29 Aug, 2008
You know, when it comes purchasing pets, it is really important to make certain you do your research about properly caring for that pet. I learned that lesson a long time ago. Several years ago, my boyfriend (who is now my husband) and I fell in love with a couple of adorable little bearded dragons. We talked to the pet shop employees about properly caring for them and we thought we knew what we were doing, but there was really a whole lot more do learn.
Don’t get me wrong, we had the bearded dragons for several years before we ultimately sold them, but we had to pretty much take a crash course in lizard care after we purchased them. I read tons of books and searched the Internet for information on the lizards, but it would have been a lot easier if I would have done the research first. Not only that, it turned out that feeding them was a little more difficult than I had anticipated.
Although bearded dragons are omnivores (which means they eat plants and meat) mine greatly preferred crickets – and there were no cricket suppliers near my house. As a result, we purchased boxes of crickets and actually kept a cage of crickets at our house. You can just imaging the constant chirping that resulted in!
So, the moral of the story is, no matter how cute the animal may seem, make sure to do your research before you purchase a new pet. While everything worked out OK for me and my bearded dragons, that won’t always be the case. With a little research beforehand, however, you can make certain you and your pet will make a good match.
26 Aug, 2008
I don’t know about you, but I often find myself getting so busy that I forget to make appointments for my pets or to give them their medication on time. In fact, I have a reminder notification sitting next to me right now from my veterinarian. It seems that both of my dogs are due for their annual shots, but I still have to make my appointment to take them in.
Why is it that we procrastinate so much when it comes to these types of things? I certainly love my dogs, but finding the time to take them into their appointments can be difficult. So, what can you (and I) do in order to make certain we are taking better care of our pets and getting them in to see the vet when necessary?
First of all, long term planning is key. If I would have had the one-year mark noted on my calendar, I would have been better prepared to make an appointment in a more timely fashion. You see, the reminder notification arrived just when things were getting really busy around me. If I would have placed a reminder on my calendar, I would have made the appointment a little sooner and when things were a bit calmer in my personal life.
Second, if you don’t have a long-term planner on which you can place a reminder for vaccinations, it is also a good idea to make that appointment as soon as you receive the reminder from the vet. I know that was my biggest mistake – I put down the reminder notification so I can “get to it later,” and now a few days have past and I still don’t have an appointment made. With the hustle and bustle of life, it is easy to have the days pass by without every getting around to what you need to get done. So, I hereby resolve to make veterinarian appointments from now on as soon as I receive the reminder notice in the mail.
Of course, when it comes down to it, I guess I just have to follow my dad’s advice. “There is nothing left to do but to do it” he always said. So, I guess I just need to pick up that phone and make that appointment so I can check one more thing off of my “to do” list.
