During the summer months many families at Brunswick Crossing consider getting a pet, as more members of the family are home to take care of them. If your family is considering a furry, winged or scaly addition, Brunswick Crossing wants to help! Before we go any further we’d like to recommend that instead of buying a pet from a pet store that you check out PetFinder. Operation Paws for Homes, or other local resources that have animals available for adoption. There are so many animals that are in desperate need of homes, and you might be surprised who you’ll find!
Each family has different wants and needs when it comes to picking a pet. What pet is right for you and your family? Learn more in our suggestions for choosing the best pet for your family below:
Answer the Following Questions to Get Started:
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Who is in your family? – What ages are represented in your family? What personalities?
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What is your schedule like? – Are you very busy all the time? Do you have time during the day to return home to care for your new pet?
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What is your living situation? – Are you living in one of the new townhomes at Brunswick Crossing? Do you have a single family home at Brunswick Crossing? You’ll need to take your space into consideration as you plan for what type of pet you’ll be getting.
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What types of animals do you like? – If one of your children has a fear of spiders, a tarantula is not going to be an appropriate pet for your family.
Who is in Your Family – Do you have young children? It’s important to choose a pet that will be gentle with little ones. Choose a friendly breed of dog or cat (if looking at a shelter, try to get a good idea of what breeds your mutt has in its heritage), or another pet that won’t come into contact with them such as a lizard or fish. While the breed you have in mind might be what you, as an adult, would love, it’s important to choose a pet that is appropriate for your children during play. Are the members of your family dog people or cat people, or perhaps a mixture of both? It’s also important to consider other pets, such as rodents, birds, reptiles, or fish, as an alternative or compromise.
What is Your Schedule like? – If you’re not in the home very often, pets like a dog might not be the best fit for you. Choose something more independent, like a cat, reptile, fish, or rodent. Remember, even though a pet is independent it’s still important to play with them or otherwise stimulate their brains so that they don’t get bored and lonely. If your schedule varies and your family really wants a dog, consider hiring a pet sitter to care for your animals during the day. This will save you time and will give your pet the attention it needs during the day. Along the same lines, you’ll want to consider how often you and your family travel. If you’re traveling often, you’ll want to choose a pet who will be happy to come with you, or will be happy to be left alone.
What is Your Living Situation – If you haven’t moved into one of the new homes from the R4 Collection at Brunswick Crossing, space may be a concern for you. Larger animals, such as a Golden Retriever or Mastiff, need more space than a pug, cat, goldfish, or iguana. If you’re renting space, you’ll need to check with your landlord to make sure that you follow their rules. If you aren’t low on space, consider your lifestyle. Are you fine with cleaning up after your pet? Are you prepared for your new pet to explore your home, leading to damages to your furniture, clothing, and other parts of your home? Pets are a great addition, but they do require work. If you aren’t ready for pet hair in your morning coffee, stay away from dogs and cats and choose something like a fish or other companion animal.
What types of animals do you like? – If you’re looking for a pet, but you can’t find one that your family can agree on, our best advice would be to wait a few months and reassess your situation then. Don’t impulse buy/adopt simply because you want a pet. Assess your family’s preferences, as well as the other questions discussed above to help you to make an informed decision. It’s not fair to anyone, including the pet, to bring something into the house that you’re not prepared to love and take care of. Too many animals end up in shelters because of uninformed decisions.
We hope that these suggestions will help you to begin the process of looking for a new companion for your family! Pets bring so much joy into our lives, but it’s important that you choose the right one for you and your family.
