By Sarah L. Schipman
Becoming a pet owner can be a rewarding experience. It’s also a commitment and responsibility for that animal’s lifetime and choosing the right pet for you and your family is important.
According to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, there are several factors people should consider to determine if they should get a pet and what kind of pet would be best for them.
“We have a whole list of steps and questions people should ask themselves before getting a pet, including the cost of caring for the pet, the time commitment and things like that,” said Craig Naherniak, British Columbia SPCA humane education general manager.
Potential pet owners first need to find out why they want a pet, what kind of relationship they want from a pet, and what kind of commitment they can give to their pet. According to the BCSPCA, dogs probably require the largest time commitment from their owners. Cats require a little less, but they’re both social animals and will need at minimum an hour of play time or walking every day.
Guinea pigs and rodents such as hamsters and rats require less of a daily commitment from their owners and can still be good family pets.
“We don’t recommend that people get kids rabbits for pets,” Mr. Naherniak said. “Rabbits are very hard to take care of and most people don’t realize it.”
Mr. Narherniak also said families commonly get a pet in order to teach their children responsibility. “This is not a good decision. It’s too big a responsibility for most kids and a pet should be a family responsibility,” he said. “We see a lot of pets come to the SPCA for that reason.”
Timing is also an important consideration. If you’re a parent, are you willing to take care of the pet once your child has moved away? Are you going to be moving soon? Are you working full time and rarely home? These are all questions you need to think about before buying a pet. A dog or a cat may not be a good choice right now if you don’t have the time to really be there for it. Or perhaps a hamster or rat, which both have lifespans of two to three years, might be a better pet choice for your child who’ll be leaving for college in a few years.
Potential pet owners will also want to look at cost when considering what pet they’d like to add to their family. The BCSPCA estimates the initial cost of a dog at $365 but then the yearly cost to take care of him is more than $1000. In contrast, the initial cost for a guinea pig would be about $165, with a yearly cost of about $420.
Whatever kind of pet a family decides on, Naherniak said the BCSPCA recommends they make sure they have all the appropriate care and cost information for the pet. There are several resources for potential pet owners including the BCSPCA Web site, veterinarians, the American Animal Hospital Association and more. If you’re looking for information on a specific breed of dog, the Canadian Kennel Club can help also.
“If they’re looking online for pet care information, they need to look at the sources of the information given to make sure it’s good information,” Naherniak said. “A reliable site will cite veterinarians and animal health organizations for their information rather than just other pet owners.”
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