Did you know the cheapest and the most expensive of pet care costs will total $235 for a fish to $1843 for a large dog annually? This the annual cost estimates of The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. ASPCA promotes public education about responsible animal ownership.
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| Photo Courtesy of Archway Apothecary |
How many responsibly spay and neuter their pets? How many pets suffer because of good intentions of home owners that overcrowd animals because they do have adequate space for their pets? How many can afford to pay vet bills when pets get sick or have a terminal illness?
It is difficult to foresee the health and well-being costs of an animal. Most innocently view cute, furry, and little babies of animals as adoptable. Most fail to grasp how animals will grow up to mature into quirky, temperamental and do become behavior characteristic creatures of individual personalities.
Many want the cuteness without the costs to care and clean for them. Many want the adorable factors that babies present. But just as teenagers will drive their parents to the limits of sanity sometimes; so will animals as they grow.
It is a joke that people do not own cats. Cats own people. It's pretty much true from my experience too. Cats have their own personalities, fickle traits, and "do not bother me" moods. Just as humans can and do.
Dogs are more forgiving to humans and appreciate the slightest of gratitude and love they receive. Dogs do have their quirks and characteristics individual to each of them.
But what happens to animals whose owners have good intentions to "save" them; but end up really hurting them instead?
Allowing an animal to produce multiple babies because a human being failed to pay and make the time to get the animal fixed is cruel and horrible punishment to animals. How can this be mean to do them that way? Some will say; it is my choice so why is this an issue? I would ask you to consider a few questions before answering with an opinion.
Would this type of treatment be acceptable if we treated female humans like this? Would we consider this as horrible treatment to do to female humans and make them reproducing machines? Would we treat our mothers, daughters, sisters, or nieces as this?
Would we praise men who created multiple children and neglected to pay for them, nurture them, and love them? Than why do we allow this to be done to animals and in our homes?
To responsibly manage having pets maturely is to factor their necessities and needs into our monthly budgets. Their needs of food, bathroom, and cleaning supplies is as important as buying ours. Actually, it is even more important; because the sanitary of our homes depend on having clean pets and the overall health of everyone depends on it.
It is hard imagining a little pet costing merely pennies will grow up into a pet that requires more dollars as they age. Just as humans require more medical care and medical costs increase, so do pets.
There is never an easy solution to downsizing a home that has too many animals. Each pet requires their own space of square footage to accommodate their needs and their wants. Just as humans feel overcrowded and potentially unhappy from not having enough space; so do animals.
Make time to do a square footage Internet search for the square footage needed for your animal. You can learn what size of space is healthy and what space limitations will be unhealthy. Animals will have behavior and health issues when they are not adequately spaced.
Facts about pet space.
- Too many fish in a tank can kill them and make them sick.
- Male and female hamsters together can create more babies than can be humanely controlled.
- Cats will become sick and suffer behavior problems when too many are in a home that lacks adequate space and not enough litter boxes.
- Dogs will lash out in destructive and defensive behaviors when overcrowded.
If animals have to compete for attention or are fighting over space or lashing out vindictively; it could be a lack of space as the primary problem they endure. Animals will defensively act out when they are hurting; just as humans do. Don't they deserve to receive quality care and love as they need?
When creating a budget to suit your pet's needs, make sure the products are quality, safe, and do comparison shopping if you have too. Many suppliers of animal products offer online discounts for purchases, as well as, coupons to help cover expenses. Many employers offer pet health insurance to cover medical costs. Spending a little time to learn about animals could increase their health and behaviors, as well as, save money too.
Things to consider when budgeting
monthly expenses for animals.
- Save money for unexpected vet bills.
- Comparison food shop to achieve maximum health benefits.
- Add a few toys or recreational items for them.
- Add cleaning supplies that are safe and sanitary to provide a clean home for your pets.
The easiest thing about owning and loving an animal is they will love you in return. Their loyalty, devotion, and honesty are attributes that we as humans, will never be able to understand nor actively do. Humans suffer from communication issues. Animals do not. So do not add to their conflicts of nature and nurture by failing to responsibly manage them financially.
Our children must learn budgets and responsibilities of mature living. Do not allow children to learn animals are disposable or it is okay to neglect their needs.
Pets are family members to many people. But if we treat pets unfairly, do not provide their needs, and do not take care of them as we do ourselves; than what are we teaching children about taking care of pets?
Pets deserve our responsible financial skills to care for them. Our family deserves to never stress over money like its a bad thing. Money is tool of benefit when used wisely.
Employers deserve competent, mature, and financially responsible employees. Our personal lives depend on this. Our professional lives depend on this. Our economy and America depends on this.
Instead of complaining about what cannot be done, consider learning of possible solutions that can be done and make them happen. To learn is a freedom too often overlooked. But what if helping our problems was only a Google search away and instead, we chose to complain about it on social media or trend about something to escape reality instead?
To apply new knowledge is to build something new that has not been built before. How great is that? Give learning a chance and love your pets enough to take care of them responsibly too.
