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Pet Basics Why A Pet? The important thing to remember about getting or having a pet is that you want that pet. Animals need love and affections just like people do. If a pet isn't wanted, chances are it will be neglected and have a bad life. The second thing to remember is that you must be able to care for this pet. That includes being able to pay for food, check-ups at the vet, having time to clean up after your pet, having time to exercise your pet, and having a good temperament with animals. Nutrition: Good nutrition is important to a pet's life. It is up to the owner to do some research and find out what the pet eats, what brands are best, how often a pet eats, and how much. More important than food, is water. Necessary for all life. Animals especially need lots of water. Water should be fresh daily for most pets but the owner should check and see what kind of water should be used (like in the case of fish). A Healthy Pet: Visiting the veterinarian's office is important to keeping your pet healthy. Regular visits can catch any problems there might be before they seriously injure and affect your pet. Keep It Clean: Whether your pet lives in an aquarium or in a pen, cleaning up after them is a dirty, but necessary, chore. Litter boxes should be kept very clean, aquariums should be cleaned on schedule, and pens should be shoveled out so your pet won't get ill laying in its own filth. Uncleanliness can lead to sores, urinary tract infections, and bacterial diseases. Exercise: Exercise is good for any animal, including humans. It improves the efficiency of the body systems and helps keep you pet's weight down. Muscles that aren't exercise become weak and small. An animal becomes lethargic and doesn't pay much attention to what's going on around it. Exercise also bonds you and your pet as you both benefit from the work you're doing. Sometimes animals with a lot of energy find it necessary to chew up your things. Exercise can help calm your animal down by giving it another way and place to release energy. Be Patient: Remember that your pet is an animal and doesn't understand our motives and values. Please be patient with your pets just like parents must be patient with their child. Punishment is ok as long as it doesn't involve beating or kicking or harming the animal. Animal abuse is just as illegal as child abuse. Finding Your Lost Pet: According to the American Animal Hospital Association's 1995 Pet Owner Survey, roughly 30 percent of pet owners have lost a pet at one time. With that in mind, we offer these tips for finding your pet. Five Things To Do If you lose your pet:
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