It sounds so easy to have a pet or more than one. If you growing up with one you most likely are used to having them around. The most common pets kept by humans are dogs and cats and cats are said the easiest.
A cat takes care of itself and easily uses you (and your neighbours) for their servant while the dogs see you as his companion and obeys you. At least that's what they say.
In reality, each animal kept is and should be raised. Raised, taught in a way that fits the personal lifestyle and the communities. An animal taken to guard or catch rats living outside frequently is not much time spend with it in comparison to the one living inside. If you you don't want him to lay on the sofa, drink out of the toilet, climb on the top of the cupboard and stealing your food from your plate you have to invest time in it and make this clear.
For many years I had animals, I worked with them, sheltered them, took care of the sick ones and those with bad behaviour. Bad or unacceptable behaviour according to the owner who dumped it on my doorstep for 1001 reasons. The fact is we easily feel disappointed if an animal shows its natural behaviour, if it doesn't obey. Cleaning poop, pee, vomit or your damaged items is no fun neither is waking up several times at night. Sick animals cost extra money and so does food and whatever unexpected costs keeping a pet will bring you.
Note: According to the law a pet is a possession not different from your house, car, bike or chair. If your property damages someone, wrecked something you have to pay! You can be angry or sad if your dog is hit by a car but if..it's your mistake and you need to pay the damage is made to the car! If you don't have savings to do so you can take insurance.
Dogs don't belong on the streets. In most countries, these days are over since the governments started fighting Rabiës. There's no cure for it and a dog will be put asleep, animals in the wild will be shot if they are suspicious of Rabiës except the small mammals (mice, rats). It's a myth only foxes spread it. If you live in a country where the disease is still known as active you better let your pet be vaccinated.
The more pets you have the more money you need and you save if you can deal with every issue yourself. To take care of the predators in my shelter I decided to do more educations and different professions. Next to it, I made agreements with those I needed or could need one day.
No animal is the same. There's no need to be a horse, dog or cat whisperer to understand your pet. For sure you need certain skills and it's important to know what kind of animal lives with you but if you observe, invest time in examining an animal's behaviour, you might know more than any specialist. Trust me there's a huge difference between the information on the internet and the daily experiences.
How strange it may sound many pet owners know hardly anything about their animal. Not if it comes to the specific race, the animal's personality or worse... the food it should eat. Dog food, cat food even food for rats, ferrets, hamsters and rabbits, cows and so on frequently contains ingredients the animal can not digest at all and this shows if you see it's poop!
If you walk in a Dutch field or a cow stable and see what the poop looks like it says enough. Cows with us deal daily with upset intestines.
Cats kept as pets have obstipation or diarrhoea, are overweighted, suffer from hairballs, and the special breeds have all kind of diseases and disabilities which is sold as special with a pedigree. Nature itself would never keep these animals alive.
Dogs, especially those with a pedigree, rarely get old, a part can not naturally give birth, eyes pop out and many breeds are vulnerable or suffer from diseases. The German Shepherd for example is to at least 500 which is shocking and the result of what we humans do to animals we say we love.
Just like humans pets feel and suffer from stress. It affects their well being and behaviour.
Good food is important not only for us but for our pets too. A healthy pet won't easily get ill, spread diseases and lives longer. Healthy starts with the food, the lifestyle and avoiding stress. Too many animals are confronted with the stress of their owner which results in certain behaviour and illnesses. If it comes to abnormal or dangerous behaviour shown by our pet in nearly every case it's the result of a human, the breeder or the owner.
An animal will always be an animal. If you can't live with that, if you want your pet to sit still, be on your lap 24/7 and behave my advice is to buy a stuffed animal or... robocat or dog. Toys can keep you company and you can kick them aside if you are not in the mood. No need to drill, feed, clean up, fight fleas and ticks, no risk to be scratched or bitten and no costs for vet, doctor, insurance needed.
