Do you feel like there’s a missing member of your family? Maybe your household is a little too empty and quiet, or it’s loud and confused, and you really believe a pet is needed for bringing a little more harmony into the situation? Either way, it’s time to start looking into what pet would be best for your household, and why that matters.
The best pet for your household differs from person to person; you’re going to need to do your research, and a lot of it! Because a pet is a commitment, and you won’t be able to just put them out when you’re sick and tired of the mess they make, or how many of your commands they don’t follow.
So, what pet is the best for your household? You need to be able to keep up with each other, as well as suit each other’s personality, and you definitely need them to fit into the whole family. With all that in mind, let’s go through a few questions below that should help you
What Bond Do You Want with Your Animal?
The kind of bond you want with your pet is going to very much dictate what kind of animal you bring home one day. Let’s go through a few examples of the most common types of bonds people want to have with their pets:
- Some people want their animals to be their best friends; to be close to them, and be the biggest buddy they’ve ever had in their life.
- Some people fancy taking care of an animal, and ensuring it’s as happy and healthy as it can be within their home, but aren’t too fussed about the closeness of their bond with their pet.
- And some people want to have a pet, but want to stay a little distant with it too - they want to have their own space, and they want a pet who desires the same thing, and that works out just fine for them. All they need to know is that there is a bond there!
For people who desire the top option, a dog is always going to be the best pet for them. It might still be hard to bond with your animal, if you don’t have the time or the effort to put in, but most of all, dogs are social creatures that simply love to be with you, and they’re hard to ignore! Of course, some dogs are famous for being better natured than others. Some dogs, like the labradors you can find at this website, have wonderful temperaments when it comes to their owners. They’re friendly and open, and it’s very easy to bond with them simply by spending time with them.
For people who like the sound of the middle option, smaller animals like rabbits and guinea pigs or budgies could be good for them. You can bond with these animals, and have them as your fluffy or feathery little lap pets, but they take a lot less work than bigger animals like dogs or cats.
And if the final scenario sounds good to you, it might be best for you to bring a cat home; you’re going to have to take care of it, and make sure it’s healthy and entertained, but even cats like to have their own space, and they’re usually not as overwhelming as a dog can be. Don’t worry, they’ll still love you!
What Space are You Working with?
The pet that’s right for your household also depends on the amount of space you’re working with. For example, if you live in a one bedroom apartment, you probably shouldn’t be bringing home a Great Dane to be living in the household with you! You simply won’t have the space for them and all their needs, and it just wouldn’t be fair on either of you in this situation.
You can always get yourself a lap dog, or a cat, if you live in a small home or apartment and want to have a bigger pet that you can really bond and interact with. These are pets that can live with you, and spend a lot of time on your lap or in a chair with you, as well as sleep on the end of your bed - you won’t necessarily have to invest in big pet beds or equipment for them, as long as you’ve got some shelves up on the wall for your cat to climb on and gain a vantage point, for example.
Otherwise, if you’ve got the room for a terrarium or a cage complex for a hamster, turtle, or even a pet rat, you can easily fit them in alongside one wall. Plus, they can be taken out and given free run of an obstacle course made up of sofa cushions or dining chairs etc., With an animal of this size, you can put things you already own to good use.
How Much Patience Do You Have?
And finally, now comes the patience question - all pets need it, and all pets require you to be calm and in charge at all times! So, you’re also going to need to think about the amount of patience you have to work with, and how easy it is for you to get frustrated. Don’t worry, low levels of patience aren’t necessarily a bad thing to work with, you just need to be aware of that fact that you’re working with low levels!
Your levels of patience are going to depend on how much time and energy you have to give towards your new pet. Of course, if you’re someone who’s likely to give up at the first hurdle and not come up with ways to accommodate your new pet into your household, now might not be the best time for you to adopt. Similarly, if a member of your household, like your partner or your kid, has a similar attitude to life, you might need to sit down and have a serious talk with them when they start talking about what kind of pet they want to get.
You need to think about what your new pet is thinking and feeling; for an animal like a cat or a dog, that might be quite easy to do. You can put yourself in their shoes, and you can feel how nervous, anxious or excited they may be to find a home with you. But with a pet that’s smaller, and may not be so obvious in their body language, it might be rough for you to see things from their perspective. Animals like lizards or snakes, for example, can be hard for someone with little to no patience to get along with. So, make sure you keep that in mind the next time you’re down at the pet store!
So, What Pet is Best for You?
You are the center of your household, and if you’re reading this post, you probably have the final say on what kind of pet you’re going to bring home. You’re going to need to be a figure of knowing authority here! So, talk about it all.
Make sure you keep the above points in mind, and take some time to think about them, or to prepare for them. We don’t have the same attitude towards the pets in our lives, and it’s important to think about that, and to acknowledge that some animals are simply not suited for you or your family.
