Certain pets, such as dogs, have recently become fashionable in celebrity culture. I don’t really understand this, as I would never be able to use my lovable pooch, Molly, as a fashion accessory.
I have lived with animals all of my life and it wasn’t until university that I had to live without animals… And the ducks and squirrels on campus were a bleak alternative. Growing up there were always about 2/3 cats and a dog in my household. As well as this I was surrounded by rabbits, hamsters, horses and the occasional goldfish. I loved having animals around me and as an only child, my pets were my brothers and sisters and I did form emotional bonds with these animals.
I believe that the advantages to having pets definitely outweigh the disadvantages. Of course certain animals, such as dogs take up more time and effort than the feline alternative however in certain ways their company can be more rewarding. Dogs are hard to train; my family are currently attending “puppy classes” to train my pup to walk properly on a leash, go to the bathroom at the correct time in the correct place and sit, heel, paw etc. A lot of effort goes into having the perfect canine companion however I feel that it’s totally worth it. The first time I heard her bark, saw her “sit and give a paw” or manage to jump up into the car, I felt like a proud parent. I was positively glowing!
Things like the way my family takes holidays have changed too, instead of exotic vacations, cabins in the forest or hotels that take dogs are the number one priority. But if you prefer Dubai to Dublin, there’s always kennels or that wonderful dog sitting company in the Yellow Pages.
Animals are expensive too, the initial costs being the cost of the animal, and then vaccinations, neutering, vets bills, toys, training classes, food etc. I think people don’t understand the true costs of having a healthy happy pet. However, there is pet insurance for those little surprises that pop up along the way!
You have to put a lot of effort into having a pet too, you have to play with it, exercise it, clean it and other things dependant on the type of animal. However I think that pets are definitely beneficial to households with children.
Pets teach children responsibility, whether it be feeding the cats or taking the dog for a walk, it can teach a child, time management, selflessness and it also could benefit the health and wellbeing of a child. For example, dogs require exercise such as walking or running, this benefits health of the walker too!
I think that pets are good as company too, if you need to talk to someone, pets are often a good outlet. I have, on several occasions, let my cats know how annoyed I am at a boyfriend or peer and my feline friend will just sit and purr as long as I provide her with enough attention.
There are pets that serve as just pets, but pets that also serve as “interests”; lizards, horses, tropical fish. All of these animals can be time consuming and can be hobbies as well as pets. These can distract children from other forms of entertainment such as x-boxes and computer games. I think that pets are a healthier alternative (hope you agree!)
Lastly, I know that Ann-Maree markets her labels to “Kids”. But Molly definitely looks cute with Bag Tags on her luggage for holidays and Vinyl’s on water bottle!
Sophie, labels4kids.
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