Pets are a gift, and everyone knows the key to happiness is owning a pet that will be your most loyal companion. Whether it be a cat, dog, lizard or even a spider (if you’re one of those people who fear nothing), there’s nothing quite as rewarding than knowing there is a creature out there who loves you unconditionally (or, at least, needs you to survive—looking at you, spider people). As much as we love our pets and would do anything for them, there are some not-so-wonderful qualities about owning a pet that people looking to adopt a furry critter need to keep in mind. I’m sure there are some negative aspects to owning a shiny, scaly or eight-legged creature, but I can’t speak for them personally.
1. Lots of poop
I’m a cat person, so litter boxes will be the first thing I talk about. Litter boxes can be pits of booty hell. Cat pee reeks and a cat taking a particularly stinky poop can clear a room. Cat food smells pretty awful, so you can imagine how terrible it smells making its way back out. There’s nothing like being elbow deep with a scooper cleaning the mess that escapes the rear end of your precious, can-do-no-wrong baby. Unless you’re a wealthy pet owner who can afford the $400 litter boxes that clean and dispose of the waste themselves, owning and cleaning a litter box is one of the worst qualities of owning a cat.
Don’t even get me started on having to take dogs out two to three times a day to relieve themselves. It doesn’t matter if it’s pouring down rain or snowing outside—that animal still needs to pass the intake of the day, which means you get to spend time outside in whatever weather may exist. Nothing, in my opinion, is grosser than the thought of having nothing but a thin, plastic layer separating your hand from your dog’s fresh, warm, ridiculously smelly crap.
Get ready for the best one: accidents. Pets can have so many accidents. Oh, you liked that rug you spent $350 on? You can give up the hope that the rug can avoid being peed on because for some reason pets gravitate toward the things we love when they can’t hold it anymore. Say goodbye to keeping your carpets potty-free.
2. Vet visits
One thing any potential pet owner should keep in mind before taking an animal home and into their life: vet visits—they're not cheap. Every animal should experience at least one vet visit a year to do basic check-ups, just like a person, and you’ll have to pay more than the typical human copay cost. If your pet gets sick? Forget about it. You’re going to end up paying $50 minimum. My cat got ear mites once, and it cost me $80 for the visit and medication. Animals are a huge financial responsibility, especially when it comes to medical costs. If you’re not prepared to randomly shell out $150 any moment, owning a fur baby might not be the best choice.
3. Taking care of them when you're away
Pets don’t stop needing food and water the second you decide to go on vacation. You want to randomly pick up and take off on a road trip? Make sure someone is available to feed and take your pet out to use the restroom. When you get a pet, you give up the ability to make snappy travel decisions, and you constantly have to think about making sure your pets are taken care of before anything else. You can’t make a decision without thinking about their well-being. They’re the priority.
4. It's a commitment for their entire lifetime
Two things that never cease to irk me: when people give their pets away in favor of living in a nice apartment that happens to not allow pets or when pet owners let someone stay with them that’s allergic. To your pet, you’re their entire world; you're their family. When you adopt an animal, you’re taking on the responsibility of caring for that pet for its entire lifetime, and if you don’t think you’re able to make that kind of commitment, don’t get a pet. No pet deserves to become your family just to be given away like they were nothing more than a possession.
5. Keep in mind the babies you already have
Whether it be a fur baby or a human baby, you always have to think about how they will react to a new pet in the home and how the new pet will react to the creature they’re being introduced to. A giant, rowdy dog probably isn’t the best thing to introduce to a 2-month-old kitten who can quickly seem like a chew toy. Always make sure your babies/children aren’t allergic before you adopt a pet.
If you're thinking about adopting, make sure you keep all of these points in mind. Animals are a huge responsibility, and the decision to make one part of your family needs to be thought about heavily before proceeding. Happy adopting!
