The search for a good pet is not an easy one. Over the weekend, Pet Life exchanged text messages with fellow STAR columnist Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan who was looking for a puppy as a birthday gift for her eldest daughter Ella.
“This is a family decision and Anthony and I want to be there when we get a pup,” texted Maricel.
Well, Ella is one lucky girl because her parents got her a Maltese Terrier. Maricel tells me that there is really a lot that goes into the caring for a new pet. And, their whole family is happy about their new addition.
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As I tried to help Maricel in her choice of the best breed of dog for her daughter, I also took the opportunity to check out just what other pet options there are out there. Choosing a pet is not as simple a task as it may appear. There are lots of determining factors that will go into a decision in choosing a pet. It is important that you choose the right pet and it should not simply be a random choice.
Yup, surely you have heard that having a pet is quite a commitment. Some types of pets will cost more than others in terms of its upkeep and some require love and devotion. Here are some other questions that you might consider:
• What type of pet and how many?
• Are you a pet lover?
• What to choose? Getting a pet is often a family decision.
When choosing a pet for children, ensure that it will be safe for the child to have and play with. The child, too, has a role to play in choosing, as well as caring for, the pet.
• Are you allergic? If you are allergic to certain animals then, of course, it will also have a bearing on your decision when choosing a pet.
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Any pet book or pet lover will tell you that researching the kind of pet you will bring home is most important. There are many websites that have all the basic information as well as health-related information for these various animals.
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And just for this week, Pet Life ventured into the wild side of pet choices. We took a look at snakes, gliders, turtles, tarantulas, hedgehogs, alligators, crabs and even cats.
Pet lovers — hobbyists in particular — take their pet choices seriously. One shop owner told me that if there are people who like dressing up their cars with expensive sound systems or others who like nice clothes or even others who like getting the best sports shoes around, there are pet hobbyists who go into choosing their exotic pets with a great deal of care. The kind of pets a hobbyist might enjoy are not the run-of-the-mill types, like dogs and cats, but they still care for these pets just as lovingly as any pet lover should.
Here’s what we found.