Animal companionship is the apt example of unconditional love, absolute care and tacit bond of loyalty. Pets are matchless partners and stay with you for the rest of the life. These days pet parenting is a rage. Everyone wants a loving pet. But, one must keep in mind that it is a full time responsibility which cannot be sidelined. It is more of a responsibility than a luxury of having an animal friend. One needs to absolutely prepared to live with a furry, scaly or feathery pal.
Here are step by step guidelines for a becoming responsible pet parent:
Gather information
Pet parenting would be a demanding role. You need to be absolutely prepared for it. While you will gain practical experience only after the arrival of the pet, you can still gain the basic knowledge through pet care books, friends and vet consultations. It is good if you are acquainted with the roles and responsibilities of a pet owner. This will help you become a better pet parent.
Choose the right kind of pet
The basic thing in pet parenting is mutual love. You must choose a pet that fits well in your home, life and family. Choose a relaxed, peace-loving pet if you have kids and elders at home. If you are too busy to get some time off for your pet then there is no point in bringing one. Pets are a commitment for life so, bring them only when you are 100% ready.
Adopt a pet
Adopting a pet is the wisest way of serving the animal community. It is also an ideal way of saying no to puppy mills. You can adopt a pet from animal rescue shelters and save one life. So, always adopt, never buy. When you adopt, you save one animal from being euthanized. So, choose to adopt a pet. Make sure you check if he has been vaccinated or not. If not then get him vaccinated first.
Dog proof your home
This is the next step, as the little bundle of joy would love to inspect his new surroundings. Being playful pets may create a mess in the house. To avoid this, prepare your home well in advance. Keep away all the chewable and breakable items. Remove things that are toxic for the pet including garden plants. Fencing the yard is a must. Create space for water and food bowls.
Maintain a routine
Being a pet parent, you need to follow a routine for the pet’s diet, exercise, entertainment and vet visits. Your day should have enough time for meeting the little needs of the pet. Watch his diet, water timings, poop timings and exercise or game timings. Keep a date wise schedule of his medications, flea preventives, vet visits etc. Follow the schedule!
Maintain a pet care budget
Your need to incur a certain expense on the pet’s food, medications, vaccines, supplements, accessories etc. Be prepared for it, as without these basic things you may not be able to give him a good quality life. So, plan your monthly budget accordingly. Choose pet suppliers who offer branded products at cost effective prices and you are done with it.
Behavior training
After the pet gets accustomed to the routine of your family, you can opt for some behavioral training. You can Ask a Vet or animal expert about the correct age for starting the training. If your furry child is that age already then start the training so that your pet is polished to become a well-mannered and obedient member of the family.
Spaying and neutering
Your dog or cat can become a fabulous parent. However, along with that there are chances of infections and diseases that can occur while the pet is conceiving or lactating. Moreover, if you cannot provide for the care of her babies then there would be addition in the shelter homes. To prevent this, spaying or neutering is a must. Ask a Vet about when and how to go for it.
Involve him in all family activities
Here we are talking about general wellbeing of the pet. He will feel complete only when you accept him as a member of the family. Be it an outing, picnic, function or ceremonies, you must make him feel special. Its only that little bit of extra love that he seeks from his human parent. Say no to pet sitters until there is no choice. You are enough for him and so be there for him in times of joys and adversities.
To sum up, pet parenting is a contenting experience of one’s life. But along with it comes a certain duties, responsibilities, liability and accountability. You should be fully prepared for all that. Then only give a shot to pet parenting. If you are ready physically, mentally, emotionally and financially then you will cherish the gift of unconditional love from your pet without any troubles. So, are you ready to take the responsibilities of becoming pet parent? Just think about it!
