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Questions to ask yourself before owning a pet
Published on: Saturday, July 31, 2021
By: Shirley Khong
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FEAR, ABANDONMENT and longing are some of the feelings an abandoned dog would feel besides anxiety, when they are separated from their “pack”, ie their human family.  

When pets are abandoned they will feel confusion about being separated from the family (or pack) they have ever known! Ask yourself how would you feel if your family suddenly disowned you and left you somewhere strange and unfamiliar?

Humans do not (or do not want) to realise that domestic pets like cats and dogs, go through a host of emotions like fear, pain, longing and anxiety and many of them can suffer health problems as they do not know where to find shelter or water and food! 

Moreover they will sit at the same spot waiting for their master day after day, to come back to pick them up! Put yourself in their place; at least as a human being u can still talk and be understood!

We can understand you are unable to care for your loyal pet who has dun nothing wrong except be loyal and faithful to you no matter how bad u treat the dog! Are humans so heartless and cruel now to abandon a dog or a cat? It seems they are! Humans abandon their pets without a second thought! 

How we wish the table cud be turned the other way round and the pets can abandon the humans instead, so they, the humans, can get a taste of their own medicine!

Humans are basically selfish creatures and when a dog/cat is abandoned, all the human think about is their own convenience. They do not think how the animal feels: they only think of themselves. 

We hope karma comes back to bite both the abandoner and these selfish humans very hard so they know what it is like to have no food, water, shelter, safety, love or security and regret what they did to their beloved loyal pet! Do not think it will never happen to you. It may happen to someone u love in your family

A pet is a lifetime commitment and it can be quite costly. Please do not succumb to pressure from your children, friends etc. They do not have to live with the pet nor look after it. It is your responsibility

Ask yourself these basic questions before u decide to adopt a pet:

1) Do you have the time?

Owning a pet of any kind takes up your time and there will definitely be changes to your lifestyle, however big or small. It doesn’t matter if your pet is a rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, cat etc. It will still change your lifestyle. We are talking mostly about a dog or a cat. Dogs need to be walked/exercised daily (min half hour) to expend their energy. 

You are taking on a life, a living breathing creature whose very life will depend entirely on you and as the owner, your pet needs commitment and responsibility! If you travel often (no matter on long or short trips) or you may have had a Hard tiring day at work, you can not neglect your pet; if so, then you are not suited to own a pet, any pet!

2) Do you have enough money? 

Can u afford a pet say dog or cat? Besides kibble and tinned food there may be unexpected emergency trips to the vet, training, boarding etc

3) Will your pet be your family?

If you are now renting or your wife is pregnant with your baby, do not forget your dog/cat is part of the family. Are you doing to give up/neglect your dog/cat (pets) when the baby comes? It’s happened before, giving up a dog/cat when the baby comes! Why not give the baby away?

Or when u move to a new place will you give up your pet if the condo does not allow pets? You could have found an animal friendly apartment!

If u are even remotely thinking of leaving your pet behind, or giving it away cos you are having a baby or moving out please! Do not own a pet, ever! Because you are selfish n cruel, thinking of your own convenience only.

4) Ensure no one in family has allergies to the pet

Before you own a pet please make triple sure that no one in the family (including yourself) has any allergies to fur and animals in general. 

If you are not sure to find out do spend some time with your friends’ pet dog or cat, to ensure there are no allergies that will affect you or your family.  

Or go visit a doctor for advice.

4) Training

When you have a pet dog we are sure you would like to have it trained for the basic commands like: “Sit! Stay! Come! No!” Unless you have the time and patience to train the dog yourself it will be quite costly to have a Dog Trainer train the dog and most families here are not willing to spend that type of money!

Owning a cat is nearly as much work as a dog. A cat still needs to be loved and it loves human company and needs the vet too for regular shots/deworm etc and of course when it is unwell

5) Neuter/spay and vaccinate yearly

The most important thing is to neuter/spay your pet as it will be healthier and happier and less worrisome for you as a pet owner! If done at an earlier age, your pet will be less aggressive and less likely to wander far. It is also advisable.

6) Get a vet

When you own a pet be it a dog or cater any pet, you will need to get a vet even if it’s for a yearly vaccination. You will need a vet you can rely on for when your pet is unwell so it is important that you find a reliable trustful vet before getting a pet, any pet! 

No matter what pet you are going to bring home, make sure to treat them well! Although owning a pet may cost you time and money we can assure you it is worth it, especially for genuine pet lovers!

Remember: Think before you commit to a pet. In view of current hot weather please leave water for strays outside. Thank you for being kind to animals.

 



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