Ok. Here's one of my biggest pet peeves about people: they SAY one thing and DO the opposite.
I'm so original :)
All day long I have people telling me how much they love their dog/cat/horse/goat/rabbit etc etc etc. And I believe them. I mean, I love my dog, cats, guinea pigs, horses and my brother (he's kinda like a pet), too! It's easy to understand why people love fuzzy creatures. It's a little less easy to understand why some people love the slimy or scaly critters, but whatever floats your boat! We're taught as children to love, adore and admire the cute, fuzzy and cuddly. We're genetically programmed for it. We release feel good chemicals when we pet them. We love creatures that want to be with us and will watch bad movies at 2 am without teasing us. That we can complain about our jobs to and will just enjoy the fact that we're talking to them. That waggle and lick our faces. We can imagine they're saying "yeah mom! You totally should have gotten that raise instead of that annoying, back stabbing *%#& co worker! But I love you! You're the best person EVAR!" At least, that's what my dog says to me.
I'm devoted to my pets. Loving them, to me, means making their lives as good as possible. I want them to be healthy, clean, socially capable with both humans and their own species, to eat the best food for them, to play lots, and to be kept in clean, safe environment. So I spend alot of time learning about how to provide all that for them. Instead of learning about food from TV commercials, I read about nutrition and look at the ingredient list on bags of food. I spend time learning about psychology and the hows and whys of training instead of getting seduced by the lastest Big Name Trainer and gadgets. I wash their bedding, groom them before they 'need' it and make time every day to exercise and play with them. To me, that's what loving and owning a pet is all about.
Granted, I'm not perfect. Sometimes I do things wrong. No one can really make their pets life 100% perfect for their pet all the time. But we do the best we can. I strive to keep them happy and healthy. And I think I do a pretty good job. I hope they think so too!
So one of the things that drives me up the wall, across the ceiling and back down is when someone will be kiss-y face with Fido and telling me how much they love him, but Fido has recurring, untreated ear infections and is constantly matted. Or that Fluffy is the best dog they ever had, but Fluffy also bites their kid and can't be around other dogs. Or they love the new puppy so much but Oldie Goldie no longer gets the attention because she's old and boring.
To me, if you love something, you will want to provide the best possible life for it. If you choose to own a pet, you realize you've agreed to provide for that animal for their entire life. Providing not only food and shelter, but mental and physical activity, health care and social skills. Even if you didn't "choose" to have a pet, but have acquired one from the ex boyfriend, kid that went to college or family member that died, you still have chosen to keep him, and therefore should be providing the best life you can.
Now, providing the best life possible for a pet doesn't have to be expensive. Yes, there are a lot of expenses involved in taking care of any living being, but there are ways to minimize costs without sacrificing quality. If times are tight, don't spend $20 on a toy. Knot up an old dish towel and learn to play tug or fetch with your dog. He'll love you for it! Daily checking of teeth, ears and coat can catch problems before they get out of control. Brushing your pet correctly can reduce costs at the groomer's. There are all kinds of ways to save big money on your pets care.
Of course, you have to be careful with where and how you cut costs. Feeding a cheap food might seem like a great idea, but the wrong food will put your pets health, even life, at risk. It can be tricky to find out what will save you money, and what will cost you money.
To help you out, every Wednesday I'll have a post devoted to taking care of your pet at home. I hope to offer some money saving ideas and tips. While every pet needs to have a certain amount of professional care, be it a veterinarian, a groomer or a trainer, there's alot you can do yourself. I'll kick it off this Wednesday with a 2 parter on at home brushing.
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