Choosing a Pet

Choosing a pet can often be a difficult choice. Questions you need to ask yourself are should you choose a pedigree dog or cat from a reputable breeder, or should you rescue an animal in need of a loving home? Care should be taken when choosing a pet, and there are many resources out there which can help you to make an informed choice. Below is our brief guide to choosing a pet, should you require any more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Dogs

When looking for a puppy, the Kennel Club will guide prospective owners. Pedigree puppies from good lines can now be very expensive, hence the market has exploded.

When choosing a pet, never buy a puppy out of sympathy, that is what bad dealers and breeders rely on. If you are in any doubt, don't buy. By buying from badly bread lines you are encouraging breeding and help keeping these people in business and the expolitation of dogs under pressure to breed far more than they should will only continue.
Dogs in particular can provide thieves with potentially thousands of pounds in farmed puppies.

When buying a puppy, you should always see the mother, and iff possible the father too. Puppies should remain with their mothers for at least 8 weeks, and should receive all the right innoculations, not allowing them out until they are around 12 weeks old.

Cats

Choosing the right cat is relatively less problematic. You do need to make sure the kitten and mother are both healthy with no apparent problems. The may include sneezing, runny eyes, diarrhoea and fleas.
You can contact the Cat Fancy (the Kennel Club equivalent) with any queries you may have.

Making the Right Choice when Choosing a Pet

When choosing a pet it is important to remember what sort of environment and level of care a pet needs. A St. Bernard won't be happy living in a 10th floor, tiny high rise flat in central London. Instead he will want a few thousand foot mountain in the garden, about 20 inches of snow and a few people to rescue. Not forgetting the customery barrel collar around his neck! By the same token, a Pekinese won't take kindly living in a rural barn!

A strange analogy, but the point being you should take time to read up on the breed when choosing a puppy or kitten, to ensure you can provide the environment the animal needs and loves. (No, a St. Bernard does not really need a mountain in the garden!)

All different breeds of dogs for example have different characteristics. A dalmation will run for hours, and will need plenty of regular excercise.
A staffordshire bull terrier will adapt to many different situations well, and become a loving member of any family. A very sensitive dog, despite much bad press, but will need socialising early on in life with other puppies to ensure these bad traits that have been bred into them do not come out.
The list is never ending. Some dogs will coat your house in hair and require regular brushing, others wont. Some dogs drool around food, others don't. These traits should be researched fully before you make your decision.

Your veterinary surgeon will be invaluable in the advice they can give you, and it is free - we like free!