You may not be an animal person. Although they are more than half a billion cats and dogs that are kept as pets, it’s not uncommon for a household to avoid them. After all, the responsibility is something you can do without when you have a full-time job and family that needs your time.
A pet will only add to the stress, and that’s what you want to swerve! Extra responsibility is probably the biggest argument against keeping pets, yet not every animal is needy. Many of them are as independent as humans, some of them more so!
If you keep on making excuses, here are the four reasons you may want to have a rethink.
1 – High Maintenance
Sure, a dog isn’t going to feed or walk itself. It will go to the bathroom alone, but that causes more issues than it solves! Of course, this is only one animal – they are hundreds of different pets that you can choose instead. For those who don’t want anything too high maintenance, you may prefer a rabbit, snake, or gerbil. All of these happily live in cages and only get annoyed when they don’t get their dinner.
Not all pets need walking three times a day or want constant attention.
2 – Big Expenses
Another criticism leveled at pets is that they are expensive. Again, some of them are, yet even the animals that appear to be costly aren’t in the long-term. Have you ever thought about getting fish only to balk at the price of a tank? Well, the money is half of what most dog and cat owners pay throughout their lifetime if you use a quality fish tank setup guide. As long as the water is pure and the tank relatively clean, you won’t need to splash out again (#sorry#notsorry).
Food is cheap, and it’s not as if they eat tons.
3 – Strict Landlord
In fairness, not everybody is in a position to make the rules regarding pets. Renters have to ask the landlord if keeping one in the house or apartment is kosher. The lease may have clearly stated that animals aren’t welcome, and you will see this as a roadblock that’s impossible to get around. However, where there is a will, there is a way. Firstly, you should organize a meeting with your landlord and explain the situation. They could be happy to let you house a pet, as long as it’s a specific variety.
Or, they may see sense if you talk about how owning a pet is good for your mental health.
4 – Unreasonable Schedule
Working all day and leaving the dog at home is a bad combination. As soon as your pooch gets bored, scared, or anxious, it will start barking, pooping, or ripping its way through the furniture. In worst-case scenarios, it does all three! The easy solution is to opt for a pet that isn’t as high maintenance to give yourself more freedom.
The Takeaway: Pets Are the Best!
On the flip side, you can embrace the responsibility and wake up early and come home at lunch to give your canine or kitty the life it deserves. And, if you genuinely know that having a pet is not for you, no judgment–only you can decide what is right for your lifestyle.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
This blog celebrates all things home.
