5 Bad and 5 Good Reasons to Expand Your Family
"Should I get my cat another cat?" a friend of mine asked me today. "I worry that he's bored." That question, and this weekend's upcoming Sliding Into Home event at the Washington Humane Society, has me thinking about when, how and why we expand our (animal) families, and when, how and why we should.
5 Bad Reasons: Some of these reasons can be fine as a secondary reason to get a new pet, but they fall short as a primary reason.
Fluffy (or Fido) wants a friend. Let's start with the idea that began this post. Sure, it's easier to add a new pet to your home if your existing pet(s) get along well with others. However, new pets add new (and often unforeseen) complications to relationships between both pets and people. You need to be ready to deal with these changes, as well as the training, medical and emotional needs of your new pet.
It'll teach the kids responsibility. Would you trust...