Adopting a Family Pet

A couple of things to think about before getting a pet.

• Think about how much space you have in your home or yard.  If you don’t have a yard you must consider that you will have to walk your pet daily.
• How much time do you have to spend with a pet?
• How will you train your pet? Classes, books, dvd?
• Know that a dog or cat’s life is an average of 15 years.  Too many animals get homes because they are “cute” babies and then are “back on the market”  Don’t adopt a pet unless you plan to make a lifetime commitment.
• Do you have the money to cover medical costs.  You should also check out some different pet insurance companies.

If you are considering getting a family pet, I encourage you to check out www.petfinder.com  They are basically a data base for over 10,000 shelters in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. They don’t just have dogs or cats either.  They have listings for horses, pigs, birds, even reptiles.

Pet Finder also offers articles about pet behavior and training.  They also have message boards for pet owners with a wide variety of topics. 

Do you have any more tips? Leave a comment here or discuss it on our message board.