Someone: “I want a cat/rabbit/other animal that will be super openly affectionate, go for walks, play fetch, not mind being handled rough, never be shy, and also I don’t want it to claw me or the furniture(so I’ll probably get it declawed) and I don’t want to ever clean a litter box or cage.”
Me: “Hey there’s this great new type of animal you might be interested in:”
Someone: “I want a dog but I don’t ever want to take it for walks or exercise it very much or let it outside and I want it to be fine with being left alone for longer periods of time and also never bark.”
Me:
Someone: “I want a cat or dog but I want to only feed it a vegan diet.”
Me:
Someone: “I want to have a pet but I basically never want to interact with it.”
Me:
Someone: “I want to get my kid a cute pet for Easter/Christmas!”
Me:
Get a pet that fits your needs. Don’t get a pet then try to force it to fit your lifestyle. Just because you saw a person walking a rabbit once doesn’t mean you can expect a rabbit to just be a dog. Just get a dog!
Ok, so I did not expect this to get nearly this much attention when I threw it together in like 10 minutes, so I’ll make an addendum to make some things more clear/include some good points made by people in the reblogs.
1) There’s no such thing as a “no maintenance pet”. It doesn’t exist. Every pet you own is going to take attention, effort, money, etc. No matter what species or breed it is. Just because something like a fish may not need you to personally interact with it and give it affection as much as, say, a dog does,it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to have to do things like keep its tank clean, feed it regularly, make sure it has stimulation in its tank to keep it occupied and happy, etc. If you don’t want to take care of a pet, don’t get one.
2) Every species of pet is different. Just because one kind of rodent or bird can eat a vegan diet, doesn’t mean ALL of them can. No matter what kind of pet you get, you need to do your research beforehand to make sure you give that pet the individual care it needs. Don’t assume anything.
3) Every breed of pet is different. If you have a very sedentary lifestyle and don’t like to exercise, you probably shouldn’t get a high-energy breed of dog like a husky which requires a ton of exercise a day. If you don’t want to deal with frequent grooming and possible matted hair, don’t get a poodle.
4) Every individual PET is different. Pets are living creatures. Every single one is unique and has its own needs. There are certain generalizations you can make based on species or breed, but in the end every pet is going to be an individual. Just because you got one greyhound that was fine with chilling in the house all day, doesn’t mean every one you ever own will. Just because one rabbit loves cuddling and being close, doesn’t mean the next one might not be skittish and prefer more solitude. Cater to the wants and needs of the pet you have, not the one you expect.
5) Possibly the most important one: There is no such thing as a pet that fits your lifestyle perfectly. YOU are going to have to change what YOU do in some way to accommodate it. No matter if you get a pet that fits the description of your life to a T, you’re going to have to do things you might not normally do in order to care for it properly. You may be a total neat freak who hates touching any kind of filth, but, if you own a pet, you are going to have to clean up after it, regardless of what kind you get. And if you’re not willing to make changes to your life to accommodate caring for a living being, DON’T GET ONE.
Once again, stuffed animals are a thing. And there’s absolutely no shame in realizing that that’s all you really want. Something to look cute and hug but not really need to care for. Pets are a commitment. You don’t need to make that commitment if you don’t want to. But don’t think you can own a pet without making it.
(also yeah, absolutely never ever declaw your cats. It’s super bad news. DO NOT)