It has been almost two months since I wrote a blog entry. Blame the usual holiday busyness and the new addition to my life. No, not THAT kind of addition (otherwise I'd have to shut this blog down), but a significant other nonetheless. That's what this next entry is about: the advantage of getting a pet.
Now, right up front, I want to say that owning a pet — or "adopting" as the more PC term goes — is not for everyone. No matter what kind of pet you have, he or she or they will put a crimp in your lifestyle, particularly as a single person. They demand feeding, cleaning, and playing that will take away from valuable social time. With vet visits and all the supplies you need to buy, they can end up being quite expensive to keep. (Hint for future entrepreneurs: pet stores are a great business to get into.) Pets can misbehave, they smell bad, they require lots of attention, and in return, they don't help you out with anything around the house. Some even have the potential to damage your property or affect your health. If you are not prepared to deal with these issues, do not get a pet. Ever. Don't be swayed by their cuteness. Don't do it simply because you think you will learn responsibility. You'll regret the decision each and every day of their lives and will agonize over what on earth to do with this new thing that is upsetting your life.
But if you are prepared to deal with the multi-year commitment — indeed, if it sounds kind of cool to spend all this time and money taking care of a living being, pets can bring great rewards. They offer entertainment, companionship, and love that is conditional only upon food. They can impose a routine on you which forces you to work normal hours (see previous post) and come home at a regular time. Bottom line: they can teach you to be less selfish which is an attribute that can improve human interaction too. When you live alone or live for yourself all the time, it's hard to get in the habit of thinking about someone else's needs, which is rule #1 for successful relationships. Sure, you can learn these things just by interacting with more people more often, but a pet helps you develop these skills in private, and gives you a chance to fail, without much risk of lasting hurt feelings (they're animals after all). For some people, a pet is exactly what is needed to learn the lesson of looking out for others.
But like I said, it is a major commitment, and won't work for everyone. It has worked for me so far, though, going on a month.
Yes!! Agree. And know that if you do go the route of having a pet that there are a lot of people out there who are more than willing to give you advice (just like people giving parents advice on child-rearing). Having a pet can also open up your social life to a another facet. Like having a dog might mean that you meet other "dog people" at the dog park. There are all kinds of clubs, social groups, chat rooms, etc that focus on what ever pet you may have from the cat or dog to the reptile or rodent. It's fun to be around people with the same interests. Besides you can then share different stories of how your pet has trained you.
ReplyDeleteYes, all very good points. My fellow pet owner friends and I can talk for a long time about the travails of having a pet, and I've even had the fun of talking to complete strangers who have pets.
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