If you are like most of us, falling in love with a puppy or kitten easy. Providing proper care and attention throughout its lifetime presents the harder challenge.

Before you adopt or purchase a pet please be sure that you read this document which outlines only some of the issues regarding pet ownership. Puppies and kittens grow into adult animals and will depend on you for every need in their life, which includes not only food and shelter but love and interaction for its entire life.

Owning a pet is a life-long commitment, dogs live 10 - 15 years and cats as long as 20 years. These pets will require a loving home throughout their entire lifetime. Family pets require more than just food and water, they require love, attention and regular human interaction. Dogs left alone develop behavior problems and are deprived of the most important thing to them, love and approval from their masters. Cats need constant human interaction and love.

If you have toddlers or very young children in the house you may want to consider an older animal. Young children may handle the young smaller animals that may cause them harm. Older animals are usually more even tempered and are not so easily mishandled by small children.

If the pet is for a child, it is unrealistic to expect a child to do all of the work, regardless of the child's age. Constant supervision is required and a parent must be prepared to step in and perform the duties. What are the future plans for the pet when the child grows up and moves away?

If you have other pets, you should respect your current pet's feelings. Most of the time new pets may be introduced into the household without many problems. Pets should get to know each other and the adoption agency should be made aware that you are introducing this pet into a multiple pet situation. Please ask and we can provide advice introducing a new pet. Please keep checking this web sight for information or view the 'More reading link'.

If you travel frequently or go on vacations, you must arrange for reliable care of your pet while you are away.

Any pet should be spayed or neutered before five months of age. Pets need vaccinations, checkups, medications and other medical care, this should be included in the budget.

Moving to the city for that big job in a couple of years? Going away to college or the military? What will happen to your pet when you go? Please, consider a pet as you would a child, when planning your future. Moving is the number one reason for pet relinquishment and abandonment.

Does your landlord approve of you having a pet?

Are you planning on moving soon, what are your plans for the pet?

If any member of your household is allergic to animals, you may want to reconsider pet ownership. It is unrealistic to consider separating the allergic member from the pet. The pet should be an integral part of the family and never isolated from it.

Consider carefully the breed of dog that you choose. Puppies that grow into large dogs may be too energetic or just too big for a small apartment or house. Small toy breeds and noise sensitive dogs typically do not interact well with small children.

Young puppies and kittens may occasionally have accidents, but these are usually rare. Puppies and kittens especially learn very quickly if trained in the proper manner. Please contact us if you have problems house training your pet. It has been my experience that a new kitten has less than two accidents, usually none. Puppies usually require a little more patience, but the learning period is usually brief.

Puppies chew on anything they can find, kittens and cats sharpen their claws on things they are not supposed to. Distractions and alternatives help remedy this problem and scratching posts introduced early are reasonably effective at controlling cat scratching. Please NEVER consider declawing a cat. This is a surgical procedure that amputates the cats toe at the last knuckle. Not only can declawing cause permanent psychological damage to the cat, but also makes it completely defenseless should it escape the safety of the house.

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