What You Need To Know If You’ve Never Owned A Pet Before

Is this the first time you’ve ever seriously considered allowing a pet into your home? Well before you do, don’t let yourself just be taken in by those cute eyes and floppy ears! You’ve got a lot of research to do right now, whether you want to bring a dog or a cat or even a guinea pig home with you. After all, a pet is a big responsibility, and you’ve got to be sure you’re ready to deal with the side effects of having a forever friend around the house; let’s go through some of those below. 

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Puppies Aren’t Always Best!

When you adopt a pet, it’s not always a good idea to get a youngster. Puppies and kittens can be a lot of work, and they can wreak havoc on your life until they’re about a year old, and a lot of first time owners aren’t ready for that. 

The amount of energy a 6 month old pet has is absolutely boundless, and they’ll end up tiring you out during playtime! Adopting an older pet is often a great way to gentle yourself in and bring home a loving, already house trained friend. 

The Food Bills Can Get Expensive

Pet food can cost upwards of $650 per year for households across America, and this number gets exponentially bigger the more animals you have under your care! A lot of first time owners underestimate this cost, and it lands a lot of pets back into shelters year by year.

It’s why you need to be sure you’re buying the right and/or best food for your pet to prevent you from wasting your money. For example, before grabbing some walmart fresh dog food off the shelves, make sure you’ve clearly understood the ingredients list and that you’ve read through some reviews about it. 

With so many dog food options on the market these days, it can be hard to know which is the best for your dog. There is dry dog food, canned, fresh and freeze dried. One popular freeze-dried dog food available on the market is Dr. Marty Nature's Blend. Unlike dry dog food that is overcooked and stripped of essential vitamins and minerals, freeze-drying food is a gentle process that helps maintain nutrients.

You Should Train as Soon as Possible

When you first bring your pet into the house, you should start on a training regime as soon as possible. Both young and old pets alike can be taught new habits and tricks, and the age of your new dog or cat won’t impact how they’ll be able to adjust. 

Make sure your new pet knows where they’re allowed to be, when feeding times are, and when it’s time for bed. Dogs can benefit a lot from having a crate to get into, and cats benefit from having playtime just before eating and sleeping. 

Grooming and Exercise are Incredibly Important

Grooming your pet, as well as taking them out and/or playing with them every day, are core parts of keeping them healthy. And you’ll need to do both of these things far more often than you realize! Missing a day can result in some health problems, such as unhealthy weight gain or hair loss, and you’ll be down the vets far more often as a result. 

Pet ownership can be incredibly hard, so if you’ve never owned a pet, it’s time to read up on them!

This is a contributed post.

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