Choosing a pet can be a very difficult decision, but it can lead to one of the most exciting days of your life – when you bring home your perfect pet.

Many factors must be taken into consideration before choosing an animal to share your home with including how much time you and your family have to spend with an animal, how much money can be spent each month on food and other expenses, and how much space is available for the animal to live.

Other things to think about include how frequently the animal will have to visit the vet, whether anybody in your family, or frequent guests, have allergies to your pet, and whether you want an animal that will sit on your lap to be pet, or if you want a pet that will stay in its cage that you can watch.

Choosing a pet dog

Choosing a dog

Choosing a dog is a very big decision, and not one to be made lightly. There are many factors to consider when deciding whether a dog is right for you and your family. It is vital that you sit down with your family and fully think through the following questions, and resist saying yes just because you really want a dog.

You must do what is best for the animal as most dogs end up in shelters because they’ve grown into adults and people only want puppies, or because people simply no longer have the time for them.

Some of the questions to honestly ask yourself include:

1. How much space do we have for a dog? Is our back yard big enough? Do we have somewhere for him/her to sleep?

2. What age dog are we looking for? Do we have enough time to devote to the training of a new puppy, or would an older, housebroken dog be better for us?

3. What is our activity level? Do we really want a high-activity level dog when we aren’t really very active ourselves? Or, are we really active, will the breed of dog we want be able, and willing, to keep up with our lifestyle?

4. Perhaps most importantly – How much will it cost to keep a dog, and can we afford it? Can we afford to feed a dog the high-quality food it deserves, pay for its vaccinations once a year, and have money for any emergencies that may come up?

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How to choose a pet dog

Dog choice

* Choosing a breed. Dogs, depending on the breed, live on average around 9-12 years and all need varying amounts of exercise. If a specific breed is important to you, you have to be sure that breed will suit you and you family.

* A breeder or shelter? When you have decided on a breed, or have realized that a specific breed is not important to your family, you must decide where you will find you new dog or puppy.

* Training your dog. Training your dog is one of the most important things you can do for both the dog and yourself.

* What to feed your dog. It is likely that wherever you get your dog or puppy from, a pack of the food they are currently eating will be provided. Before continuing on with this food, the ingredients should be checked to make sure it is of good enough quality.

photo credit: ingermaaike2

Choosing a cat

Choosing a cat is an important decision as you will be bringing a new member of the family home. Before deciding on definitely getting a cat, honestly answer the following questions:

1. How much time do we have to spend with a cat or kitten each day? Kittens need much more play-time and socialization than adults cats do. Am I willing to clean a cat’s litter box every single day?
2. Do I want an indoor or indoor/outdoor cat? What sorts of predators live in our area that could hurt an outdoor cat?
3. Can we afford to feed and care for a cat? This includes high quality cat food, vaccinations from a vet, and an emergency fund.

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How to choose a pet cat

Cat choice

* A breeder or shelter? If you have honestly answered the key questions and have decided that a cat is for you, congratulations! Now you have to decide where to find your new cat.

* What to feed your cat. Feeding your cat a high-quality mixture of wet and dry food is ideal. That way they can get the best of both types; many cats do not drink enough water and will get some through the wet food, and dry food can be left out for ‘free feeding’, assuming the cat is not overweight.

* Training your cat. Training your cat should not be very difficult – most cats and kittens will be litter box trained before coming to your home. You will have to have toys for kittens to play with as they can become destructive if left alone and bored.

* Spaying and neutering. As with all animals, cats should be spayed or neutered before they reach six months of age which is about the age they reach puberty. You will want to ‘fix’ your cat not only because it will help keep your pet safe as male cats will do almost anything to get to a female in heat, but it can also help keep your cat from getting cancer later in life.

Choosing a Rabbit

photo credit: jpockele

Although rabbits are a small animal, they require more care than many people realize. Many people buy rabbits for their child’s first pet not knowing just how much it takes to properly care for a rabbit.
Here are some questions to ask yourself before choosing a rabbit as a pet:

1. Will the rabbit be a house rabbit or live outside?

2. Do we have enough space inside, or a big enough hutch for outside?

3. Do we have enough time to devote to the rabbit? If not, do we have enough space and money for a second rabbit to bond with ours?

4. Do we know enough about its nutritional needs?

5. Can we afford vet bills once a year and any emergencies that may come up? Rabbits are classified as ‘exotic’ and therefore much more expensive than dogs or cats!

6. Do we realize that a rabbit is a commitment of between 8-12 years?

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How to choose a pet rabbit

Rabbit choice

* Choosing a breed. There are a very large number of rabbit breeds – each with their own specific qualities.

* Breeder or shelter. As with other animals, once you have decided on a specific pet, you need to decide where to purchase it. Rabbits, like cats and dogs, are regularly bred by ‘Backyard Breeders’ that do not care about the quality or health of their animals.

* Housing and training your rabbit. Housing your rabbit is very important to its wellbeing. Whether indoors or out, a rabbit must have enough room to move around in its cage. The rabbit must be able to lay fully stretched on its side, and also be able to stand up on its hind legs while in the cage.

* Bonding rabbits. Bonding is when two rabbits live together happily, much like a married couple. Rabbits are social animals and need companionship; if you have enough time to devote to your rabbit, there is no need for a second, but if not, it is recommended to get another rabbit.

* What to feed your rabbit. Feeding your rabbit a good-quality pellet is very important to its health. Protein is very important to rabbits, and should make up around 16% of the pellets, and fiber is also important and should make up at least 16% of the pellets.

* General information. Rabbits have a lot of energy and must be given time out of their cage to expend some of this energy. A minimum of two hours each day must be given to your rabbit to keep it happy and in shape.

Choosing a small animal

photo credit: necrocake

Although a hamster or gerbil may seem like a good choice for you and your family, it is still a large responsibility and not one to be taken lightly. There are many things to ask yourself before deciding on a hamster or gerbil, including:

1. What size and type of cage do they require? What type of bedding will we use?

2. What type of food should we feed? Do they need fresh food as well as food from the pet store?

3. Do we have the time and patience to get the animal used to us? Will we still want it if it bites and isn’t friendly?

4. Which breed of hamster do we want? Or are we better suited for a gerbil?

These are very important questions to honestly answer before continuing your research. If you can answer all of these questions then you are on your way to becoming a small pet owner.

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How to choose a small animal

Small animal choice

* Hamster or gerbil? Although hamsters and gerbils have many similarities, their differences are very important.

* Feeding your hamster or gerbil. Hamsters and gerbils have similar dietary requirements. Both should be given a high-quality food as well as fresh foods, such as vegetables, canned tuna, and fruits. These fresh foods should be given as treats only as they can make your pet overweight if given too frequently.

* Housing your small animal. You will need to decide which type of cage you want for your small animal before bringing it home. Hamsters and gerbils both can be housed in a variety of cages, from 10 gallon (or more) aquariums to plastic cages with tubes for them to play in.

Feeding your hamster or gerbil

Hamsters and gerbils have similar dietary requirements. Both should be given a high-quality food as well as fresh foods, such as vegetables, canned tuna, and fruits. These fresh foods should be given as treats only as they can make your pet overweight if given too frequently.

There are two types of food that can be given to your hamster or gerbil; a seed and nut mixture or ‘lab blocks’ which are similar to feeding dry dog or cat food. The problem with lab blocks is that though they are the healthier option, most hamsters and gerbils will have been fed the nut and seed mixture while living at the pet store and they will not like the blocks as much. The blocks have more nutrients that the animals need, but are much less tasty than fattening nuts and seeds!

Hamster or gerbil?

Although hamsters and gerbils have many similarities, their differences are very important. Hamsters are nocturnal, meaning they sleep during the day and are awake at night. Will you, or your family, be happy not handling your pet during the day, or taking the chance of being bitten if you wake it up? Hamsters are very entertaining to watch, they enjoy running on a wheel and chewing cardboard, and they can be made tame so they will run around on you and won’t mind being handled. But taming takes time and your hamster will be afraid of you at first.

Gerbils are not nocturnal, although they can be. Gerbils are usually awake when there is movement around their cage, so if you or your family are awake during the day, the odds are that your gerbils will be as well. Gerbils are much faster than most hamsters, and are much smaller than most as well. Gerbils are as much fun to watch as hamsters and can also be tamed and can be handled once that is done.

Housing your small animal

You will need to decide which type of cage you want for your small animal before bringing it home. Hamsters and gerbils both can be housed in a variety of cages, from 10 gallon (or more) aquariums to plastic cages with tubes for them to play in. There are also cages made of metal bars on top of a plastic base, but you must be sure that your hamster or gerbil can not fit between the bars.

Most plastic cages for small animals are a dangerous option because small animals love to chew! Gerbils and hamsters are notorious for chewing their way out of plastic cages and escaping into your house. Glass cages, or aquariums, are very easy to clean, and you can always watch your pet, too!

Both gerbils and hamsters should have a wheel in their cage which is completely solid so their little feet, and gerbils’ tails, don’t get caught in a wire bottom. Both should also have plenty of material, cardboard or small pieces of wood, to chew in order to keep their teeth from getting too long.

Bedding is another thing that needs to be considered before choosing a small animal. Paper or wood-based cat litter are good choices, though Aspen shavings are also a good choice. There is a large debate about using Pine wood shavings in small animals’ cages – some say the fumes from the pine lead to upper respiratory diseases while others have been using Pine bedding for years with no apparent problems. This is your decision to make, though with the many other options available, there is no real need to take the chance with your pets’ life.

General information

Rabbits have a lot of energy and must be given time out of their cage to expend some of this energy. A minimum of two hours each day must be given to your rabbit to keep it happy and in shape. You will have to keep a close eye on your rabbit in the beginning as they are very curious and will want to go places you don’t want them to, like behind the television where all the wires are!

Rabbits in the UK must also have two vaccinations per year, a vaccination for VHD, or Viral Haemorrhagic Disease, and a vaccination against Myxomatosis – usually two weeks later. These vaccinations are not needed or allowed in other parts of the world, but are an absolute must for UK rabbit owners.

Rabbits should also be spayed or neutered before they are six months of age. If it is not done before they reach sexual maturity, they will experience puberty in much the same way as a human will. They will become moody, sometimes happy and loving, then switching to aggressive the next minute; they will no longer use their litter box; they will throw their food, toys, everything in their cages around. This will not stop unless the animal is altered. Another reason for spaying female rabbits is that there is an 80% chance that they will get reproductive cancer if they are not spayed – and why take that chance?