So You Think You Want to Adopt a Pet?

Making the decision to bring a pet into your home should not be taken lightly and should be made only after careful consideration, especially if you are adopting from a shelter or other organization. You don't really know what the animals have been subjected to prior to their arrival at the facility. Often times these animals have been neglected or abused. Some may just not have developed appropriate socialization skills.

Why would these situations be an issue?

• Abused or neglected animals - could be fearful of people and may cower and hide from your family OR they may become aggressive and hurt a family member.
  
   
• No socialization skills - you may have a well behaved animal, until you take it home and realize that it doesn't get along with your other pets or worse, your children. Animals not raised around children may be scared of them and not used to how children play. Again, aggression could be an issue.

These are just a few examples why you need to make informed decisions before adopting an animal. We have put together the below information as a guideline in hopes that it will be helpful in your decision making process!

Questions to ask yourself before adopting an animal:

• Can I afford it? - Having a pet is like having a child. In addition to the everyday needs of food, water and shelter, your pet will need annual vaccinations, routine health screening and even dental work. Make sure you have a close, reliable veterinarian. Vets bills can be costly. Are you financially prepared to handle emergencies? If you are considering adopting an exotic animal, make sure your vet is qualified to handle your exotic animal and understand that vet bills for exotics could be much higher than for domestic animals.
  
   
• Will it fit my lifestyle? - If you are away from home a lot, having a traditional pet is not a good idea. Birds, hamsters, rabbits, and etc. require constant attention and companionship. If you're away from home a lot, the best pet for you is a fish.
  
   
• Do you live in an apartment? - How big will the animal get? You don't want to acquire an animal that will grow to large for an apartment. Does your realtor allow pets and what are their restrictions? Be considerate of your neighbors, they don't want to listen to a barking dog at all hours nor do they want to hear a screeching Cockatoo. A cat, a quiet bird or fish are good pets for apartment dwellers.
  
   
• How much dander does the animal produce? - If you or a family member has allergies, an animal that sheds or has dander should probably not be considered.
  
   
• If the animal was in a previous home, how much do you know about it? - It is important to find out as much information as you can. Does it like kids? Does it have particular likes/dislikes? Does it prefer male or females? Is it used to being around other pets? Does it try to escape out the door given the opportunity?
  
   
• Do already have pets that you are committed to? - How will they react to a new pet? This is something you need to consider carefully. For example, if you already had a bird and brought another bird into the home, your original may, out of stress, begin to pick its feathers out. Are you willing to chance this? Not all birds are prone to behavioral feather picking but it is something that should be considered.
  
  
  Knowing answers to these questions will help guide you into the right decisions. Prior to making any final decisions you need to research the breed/ species you are considering. Some things to think about ... Cockatoos or Conures are extremely loud birds where Cockatiels or Parakeets are not so loud. If you don't want a hyper dog, then a Terrier is not a good choice.
  
  IMPORTANT NOTE: Most animal rescue and shelters require paperwork, visit to the home, and signed agreements. This is for the animal's protection with hopes of placing them into a good home environment. The agreement you may have to sign states that you will return the animal back to that facility should you not be able to keep the animal.

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