We think he is a Pointer, as he is always following the bunnies that live around here. I have never had a dog before, but I am really glad we ended up with this oe.
Cost. Time. Noise. Dander. Kids. "Fixing." Training. Upkeep. Walks. Vet. There are so many things to take into account in order to make a good and informed decision.
I think all pets are therapeutic.
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