Items to Consider Before Adopting

Money

Can you afford to feed your pet?

It costs approximately $150 to feed a dog for a year (with the ever-rising cost of living, this rate will go up).

Have you thought about vet bills?

• Cats and dogs both need annual distemper shots.
• Cats and dogs will have to be vaccinated against rabies and checked for parasites regularly.
• Dogs need to be vaccinated against parvo and checked for heartworm yearly.
• Ear mites and fleas are other problems your pet may encounter.
• On top of all this, remember that accidents can happen at any time and emergency vet care could be required.

The average cost of owning a pet in the first year.

Time

• Do you have the time to provide your pet with adequate exercise every day?
• If you do not have a fenced yard, do you have the willingness and commitment to take your pet for daily walks?
• If you want your cat to go outside, they need to be leashed, trained, and taken for walks regularly.  You will need to clean up after them, both in your own yard and when you take them for walks.
• Cats should have their litter boxes cleaned at least every two days.
• Will you be able to spend time with your pet?  Cats and dogs need love and attention from you.
• Do you have time to housebreak your pet?  If you bring home a kitten or puppy, someone needs to be home with it to housebreak it.  A puppy can be especially time consuming.

Responsibility

Are you planning to keep this pet for its entire lifetime? 

Anything less is unfair to the animal.  Decide now, instead of realizing later you made a mistake.  A cat or dog can not understand when you tell it you do not want it anymore.

Will you have this pet altered?

An enormous overpopulation of dogs and cats exists in the U.S.  There are roughly three times as many pets as people, with over 10,000 cats and dogs being born every hour.  This is the reason animal shelters and humane societies have to put to death thousands of animals every year.  By having your pet spayed or neutered, you can help solve this problem.  A neutered animal also makes a better pet and is less likely to get cancer of the reproductive organs.  Contrary to popular belief, they do not become fat and lazy.

To see more reasons to have your pet altered, see our library.