I know everyone loves their pets (as do I). I’m currently typing this with Roll on my shoulder (a green-cheeked conure—“GCC”—not an actual bread roll or anything). I adore my birds, but birds aren’t for everyone.In a previous thread, I mentioned how I completely avoid non-stick pans because the fumes can kill birds extremely quickly. You also can’t spray perfume or deodorant near them—again, because of the fumes. Scented candles and incense are out too. That’s probably the main thing I miss now that I have birds again.Birds, in general, are bred to be pets, but they aren’t truly domesticated the way a puppy is. Even if they love you, you’ll probably get bitten at some point, depending on the type of bird you own. My GCC, for example, adores me and hides from everyone else, but he still bites me and draws blood regularly. My cockatiels are gentler—they’ll give what I’d call a “friendly nibble” before they bite harder. Honestly, I’ve never been properly bitten by them because the nibble is usually enough.So, what would you tell someone considering a pet you have lots of experience with? I was thinking about getting a dog, but posts here convinced me I wasn’t ready. I’m sure I’m not the only one in this position, and I’d love to hear others’ thoughts.
#1
Vaccines are a yearly thing. So if you wanna have a pet, be prepared to allot a budget. Also, have insurance or pet funds for unexpected trips to the vet. I have 3 doggos, and they're part of my monthly salary. haha
#2
Parrot owner here. (Well, to be honest, I'm not sure who owns who 😄)
These birds are highly intelligent and will challenge you in ways you'd never imagine. They need to be active, to interact, to have various toys and playgrounds - otherwise they develop behavior and health issues (screaming, plucking feathers). If you cannot match their energy, get them a bird companion.
They are very messy and need daily cleaning. They can and will chew/ break/ destroy things in your house - even when they have a lot of toys. That's because they are very curious and like to search and discover your house (which is now theirs).
They bite, often drawing blood (even budgies can do that). Even if you gained their trust, they can still bite for various reasons you can't foresee: they are hormonal, they want to be left alone, there is something changed about you that they din't like or find threatening (clothes, color, hairdo, perfume). Or you eat and don't share with them. Or it's bedtime and that's totally unacceptable 😄
They are loud. In the wild, they communicate by loud calls; they call, chirp, whistle, mimic sounds to express themselves. If you want a quiet pet, don't get a parrot.
They have a long lifespan (up to 30 years or more for medium sized parrots such as senegal, conure, caique). Talk about lifelong commitments...
The joy and color they bring to your life is absolutely amazing. 🦜
However, if you cannot handle what I mentioned above, you might want to consider getting another type of pet.
#3
If you have a cat; the constant ’help’ on the computer you will get while working. 🤣
#4
I found the sweetest rabbit who was left behind by her owners. I had to adopt her a buddy tho because they are not happy alone. But if one of them dies, I have to get a second one again. You see where this is going? I'm stuck with rabbits forever!
#5
"Hey, by the way, all that stuff you've heard about Belgian Malinois? All those memes you've seen about the breed? Yeah. It's true. It's all true. You CAN'T handle a Malinois. You may THINK you can, but you can't. What's that? You've had German Shepherds for decades, you're prepared? Cool, cool. But yeah, no. You still can't handle a Belgian Malinois. It's like owning an F1 car as your everyday vehicle for driving to work and the grocery store. Except you can at least turn off an F1 car and take the keys out. You can't turn off a Belgian Malinois."
#6
Turtle/Red-eared slider, many people keep. When they were young, they were cute and small, but you think it is easy to maintain, but they need sun or heat so that they would get Respiratory diseases. Unalive within a few days. Also, you need a big tank for them, when they grow big, I mean real big, so it might not want to keep them and just release them into the wild, which is a big no-no. It is illegal to release non-native animals into the wild. I think it applies to many countries.
#7
Peacocks, beautiful creatures, but violently territorial, that can deliver a vicious bloody blow inadvertently, especially during mating season.
#8
Guinea pigs are not starter pets. There is a lot more care and expense involved than people realize. Cleaning poop every day. Changing bedding minimum once a week. Fresh vegetables every day along with hay - which is necessary to keep their teeth healthy. Large cage size depending on number of pigs - that one they sell you at the pet store is way too small. However, they all have different personalities, are little cuddlers and great for just chilling on your lap. Basically, tiny hobbits.
#9
Border Collie. Extremely high energy. Don't get one unless someone has time and energy to spend. Also, prone to seizures.
#10
I have crested geckos (Correlophus ciliatus), and one thing that people don't realise is they are arboreal and like to climb (and hide) a lot. Pet shops often sell people the really small vivariums, which don't offer a lot of space or height. I always recommend people get the tallest viviarium possible, with lots of places for the gecko to hide it, such as artificial plants, hides (coconuts are perfect), etc. Oh, and last piece of advice is be prepared for the long haul, as cresties have an average lifespan of between 10 and 15 years, so they are a long-term commitment.
#11
Rabbits love to chew and dig. We had to cover all of the wires in the house (spicy hay) and move all the small toys out of reach. His favorite thing to play with is a paper bag, which costs us pennies compared to the toys he doesn't care about, and we keep a few of them in his playpen.
#12
Cats: Learn their body language. Learn how to interact. They are not dogs and show affection, trust, fear and stress very differently. cats are subtle. Cats DO care, they are not aloof or uncaring.
Hence My Cat From Hell where he educates the owners some, not sorts the poor cats.
This is the most important thing. Cats respond to how you treat them.
#13
When you adopt a dog, it's for the rest of THEIR life not whenever you stop finding them fun. If you aren't going to commit to caring for a dog properly (fresh food and water daily, regular yearly vet visits and vaccinations, treating them as part of the family, and emergency visits as needed) then don't get one.
#14
You will spend more time and money on making sure of the quality of their food than your own
#15
I rescued a Dalmatian from the local shelter. Her prior owner was a horrible piece of trash who wouldn't feed her, so she was half the size she was supposed to be, and one quarter the weight. At her age she should have been about 60 lbs (27kg), but was only 19 lbs (8kg). So here's what I discovered.
1) She will always be food insecure. If she's awake, she's looking for food. If I let her eat as much as she wants she will eat until she vomits, then eat the vomit. It's actually sad to watch, it doesn't matter that she's well fed now, she is always scared that she won't get her next meal. It breaks my heart. On top of that, she will eat ANYTHING she can get her mouth on. I have a gate to keep her out of the kitchen, or I'd have to find ways of hiding everything even remotely edible. She ate a cake wrapped in tin foil; foil included.
2) Dalmatians are often deaf, and she fits that profile. She doesn't know her name, and won't respond to noises or verbal commands. On one hand, she's also not afraid of fireworks or thunderstorms. However it means I've spent a LOT of time and money working on alternative methods to train her. I ended up hiring a professional to help me out so that I could safely take her for walks where she wouldn't pull my arm out of its socket, and make sure if she gets outside, I have a way of calling her back in.
3) Dalmatians have a LOT of energy. This I already knew, but some people don't know this about them. They need a lot time to run and go crazy. They also like to chew, so get them plenty of toys, or you won't have nice things. I like to rotate her toys around so they keep feeling fresh and fun to play with.
4) She is the sweetest dog on earth, and I love her to death.
#16
Orange cats. They've either never seen The One Braincell in their lives or they're diabolical geniuses. There is no in-between.
#17
Long-haired Maine C**n.
You will find yourself trying to hold a 9 kilo squirming giant fur ball in one hand, while trying to clean off the bits of p*o that is caught in the long fur on his backside.
I still love the massive floofzoid to bits though!
#18
Before getting my type of pet, I’d warn people to really think about the time, energy, and responsibility involved. Pets aren’t just cute companions — they come with:
Daily commitment: feeding, cleaning, exercise, enrichment.
Costs: food, vet bills, toys, insurance — it adds up quickly.
Patience required: training, accidents, chewing/scratching, noise, or stubborn behavior.
Lifestyle impact: travel and long workdays get harder when someone at home depends on you.
The biggest thing? Don’t get a pet because they’re trendy or adorable — get one because you’re ready to care for them for their whole life. They deserve stability, not rehoming when things get tough.
✅ Bottom line: Every pet is a joy, but also a long-term responsibility. Make sure you’re prepared for the challenges as much as the cuddles.
#19
To anyone who's not been around indoor pets before, such as cats or dogs, please know that they do shed. And there will be cat ( or dog ) hair on just about every surface of everything in your entire home, and on you, too.
Another important thing to consider before adopting a cat especially is to think ahead to 20 years. Many cats can live that long and some even live longer.
Because of my age, I won't adopt cats again. Not sure I will be around in 20 yrs. and what will happen to them if I'm not?
#20
dogs:
money (I pay 120€ a month for a 22kg dog. addtionally there are emergencies like vet visits. operations or chronic illnesses can be thousands a year)
dirt and hair
organizing (and paying) sitters
puberty is a b***h (same as puppy destroyer phase and old and tired phase: every phase has it's issues)
... make sure you can offer the breed what they need (exercise, training, climate, city dog vs countryside dog)
... if you have no experience ask a trainer- not a breeder - what breed could work for you
#21
I always wondered why my cat seemed to love water, I'd had cats my entire life and had never seen any of them enjoy water like Lucy.
I had to tighten all my taps, as tight as possible every time I'd leave the house and she'd still find a way to open them. I'd come home from work to find her running around my flat, soaking wet and loving it. She'd jump in my bath water if I left it unattended for a second.
It wasn't until she got sick that a vet told me she was a Turkish angora, a breed known for their love of water and affinity for joining people in their baths!
#22
Ferrets. Cute, funny, playful, affectionate. BUT... too intelligent their own good and safety. They have an intelligence level of a toddler and are problem solvers extraordinaire. They are never reliably litter box trained. If you allow them into a room once, they will always want back in. To the point of digging through the carpet and padding to squeeze under the door. They steal and stash things, including making a food stash somewhere in the house, like a dresser drawer. That's mostly females. The males go for socks and such and stash those. They must see what is at the bottom of any cup, full or empty, by tipping it over. And scariest of all, if they escape the house, they are brave and bold enough to bounce up to any other animal, size be damned, to say howdee. The terror of not being able to find your little carpet shark after checking the whole house and running around outside calling for them. Then you come back into the house and there they are, sleepily blinking up at you, wondering what all the excitement is about.
#23
I have a West Highland Terrier. Budget for vet bills for skin issues almost all of them suffer with them. As much as I love my boy, I would not recomend a Westie to a first time dog owner as although they are very bright they are also very stroppy and very hard to train.
#24
Bengal cats. My friend has them, I have only cat sit. Don't get me wrong, they're beautiful and great cats, but there are many Bengal rescues for a reason. Super smart and curious. But....things my friend has dealt with: no longer owns anything breakable (no vases, no knickknacks); child locks on all outside doors, cabinets, fridge and freezer; prior to the locks, pulled all food out of the freezer while she was at work, a few times; pulled up vents in the floor and tried to go in; pulled paintings off the wall to see what's behind; fell into her bath while walking on the shower rod multiple times; stole my gum (mint) out of my purse; took my wallet out of my purse to get the gum; opened the door and left vet exam room while people were talking...When I sat for them, they threw a huge tantrum - purposely pushing a block of knives off the counter - because I wouldn't let them outside (on balcony) in the middle of the night. These are not just cats, they are a full time job.
#25
Pugs... They snore...
#26
Apart from the usual caveats about costs be warned about dachshunds. I have 3, did have 4 until recently. I found training my Siamrse cats easier than training dachshunds. They're known to be extremely stubborn and toilet training is a slow process. Mad Max was nearly 2 before he had reasonably reliable recall. Jasper has none and he's 7. He does come back but only when he's had enough. He went for nearly 3 hours in my local woods. I gave up and went back to the car park with the others. Later, much later he comes trotting out wondering what the fuss is about. I can only let him off the lead in a safe area.and tried a couple of trainers but no improvement. However I wouldn't be without them.
#27
Void cats when most of your clothing is black will hide the cat hair. It will also hide the entire cat if you leave your black shirt on the bed, resulting in a newly evicted void getting moody at you and your hair will later be the victim of a targeted attack once you sit at the computer.
This is why I am currently on bp instead of doing my work, I accidentally turfed Void off my hoodie because he blended in so well,, now my hair is a mess and my hair bun is over my ear instead of on top of my head because of his revenge.
#28
Don't et a beagle. All they do is bark
#29
If you get a golden retriever, be prepared for a goof. They love to play and cuddle and they get their feelings hurt easily, so go easy on the reprimands. They will follow your commands, when taught and are easy to train, because they are such pleasers and jokers. My wife and I have adopted many of them over the years and each one had its own personality and they were all joys in our lives.
#30
Lovebirds. They are LOUD and smart. So they are able to open the cage (they're smart enough also to understand in what direction rotate the door and if there is a padlock that the padlock is the key to open, they try to break it with their beak)
#31
Chihuahua's are more than an accessory. They are very smart but stubborn, usually bond with one person more than the whole family. Be prepared for health issues, my first one had teeth problems and then heart issues, my current is suffering from tracheal collapse even tho I only use harnesses, never a collar. But they are incredible companions, love to be next to you & touching you, Lexie loves to sit on my chest and put her face in front of mine, makes watching TV a bit of a problem. They need to know that you are in charge, otherwise they try to be in control, which can lead to aggressive, bitey conduct. They have no idea how small they are & will boss larger dogs around. Love them.
#32
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