How to Choose the right pet [All the Tips]

Some questions to ask yourself before choosing your pet

We all know the promises of children, they usually last only a few days, especially when they find themselves faced with the harsh reality of cleaning the litter of the cat, to get out the dog or the puppy to make his needs even in the rain, to clean the cage, the aquarium, to take his showers to your pet, to rid him (of his fleas if he has some, to train him … etc

It will be you who will take care of your pet , so when you are going to pick one, make a promise to care for them, and having in mind these essential points:

• Would it please everyone in your family? to have this pet at home 24/7
• Is there any member of your family that has an allergy?
• Are you ready to spend a sufficient budget to feed, treat  … your pet
• Who will take care of your pet if you have to leave the house such as going on holidays or weekends for example?
• Will not your neighbors complain about your pet? do you have enough space for him? 
• Do you have another pet that will not support your newcomer?

These are just a few questions to ask yourself before even thinking of adopting a new pet, let’s see now the other aspects you need to think about as well  to pick the best pet for you, your parents and kids 

Somme Tips When You pick a Pet

Your pet  will show its affection to you , your kids  and all your family members and in return, it will only expect you to feed him ,well  treat him . He will not seek to know if you are rich or poor and will just seek to comfort you when you are sad and share your and your childre’s  joy when you want to show it well

Here are some tips and how to prepare yourself when you want to choose your pet

1-Choosing the right pet for you

The  choice  of  your pet will depend on a few factors, such as the time you can spend on it on a daily basis and the budget you will allow yourself to take care of it 

Choosing a dog or cat or any other pet must be taken seriously, so that you do not have to get rid of it in the near future, because you can no longer take care of it, feed it or take care of it…etc

Also remember that dogs are getting older and you will have to take care of your old dog after only  9 or 10 years, take out insurance, make regular visits to the vet and take care of an old dog .

A cat requires less attention than a cat, and fish for example you will only have to feed them once or twice a day as long as you also put a cleaning fish in the aquarium

A dog will ask you for more affection, presence and commitment while a cat tends to be autonomous .

Small pets such as rodents, hamsters,… are very fun and easy to maintain but if your child will get attached to them, he may be disappointed because they do not live very long and are very fragile, so be prepared to part with them faster than you think if you choose this kind of pets

You can however choose birds as long as they are trained, they are very cute and do not require much presence. 

You will find that each animal will have its own needs in terms of daily care, nutrition, housing and grooming and it is up to you to make the right choice, because after you have bought your pet your children will get attached to it and get rid of it will become almost impossible.

2-Picking a Pet that you can treat if he gets sick

A pet can also get sick, so think about the cost of veterinary examinations, preventive care such as vaccines, sterilization…

Caring for your pet can be very expensive, Pet insurance ( better than vet cards ! ) can help cover some of them, but food, grooming, boarding, licensing, etc. can also cost you more money, think about that too

3-Choosing the right pet will depend on the time you spend at home 

If you or a member of your family spends a lot of time at home, or there is always someone at home, you can buy a Terrier dog as a pet. 

But if you are away from home for a long time and your pet will often be alone, choose a cat instead, who can stay alone for two days as long as food and water are available.

4-Choosing the age of your pet

Puppies and kittens are very active, and require more time, care and attention than an adult dog or cat

Before buying or adopting a pet, think about your ability to maintain and train it or what it will cost you

• Do you have time to train your puppy yourself? 
• A puppy won’t tell you when he wants to do his business , you have to clean that all the time
• A puppy will play with everything that is within his reach, your shoes and socks, your cushions,…etc 
• Some puppies even older dogs tend to excessively bark all night long the same for kittens
• Young pets  are getting sick easily  and needs more preventive care 
• Is your house suitable for a young pet?

Adult pets can also show behaviours they inherited from their former owners, check your pet’s aggressiveness before adopting it, especially if you have babies at home, and you need to think about your neighbours too. 

The age of your pet is very important so make sure you make the right choice

5-Think about the lifespan of a pet before picking one

If you are only lonely, know that this is not a valid reason to adopt a pet, cfar when you are about to meet someone or have a baby,…etc this feeling of loneliness will disappear and you will find yourself with a sad pet to whom you are no longer giving affection and attention as before

Some parrots and turtles live very long, a dog will live for about twenty years, while a little mouse will only live for a year at most 

You must think about the life span of your pet , like hamsters for example ; before adopting it, if you are old, who will take care of it later? if you are single, your future spouse, does he like pets? is he not allergic to cat hair for example?…etc

6-Inform yourself about your pet before making a choice

When you decide which pet you will adopt, find out about its habits, needs, care, how much your pet will cost you to maintain it well, feed it, treat it, take it for walks, daycare centres, etc.

Talk to people who have the same pet as the one you want to adopt, ask them for advice, and prepare for the first meeting with your pet, find out for example:

• How many times a day do you have to feed him? 
• Get some Knowledge about pet caring , dry Kibble is the worst choice to feed your puppy  for exemple and just a few people Know  that , …really wired 
• When is the best time to get your pet out of the house? How does it like to take a shower? 
• What is his favorite food , Fresh Food is better (made with both vegetables and meat , for dogs and cats ,  only 20$ a week and delivered to your door – affiliate link ) of course? 
• What will you be able to teach him according to his age?…etc

You can also find forums and Facebook pages specialized in your pet’s breed to get to know your pet better in order to ensure a good environment and especially learn to decipher the animal language and understand how to interpret the signals your pet will send you when he wants you to understand his needs

Also find out how your pet will behave in the presence of other breeds of animals, other people, the precautions to take when you take your pet for a walk in the park or only outside…etc

7-Read and understand the adoption contract

Once you have found and chosen your pet, don’t rush when you read your purchase or adoption contract
If you don’t understand something, you can always ask the seller or the person in charge of the pet shelter or pet store

8-Put your pet through a medical examination

When adopting your pet, take it to your veterinarian for examination if it does not have any diseases that you may not have noticed before

Use it to ask for advice on how to feed your new pet, and what preventive treatments to give it, as well as symptoms of common diseases, ask your vet about the cost of your pet insurance and how to choose one ! so that you can detect them in time and treat your pet at the right time

I will now give you advice for each breed of pet you like to have, I have chosen the most common breeds in the USA 

Before choosing a cat

A cat usually takes care of itself, it is always cleaning its whiskers and licking his paws.
The cat has his character, your child will not be able to force him to play with him, and cats are known to scratch when they are upset

If you don’t let your cat get obese by locking her up at home all the time, and if you do her preventive treatments.  Cat rarely gets sick, and a few kibbles will do for her all day long.It is a very economical and independent pet too, it will not require your permanent presence at home

A cat does not pose a risk to babies and if well trained, will often go outside to do his business or only in his litter box

Before getting a cat , you should know that it may cost you between $500 and $1000 each year, as it could lead a simple life and cost you almost nothing

If You Want To Choose A Cat As Your Pet, Here Are The Breeds I Recommend:

• Maine Coon
• The Persian
• The Exotic , Oriental and Domestic Shorthair
• The Abyssinian
• The RegDoll
• The Siamese
• The Bombey
• The Himalayen
• The Bengal
• The Manx and the Sphynx

 Choose the right dog

The dog is man’s best friend , he had a good life expectancy and you never forget the good times you had with your dog when you were a kid

But adopting a dog will require a lot of presence from you even though you can train him to stay alone while you’re at work , especially if he is young and if you’re gonna give your dog some house training .

A dog must go out at least two to three times a day and at least get crate-trained .

The bigger a dog is, the more space it needs, so if you live in a small apartment, think about choosing a breed that doesn’t grow too big, a poodle or a chihuahua would be ideal for you

You should seek advice from a veterinarian, breeder or dog educator on the habits and needs of the breed of dog you want to adopt, before you choose your dog, this could avoid any unpleasant surprises

You and your children must be up to date with your tetanus vaccinations, a dog can always bite and a cat will not hesitate to scratch a clumsy child when he handles him or wants to remove his bowl.

I recommend that when you choose a puppy to ask for his exact age , and you should avoid bringing a 9-week-old puppy home, opt instead for an 8-week-old puppy or a 10-week-old puppy, otherwise the risk of traumatizing the puppy during the trip or his first days at home is quite high and you will find yourself managing a shy  , scary dog or aggressive one once the latter has become an adult

How to choose and  adopt the right Shelter dog for you

The Dog Breeds I Recommend You Are:

• Labrador Retriever
• German Shepherd
• Poodle
• Belgian Malinois
• German Short haired Pointer
• Golden Retriever
• Rottweiler
• West Highland White Terrier
• French or English Bulldog
• Beagle
• Yorkshire Terrier

Here’s how to pick a dog

Picking the right guinea pig for your kids

Taming a guinea pig takes a long time, but once he feels comfortable and confident with you and your child, he will become very affectionate

Before choosing a Guinea pig , you should know that he likes to be pet and kissed  and he will therefore ask for a great availability from you because he hates loneliness.

If you adopt a guinea pig, you must be careful when you or your children handle it, their bones are very fragile and they easily break, so you must teach your children to take it and handle it with great tenderness and care.

Choose the perfect dwarf Bunny 

Intelligent, affectionate and very gentle, curious and very sociable, the dwarf rabbit would be a good choice as a pet especially for beginners , if you want to calm and soothe your children if they are hyperactive and turbulent, but a dwarf rabbit also handles it with great care, here’s how to choose a pet rabbit .

Adopting a hamster , how to pick the good one 

If you want a pet that doesn’t require a lot of presence, adopt a Hamster , but they have some needs you should buy them before getting one , especially a large enclosure .

A hamster is known to be very active, especially at night, it climbs and jumps everywhere, you will love its capers and see it running everywhere in the house

Unlike a guinea pig, a hamster is not easily manipulated, it is rather lonely and your children will not necessarily like it if they want a pet that likes contact and company, so don’t choose a hamster and adopt a cat, a guinea pig or a dog instead

Before getting a hamster , read more about this little Fella , a pet hamster I mean…

Before you get a hamster, it’s preferable to know that they don’t have a good life expectancy and they could die at any moment !!

Selecting The Fancy mouse

Your children will love her, she is very dynamic, energetic, intelligent, active even during the day, she would make a good play partner and your children will not get tired of her.

A Domesticated mouse doesn’t live long, you have to prepare your children to part with it in less than a year, if not to buy another one secretly when it has just died, it doesn’t often work this trick

The ferret as a family pet

The Ferret is a pet intended rather for adults, it can stay alone for a long time and is rather independent. Here’s what you should know before getting a pet ferret .

It is an animal that does not allow itself to be handled very easily, especially in the first few weeks, if you have children under 10 years of age or older, it is better to choose another pet because the ferret will not solicit their contact very often .

Ferrets may cost you a lot of money , not when getting their basic needs like food and furniture , but in vet bills , especially the first 6 months and when it gets older , they can have a long lifespan .

Picking a fish or an axolotl

If it’s for you, an aquarium with about ten small fish in it would be ideal, especially for an apartment that doesn’t offer a clear view.

Make the fish tank pretty with small rocks and sand. Be careful about the choice of plants. For instance, if you’re keeping saltwater fishies, be sure to add some plants for saltwater aquarium to help purify the water. 

But if your child asks you to, buy a small aquarium with just one or two fish in it instead, your child may get tired of it quickly enough because, apart from feeding the fish twice a day, he can only watch them swim

Why not an axolotl , they are easy to care for , cheap and low maintenance and so so cute and amusing to watch

Tips before choosing Reptiles and spiders as a pet

They are never pets for children, often carriers of germs and salmonella if you buy them in a healthy pet shop and followed by a veterinarian

You must also be careful with snake bites and stings, even those that are not poisonous, they can be very painful, especially for a child

In my opinion, this kind of pets, don’t belong in a house where children live, but if you are passionate about this kind of exotic animals, you should take all the precautions that go with it and have your smartphone with an emergency number always at hand

Expert advice and guidance is often required before buying these types of pets

9-Choose the pet you can care for 

Choosing a pet will also depend on your ability to vaccinate it, make it undergo regular visits to the veterinarian, treat it if it is sick and take out insurance too, it could very well save you a lot of money, because a pet could cost you a lot of money to treat it, in case of serious illness that would require a surgery for example

This average insurance of $45 for a dog and $28 for a cat, may be necessary to ensure that your dog or cat is properly followed by a veterinarian and will thus fully enjoy his life as well without you always being afraid for him that he will get sick

You should plan ahead your pet care

The choice of your pet will depend on your ability to care for it, also take this into consideration when you want to adopt a pet

10-Choose your pet from a good licensed breeder and choose the right breed for you

You should find a reputable pet resource

when you want to choose a pet for yourself or  your family, whether it is a dog, cat or other animal, you must absolutely seek the services of a serious breeder and the advice of a veterinarian to indicate the right breed that will suit you

Don’t forget to ask for all the legal documents concerning your pet:

• Its registration documents
• Its screening certificate
• His medical history, his vaccinations…etc

When you are in front of a litter of cats or dogs, and before choosing one, look for signs of good health , look at the one that is doing well, that does not stay away, that moves and that seems healthy

See also his parents, have they not developed diseases, signs of aggressiveness…etc

Don’t choose a dog for example that could make you lose control in a few months, there are crossbreeds that become a little aggressive, and simply out of control especially for a woman or a child

Last advice on this subject, don’t buy your pet online, it’s just not appropriate and you’ll receive a pet you simply wouldn’t have chosen if you were there!

Final Thoughts

We adopt pets,some times just to watch over the house, to please our children, to keep us or our old parents company, but having a pet at home is also about looking after his well-being, taking care of him and caring for him when he is sick, comforting him when he seems sad and treating him like a member of a family.

Choosing the best companion among all pets is the first test that you must absolutely pass when considering adopting one .

Go to a pet shelter , check with the  ASPCA Organization  before you buy one, you mast find a pet that you like, after all none of them should be there, I’m sad just by saying the word ”  shelter ” , please, start your search for pets there

Leave me your questions in a comment, I will gladly answer them