Don’t Think of Having Pets Until You Read This

Most children are very fond of pets, especially when they’ve had a happy experience with a particular pet at a friend or relative’s place. Or maybe they’ve seen it at a zoo or somewhere and they just can’t resist wanting one for themselves. While their plea is understandable, taking a decision to own a pet requires careful preparation and understanding of the pros and cons in owning one. While you may end up spending a lot of time, money and energy in acquiring and maintaining a pet, you may also be faced with some other responsibilities, restrictions, and the need to maintain a heavy dose of patience.  Sometimes, taking care of a pet can be more difficult and tedious than taking care of your child.

Let’s see the pros and cons of different types of pets:

Dog: Dogs have been considered to be man’s best friend from hundreds of years. While it is true that dogs are quite loyal to their master, can alert you in danger, and give back unconditional love; they are high maintenance and require a lot of training before they can be adopted to your lifestyle, needs, surroundings, etc. Potty training dogs, ensuring that they don’t spoil or destroy your furniture, carpets and costly decorative objects, etc can initially be an inundating task. You need to be very careful when you have to leave them home; they can cause a lot of problems and damages if left alone. Dogs get bored quite often, even if they have other dogs or toys to play with. Additionally, you need to ensure that they are fed well, taken medical care, etc. They can sometimes be unpredictable and also bite humans playfully. Like us, they also need to be vaccinated on time, to prevent them from human diseases and other possible problems. Specifically, rabies, hepatitis, distemper, giardia, lyme, parainfluenza, corona, leptospirosis and parvovirus are the recommended vaccines that should be administered. Consult a vet before you resort to them; they have to be considered just like a family member and taken care accordingly.

Cats: Compared to dogs, cats are relatively less maintenance, depending on their breed and their personalities. They can amuse themselves for hours at a stretch without getting bored. A ball of wool, a toy, or another cat to play with could be enough for them. They even like to sit on the window and just look out at people, cars, etc. However, some types of cats do require a lot of attention and do not like sharing their owner’s affection with other pets or people. You will recognize their attitude and personality in a few days.

Fish: Fishes also require relatively lower maintenance. You just have to ensure that they are well fed and the tanks are cleaned regularly. Add a few plants to sustain life and you’re done.

Turtles: Another breed of fascinating and novel pets requiring less maintenance is turtles. There are two types – terrestrial, and aquatic. Box and mud turtles are the terrestrial types which need lots of sunlight. They also need water to swim and cool off. They hibernate on land during the winter and must be left undisturbed to enhance their longevity. Sliders and painted turtles are the aquatic types which need more water to stay in, than heat from the sun. Turtles are very sensitive, so you will have to refrain from handling them a lot. Since their digestive tract is very small, you will have to be careful that they do not eat unwanted things in your house. It is best to have a water tank filled with non chlorinated water, as tap water can cause bacteria in their digestive systems. Natural spring water is also good for them.

Whatever pet you decide to choose, don’t make a haphazard decision. There are many folks who would like to have one just like you, but refrain themselves as they are not ready. Look at both sides – Are they suitable for you and your environment? Are you and your environment suitable for them? If you need to learn more, simply visit http://www.bharatbhasha.com/pets.php - we cover a lot more detail here.