Instructions
Choose the pet that's right for you. Understand the animal's natural instincts: dogs run, cats chase, rodents burrow, birds sing, fish swim.
Match the pet to your energy levels and your type of leadership. If you do not want to have to train your pet or give it a lot of exercise, choose a sedentary animal such as a rodent, a fish or a bird instead of a dog or a cat. If you don't want to impose rules, don't get a dog, who will need you to be the leader of the pack.
Choose a dog if you want an interactive pet, but make sure he matches your needs and energy level. In the absence of a strong leader, a dog will try to take on this role, so you must be willing to do so. A working dog, such as a collie, may have much more energy than a lapdog and must have regular, vigorous exercise or will become destructive. Do your research on breeds before you chose a dog.
Train the dog and save a lot of stress from problem behaviors. Even if the he is an adult, a dog can benefit from formal training classes. Buy the dog some accessories to entertain him, but make sure you get sturdy toys that won't disintegrate upon chewing; the pieces can be swallowed and cause digestive obstruction.
Choose a cat if you want a more independent, lower maintenance pet than a dog. Cats do not require a lot of exercise but they do like to have free rein over the house and the garden. An indoor cat may become bored, so buy her a scratching post to allow her to sharpen her claws on something that isn't furniture; and give her a toy to keep her entertained. In addition, an indoor cat will have to have a litter box.
Choose a bird, a rodent or a fish if you do not want to have a pet that roams around the house. These pets can be restricted to certain areas such as a bird cage, a cage or tank, or a fish bowl.
Consider how much time you want to spend with one of these pets. Rodents and fish are not the most sociable of creatures so you will not have to spend a lot of time interacting with them. A bird can be very intelligent and needs human interaction to prevent it getting frustrated and noisy.
Take extra care to ensure that indoor pets are living in clean environments to prevent unpleasant odors and disease transmission. Plus, a clean pet will be infinitely more relaxing to play with than a dirty pet.
How to Live With Pets
Pets are not people and therefore don't know the etiquette of the human world. Dogs, cats, fish, rodents and birds also lack the opposable thumbs with which to use the toilet, and so create mess in the back garden, litter box, tank, cage, or terrarium. Despite the drawbacks of your furry, or not-furry, friend, a pet may give you love and affection that outweigh the cost and inconvenience of its keep. For both pet and owner to be happy, however, the owner needs to set the terms of the relationship.