Important points to consider before you get a pet
- Pet ownership can bring many benefits for the physical and mental health of their owners and they also provide a catalyst for building relationships. However pet ownership is not a 'human right' and it comes with many responsibilities. If you fail to meet your duties to your pet, your pet could suffer, and you will be in peril of breaking the law. Therefore it is very important that before getting a pet you ask yourself an number of questions:
- Do you have the knowledge required to be able to care for your pet? This is particularly important for exotic pets.
- Are you able to put that knowledge into practice? This means:
- Are you physically able to care for your pet? If you are not physically able is someone else able to assist with the care of your pet?
- Have you got the time to meet your pets welfare needs? This is particularly important for dogs which bond closely with their owners.
- Can you afford to meet your pets welfare needs. Pet ownership can be very expensive, for instance the cost of owning a cat over its lifetime is in the region of £12,000.
- Do you have empathy with animals? There is a large variation in the depth of empathy for animals that we as human beings have. People with empathy for animals make better pet owners. In extreme cases people can suffer from Empathy Deficit Disorder and without support they may not make the best owners.
- If you are considering getting a pet please consider the questions that you may be asked by someone who is tasked with assessing your suitability as a pet owner. The assessor may be the breeder of the animal, an animal rescue organisation or a landlord. There are separate 'application form to keep a pet' for dogs, cats and rabbits for you to download.
Pet dogs and working dogs
Pet cats
Pet birds
Pet gerbils
Pet guinea pigs
Pet hamsters
Pet mice
Pet rabbits
Pet rats
Pet reptiles and amphibians