Recently a friend of a friend’s
cat died due to neglect.
He fully (and nonchalantly)
admitted that the animal’s death was completely his fault.
A pet is a huge financial and time
commitment.
Unfortunately a lot of
people who first move away from their parents’ home underestimate the amount of
responsibility involved.
If you are
considering bringing an animal into your home, research the animal and find out
exactly how you will need to care for it.
Also, look at your budget and decide if there is even room in it for an
animal.
Here are some basics to start
you off.
How you would feed your pet?
If you’re wondering how you’re going to feed
yourself, don’t get an animal.
Feeding
an animal scraps off your plate is not acceptable. Feeding an animal the cheapest food from the pet store is
also a poor decision.
In the long run
this could end up costing you more as the poor health of your animal could cost
you a lot at the vet.
Find out what is
most natural for your animal to eat and talk to a vet about what the best
options for your animal would be.
My
three cats eat raw meat.
I purchase it
from a
specialty pet store and it costs me only about $80 per month.
If you think feeding your pet properly would
ever be an issue, either due to financial constraints or an inability to be
home during feeding times on a regular basis, don’t get one.
What would you do if the animal
became ill?
Never taking a pet to the
vet is not okay.
A great option for cats
and dogs is
pet insurance.
I have only
used my pet insurance for an elastic band swallowing incident and a couple
urinary tract infections so far, but if one of the cats gets arthritis or
diabetes I’ll sure be glad to have it.
If you can’t afford insurance, or the vet bills if something does go
wrong, and your solution is to euthanize a sick animal, please don’t get a pet.
Will you have the time and
resources to give an animal a happy and fun life?
Some animals need a lot of affection, some
need outdoor exercise.
Animals need toys
to play with, and occasionally some treats.
If you won’t be able to provide what an animal needs to be happy, don’t
get a pet. Too many people rush out to get
animals because they’re fun to have around without really thinking about the
consequences then end up with a dead animal a few months later.
This really needs to stop.
How you would feed your pet? If you’re wondering how you’re going to feed
yourself, don’t get an animal. Feeding
an animal scraps off your plate is not acceptable. Feeding an animal the cheapest food from the pet store is
also a poor decision. In the long run
this could end up costing you more as the poor health of your animal could cost
you a lot at the vet. Find out what is
most natural for your animal to eat and talk to a vet about what the best
options for your animal would be. My
three cats eat raw meat. I purchase it
from a specialty pet store and it costs me only about $80 per month. If you think feeding your pet properly would
ever be an issue, either due to financial constraints or an inability to be
home during feeding times on a regular basis, don’t get one.
What would you do if the animal
became ill? Never taking a pet to the
vet is not okay. A great option for cats
and dogs is pet insurance. I have only
used my pet insurance for an elastic band swallowing incident and a couple
urinary tract infections so far, but if one of the cats gets arthritis or
diabetes I’ll sure be glad to have it.
If you can’t afford insurance, or the vet bills if something does go
wrong, and your solution is to euthanize a sick animal, please don’t get a pet.
Will you have the time and
resources to give an animal a happy and fun life? Some animals need a lot of affection, some
need outdoor exercise. Animals need toys
to play with, and occasionally some treats.
If you won’t be able to provide what an animal needs to be happy, don’t
get a pet. Too many people rush out to get
animals because they’re fun to have around without really thinking about the
consequences then end up with a dead animal a few months later. This really needs to stop. 
That's so sad, Meg! I take it you are not going to file a complaint, because it's your friend. You are right about all that stuff -- we adopted a senior dog once, who costs us thousands of dollars a year in vet bills alone. My mom has a cat with serious health problems -- also thousands.
ReplyDeleteI honestly did not consider reporting him. That is a good idea, thanks Karen.
ReplyDeletePets are so expensive. Mine are young, but there have already been a couple illnesses and accidents that raked but some pretty crazy vet bills. Luckily I have pet insurance so I don't get stuck with the whole bill.