Getting a pet can be great, but it isn’t something you should rush into without giving a lot of prior thought. Many people assume that owning a pet is easy and that it won’t affect their day-to-day lives in any significant way, but that simply isn’t true. The reality is that owning a pet will affect your household in many ways, and many of them can be negative.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get a pet, as there are many positives to it as well, but it does mean that you should be aware of what you’re getting yourself into before taking the plunge.
Pets can smell unpleasant
Most types of pets can smell unpleasant at times. And yes, that includes low-maintenance pets like fish and birds, especially if you don’t clean their fish bowls or cages regularly.
Dogs and cats can also sometimes have a foul odour. At times, this simply means that they need a bath, but it can also be that their hormones or other factors are causing them to smell whiffy. And of course, if they have an accident in the house, especially on a rug or carpet, that scent can linger. However, don’t let this scare you off from having a pet, as there are companies that specialise in pet odor removal.
Pets can destroy your belongings
Dogs and cats can scratch and chew your belongings until they’re damaged beyond repair. Even if you take steps to avoid this, there’s still the chance that your pet may destroy a few items here & there, especially if they’re still young.
Bear in mind that this doesn’t just refer to small, easily replaceable items like shoes, but also larger or more valuable belongings. For example, your pet could chew on the legs of your sofa, or they could damage your screen door.
Pets can shed
Pets also shed, which means that if you own a dog or a cat, the odds are that you, your furniture and your home’s floor will always be covered in dog or cat fur.
If this is something that will bother you, or if you have severe allergies, it may be best to opt for another type of pet, such as a fish or hamster. However, if you have your heart set on a dog or cat, there are ways to cope with the shedding. You can get a breed of dog that doesn’t shed, or you could invest in gadgets that easily remove pet hair from your clothes.
Pets fill your house with love
Of course, since we’ve spent the whole post so far talking about a few negative ways that a pet can affect your household, you may be wondering why so many people still have pets, or why you should still consider getting one.
Simply put, despite all the cons that may come with owning a pet, there are also many pros – with the biggest one being that a pet is bound to fill your house with love. If you have kids, you should also consider getting a pet for their benefit, as pets can have a positive influence on children. You can learn more about that here.
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