WHAT KIND OF PET SHOULD YOU GET?

How many of you have gotten a pet, only to realize later that you had made a terrible mistake? Come on, admit it- it’s happened to us all. For me, it was two budgies I bought on an impulse. I named them Lursa and B’etor, after the Klingon sisters who destroyed the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek movie. Like their namesakes, these two birds had their beady little eyes on destruction- mine. They hated me. Eventually, I found them a home. But I have always felt guilty about the whole sordid Klingon affair. By buying in haste, I had done a disservice to the birds and myself.

I did learn a valuable lesson, however.  Only after careful consideration of the pet’s needs and your ability to provide for those needs should you consider buying a pet. There are many different species of animals kept as pets, and a wise owner should know what he is getting into.

These days, there are a multitude of exotic pets. The pocket pets- hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits and the like- are often given to children as first pets. These are not demanding pets, but they do require a variety of nutritious foods and clean living quarters. Most of these pets do not live to their full potential life spans, usually due to poor nutrition, accidents or disease due to dirty cages.

Many people also buy “in” pets. Every once in awhile, a new pet comes into vogue, and the pet stores sell tons of them at high prices until the market crashes. Some examples of these are hedgehogs, sugar gliders and pot bellied pigs. Once the fad passes, most people can’t get rid of these unfortunate animals fast enough. Avoid fads.

Snakes, iguanas and other assorted lizards are readily available. Many people who get these animals do not provide adequate nutrition or housing for them, and many of their diseases are man-made. If you want to be entertained by a pet, keep in mind that cold-blooded animals don’t do much all day. Also remember that an eight-inch python will someday be very large, very strong, and will still want to eat meat...

Many species of birds are popular pets, ranging from finches up to the huge macaws. The idea of owning a talking bird is attractive to many people. Birds, however, demand a great deal of time, care and attention. The large birds have very long lives, and could outlive you. Taking on a large parrot is a tremendous responsibility. I would suggest new bird owners start out with a smaller species. You may discover, as I have, that the smaller birds are more your style, anyway!

Have I left any out? Oh, yes! Dogs and cats. Surprisingly, many people are not necessarily prepared to own these pets either. People who travel or work long hours should not consider a dog, but may be the perfect home for a cat (who does not really care what time you come back to her house). Even folks who provide good dog homes often err by selecting the wrong breed of dog. The differences between breeds go way beyond appearances. Before buying a dog, check with your veterinarian, good breeders, trainers and groomers about the breed’s traits, special needs and problems.

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