Care to Your Dog!

The child is the one that asked for the pet. The child is the one that picked out the exact pet that was brought home. And the child is the reason that the dog shakes his head in shame when he has to respond to Plankton as his name. But, that dog or the cat or any other pet that manages to make it into your home is not just the sole responsibility of the child, is it? Like it or not, they become part of the family and as such, are the responsibility of everybody, at least partially. Despite protesting against it, you find yourself feeding the cat or walking the dog from time to time, but does that necessarily mean that your child is shirking his duties? Not really, if one child needed a drink of water, would you really make him wait for it?

Before you even allow a pet to come into your door, sit down with your child lay down the rules and obligations that will be expected of him. Make sure he knows how much food the pet will need, and how often. Make a clear chart with pictures for younger children, or clearly worded directions for older kids. Include rewards and punishments for failing to meet any obligations, for example, if the child does walk the dog on their day, then that child loses TV time. Teaching your child to meet obligations and duties is important to turning out responsible adults.

Remember though, that children will actually forget certain things in pet care, no matter how much they love their furry friend. There might be times when your child is sick, or too busy with schoolwork or extracurricular activities to fulfill all of his obligations. On those occasions, it will be up to you to step in and help the child out. Ultimately, as head of the family, all of the members are your responsibility and that means the feline, canine or miscellaneous additions as well. If you are completely unwilling to step in and take over any aspect of pet care for any length of time, you may want to reconsider allowing a pet at that time.

No matter how well the child does take care of his pet, you must also understand that the financial burden will most likely be on you. You will have to maintain his diet, his vet bills and the other costs of pet ownership, unless you are planning on sending your child out to find a job!

Originally posted here: The Responsibility for a Child’s Pet

Health insurance is going through some major changes in the coming years as new policies are implemented to allow all individuals, regardless of pre-existing conditions or not, to obtain coverage for the sake of their well-being.

As the importance of health insurance has been drummed into humans, pet owners have begun to wonder if applying for a pet insurance policy is a necessary part of their pet’s overall standard of care.

Why would a pet owner want to make insurance a part of their pet care regimen?

Protecting the family members and their finances is one of the chief reasons that a pet owner will seek out a pet insurance policy. In other words, the remedies for certain animal ailments can cost more than what a family is able to afford without the insurance coverage.

For example, in April 2010 pet owners spent an average of $5,000 on their pets for treatment of neurological issues, over $4,000 on kidney problems, and close to $7,000 for different cancer treatments – all without the help of insurance to take care of the fees.

Avoiding these high costs and the possibility of cleaning out one’s savings account as a result can be eliminated with the purchase of a pet insurance policy, where many different types of plans are available for each individual animal concerned.

And, one of the more important aspects that owners point out about having pet insurance is that it helps the human make a less selfish decision on treatment options since money is not such an issue when insurance is covering the costs of managing the ailment.

How do pet care insurance policies work?

A pet insurance policy operates in a very similar fashion to a human health insurance plan – payments are made to the insurance company on behalf of the animal, opening the way for discounts as well such as five percent off the total cost of the microchipping procedure, as well as an additional five to ten percent off the cost of insuring more than one pet with the same policy.

Policy plans and subsequent costs depend on such factors as whether or not the pet is primarily an indoor or outdoor animal, the age of the pet, or if it is of a purebred breed.

As a pet is equivalent to a member of the family, it pays to make insurance part of the pet care routine.

See the original post here: Is Pet Insurance Necessary For The Good Health Of One's Beloved Animal?

The jury is out on what constitutes the “best” pet for children. On one side of the fence are those who say that it is the independent cat; perfectly happy to allow themselves to be observed from a safe distance, and occasionally deigning to allow a small sticky hand to give them a pat. On the other side of the pet fence are the dog lovers, who claim that no childhood is truly complete without the lapping tongue of a four-legged pal. Of course, there are those people who suggest that the best pet is no pet at all, but let’s ignore those people, shall we?

For apartment dwelling children, smaller pets are the best, and are, often times, the only choice. Fish are beautiful and relaxing to watch, but do not really give the whole pet experience. Small birds can be trained to sit on a gentle finger, but are susceptible to colds and drafts and are messy beyond belief, something you might consider if you are a true neatnik. The rodent family offers many different types of options, some better choices than others. Rats are smart, if you can get past the fact that they are, well, rats. They can also be surprisingly affectionate and are rather easy to care for. Not ready to swallow your loathing of rats? Guinea pigs are another option to consider- less rat-like, the sweet natured guinea pig can be a really great first pet for most children to start with. The only thing to remember about them is the need for daily vitamin C to prevent scurvy.

If space is not a consideration and the entire family is in agreement, then a dog is a good choice as well. Remember that there are many factors to consider when choosing a dog breed, but there are several that will fit in with virtually any family. These include the gentle pug, the intelligent beagle and the ever-popular Golden Retriever. Of course, all families are encouraged to check their local shelter for their new family member first.

And, in the interest of fairness, there is the cat. Often given a bad rap for being too aloof, the cat is a very good pet, especially for those families that are involved in lots of activities. Properly fed, a cat will not really pout and mope if he is left for long periods of time- he will content himself to curl up on your bed until you get home. No matter what pet the family chooses, make sure it is a safe, loving choice for everyone, including the child that will bond with it stronger than anyone else in the household.

Go here to see the original: The Best Pets for Children

Adopting a pet can be a very socially responsible, fulfilling way to add to your family. Shelters are filled beyond capacity with dogs, cats and other small animals that patiently await their forever homes. But, while doing this can be a supreme act of love, there are some rules and guidelines that you should be aware of before visiting the first shelter. Those rules are:

Before the visit:

1. Make sure that everyone is in agreement about the kind of pet that you are looking for. This should include the breed, size and sex of the pet. Discuss this thoroughly with your children and make sure that they understand that any sign of dissent will equal an end to the trip immediately.

2. Make sure that everyone in the family is aware of proper animal safety rules. Do they know how to approach an animal correctly? Is there any chance at all that anyone will be frightened? A frightened child might equal a frightened pet-which could mean trouble.

3. Finally, make sure that everyone knows what to expect- that there will be a lot of animals, and that while it is sad that they are there, you can only take one. Also, find out the shelter’s policies on the actual adoption- will you fill out forms and wait for approval, or will you be able to take your pet home that night?

While at the shelter:

1. Remind children of the rules and make sure that they are within arm’s reach of you at all times.

2. Walk through and do a quick scan, narrowing the family’s selections down to a few and then returning for a closer inspection.

3. Ask questions of the shelter staff, including known health history, behavior, and any other key facts that they might have.

4. Visit with the selected pet if that is allowed, watching the interaction between him and the family members.

After the visit:

1. Come home to allow everyone to discuss his or her feelings about the pet in question. Did they like him, or did they think that there might be a better pet out there somewhere?

2. Call the shelter staff and update them on your family’s decision. If you have decided to adopt, fill out necessary forms if you have not already, and pay any fees. If you have decided against adoption, then tell the shelter staff any reasons that you might have- so that they can keep your input in mind when showing the pet to the next family.

Adopting a pet should be rewarding, and it will be as long as everyone knows what to expect from the very start.

Go here to read the rest: The Rules of Pet Adoption

Deciding to get a pet is a large step in a family’s life. They have to decide what kind of pet that they want, what breed, and the general size. They might have already narrowed down their name choices for their new pet, picked out where its bed will be and bought some toys. Now all that is left to do is to get the actual pet. For far too many people, that next step will involve a trip to the local pet store for a purebred cat or dog, but our shelters are filled beyond capacity with pets that just need a little love and their chance to finally find a forever home.

Before you spend a large amount of money on a purebred puppy or kitten consider a few things. Are you planning on showing your new addition at shows? Is this a business decision that you are making? If the answer to both is no, then by all means reconsider spending that much money on buying your new friend. Go down to the shelter and walk through. Talk to the shelter staff, and let them know exactly what you would like to find. If the exact right animal is not there, and you truly do not connect with any of the available pets, leave your name with staff and have them call you if the right pet does become available.

Once you have made your selection, you will fill out an application and pay a small fee. In some shelters, there is an interview to make sure that the pet and the adoptive family is a good match. There might be an in house interview as well, to see the environment that the new pet will be coming too, and to make sure that there is adequate space for him. Some shelters now require an offsite interview with an area veterinarian who will fill out a letter of recommendation for the prospective adoptive family in order to assure the shelter staff that post adoption care will be maintained on a regular schedule.

After you have filled out the paperwork, answered all of the questions and been interviewed by those in charge, you will get to the most fulfilling part of adopting- the moment they put that leash or carrying cage in your arms and you bring your brand new family member home for good.

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Is your best friend getting older and having problems with pain or arthritis? Take a look at Pet Bounce.  Have a wonderful day!

Read the rest here: How to Adopt a Pet