Adopting a new pet can add warmth to your home and teach every family member about empathy and unconditional love. When children grow up with animals, they learn compassion and selflessness, and they become more likely to be caring adults when they grow up. However, just because the idea of having a pet sounds fulfilling, doesn’t mean that your family is ready for such a decision.
A pet would be a big part of your family, so here’s how you can determine whether your household is ready to welcome a furry friend to the family.
Pet Allergies
Before you head to the shelter to pick your future fur baby, it would be wise to check if anyone in your family is allergic to certain animals. In the U.S. alone, a whopping fifteen percent of the population has been proven to be allergic to felines and canines alike. These allergies can range from unpleasant reactions to more severe respiratory complications that may be fatal to the individual.
This is especially important to double-check with children, as allergic reactions are more likely to be fatal in younger individuals. You can take your kids to your physician and run checks before heading to your local shelter. On the other hand, if an adult member suffers mild allergies and is willing to adopt a pet nonetheless, consult your physician on what kind of medicine you may need to purchase.
Dogs and Children
If you’re planning to adopt a puppy while you have children in your household, you should consult your shelter about the dog’s temperament before you venture on to take it home. Surprisingly, this may be more of an issue with smaller breeds, as they tend to have mood swings more commonly than their larger counterparts. If you’re unsure which dog breeds are more family-friendly, you can find helpful information on pet blogs and cyber communities that can help you find the best dog breed for your needs. This way, you won’t have to take your dog back to the shelter or give it up to someone else.
Contrary to popular belief, one of the most loving and most patient dog breeds are pit bulls, as long as you adopt them as puppies and train them to be family-friendly. However, no matter the breed of your dog, you should ask the shelter about the animal’s previous owners to see if you’ll need to retrain your dog.
Time
Depending on how many members you have in your household, each of you will have to dedicate some time for your pet in order to strengthen your bond and make your fur companion feel loved. If you’re adopting a cat, you’re going to have to invest some time to play with and exercise your pet, while also spending some quality time with them whenever you can.
On the other hand, dogs may require more time and effort. You’ll need to walk your dog every day, provide it with indoor playtime, and possibly train it to behave around other animals and people. Even if you plan to adopt a smaller animal such as a rodent, it will still require a big chunk of your attention on a daily basis; otherwise, your pet will feel neglected and caged instead of homed.
Financial Stability
One of the most important deciding factors on whether your family is ready to accommodate a pet depends on your financial stability. Pets need a special diet, veterinary expenses, toys, beds, leashes, and many other miscellaneous items that add to the cost of owning an animal. That said, you should never adopt a pet if you can barely afford these responsibilities, seeing as animals may require emergency medical attention when you least expect it, which would cost you quite a hefty penny. Adopting a pet, no matter the size of it, means that you’re bringing home a new member of the family, and as such, you’ll need to be able to provide your pet an excellent quality of life in exchange for the unconditional love that it will give you. A pet provides a household with unconditional love and teaches family members how to be empathic and kind. Pets can also be emotionally supportive and can add warmth to your life. Whether or not your family is ready to welcome a furry friend to your home depends on your ability to spare some time to spend with your pet, and if you can afford all the expenses that come with owning a pet. Remember that as much as you will benefit from welcoming a loving furry companion to your home, you should be able to provide it a great quality of life.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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