Owning a pet is great for all families because it teaches your kids so much. It shows them how to be responsible and care for their new friend, it helps them to be more social and it can even boost their immune system. When they get older and the pet eventually passes, it will help them to come to terms with the idea of loss. There are loads of reasons that you should think about getting a pet but first, you’ve got to decide what kind of pet you’re going to get. When the kids are really young, you should start out with something small like a goldfish or a hamster but when they get a little older you can start thinking about something more permanent like a dog or a cat.
Both are great pets and everybody seems to have a pretty strong opinion about them. You’re either a dog person or a cat person, you can’t be both. When it comes to finding the perfect family pet, there are a lot of different factors to consider. Here’s how to decide whether to get a dog or a cat.
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Money
This is the first thing to think about because there is a big price difference between owning a dog and a cat. For starters, a dog is going to cost you a lot more to buy than a cat will so if you can’t afford to spend upwards of $500 on a dog, there’s your answer, get a cat. The actual costs of owning a dog are more than a cat most of the time because they go through toys etc. a lot quicker because they chew them up. Their food often tends to be more expensive as well and they’re more likely to need trips to the vets because they spend more time outside. If money is a big issue for you then cats are definitely the way to go.
Are You Prepared?
So many people end up buying pets that they aren’t really equipped to look after because they don’t realize how much work it’s going to be. Caring for a pet isn’t as simple as just putting some food in a bowl and taking them out for the occasional walk. For example, what if your dog has special dietary requirements, it’s up to you to find the best grain free food for dogs which is going to take time and cost you more. You’ll also have to treat any ongoing medical conditions that they might develop. This is going to be a problem with both cats and dogs so either way, you should make sure that you’ve thought it through properly before deciding to get a dog or a cat.
Space
Space is another big issue when it comes to pets. Dogs need plenty of room to run around and exercise, otherwise, they’ll become overweight and unhealthy and they’ll have too much energy all of the time. Cats are obviously a lot smaller so they don’t need to exercise as much, they’ll also wander around on their own outside without getting lost so you don’t need a big garden to keep them confined to. If you don’t have a lot of space in the house or the garden it’s not fair for you to keep a dog there and you’ll have to go for a cat instead. If you haven’t got much space but you still have your heart set on getting a dog, there are still breeds that are designed for smaller spaces. Make sure that you do your research and possibly speak with a vet to check that the dog will be ok in your home.
How Busy Are You?
Your lifestyle very much effects whether you should get a dog or a cat. If you’re working long hours and you aren’t at home that much, you should think twice about getting a dog. They need a lot of attention and if people aren’t around to spend time with them, they will be very unhappy. If you go away a lot, either for work or pleasure, you need to think about what you will do with your dog. It’ll be confusing for them if you’re hardly there and you’ve got different people looking after them all the time. A cat, on the other hand, doesn’t really need that much attention at all. As long as there is food for them, they’re happy to do their own thing. If you’ve got a very hectic schedule then a cat is definitely better than a dog. If you don’t spend too much time out of the house and there’s always somebody around, then you should be fine to own a dog.
The other thing to consider is the amount of time that you want to spend with the pet as well. Cats aren’t really too bothered about playing with you and they’ll spend a lot of their time sleeping or outside exploring. Dogs, on the other hand, are incredibly loyal and they’ll love playing with you and going out for walks all of the time. If you want a pet that you can play with, a dog is the best option.
Can You Train Them?
If you don’t train your new pets, they’ll be going to the toilet all over the house and chewing everything up. There’s a massive difference between dogs and cats when it comes to training; cats only really need to be trained to use their litter tray and use a scratching post. It’s going to take you a lot longer to train a dog and you’ll most likely need to take it to training classes. If you don’t think you’ve got the time to train them properly, don’t get a dog.
Different circumstances lend themselves to different pets so there’s no right answer when it comes to deciding between dogs and cats. If you’ve got a busy lifestyle and you don’t have a huge amount of space in the house then a cat works for you, just bear in mind they won’t always be in the mood for playing with you. Anybody that spends more time around the house and has plenty of outdoor areas is well equipped for a dog.
