Carry on Beautiful!

For any animal lover, pets can be a vital part of the family. It is important though, no matter how much you love animals, to make sure you’re aware of the pro’s and con’s of actually introducing them into your home and life. To help you out, thats what this post is!

Should I Get A Dog?

Pros: Dogs are extremely loving and loyal. Whatever care and attention and affection you put into a dog, you get back tenfold. Dogs are generally easy to train, and they love doing well for their owners and being lavished with rewards, treats, praise and attention. If you have plenty of time and you want to get fit then a dog would be a great reason to go for a lot of walks in the morning and evening.

Cons: If you don’t have much time, then a dog isn’t the pet for you. It’s important to be able to set aside a significant percentage of your time to taking care of your dog – you need to be able to take him or her on long, frequent walks and to put in plenty of time with obedience training so you end up with a pet that’s safe both for itself and for other people and animals. Dog’s also get lonely more than a lot of other animals do and leaving them alone for long periods of time can be disastrous, my uncle found that out when he got home from work and found the entire bottom half of his bathroom door missing!

Should I Get A Cat?

Pros: Cats are very self sufficient and self reliant, meaning that if you’re a pretty independent person who likes to spend time alone sometimes, they might be the pet for you. Cats can be playful and fun – life with a cat is never boring, and they’re often extremely affectionate and loving. You can have an indoor or an outdoor cat, and you don’t have to walk them, meaning that that amount of time that you would spend with a dog is freed up. Cats make excellent companions, and are a particularly good pet for older people, who might not have the time and energy to spend on a dog but who want some good company in the evenings. These are just a few reasons cats are perfect for me, I’m able to spend plenty of time dong my own thing with them just sitting near by and we’re both completely content with that! 

Cons: Cats can often be unpredictable, meaning that when you want some affection from them, it might not be particularly forthcoming. They’re not nearly as easy to train as dogs are, although their personalities vary hugely and some cats are intensely trainable. They often tend to catch birds and mice, which might be occasionally useful, but it can also be very upsetting if they bring them into the house. My mums cat does this often, she’s received two dead birds and one still alive one in just the last few weeks. Luckily for me my indoor cats can’t do that, though they do occasionally bring me HUGE spiders which I’m not too impressed with. 

Should I Get A Fish?

Pros: Fish are visually beautiful. A fish tank is full of glorious bright colours and you could lose a lot of time watching your fish swim rhythmically around. You don’t need to spend time walking your fish, obviously. They’re a pretty low effort pet, and it’s a lot easier to get someone to come in and feed them while you’re away than it is with dogs and cats, who require much more looking after. Fish accessories are often fun to buy – check out sites like Aquatics To Your Door for examples. My nan has had fish for several years now and I think they’re great pets for older people so long as they have someone who will help clean out the tanks. My nan has gotten used to all their different personalities and loves just watching them swim about. 

Cons: With all the specialist equipment you need, fish are actually more expensive to keep than you might expect. You also need to dedicate plenty of time to cleaning out their tank and making sure that they have great quality living conditions. They’re also not the most fun and interactive of pets, and unlike cats and dogs, they can die very quickly if not cared for perfectly. Of course, you should care for any pet perfectly, but fish are especially tricky in my experience. 

-Dana