#making wise and compassionate choices for your pet start before you acquire them. being responsible starts in the planning process

[seventeendeer]

before you adopt an "unusual" pet of any kind, I think it's really, really important to ask yourself why you absolutely need to have this specific species in your house. not just if you think you can take care of this pet, but why exactly you need this kind of pet, instead of a more common domestic animal which 1. will be better understood and researched due to many years of having lived in close quarters with people and 2. will be much, much easier to find proper vet care for.

I grew up with dogs. as a kid, I thought I wanted a pet dragon. seeing as this wish was somewhat difficult to grant for myself, as an adult, I sat down and evaluated what exactly it was kid-me thought would be so awesome about having a dragon for an animal companion.

"well," I told myself, "I really want a pet that's more emotionally guarded than a dog. something that won't love just anyone; I want to feel special by virtue of being 'chosen' by something that is normally aloof and hard to get close to. oh, and I want it to be cool-looking! it has to move all majestically and be sleek and elegant, and I want it to be fun to watch! I'm also drawn to the idea of misunderstood animals that people think are evil, but actually they're sensitive, beautiful, fascinating creatures, and we could learn so much from them if only we could overcome our own biases and see them for the raw, natural sincerity they embody!"

hopped on down to the shelter and picked up a cat

#deerchatter #i know i wax on and on about how cats are the perfect pets etc etc but the thing is that im right #personal bias aside i have to admit i always kind of side-eye ppl who want pet foxes and skunks and whatever else #like im sure some ppl have them as parts of research projects and stuff like that #but a lot of ppl also. dont. lol #making wise and compassionate choices for your pet start before you acquire them. being responsible starts in the planning process #if you ask me pet ownership should be about mutual benefit not just between the owner and pet but between species #sure maybe you'll figure out how to take proper care of a fox. but what about foxes as a species? #what impact will your choice in pet have on the species as a whole? will more people want pet foxes because they see yours? #will more be sold because you got one? does this add or detract from the amount of happy healthy foxes in the world? #im far from an expert on the subject so i don't know the answer but i think these are important questions to ask yourself. #what i do know is there are countless cats in the world who can only thrive under human guardianship. who need homes. #i saw overlap between what i wanted and what this animal species needed. and 4 years later it's still a perfect match #i love my little baby dragon so much