About Karen – Why I started howtopickapet.com
My name is Karen and I love animals, especially pets. Here’s the story about how to pick a pet.
Here I’m holding a foster dog waiting for its new forever home
I am saddened when animals are euthanized just because they have been surrendered to an animal shelter and can’t find a forever home before their time is up.
I am outraged when animals are mistreated or abandoned and left on their own, like what happened to my Korey before I adopted him.
I love pets. I grew up with two younger brothers, but our loving and very feisty ‘Penny’ was my best friend. We’d go for walks together and she’d sit at my side when I was reading. Here she’s watching out for me even before I was walking and reading.
Over my lifetime, it seems that our family has had most every kind of pet. We have had rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats, turtles, fish, birds, ducks, and dogs. We missed out on having a cat, because I’ve been allergic to them.
My family has had several dogs, most of them designated as ‘mutts’ from animal shelters. One dog my brother rescued from the streets of Uganda when he lived there. The dogs have been named Kelly, Kerry, Karma, Kayla, Kukar, and now my kids and I have Kacie, Korey, and Kara. I guess that we pick names that start with ‘K’; probably because my brothers and my name all start with a ‘K’.
I love reading, writing and research. These were gifts to me from my mother who was an elementary school librarian. Here she is with students in her school and we always had stacks of books at home to read. She passed on her love of reading to me and my daughter and you’ll see below how that’s motivated me.
One of my earliest pet memories was having two turtles that we kept in a container with water, stones, and a plastic palm tree. Years later it was determined that these are not good pets, especially for young children. Turtles can carry salmonella, and young children handling them without washing their hands before eating or putting fingers in their mouth, can become very ill from this bacterium.
Each of our family’s pets has given us funny stories and enduring memories. My daughter’s gerbil was an escape artist. One time he got out and we looked everywhere, but couldn’t find him. Hours later my daughter went to get her shoes, and there was her gerbil curled up taking a nap in her shoe.
I love to take photos of animals, even those that are not pets. They are so fascinating to watch. Here’s one of my recent favorite animal photos. Yes, it’s a cat, but not one that would make a good pet.
My curiosity and love of research led me to study healthier indoor air. You may wonder what that has to do with pets, but it is very connected. In reading about pet birds, I learned that they have very sensitive respiratory systems. Non-stick cookware made from PTFE, many disinfectants, household cleaning agents, and bug sprays release fumes that can be toxic or fatal to birds. And even the label on Febreeze states that it along with other air care products should not be used around birds. Here’s my daughter’s cockatiel who loved to call out his name ‘Beaker’ throughout the day.
In addition to photography, my creative outlets include decorative painting, making jewelry, and knitting scarves. Here are examples of my handiwork.
I’m fortunate to live near the ocean. I find walking along the beach, collecting shells, watching birds dance at the edge of the water, and marveling at the clouds overhead while breathing in the fresh air to be great at relieving stress.
But my real passion is animals. I’ve spent hours doing research and assembling a library of resources about pets. Some of the topics that I’ve been exploring include:
- How do we know if we are ready for a pet?
- Why don’t pets make good gifts?
- What is it like to live with different pets?
- How do we deal with the death of a beloved pet?
A couple years ago I adopted Korey from an animal shelter. I had been looking online for a couple months to find a Shih Tzu that was within a couple hours of my home. I finally found one and went to visit him.
Needless to say I was shocked. He had been left behind in a home for approximately a month when his family moved out. Look at what a difference food and love can make merely 5 months later.
It was Korey’s experience which pushed me to turn my research into action and launch this website: www.howtopickapet.com.
About How To Pick A Pet
Here’s a tour of www.howtopick a pet.com.
Picking a pet is an important decision for every family. Bringing home a pet should never be done on an impulse. It is a decision that needs to be made by all family members because it will affect everyone for years. Take time to do research and have family discussions.
When we don’t do our homework we can end up bringing home a pet that just does not fit into our lifestyle. Bringing a pet home is not like bringing home a sweater where we can bring it back if we change our mind. My goal is to share some of our experiences or research that we’ve done so that you can pick a pet that is perfect for your family. When we pick a pet that fits with our family it brings so much joy. When we pick a pet that is a nightmare it usually ends up being surrendered to an animal shelter. This can be heartbreaking both for the family, and especially the pet.
At How To Pick A Pet you’ll find valuable tips and information, books to read, and stuffed animals to cuddle to guide your family in what pet to pick. It’s an important decision that all family members should be involved in.
Where To Start:
A. If you don’t already have a pet, then you need to decide if you should get a pet. Are your ready for a pet? Even if you already have one, is it a good idea to get another one.
Use this checklist as a starting point for a discussion. Here are 12 questions to answer. Also do some research and get input from others who have gone through this process of picking a pet.
Checklist – Should I get a pet?
B. If you have decided that you are ready for a pet, then you need to define the characteristics you’d like in a pet.
As you answer the following questions, you’ll begin to narrow down your choice of a pet.
- Do you want a pet that cuddles next to you or on your lap?
- Should your pet alert you when someone is coming to your front door?
- Does someone in your home have a disability that would benefit from having a pet companion?
- Do you need a pet that doesn’t require 2 to 3 hours of care every day?
- Can you accommodate special temperature and humidity requirements of some pets?
- Are you willing to do any training required for your pet?
- Can your pet accompany you on vacation?
- How many years do you envision having this pet as part of your family?
- Do any of your family members have allergies to any pets?
- Do you already have a pet that needs to be considered?
The answers to which pets may fulfill each of these requirements may surprise you. Having a pet can be one of the best additions to a family. But if you don’t take the time to do your research, you can end up with a pet that is a nightmare.
C. Have some family activities to reach agreement about the characteristics you are looking for in a pet.
Here are some fun family activities to do:
- Talk to people who already have that pet. Ask them:
- How long have they had their pet?
- What do they really like about having this pet?
- Are there any things that they find a challenge to having this pet?
- What did they wish they knew before bringing home this pet?
- Will they get this type of pet again?
2. Take field trips to pet stores, breeders, animal shelters, rescue groups, and veterinarians to find out more about a prospective pet. They should be able to answer questions you have.
3. Do research, both online and reading books to decide if the pet you are considering is truly your perfect pet. Each family member could research a different pet and then report back what they’ve found.
When we take the time to pick a perfect pet, this prevents animals from being unloved and surrendered to an animal shelter. It also prevents a family from going through the stress of dealing with a pet that doesn’t fit with its lifestyle. Just because a pet is cute in a pet store window or your neighbor just got one, doesn’t mean that it’s your perfect pet.
D. Take advantage of a great compilation of books that you can read to find out more about potential pets.
At the end of most sections, you’ll find links to over 500 hand-selected books Included are books written by vets, animal trainers, and pet enthusiasts. Also included are children’s early readers, how to select and take care of a pet, and true life stories for adults shared by people about their pets. You can read the reviews and order the books right from this website. I’ve spent hours researching those with the best reviews, so you don’t have to.
‘How To’ Books give tips about what it’s like to live with a pet.
These books contain information and tips provided by vets, trainers, and pet enthusiasts about how to select and care for a pet. You’ll find out about a pet’s behavior, feeding and space requirements, and suitability for your lifestyle. To get to these books go to Browse by Category and click ‘How To Books’
‘Story’ Books include readers for children and stories for adults, young and old.
Some of these books we probably had read to us as a child or we are reading them to our children or grandchildren. Others are newer and highly acclaimed by teachers, librarians, parents, and grandparents. There are also wonderful stories for young adults and adults which capture the spirit of these animals.
‘Stuffed Animals’ are friends that children will love to cuddle during story time.
The only thing better than having a book read to you, is holding onto a cuddly stuffed animal friend while listening to the story. There are over 200 hand-selected stuffed animals to choose from in the pet stores.
‘Fun Things And Gifts’ contain gifts for the pet lover in your life (maybe you).
Here you’ll find hundreds of items that you may want to select as gifts for a beloved friend, teacher, neighbor, relative or even yourself.
With any of these items you can learn more about a prospective pet, give comfort to someone who has lost a pet or loves great stories about his or her pet, share the joy of books and reading with a young person, celebrate someone’s birthday or holiday, or reward someone for a great accomplishment. These are great gifts that will be cherished for years to come.
If I’ve missed any books, stuffed animals, or gifts that you’d like me to include, just send me a comment. Feel free to share your pick a perfect pet story in the Comment section below.
My wish is that you pick the most perfect pet and create many fond memories! All my best. Karen