12 mistakes we make when buying a pet

Nowadays it is very common for people to take an animal into the house spontaneously. Perhaps you have already done this, or know someone who has. Most likely you’ve even seen a cute hamster in a pet store window and decided it was time for your child to have a pet. Or you may have seen someone with a beautiful husky and thought: wow, I want one just like it. The possibilities, as we can see, are endless. But the problems that start from there are also inevitable. Before making any decisions in this regard, it is important to consider some obvious questions that, for some reason, are not contemplated in advance.

The author of this post is 30 years old. Of those, 25 she lived with different animals, from cats to tarantulas. Each animal showed new teachings and obstacles; that’s why she decided to share with the readers of awesome.club the most common mistakes when acquiring a pet.

For some reason, many people think that by saving up to buy a purebred dog or cat, everything is solved. In reality, spending is just getting started. Little by little you will realize that your budget will be greatly affected by a series of expenses: food, vaccination, neutering and reserve for emergencies. All this must be thought out in advance, after all, now you will have the responsibility of a lifetime in your hands.

An acquaintance was very happy because she received a golden retriever as a gift. Later she realized that dog food is not cheap. Furthermore, without a trainer it is unlikely that a dog will fully obey you. Another point that she was unaware of is that some objects end up being ‘eaten’ by the animals, that is, they need to be exchanged, which means more expenses. But of course a dog always means more love, even if it costs an arm and a leg.

Even if you are lucky enough to find a seller who cares about the well-being of the animals, when it comes to selling almost everyone tends to get some information wrong. Usually, sellers do not have specific training and many have very little experience in caring for animals. In addition, knowing about all the animals in the store is impossible. This happens a lot in stores that sell hamsters, rabbits and chinchillas.

When buying her first rodent, the author chose what she thought was the biggest cage of all, a three-story one, as she imagined it would grow. Later, she learned that a male needed a lot more space to stretch his body. That is, she had to spend more to buy the correct cage. This can also occur with fish and aquatic turtles. Before purchasing an aquarium, find out about the size the animal will reach.

If you had a hamster in your childhood and you kept the cage, that doesn’t mean you can put any rodent inside it, even more so if it’s a 30×30 cm cage. Each animal needs a different type of care, and this must always be taken into account. Siamese cats, for example, are depressed without communication; a husky he’s capable of destroying an apartment if he doesn’t get out for a walk. More exotic animals often need even more specific treatment: chinchillas need a sand bath, lizards need special UV lamps and a saltwater aquarium, and so on. It is always important to know these details in advance so as not to condemn the animal to a life of hardship.

An acquaintance has a Jack Russell terrier, obtained as an adult. When the dog arrived he looked like a listless sausage. The previous owners did not respect the hunting nature of these animals, that is, they need to walk in the fresh air. A few months later, with many walks, the dog regained its active, muscular and lively character.

Even if you buy an animal because your child asked for it, don’t believe him when he says he’ll take care of the pet every day. In general, this is for older people. Taking a big dog for a walk isn’t easy for a young child, plus vet visits often call for a car. If you buy a small pet, the attention needed is different. We shouldn’t leave children alone with small rodents and it’s important to know that big animals can always bite people.

It is very common for a dog to be brought into a family after much insistence from the children. This scenario is very common. But even if the child promises to take the animal for a walk, the hard work ends up being left to the parents. Also, a child rarely manages to educate a dog, so be prepared to have a lot of objects destroyed.

In many pet stores, the concern comes down to feeding. In markets, the objective is to keep the birds alive in order to sell them. Veterinarians who specialize in exotic animals (all but cats and dogs) are rare and their services are often expensive. And remember: if you already have animals at home, new arrivals need to be quarantined. If he is the first, you need to pay attention to his behavior, especially in the first weeks of life.

The author of this post had a lizard, the leopard gecko. After leaving the store, he experienced three weeks of intense medical treatment. As a souvenir, there was only one big debt left. If she had had more reptiles, it would have ended in a huge epidemic. And the store claimed to be a specialist in lizards and stated, at the time of purchase, that he was completely healthy.

Many people have heard the phrase: if you can’t afford a vet, you can’t have a pet either. (if you can’t afford the vet, you can’t afford the pet)🇧🇷 Our animals, just like us, get sick all the time, so it’s important to always be prepared. There are some breeds that tend to have some health problems; for example the bulldog and the pug, which tend to have heart and breathing problems. That is, get ready to spend some money on them at the vet.

Instead of words, let’s go to numbers. In one year, the author of this post had to spend $2,000 on a pet mouse that was unlucky enough to develop a malignant tumor. Today, the animal is healthy and happy. But some people have to face even higher expenses.

If even two dogs can hate each other, forcing you to do something about it, imagine with different species. The worst combination is a hunter and prey. A ferret, for example, will definitely want to eat any type of rodent, hunting dogs are dangerous for small animals and even a beautiful kitten can have its hunting side awakened in the presence of a bird or a fish.

Pets’ favorite toys are chopsticks with feathers and plastic mice. Some quality toys take a long time to destroy, but this is rare. When we see a completely broken toy, it’s important to think that the toy could be another animal.

Many purebred dogs and cats have digestion problems and need a special feeding plan. Hedgehogs and lizards need insects and crickets for food. It is always important to know in advance what the animal can eat. If you give any type of food, be prepared to spend more money on vets.

I once wanted to have a type of squirrel that, in addition to fruit, eats a lot of insects. I had to change my mind because I knew I couldn’t do that. It was very important for me to research in advance details of the animal’s diet so as not to suffer the consequences later.

Posting a photo with a beautiful Doberman is a wonderful thing, but the amount of likes does not diminish the work you will have to educate this animal that can be so dangerous. Buying any pet just thinking about how you will attract attention on the street is a big mistake. Remember that 99% of the time you will be alone with the animal; that is, perhaps the possibility of a photo or two is not worth it.

Growing up, I had a beautiful Siamese cat that I was very proud of. But my family and I didn’t have a lot of experience and we didn’t know she needed a lot of social interaction. Also, this breed needs loud and frequent noises. If this does not happen, the animal begins to get dirty. As a result, our cat found happiness in our friends’ house, full of people and other animals.

A dog needs a lot of training and a cat needs to get used to litter boxes and scratching posts (not our sofas). It is very important that everything is done well from the beginning, otherwise, later on, the situation could get out of control.

I adopted some pet mice and immediately warned my husband that they were rodents and that we should always be on our minds. This was fundamental because if he decided to leave a T-shirt on the sofa and it ended up in the mouth of one of the mice, I wouldn’t want to hear about any complaints. I also always make it clear that people can put their finger in the cage, but they must assume the consequences.

If you are often at home on vacation, do not worry about this topic. But if you like to travel, always think about where you are going to leave your pet. Cat and dog hotels often have a problem: infections. This happens due to the large number of animals in a very small area, in addition to a lack of attention on the part of the employees.

Before going on vacation, all my acquaintances are desperately looking for someone to take care of their dogs or cats. Many have a list of people they often help. Some people, on the other hand, tend to take their pets with them on vacation, which is not always a good idea, especially when it comes to exotic animals. It is always important to know that not everyone wants to take care of a spider or a mouse. I mean, before…