Owning pets is hugely common in the United States. After all, a pet can bring a great deal of joy to just about anyone’s life. A pet can provide companionship, responsibility, a relief from anxiety and depression, and even a sense of purpose to those that own them. And pets come in all shapes and sizes.
Dogs are common, with millions owned all throughout the country. Breeds of dogs available in the United States are quite vast and varied, coming in small and large, calm and energetic. It’s important to get a dog that fits your lifestyle and your space of living. If you get a dog that is large and in need of a good deal of physical activity, it will be important for you to provide this. Some dogs are also prone to chronic health problems, such as pugs, and being on the lookout for these and getting them treated as soon as is possible is a necessity to the overall well being of your animal.
Aside from dogs, cats are also hugely popular as a pet. Cats are better for a wider variety of spaces, as they are more self sufficient and don’t typically need to be walked and exercised in the way that many dogs do. Cats are also house trained, making them far better suited to live in a smaller space like an apartment or a condo. For cat owners, however, it is still important to understand essential things.
For instance, having an outdoor cat is not ideal. Outdoor cats can decimate populations of birds and other such animals that they prey upon, which can have a largely detrimental effect to the ecosystem of the area as a whole. It is also now quite frowned upon to declaw your cat, even just the front claws. This is now known to be akin to removing an essential part of a finger (as is the equivalent for humans) and can be immensely painful for cats of all breeds. Thus, providing a scratching post for your cat is essential, providing a better alternative to declawing but still preserving the overall quality of your home and furniture.
Going to the vet on a regular basis is a must. Veterinary appointments should be held on at least an annual basis, though this will be different in the case of young puppies and kittens. Just as is the case for human babies seeing pediatricians, puppies and kittens will need to see the vet more regularly than an adult animal. Taking them to the veterinary clinic regularly will help to ensure their healthy growth pattern – and will allow the vet in question to administer all the necessary vaccinations. These vaccinations are critical, and will help to keep your animal healthy for years to come.
In many cases, your vet will recommend that your young cat or dog be spayed or neutered. Again, this is very much for the benefit of the cat or dog in question. Animals that are not spayed and neutered and are outdoors are likely to get pregnant, something that can lead to a surplus of baby animals you don’t know what to do with. All too often, these babies are discarded as there is simply no home for them to be found. Fortunately, the process of spaying or neutering is very safe at the hands of a your trusted family vet and is something that will very much pay off throughout the life of your animal.
You might also have need of a veterinary hospital. While pet owners will always hope that they will never need the services of an animal hospital, accidents can happen. Animals can sometimes ingest something dangerous or else get into an accident that leaves them injured. In such cases, it is more likely than not that your regular vet will recommend you taking your pet to a nearby animal hospital. There, they will be able to provide emergency services, treatments that might even end up saving your animal’s life. If you notice something wrong with your pet, any vet will tell you that acting fast is key. The faster that they are able to get treatment, the better off they are likely to be in the long run.