Health for life

Getting a pet for the family can seem like such a wonderful idea – before you actually do it. But if you haven’t really thought through all the aspects of pet ownership, you can end up feeling that your pet is as much work as your children!

So before you rush out and bring home a whole bundle of trouble consider the following:
Before diving in, do your research: speak to a vet, an animal breeder, and friends who own pets before you settle on a particular animal. If you are thinking about getting a pet contact your local SPCA or vet and ask their advice.

• Who will look after the pet? If you have children under the age of 10 years, it is unrealistic to think that they can be independently responsible for a pet. You will be doing the bulk of the feeding, watering, cleaning, walking – unless you are prepared to remind every day.
• Can you afford to look after the pet? Pets are expensive – depending on the type of animal you get, there are food costs, vaccinations, beds and cages, grooming, flea and tick control, obedience classes, fences or gates around the house and vet care over the lifetime of the pet.
• Do you have to register your pet? Most local councils have regulations regarding the registration of dogs.
• How long will your pet live? Do you want to care for a pet when your children are older? And on the flipside, will your children be able to cope if there is an unexpected death in the family?
• Do you know what type of pet you want? And is it a practical choice? Some pets will be completely inappropriate for your family so make sure you’ve done your homework to discover the best pet for you.
• How much exercise will your pet need? And more importantly, does your family have the time and inclination to exercise a pet?
• Will you have to leave your pet alone a lot? If so, do you have to take any measures to ensure that it will be safe and secure?
• If you go away, who will care for your pet? Friendly neighbours are often happy to feed and walk pets but if you’re short on friendly neighbours (or your pet is a large dog who will bark for the whole seven days you’re away) then you need to consider either having someone move into your house to be a companion for your pet, or have your pet board away from home, which can be expensive.

This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot. Sources include SA Government’s Parenting and Child Health.
_http://www.kidspot.co.nz/article+261+46+Owning-a-pet.htm

Sweet readers, I have to apologize in advance for what might be a spotty couple of weeks. The wedding is approaching at lightning speed, work has picked up, and to top it off, we adopted Tim Riggins four days ago.

No, not this Tim Riggins.

This Tim Riggins.


 Last week, Tim was the friendliest young stray cat Husband-Elect and I had ever met. This week, after searching for any sign of local ownership and coming up with zilch, he is our pet. We’ve already been to the vet for a checkup and several shots, and are scheduled for a de-cojone session on Friday.

Here’s the thing: I don’t know the first thing about felines. I’ve never owned one, and don’t even particularly like them. Tim, however, seems to be the exception. It could be his constant purring and general adorability, or the fact that he has not yet peed on my pillows. (Husband-Elect, having had a cat growing up, is slightly more knowledgeable.)

Subsequently, I will have a recipe for you tomorrow, but in the meantime, we’re kind of scrambling to feed this guy. Coincidentally, it leads to today’s normally-on-Tuesday Ask the Internet question:

Q: Do you own a pet? How do you budget for him/her? What do you feed your pet that allows you to optimize its health, but stay within your budget?

A: All suggestions are super welcome, though if you have a cat (or several cats), I’d really love your input. (Also – cats don’t drink milk? They’re lactose intolerant? Everything I know is wrong.)

Thanks, everybody!

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.