There is no greater joy than welcoming a new friend into your life for Christmas or surprising your child for their birthday. However, many people don’t think about all the work and money that goes into being pet parents.
It is very common for people to adopt or purchase pets during the holiday season. It is of extreme importance that everyone does research before getting their pets to ensure that they have the greatest quality of life. It is far too common for people not to understand that their pets’ livelihood is essential. There are many detrimental effects of not conducting proper research before getting a new pet. Depending on the animal, there can be a lot of different requirements for them to live at their full potential. Surviving and thriving are two vastly different things, and we want our animals to thrive, right?
Dogs and cats need to have fresh and clean dishes, food, and water. They should be provided with adequate and quality nutrition; their food health is just as important as yours. It is also common for them to have allergies and sensitivities so looking at better quality foods is a must for ensuring the quality of life for your animal is positive. It is important to consider that their personalities might not be what you expect. While they often have cheerful and loving personalities, you could also end up with one that is pretty moody and you can’t return them. If you’re not accepting of any personality from your beloved dog or cat, then consider making a different choice.
Rodents like rabbits, guinea pigs, and hamsters have intricate needs. Guinea pigs cannot live alone, they thrive in groups of two or more. If you keep one alone you need to be present very often and make sure they are getting proper enrichment, otherwise they can experience depression. They need fresh vegetables daily and a clean cage. Rabbits need time to free-roam because of their love for moving around. Hamsters are tiny but they have big space requirements, the biggest of all rodents, and they love to dig and burrow.
Reptiles require a variety of live bugs or rodents as their main diet to ensure they get enough protein. They need a proper lighting set-up to ensure they are in their best health. Without proper lighting, diet, and supplements, reptiles can develop metabolic bone disease, which is often fatal. Additionally, they need tanks big enough to move around in with the right humidity, hides, and enrichment.
Fish are one of the most difficult pets to maintain. They seem very simple, they just need some water, but it is not as easy as it looks. Water parameters can be difficult to start up and maintain. You need to test your water regularly and know that someday you might need to treat diseases. Fish also have pretty big space requirements. No fish should be in a tank smaller than five gallons. For betta fish, it is common for them to be kept in small bowls, but life in a small environment is not happy for them. Goldfish, either one that you bought or won at a carnival, are meant to live for twenty years and to grow to be about a foot in length and their tank should match that. If you’re not sure what size tank your fish needs to thrive, a standard rule is to have one gallon per inch of fish, e.g. a five-inch long fish needs at least a five-gallon tank, two five-inch long fish require at least a ten-gallon tank. Growing only to the size of your environment is a myth.
Pets in general are a huge time commitment. All pets live for a very long time, spanning from 3-50 years depending on the animal. You need to make sure you are prepared to take care of these pets in the long term and understand the commitment you’re making. It is a common experience for people to not realize what they are committing to when they get a pet and they end up struggling to take care of them and either rehoming them, giving them to shelters, keeping them in poor conditions, or just completely neglecting their care altogether. According to Shelter Animals Count, an estimated ten million animals die from abuse or cruelty every year in the United States and about 250,000 animals annually are found the be living in unsanitary conditions.
Along with taking up a lot of time, pets also come with financial obligations. For most pets, maintenance is not very expensive, but start-up is. The cost is mostly frontloaded with buying all of the initial supplies, but that doesn’t eliminate the cost later on. You need to always be prepared for regular and emergency vet bills. Additionally, if you choose to keep a reptile, their required lighting can make a significant impact on your electric bill.
Pets can be a very exciting gift to get someone for the holidays, but before moving forward you should consider the commitment you are putting in their hands and should make sure they are completely okay with it before you make that decision. Also, understand that when getting a pet for a child you are putting a heavy responsibility on their parents. Children would not be able to adequately take care of animals all on their own.
Remember that all pets have set requirements and it’s important to maintain those requirements to ensure they have the best quality of life. Doing so allows them to be in their happiest state and to thrive.
