Are you thinking about getting a pet? Then read on to see which one might be best for Where to StartPets can be great! Who else licks your face， chirps happily， or purrs in your lap? A pet can make you feel good and can calm you down when you're And caring for a pet can help you learn about kindness and There are all sorts of Some take a lot of time and attention and need a lot of Others can fit in a corner and don't need much care at Some live just a year or Others may still be alive when you leave home for good! Some may be happy to stay in a cage--others may mess on your carpets and scratch your So， before your family rushes out to get a pet， why not sit down and talk? Ask your parents how they feel about The pet you want has to be one that they want After all， a parent needs to be the one in charge of pet care and willing to take up the slack if Here are some things to do before making a decision:* Talk to people who have a pet like the one you Ask them what they like and don't like about Find out what's fun and what's tough about having this Check out how much time， money， space， and hard work the pet * Read some pet books or go online to learn * Talk to a vet who treats the kind of pet you're thinking about * Check to make sure nobody in the family is allergic to pets or to pet * Study the charts at (These are， of course， just the opinions or recommendations of Ranger R)* If you decide to get a pet， figure out how to divide the chores among family Even if you don't end up with a pet， you can have fun reading about the possibilities!DOGSGOOD: Can become a best friend and a Fun to cuddle， pet， and run around Comes in many varieties and Can live from 8 to 16 years， depending on size and BAD: Takes a lot of time and needs to be Some may not like Needs supervision around young May shed and have a doggy May bark or May pee or poop on the floor， dig in the garden， or chew up your shoes or other TIME: An hour or two a Needs lots of exercise: at least three walks a day or playtime in a fenced Puppies need to be housebroken and All dogs need time to be played with， fed， and groomed MONEY: D Cost of purebred dog is $500 to $1， Crate， bed， leash， collar， and toys are about $ Spaying or neutering and vaccinations (shots)， both a must， are $150 to $ Yearly cost is $300 to more than $1，000， depending on how much dog eats and vet * Think about getting a dog from a shelter or from a breed-rescue It's lower in cost and saves a pet's Many mixed breeds are healthier than many But shelter and breed-rescue dogs may come with some behavior problems that take extra training and patience to SPACE: At least enough room for a bed and crate plus room to walk around and A fenced yard or a place to walk the Many apartments and condos don't allow FINAL WORD: If you have energy， time， and space and are serious about wanting to train， care for， and love a dog over many years， this may be the pet for If thinking about getting a purebred dog， check out the pros and cons of each breed: See Good Dog， Bad Dog: Dog Training Made Easy， by Mordecai Siegal and Matthew Margolis (Henry Holt， 1991) Then find a responsible Avoid large kennels and pet Think twice before bringing a puppy into a house with very young TTT， $$$CATSGOOD: Small Curious， playful， and often Fairly easy to take care Housebreaks itself with litter Adult cat doesn't need as much attention as a dog and can be left alone during the Can live 14-20 BAD: S Many people allergic to May not like May scratch furniture and scratch or bite May not use litter box if sick or if its routine Young kids need to be supervised around TIME: About half an hour to an hour a day: scooping out litter box and feeding (twice a day usually)， grooming， and playing with Kittens need more attention than MONEY: A purebred cat costs $100-$ Many adults and kittens are Spaying or neutering， a must， is $50 to $ Vaccinations (shots) are $50 or Yearly cost is about $350， plus any unexpected vet * Think about getting a cat from a shelter or rescue You may have to pay a small fee， but this often lowers spaying or neutering Adopting saves a pet's SPACE: Big enough for at least one litter box and places to snooze and play and watch the world OK in small Best if kept inside for cat's own safety and for protection of birds and other small FINAL WORD: Some cats are friendly people-lovers that like being held or sitting on laps; others are shy and don't want to be Still， most are affectionate and TT， $$$
