Multiple Pets - How to care for more than one!
You will find that having multiple pets can be a huge responsibility. When your little one asks for the cute little doggie in the window, try to say no, because eventually (whether it is a few days or weeks) you will be the one in charge of caring for it, along with the 3 cats, 2 lizards, and 5 fish you already own! When you have multiple pets, you need to obtain the right information for all of them, so not to neglect one and give more to the other. Some of your multiple pets will be around for years, including a cat, and you want to make it its best 9 lives ever!
When caring for multiple pets, each day involves food, water, baths, health checks, and more! It’s best to have a system set up for multiple pets, to make sure no animals go unfed! You should have a designated area where your pets can “do their business”, try to make it where you can keep an eye on them, while tending to other animals in the household. Some people find it easy to close of a few hours out of their schedule to tend to multiple pets. For instance, at 6 o’clock every night you can feed the cat, the dog, the hamster, and all 4 fish. Then you won’t have to remember to get them all done throughout the day.
However you “inherited” your multiple pets, whether you love animals and chose to have more than one, or if your kids went off to college and left you with their cat, Spike…it is critical that they all be fed and taken care of. Some multiple pets are easier to take care of than others. If you have a few fish, and they live in aquariums, these tanks need to be cleaned at least once a month. Sometimes these aquariums are large and involve a specialized tool or person to help!
When you have multiple pets, you also need to keep an amount of money set aside to help for their needs. Dogs, especially bigger breeds, tend to eat….a lot! Cats need food also, and kitty litter, and scratching posts, and all sorts of toys and objects to keep them occupied. Hamsters and other rodents need a cage with a wheel, shredded beading, and little treats. Lizards are probably the most expensive pet to take are of. They need a new tank every time they grow, heat lamps, bedding, special food or crickets, and large vet bills if they get sick!
So keep in mind, that even if you do love animals, having multiple pets can be expensive, time consuming and stressful at times. Help to keep pets out of the shelters and in homes, lessen the amount of animals you choose to raise.