1. Pets are expensive

Vet visits are pricey. I don’t know of anyone who has health insurance for their pets, and if your pet gets sick and needs medical attention stacking up bills isn’t an option. You have to pay up front which can be a challenge when you don’t know exactly what is wrong with your animal or how much it will cost. This can cause your life to be a little hectic if you’re living paycheck to paycheck.

Just make sure that before you get a pet that you are aware of how costly they can be. Animal food that is good for your pet is NOT cheap. If you want your pet to be happy and healthy, you need to be prepared to pay a little more for the food with ingredients you can trust. My dog, Basil, is allergic to chicken which means I can no longer just grab beneful and go. I pay probably close to $80 a month just on his food, and even that is cheap!

2. They get you out of bed in the morning

When your sweet animal has to pee or poop they can’t just let themselves out of the house or apartment, so you have no other choice but to leave your bed... no matter how comfortable or tired you are. They don’t have opposable thumbs to open doors themselves, so if they pee in the house that’s on you. Most animals will have a certain ritual that they do to let you know that they need to go out. Pay attention to them. Otherwise, you’ll be cleaning up their accidents.

Let’s be real, the exercise will be good for the both of you.

3. They’ll never stab you in the back

I believe that animals are incapable of real betrayal. They will not ever say a bad thing about you because they literally can’t. Even if they could, they wouldn’t. Pets worship the literal ground we walk on, and, yes, even lick our feet sometimes. Our pets are our biggest encouragers.

They will never love us any less because of something we’ve done. They will never make accusations or assumptions against you, and they won’t spread your business like it was theirs to spread. Pets will always have your back, even when it seems like nobody else does.

4. They’re always happy to see you when you come home

The moment your pet realizes that you have returned to them is their favorite moment. This happens every time you leave the room, even if it was for just for a few minutes. They do not have the certainty that you will come back, so every time you do they are overcome with joy. Getting yourself and your pet into a routine is important for both of you. They’ll learn when to expect you to come home, and they’ll also know when it’s time for you to leave.

5. They won’t be around forever, but you are their forever

When you sign up to adopt or own a pet, it becomes your responsibility to make sure they have the most loving and fulfilling a home as possible. If that home isn’t yours, then it is your job to find someone whose is. Pets become part of the family, and we love them sometimes more than our own children.

Unfortunately, dogs and cats do not live as long as humans do. We get a few years or a little over a decade with them, and then they’re gone. They are not with you forever, but when you get a pet you sign up for their forever. It is your job to make sure that they are well cared for. It is your job to make sure they know that they are loved because they’ll love you anyways.

It is your job to make sure they have a great life, because literally all their lives revolve around is you.