## What Kind of Pet Should I Choose?

  
  
When referring to our Mr(s) Right, there is no doubt that he or she should be "right" for us. Meanwhile, we also have to be "right" for him or her. It should be a bidirectional "right". Likewise, finding "what pet is right for me", is the key to successful pet ownership! If you want a pet, but aren't sure which would be right for you, this guide may help, since most people understand that the types of pets need to be taken into account; within each type, however, there are some details that are less considered.  
  
***Dogs.*** We often say that dogs are a man's best friend, and for good reason. They are loyal, lovely and the most common type of pets, because they have been kept as pets for a long history, making them domesticated and easy to train. Also, it is easy to get feeding stuff for dogs, but one thing is for sure, dog food is not cheap. For another, a dog is usually considered as a large animal, they need enough space to walk around. Some pets could be left to their own for a couple of days, but you should definitely not have this done with dogs, as they rely on their owners a lot, both physically and mentally. It will never save time and effort to keep a dog, but a dog would be an unbelievably great addition to your family.  
  
**Cats.** Except dogs, cats are the animals most people consider first. They are quite independent and do not require as much attention as dogs, so you could leave a cat home alone for a night as long as there is enough food and water available. Merely, they are known as their cleanliness, tending to be picky about their food and circumstance. And they have a high opinion of themselves, like the joke goes, cats think they rule the world because human feeds them. As great jumpers, they are able to reach more places in a house than dogs. In this case, the rate of getting hurt is much higher, especially for indoor cats.  
  
**Turtles.** Dogs and cats are just the tip of iceberg. Actually, there are many smaller animals that come with certain advantages that make them the right pets for you. For instance, turtles. They feed on various food, such as little fishes, little shrimps and other minced meat. Kids really love them and they really make keeping pets simple. Have you ever heard of a descriptive phrase called "slow as a turtle"? Slow-moving, that is the way turtles are. Otherwise, in no way are turtles easy to kill. They can be quite hardy when provided with the right environment, have fairly moderate requirement.  
  
**Rabbits.** These animals are very popular pets for adults and kids alike. Relatively, rabbits are inexpensive to keep, it is not hard at all to house and feed them. They need to eat their own body weight in grassy hay everyday. As they are extremely heat sensitive, rabbits can die from heat stress, so they have to move to cool, shaded and ventilated environment in summer. Now the next thing to note about is that rabbits are highly social animals, it would be better for them to have another rabbit for company.  
  
**Consideration for choosing a pet.** Not only should you pay attention to the characteristics of different types of animals but also to your own lifestyle. Think over the factors below can help you narrow down your choices before deciding to choose a pet:  
  
**1.Time.** Are you always as busy as a bee? How often are you home? How much time do you have to train and exercise your pet? For example, puppies require time to have obedient training and toilet training. And if you work for long hours, dogs would not be a good choice of pet, they need to spend time with owners, in order to remain happy and healthy.  
  
**2.Money.** What is your budget? How much money can you afford to spend on your pet? In a long term, all types of pets will cost considerable amounts of money, even some animals that are cheap to purchase, like fish, turtles and birds. You cannot neglect the future expenses on cages, hutches and animal disease treatments, for instance. Larger animals will cost much more for they eat larger amount of food.  
  
**3.Physical State.** Are you an energetic person? Are you in a habit of having a regular exercise? Dogs need daily walks, some breeds even require longer and frequenter walks. If you are more residential, pets like turtles could not be better.  
  
**4.Family Situation.** Do you have young kids? Do you live with aged people? Animals like turtles have better tolerance for kids. Plus, they are animals that do not need to chase behind, which is convenient for the olds. Or maybe someone has visual disability in the family, a trained Labrador or golden retriever would offer help.  
  
**5.Availability.** Are you living in a rented apartment? Are there any restriction about pets from the landlord? Or are you living in a property house? How large is your yard? Probably you are not allowed to keep a large pet, instead, you might need to think about keeping a turtle or a hamster. If you have a yard which is quite small for a dog, a cat living indoor with you may be a better option.  
  
As you explore the needs of you and animals above, you will discover which animals are suitable for most situation. No matter which animal you finally decide to keep as a pet, whether it is a commonly kept pet such as dogs and cats, a funny little bunny, or perhaps a big colorful chameleon or a slow-moving turtle, they will bring you unlimited fun and happiness so long as they are right for you.