Hi,
I have been asked to write a post about my pets and my experiences with them, by My Pet Uk. By reading this blogpost, I'm hoping that people will be better prepared before getting a pet.
Visit their website www.mypet.guru or find them on twitter @mypetuk for news, pet product reviews and advice on all your pet problems.
'A pet is for life...not just for Christmas'
How many times have we heard this warning before considering bringing a new pet into our homes?...a lot is the answer!!! And rightly so I might add.
My partner and I took this warning on board when we decided to purchase our first pet together. We decided to get a female kitten from our local pet centre, and keep her as an indoor cat. On the day, we excitedly went to the pet centre and chose from around 6/7 kittens, a little tabby one. We named her Lola. Here she is in the glass fronted section of the centre where we first saw her.
Cute huh? The perfect little addition to our household right? Well...sort of! We took her home, did all the necessary things to settle her in, got her a litter tray, food bowls, toys, a bed, treats etc and gave her space until she felt comfortable enough to approach us. As you can see, it worked!
She settled in a treat at first but after a while, became very vocal and would meow all day and night (she still does this and often keeps us awake). She started to follow me around and would literally not leave me alone (also still does this..I can't even go to the toilet alone!). She scratched everything from the carpets to the bedding! She was becoming a right little handful.
So, we had a thought. We would get her a little friend to play with...thinking that it may bring her round a bit and cure her boredom. Enter Lily! Here she is as a kitten.
She's the most gorgeous (biased I know) tortoise shell cat, with a gentle, relaxed and playful personality. Apparently tortoise shell cats are prone to being aggressive but we have never experienced this with Lily. She's the softest little thing ever!
We bought her from a farm and the day that we brought her home, there was
carnage! Lola hated her and tried to attack her. We hadn't researched how to introduce cats to each other properly and had simply just taken Lily into Lola's territory. It was very naive of us to think that the two of them would get along instantly.
After a long while and a lot of effort (sleeping apart with a kitten each, taking a little time off work etc) the two of them finally got used to each other.
They absolutely love each other now, and we can't imagine not having them both, however tested we have been at times.
We have had other problems with them both, including trips to the vets to treat Lily's teeth, which has cost us a lot of money! Having them both also means that we can't go on holiday without having someone to look after them. The fact they're house cats means that they aren't used to fending for themselves and can't be left alone in the house. Another thing we didn't think about!
I'm pretty sure some people would have given up on them, but we absolutely adore them, issues or no issues, and would spend however much we had to to make sure they are both healthy and happy.
The purpose of this post is really to prepare potential animal owners for the issues that can arise once you get them home, no matter how cute they are! They do cost money, they need a lot of care and attention, and they do affect your lives.
Also, research is key to a successful pet/ owner relationship.
So please, remember a pet is for life, not just for Christmas or any other time of year for that matter!
Thanks for reading,
Kirsty x
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