Finding the Right Pet

The first step in finding the right pet is to think about what you are looking for in a pet, and then looking at your lifestyle to help you decide what kinds of pets might be a good fit.

The East Bay SPCA shelters only adopt dogs and cats. But there are other shelters and rescue groups that also adopt rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, birds and other small companion animals.

Below are ten points to consider about adding a pet to your home in general. After reading them, then take the time to review our checklists to see if a dog or cat is a good choice for you.

Adoptable Dog Checklist
Adoptable Cat Checklist

1) No Impulse Decisions
Try not to adopt (or purchase) a pet on a whim. Make it a deliberate, thought-out action, because the results of that decision will be with you a long time. Buying a pet at a pet shop because it looks so cute and cuddly is not a good way to add another long-term member to your family. We don't encourage pet store purchases because they support high volume breeders, and because of the numerous health issues that can arise. A reputable breeder will take the time learn about you and your family before ever agreeing to just sell you an animal. If a breeder doesn't seem to care about your home or lifestyle, that might indicate a lack of care for the welfare of the animal.

In addition, sometimes we are not the best judges of our needs and sometimes our desires don’t really fit our needs. You might ask a few close friends or relatives to suggest what kind of pet they think might fit your life style. Don’t be impulsive.

2) "Shop" Around
Take the time to learn all about the kind of pet you are considering adopting. Pet stores have a built-in bias to sell the animals so they are often not the best places to learn about pets. Books are somewhat better but no one has written an animal book who wasn’t head over heals in love with that type of animal. Often the negative aspects of a species are glossed over. Remember that a new pet can change the structure of a family and needs to be acceptable to all family members. Learn about the special attributes of many species and breeds. Dog breeds are as different in their personalities, abilities and needs as people. Sometimes people think birds are "easy" but some can be very demanding.

Use adoption websites such as Virtual Pet Adoptions to view lots of animals in your region, and begin to develop an understanding of what traits appeal to you in a pet.

3) Visit The Humane Society And Animal Rescue Organizations
Pay a few visits to your local shelters and humane orgnaizations, as well as rescue organizations for other companion animals. You can find many local animal groups on our website. Interact with the animals on a one-on-one basis. Don’t give a lot of weight to a person raving about a pet, but read the available pet information and ask specific questions. Volunteers and staff want to get pets adopted but you also need to make the best choice for you and your family. Observe the pet when it is alone with you and try to make a mental list of its positive and negative points.

4) Match Your Pet To Your Life Style
Are you a night owl or a day person? Some species spend much of the day asleep and are most active at night. Do you work long hours? Some species and some pets get very lonely by themselves while others are not bothered by solitude at all. Do you have children? Are they mature enough not to be a threat to the pet you choose? Is the pet you choose stable enough to respond appropriate to a child that threatens it? If you travel a lot who will care for the pet while you are away?

5) Match Your Pet To Your Home Environment
How much free space is there? Is there a back yard? Is it fenced? How will your neighbors feel about this new pet? If you rent, what will your landlord think about this pet?

6) Decide Why You Want A Pet
Is this pet going to be a substitute for a child? There is nothing wrong with that. But then you may want a dog or possibly an unusually affectionate cat. Your personality traits are very important. Do you want a pet that is independent and requires little contact or are you looking for an energetic companion with whom you can jog or play Frisbee? Cat people tend to have different traits than dog people. If you give either of them the wrong species, they often have trouble bonding with the pet. Have you ever noticed that with time, pets and their owners tend to resemble each other? Consider the reasons you want a new pet. Do you want to play with it and caress it? If so a newt or turtle may not be the right pet for you. Do you want to teach it tricks and interact with it? Then an intelligent pet like a dog, cat or bird might be the right choice

7) Is The Right Time In Your Life To Get A Pet?
Frankly consider if this is really the right time in your life to own a (another) pet. If you already have other pets how will they get along with the new one? How do you plan on introducing them. How stable are your human relationships? How good is your health? How would you care for your pet in the face of unexpected changes in your health or human relationships?

8) Decide How Long You Want Your Pet To Live
How long do you expect your pet to live? Average dogs and cats live 12-16 years – some longer, and smaller dog breeds live longer then larger breeds. Indoor cats live longer then cats allowed outdoors, even briefly. Tortoises and goldfish have indeterminate life spans that approximate our own. Small parrots live 8-14 years; larger ones 35-60 years. Mice, hamsters and rats, however, are old at two years.

9) Decide If You Are Able To Meet This Pet’s Specific Needs
It is a good idea to do some research at the library as to how much care your pet will need and visit pet owners. Do you have enough time to properly feed and clean for it? Many pets get bored if they do not have enough one-on-one contact. This boredom can lead to a host of undesirable behaviors, such as barking, chewing, improper elimination, etc.

10) Cost
Besides the initial cost of the pet you may incur considerable expense in purchasing the pet a suitable home or cage. Over time, the cost of a good diet will far exceed whatever you paid for the animal. Your new pet may need veterinary care, grooming and pet sitters as well. Talk to other pet owners to determine what they spend yearly on their pet and see if that can be accomodated for in your budget.