Should I Get A Pet???

Recently, I’ve been thinking about just how cool it could be for me if I got a pet. I’m not really specific about the kind of pet, just something living and breathing that I’ll have here with me and in the house and that I’ll be responsible for. Maybe I’ll get it as an adult, or while it’s still a young one, who knows.

It could be great, I know that pets are great and they serve so many purposes in the home. Of course, their upkeep, especially in this current economic state is scary, and the amount of money I’d be spending on them would be mindboggling, but should that stop me??

I’ve thought about getting dogs… okay not dogs, just one dog. It’ll start off as a puppy, which is when I’d adopt it and then I’ll get to watch it grow and also train the dog to become the perfect companion. It would be good for me, especially in the area that I’m currently living in.

If there is one issue I suffer greatly from, it’s the rat infestation. There are all kinds of rats, the big ones and the small ones. There are the ones that are so big they can’t even run properly. Whatever they are, I’m sure that they would be a piece of cake to the dog. As long as the dog is active the days of every rat in the compound would be numbered. It’ll only be a matter of time before they’re all gone.

But then, besides the issue of rats, there is also security which is very important. However, in the area where I live, having a dog for security purposes might not work out because the living arrangements are not as in regular areas. This is a school environment and as such we live in lodges, not your regular houses. So, having a dog could be very disturbing to your neighbors especially if the dog barks a lot. Also, if the dog is poorly trained and is always going through the trash and messing up the compound, it will be a major issue.

For reasons like this, ownership of dogs is banned in major lodges across the area. Simply because it would most likely cause a nuisance for others living there and that is not something anyone would want.

However, there are other pets one could have that would replace dogs; one of them is a cat. One of my neighbors owns a cat and unless you’ve actually seen him with the cat, you’d never guess that he owned one. Cats are quiet and they’re not as aggressive in their curiosity as dogs are, messing up the place in an annoying fashion. Thankfully, they’re the natural enemies to rats which means they’ll make good protection against those rodents.

Since I saw that cat, I’ve been really considering owning one. It would be good and I would not inconvenience anyone because the cat would not leave the comfort of my room except when I take her out for a walk.

The only major issue that I know will come up regardless of whether the pet is a dog or a cat is maintenance. The costs for veterinary care would be insane and every time they fall sick, I would be spending a large amount of money. And then their food, their toys… the list goes on.

Owning a pet requires a lot. I’m not talking about the one where you buy and release them into the streets to fend for themselves. I’m talking about the one where you’ll personally raise and build a relationship with them, taking care of them so that people will see them and coo about how cute they look.

So many things go into owning a pet, regardless of the kind of animal it is. I guess that’s why I’m yet to get any just yet. Once I check all those boxes, you can bet that I would get one.