Things to Consider Before Buying a Pet

Filipinos everywhere tend to keep pets - that literally means almost in every locale where an animal could be tended. Despite this propensity for keeping pets and at times, access to knowledge through the internet and from more readily available sources, very few knowledge is generated and shared that would raise the standard of pet keeping in the country. It doesn't help that a lot of the staff of local pet stores and even among hobbyists themselves are not as knowledgeable or have inadequate know-how and thus are unable to share or even communicate the very basics of pet keeping. Pet keeping should always be easy – convenient to the responsible pet owner and comfortable to the pet one has took care of. The same is true in fish keeping. I have met a lot who wants to get into fish keeping but are discouraged by the 'technicalities' of maintaining an aquarium or a pond. Is it really as technical as one always hear or as simple as others make of it?

I am taking a different tack here. First, one needs to remember that keeping pets will never be easy if one doesn’t understand the concepts of the needs of our pets. Thus, in more responsible websites, a prospective pet owner needs to answer several questions to ascertain whether the selected pet will fit into one’s lifestyle. This is one of the most important factors in any responsible pet keeping and is often the least of concerns for any trader and even to those who are considering taking in a pet. Take for example; the needs of an Asia arowana, the ideal recommended aquarium size is at a minimum of 6 feet (L) x 2 feet (H) x 2 feet (W). But how many keep theirs in smaller tanks? I am quite sure, the majority does. This discrepancy in providing for adequate housing for one’s pets already makes it more difficult in the longer term. And that is only an aspect of the basic needs of a pet one is to care for. Responsible care means one needs to know these basic needs not only in terms of the present but more importantly, in the future when a pet is fully mature. A responsible pet owner should learn more about the pet one is considering and obviously the problem lies when one relies mainly on what a trader shares. There’s a whole gamut of information published online and on paper and there is no reason to miss out on these.

Secondly, it is a matter of fact, that we can never really truly approximate what nature provides. It is imperative to state this now - any animal is best kept in their natural environment than owned as a pet. But once one owns one, then one should at least provide something near to the natural conditions with what one can best possibly afford. Unlike in their natural setting, an aquarium is quite a different habitat.

More to follow....