I don’t know about you, but when I think of home, three things come to mind.
First is my kids.
Second is my pets.
Third is my husband (yes, he knows about his place in the hierarchy!)
They say that home is where the heart is, but I think of home as where my loved ones are, so it’s always exciting when you get the chance to increase the number of loved ones at home.
Proper Timing
That said, it’s not always the best time to bring a new pet home. It might be right for you, but it might not be right for the new pet, your kids, or your existing pets. For this reason, I thought it’d be great to discuss a few ways for you to know if you’re ready for a new pet.
Some considerations you should make…
Before you bring a new pet home, there are a few things that you will need to consider (in fact, quite a few). It’s important that you meet the below criteria before bringing a new fur baby (or furless baby) home.
- Ensure you have a stable schedule. No matter which pet you bring home with you, you should be able to spend adequate time with them. Remember, domestic animals require love and attention to thrive and lead a happy life. If you’re someone who travels frequently, your lifestyle may not be suitable for a pet’s needs.
- Ensure you have the budget for a new pet. Pets can be costly; you should have the budget available to cover the cost of your pets. Keep in mind that your budget should include unplanned costs, such as vet bills and medicine.
- Ensure that this isn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. Bringing a new pet home is an exciting experience, though that “high” that we get from bringing a new pet home shouldn’t be the motivating factor behind the decision.
- Ensure that you have sufficient space for your new pet. Like all living things, your pet will need sufficient space to thrive. A prime example of this is huskies, whose mental health, as well as their physical health, are directly dependent on the amount of exercise they get. Without sufficient exercise or space to exercise, they can become aggressive.
- Ensure that you have the right equipment. Adding new pets to your home might also mean adding or updating equipment. For example, if you are planning on introducing new fish, you may need to upscale your tank, and therefore upscale what goes with it. If you are going big and getting a 30 gallon tank you will need a 30 gallon fish tank heater to match.
- Ensure it’s the right fit for everyone. The decision to bring a new pet home is a big one. It is incredibly important that you, your family, and your existing pets are all on board with a new addition to the family. It’s also important to ensure that the new member of the family feels at home. Meet and greets are a great way to test the water with new pets, allowing everyone the opportunity to get to know each other before making any commitments.
- Ensure you’re not trying to fill a gap. Loss is hard to deal with. That said, using a pet as a temporary crutch to assist with the grieving process seldom ends well. While pets are great companions, they can’t fill a hole in a heart. It’s recommended that you first deal with your loss before bringing a new pet home, especially if the recent loss was of a pet.
- Ensure the safety and happiness of your other pets. Some pets just aren’t suited to sharing a living space. Fish or birds, for example, can become incredibly stressed out simply in the presence of a natural predator, such as cats. It’s important to ensure that your current pet’s health, wellness, and happiness are not affected by the arrival of a new pet.
- Ensure that you have done your research. I’ve tried my best to cover everything I can above, but it is best to ensure that you have done your homework before you introduce a new pet to your home. Only once you’re confident that your decision is logical and that you can meet every need of your new pet, should you begin the process of bringing one home.