| Among the great joys in life, one of them would be | | | | will more easily accept a kitten than another grown |
| living with an animal of another species. One of the | | | | cat. |
| down sides to owning a pet is that an animal takes | | | | Find out how big the breed of dog you choose will |
| time, attention and money. The Society for the | | | | be when mature. If you live in a house with a big, |
| Prevention of Cruelty to Animals suggests that you | | | | fenced-in yard, you can have any dog or pet you |
| consider the following questions before adopting a | | | | choose that is allowed by your city's zoning laws. But |
| pet. | | | | if you live in a small apartment, you may want to |
| | | | choose small, quiet pets that don't need as much |
| 1. Are you willing to care for the animal throughout its | | | | "elbow" or tail-wagging space. |
| lifetime? | | | | Add up costs of pet ownership. |
| 2. Will you give your pet love and attention when it | | | | Pets should not be treated as stuffed toys/gifts |
| needs you, and not just at your convenience? | | | | simply be given away. You must take responsibility |
| 3. Can you afford the cost of food, grooming and | | | | for them and establish a binding relationship. Children |
| regular veterinary care, including yearly shots and | | | | younger than three should not be given any small |
| checkups? | | | | animal as a pet. Many incidents of pet deaths can be |
| 4. Will you see that your pet gets regular, daily | | | | traced to such young children unintentionally 'loving' |
| exercise? | | | | them (just a bit too much). |
| 5. If your pet is a dog, are you prepared to | | | | Consider adopting an animal from a shelter (research |
| housebreak your pet and to train it in basic | | | | look up such places as 'Animal Shelter, Humane |
| obedience? Will you license it and obey the leash law? | | | | Society or Animal Control'). There are many kinds of |
| When considering the kind of animal you might adopt | | | | animals to select from including puppies and kittens, |
| as a pet, consult all members of the family, including | | | | and older pets that may already be housebroken or |
| other pets. If you are thinking about adopting | | | | trained in obedience. Most of these shelters try to |
| another dog, take the dog that is already a member | | | | match people and animals and almost all require that |
| of your family to visit the prospective adoptee to | | | | the animals be spayed or neutered as a condition for |
| see how the two animals get along. Older cats often | | | | adoption. |