My cat, Smokey, came into my life a few years ago as an adult cat with a huge chip on her shoulder - with good reason.
Our first meeting was at the veterinary hospital. Her photo was on the receptionist's counter. I first noticed her huge green eyes, looking startled. She had been brought to the hospital for euthanization - her people didn't want her anymore. The veterinarian was familiar with Smokey, knew she was a young healthy cat - not to mention gorgeous. She asked the owners if they would turn Smokey over to the vet's ownership. They agreed. When she arrived in my home, I spent the next several years urging her to trust humanity again.
I'll give her previous owners at least one credit - they just didn't throw her out into the street and abandon her life and health to the fates and hazards of outdoor survival. But this is just an example of people acquiring a pet because it looks so cute as a baby animal, but don't consider the commitment of caring for an animal over its lifetime. There is a lot to think about when you decide to bring an animal or bird, or whatever, into your home.
The cost can be enormous if the animal develops health issues. Training is required but often disregarded as too time consuming; but then an undisciplined animal can cause major problems within the household. Having an animal impacts vacation planning, house cleanliness, yard maintenance, grocery bill, health issues if members of the home develop allergies.
Having an animal in your life can be a blessing. The benefits are beyond what most people realize. They impact the health of the owners in many positive ways. Medical professionals now recognize that pets can help reduce the pet owner's blood pressure and alleviate depression. Animals that require daily walks get the owner's moving up off the couch. Walking your dog through a neighborhood is magical. People who would never chat suddenly find themselves talking with strangers about their dog, then discover all they have in common. Friendships blossom.
Animals are gifted in many ways that science has yet to understand. My husband is a diabetic and occasionally will drop into a comatose state during his sleep if his blood sugar drops below normal. One of my shelties would wake me up and become very agitated until I checked on my husband. Some dogs alert their epileptic owner that a seizure is about to occur. Dogs have performed amazing rescues in areas devastated by disasters and work with police to capture dangerous criminals.
I think that most people know about the wonderful qualities of these special animals but fail to realize that these animals required not hours, but months of special training, were provided with optimum food, and there was no expense spared when it came to ensuring their physical and dental health.
You can't have a healthy active animal if you're planning on feeding it grocery store bags of food. Without training, the animal will follow its own instincts and make its own rules (without having its own parent to guide it). Without veterinary support, the animal can fall victim to a wide assortment of diseases, debilitating or fatal.
Some animals, particularly working breed dogs (herding, guard, hunting), require a sense of purpose, a job to keep them not just occupied but mentally engaged. These animals are high energy and very intelligent. In the wrong home, they may develop anxiety, depression, hostility, and health problems.
If you are considering owning an animal as a pet in your home, think about it long and hard. Consider your lifestyle, your neighbors, your health, and finances. If you think you can pick up a pet from a breeder or a shelter and plunk it into your home and everything is going to be magically wonderful - you are so dead wrong.
The initial joy in having a new 'friend' wears off when it becomes clear your house is now full of hair. There's hair in your soup and butter, on your nice clothes. You're spitting out hair and the carpet needs vacuuming much more often (some carpets are notorious for grabbing the hair - permanently).
Of course, your yard takes a beating too, especially since grass does not tolerate urine. It's not so much fun picking up dog poop from the yard and on daily walks. Oh, yes. Those daily walks are great when the weather is fine and you're not exhausted or sick.
And don't count on your kids or other family members to pitch in to help. Typically all the chores of caring for the animal falls on one member of the household - the one whose idea it was to get the animal. Children will promise the world to get a pet but are unable (usually) to follow through in being responsible for the daily chores of caring for it.
Cost can vary from a several hundred dollars a year (annual vet check up and vaccinations, nutritional food, training lessons and miscellaneous supplies) to several thousand dollars if the animal becomes ill. In an emergency (which seem to occur when your vet is on days off), the emergency hospitals charges start at around $500 just for walking through the doors. Add blood work, xrays, medication, surgery and you had better have your credit card handy. As the animal ages, they can develop chronic health problems, such as diabetes, heart and lung problems, allergies, arthritis, blindness, and multiple others which require special care and medication - and money.
I met a family who had a new puppy. The two small children were carrying it around as the parents were selecting items to purchase in my shop. It appeared only a few weeks old and should have been resting, However, it was being constantly mauled by the children. I commented that the puppy seemed awfully young to be away from its mother. The mother replied, "Oh, it just a toy for the children." I nearly lost my lunch.
Thousands of dog and cats are euthanized DAILY in shelters and animal pounds. All because (1) people made poor choices in caring from their animal, (2) should not have adopted an animal, (3) failed to neuter/spay the animal and let it roam, (4) some breeders are not selective in who adopts their animals, (5) people decided to abandon their animal.
If you cannot commit to the animal's wellbeing for the next ten to twenty years (or more with certain breed of birds or fish, etc.) get yourself a different hobby.
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