HappyClaws.com, To Your Cat's Good Health. » Pet Search http://www.happyclaws.com HappyClaws: For those who tend to the needs, cater to the wants, and ensure the safety of their cat(s) Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:28:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc Top 5 Things to Consider in Choosing A Type of Pet http://www.happyclaws.com/top-5-things-to-consider-in-choosing-a-type-of-pet.html http://www.happyclaws.com/top-5-things-to-consider-in-choosing-a-type-of-pet.html#comments Sat, 25 Feb 2006 20:08:20 +0000 Marian Brown http://www.happyclaws.com/?p=352


Pets are a wonderful addition to many households. Over 60 million dogs, 70 million cats, 6 million rabbits and 2 million birds call our houses “home”. This does not consider the millions of fish, reptiles, small mammals and other “exotic” animals we keep as pets. With this number of pets and the choices we have, it is important to choose the one that fits us and our lifestyle the best. Keep these 5 points in mind when considering adding a new or additional pet to your household.

1. Your Time Commitment

Before considering any type of pet, carefully examine your schedule. Look at the amount of free time you have now or could make available for your new pet. If you work 12 hour days, a pet that needs a lot of personal attention and interaction shouldn’t be your first choice. What activities, if any, are you willing to give up to spend time with your pet for relaxation, for exercising, for training, for cage cleaning, etc.? Be very realistic in this initial assessment.

2. Your Space Available

Examine your surroundings and see what type of pet would really “fit”. If you live in an apartment, a horse might not be your first choice unless you have the financial resources to board it. Just because you live in an apartment doesn’t mean you can’t have a large breed dog. Look for breeds that can adapt to the space and are more docile.

3. Your Financial Resources

The initial purchase of the pet is just the first outlay of cash. Your pet will need the basic supplies like bedding/cage, food, food dispensers and a “wellness” check with your veterinarian (in most cases). Ongoing costs include food and veterinary care. If you are on a limited budget, examine how much you can spend per month on your pet and save for those emergency needs.

4. Your Family

This might seem like it should come first, but, if you’ve taken the time to research the first points, then you can assume the choices left on your list are feasible. Now consider, how would this pet really fit into my family? If you are single, do you have someone who would take care of the pet if you were out of town or ill? Could you afford a pet sitter? Do you have any family members with allergies or health concerns? What about a mental “phobia” to a particular animal? Will it be a welcome addition or a burden?

5. Your Legal Ability to Own It

So, you’ve made it to consideration 5 and have the perfect pet picked out. Now, can you legally own it? If you are looking at a dog or cat, you might not have too much to worry about unless you rent or live in an apartment. But, if you are looking at an “exotic” pet – even a ferret or hedgehog – can you legally own it in your state/city/county? Ferrets, for example are illegal in California and you can’t have a hedgehog in Denver. Dogs that are labeled “aggressive” breeds may also present some legal challenges and you should consider these before choosing your breed of dog for a pet.

Marian Brown is a pet owner, rescuer and has been active in holistic health care for pets over 15 years. She is editor of http://www.hhnews.com to join our free email newsletter and to find out more about holistic pet care products.

Article Source: EzineArticles

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****************]]> http://www.happyclaws.com/top-5-things-to-consider-in-choosing-a-type-of-pet.html/feed 1 How To Select The Right Pet Bunny Rabbit For Your Household! http://www.happyclaws.com/how-to-select-the-right-pet-bunny-rabbit-for-your-household.html http://www.happyclaws.com/how-to-select-the-right-pet-bunny-rabbit-for-your-household.html#comments Fri, 18 Nov 2005 11:19:39 +0000 Andrea Austin http://www.happyclaws.com/?p=155


So you have decided to purchase a pet rabbit, and now you are wondering how do I pick out the right one?

Self made image of Eastern Cottontail

Image via Wikipedia

Well, aside from appearance, there are a number of important considerations that you will have to make when you pick out your pet bunny rabbit at the local pet store or other venue. This is important both to ensure that you choose a healthy pet rabbit, and to make sure that you and he are compatible!

Now I’ll explain what you’ll need to think about before heading out to buy your pet rabbit, and what to look for when you’re actually selecting an animal from a local breeder, adoption center or pet store.

Housing: Do You Have Enough Space for a Pet Rabbit?

When it comes to tame pet bunny rabbits, they do much better indoors than outdoors. Living indoors will ensure that your pet bunny rabbit stays healthy and safe and gets to know the members of your family. Rabbits kept in outdoor cages are at risk of being threatened by other animals; foxes, dogs, and raccoons have been known to open cage doors.

Therefore, before you decide to bring home a pet rabbit, make sure that you have plenty of space inside your house for your new animal friend. For most rabbits, plan on buying a cage that is either 30 inches square, or 2 feet by 3 feet. You will also need to make sure that you have enough room inside your home to fit a cage of this size. If you don’t have space for a cage, you will not be able to provide a rabbit with an adequate living situation.

Keep in mind that the cage should not just be placed in any old spot, but should put somewhere where the rabbit can feel connected and close to the family. At the same time, the rabbit cage should be away from heaters, air conditions, loud objects like TVs or radios, and not in direct sunlight. Since you will be letting your rabbit out of his cage for exercise, you will also need to put the cage in an area that can be bunny-proofed. (more on that later…)

Your Time Investment

A lot of people seem to think that because rabbits are relatively small and spend a good deal of time in their cages that they’re easy to take care of. Well, that may be true in some sense, but it’s foolish to bring home a rabbit thinking that it’s not going to be much of a time commitment. If you are not willing to spend time with your pet rabbit, then you probably should not get him. This, of course, applies to all pet animals!

Well, here’s what to expect. You should ensure that you have plenty of time for all the initial and intermediate stages of pet care, which include:

  • Rabbit-proofing your house to make sure the little guy won’t get hurt
  • Litter box training
  • Cleaning up after the inevitable accidents
  • Spaying/neutering

You will also need to devote a good deal of time to your rabbit well after you bring him home for the first time. You must:

  • Give him exercise (at least a few hours per day out of the cage)
  • Give him attention (just like any pet or child, rabbits need to feel love!)
  • Buy and provide rabbit toys
  • Administer feedings
  • Take him to the vet if necessary and for check-ups

Above all, just keep in mind that bringing home a new pet bunny rabbit is not so different from bringing home a new infant. You will need to spend adequate time preparing for the arrival, as well as adjusting to life with the newcomer. Setting aside time for all these necessities will make for a happy, comfortable situation for everyone involved.

Before bringing home a pet rabbit, make sure that you can commit to giving him the quality of lifestyle he deserves throughout his lifetime (5-15 years, depending on the rabbit-s breed and age and health at the time of purchase).

We hope you enjoyed this article. If you would like more information on pet rabbit care, click on this link to get your FREE Rabbit Care Guide: Bunny Rabbits Article Source: EzineArticles

A cropped version of :Image:EnglishSpotRabbitC...

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