Five Things Every Pet Owner Should Know

Pet ownership is a wonderful part of life for those who get to experience it. That being said, it isn’t always the easiest part of life. There are a lot of ups and downs, unexpected surprises, and even some heartbreak. However, all of this is what makes pet ownership such a wonderful and fulfilling journey overall.

So whether you’re venturing into pet ownership for the first time with a brand new furry little friend, or you’re a seasoned pet owner just looking for a little refresher, the following are a few of the essential fundamentals that every pet owner should know.

1. Adopting is Wonderful

First and foremost, a lot of people who are interested in becoming pet owners don’t realize how many adoption opportunities there are. If you’re looking to bring a new pet into your life, you should check out local adoption agencies in your area and see if any of the little souls there speak to you and your family.

There has been a surge of homeless pups and kitties over the last couple of years as many people came under financial hardship for any number of reasons. While animal shelters do what they can to provide a healthy and comfortable home for these abandoned pets, there’s nothing that benefits them more than finding a permanent home in which they can grow up surrounded by love.

If you’re looking for a furry four legged friend to bring into your home and add to the family, consider adopting before anything else.

2. How to Choose Pet Insurance

Another crucial thing for a new pet owner to understand is how to select pet insurance plans. Pet insurance is just like any other type of health insurance plan, only it specifically covers your pets veterinarian needs.

That being said, pet insurance is crucial to keeping your pet happy and healthy for the length of their whole life. There are a wide variety of different pet insurance plans, and as pet insurance becomes more mainstream, even more options are entering the market.

There are three main coverages that a pet insurance plan will offer and those include: accident, illness, and wellness. Accident coverage and illness coverage are relatively self-explanatory, but wellness coverage is a specific type of pet insurance coverage that can help with the expenses involved in keeping vaccinations updated as well as other season costs like flea-and-tick prevention management.

When making the ultimate decision about your pet insurance plan, you’re going to want to compare the prices, understand the deductible and premium, and most importantly you’re going to want to have a comprehensive understanding of the coverages and limits included in the policy.

3. Expect the Occasional Mess

Pet ownership isn’t always the cleanest of lifestyles, but that’s okay – our four-legged-friends always make up for that bit of dirt with heaping piles of love. No matter what type of pet you end up getting, a dog, a cat, or something else entirely, you’re going to have to learn to expect the occasional mess from time to time.

This is especially the case if you’re bringing a new puppy into the home who has yet to be housebroken. Potty training can sometimes take a little bit of time, and a new pet owner should be patient about this.

4. Training can be Important

Speaking of potty training, training in general can be vital to a dog’s successful integration into your life. This is especially the case if you have a family with young children, or if you maintain certain hobbies that are dog-training-specific, like hunting, emotional support, a seeing-eye-dog, or even a show-dog.

If you want your dog to learn a very specific set of skills, you’ll likely have to work with them alongside professional coaches and trainers.

Training is also important even for non-specialized-dogs or other pets who are just a part of the family. This is for their own benefit, as well as the benefit of the owner. You’ll want to spend a little bit of time and money getting your animals trained properly on walking and other obedience-based-commands.

5. The Benefits of Pet CBD

Finally, every pet owner should have a little bit of knowledge about pet CBD and what it’s all about. Pet CBD is formulated from the CBD extract of the cannabis plant. CBD in cannabis is the chemical responsible for muscle relief, and can help with anxiety as well.

As such, pet CBD treats are perfect for dogs and other pets with joint pain, or other ailments stemming from old-age.

A few Last Words

Becoming an excellent pet-mom or pet-dad takes a lot of work, is a lot of responsibility, is sometimes a learn-as-you-go-process, and is unbelievably rewarding.

While this list is by no means exhaustive, it should provide you with some of the basics you need to know before venturing into the wonderful world of pet ownership.