Why You Should Have a Pet

Remember that puppy at the pet store who stared at you with its puppy-dog eyes? Or how about that kitten that spread its arms as you dangled your finger? Did you know that having a pet can have many benefits?

Pets can ideally be any animal you chose to cater for. However, while some pets like dogs, cats, ducks, some species of birds can be intimately attached to you, others, such as fish, turtles, hamsters don’t show much compassion.

Before deciding to take care of a pet, please make sure you understand the commitment you are about to make. You will be responsible for another life-being and any negligence from your end could lead to its death.

What Kind of Pet Should You Get?

A pet is basically a friend who will always be with you, whether you like it or not. That means, some may even follow you to the bathroom. There’s absolutely no privacy in many cases. You will also obviously not accept your pet literally all over your house. Hence, some may also require a lot of training to get used to the lifestyle you prefer. Therefore, choosing the right pet is very crucial.

There are pets who don’t quite communicate with you, and live their own life in their habitat. You hardly interact with them, except for feeding them and cleaning up afterwards. These group of animals may include turtles, tortoises, snakes, spiders, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats and so on.

A common example of these low-maintenance pets are fish and some species of birds. You only need to clean the tanks or cages once in a while and feed them at the appropriate times. But why are they so popular?

These are great as starter pets, and are used kept by breeders, who like having generations of the same animal.

On the other hand, animals like dogs, cats, ducks, parrots, monkeys and so on, are pets that you can be intimately interactive with. These animals will follow you around and listen to your commands. However, they require high maintenance.

Where to Get Your Pet From?

A common source would be the pet store but that is one option we would scratch off our list. We don’t encourage profiting at the expense of another life.

But if it’s not the pet store, then where?

Well, do you buy a friend or do you naturally find one? A pet is a friend and therefore, instead of buying one, adopt one. There are various online sites which give up animals for adoption. Unless you are looking for an exotic animal or a fancy pet or one which hardly ever comes up for adoption, only then consider going to the store.

A common way to find an animal buddy is to stroll at the park or other areas booming with wildlife, perhaps the countryside, usually after a storm or heavy rainfall. You may come across a little bird, unable to fly, or a kitty seeking shelter. Even if you find a wounded dog, bring them into your home- their new home.

Pets Are Good Listeners

How often do you get tired of being around people? Does constant conversing bore you? Then pets are the sort of companions you need. They will only listen to you without even saying a word. You can share all your dirty secrets without fearing that your friend will rat you out.

You can pour your heart out to them and they simply sit by your side and listen to you. Some animals, like dogs, can also sense when you’re upset and will try to cheer you up by being playful.

Pets Act as Stress Relievers

Did you know that ducks crave for hugs? They will follow your around and call for you in your absence. The same goes for other animals too which require cuddles and daily doses of affection.

While you are playing with your pets, your brain is allowed to relax as it forgets about the busy world we live in. For a moment, it’s just you and your pet companion. Your brain gets the time to de-stress itself and can get back to work at full force later on.

Spending quality time with animals is a form of emotional and social relaxation. You don’t have to interact with a bustling noises or crowds, yet you have the presence of another being.

This is why many stress-relieve centers have baby puppies or kittens for people to play with. You could simply have your stress-relieve center at your home. Spending half an hour a couple of times a day will help you progress with your work better.

Pets Develop Your Mental Growth

People who genuinely love animals, tend to love nature and the world. Taking care of a pet is like taking care of a baby. The pet feels like your child, and once it breeds, you feel like a grandparent.

With every step of the process, you have mental development. You empathize with your pet the moment you see its teary eyes, or when you hear it crying for food. You admire its happiness and share its joy when your pet is being playful.

While catering after a pet may seem like hard work, you develop a sense of responsibility in the process. You also get better with time management as you have to schedule your pet’s feeding time along with your own work. Sounds rough, but you get used to it in a week.

If you truly love your pet, you will find yourself researching on the internet how to make its diet or habitat better. Once you start caring for your pet, you learn to care for people around you as well. This sense of thoughtfulness is hard to come by, but that is the kind of impact the love for your pet can have on you.

Final Words

People don’t just get pets to simply have a friend. No one wants to have a friend to clean after their waste. Get pets not because for having a friend, but to help you become a better person. Most importantly, adopt your pet instead of buying one!

Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash