Choosing the Perfect Pet

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Would you like to have a perfect friend? One that would like to play with you, take walks with you and listen to your secrets. Now imagine the perfect pet for you. Well a perfect pet is a lot like a perfect friend. Usually, a pet is like a member of your family.

Pets can have fur, fins, feathers or scales. They come in all sizes, shapes and colors. Some pets need to live in a special cage or tank, while others can live loose in your home.

The most popular pets are dogs and cats, although some people have fish, guinia pigs or turtles as pets. There are over 500 breeds of dogs, and perhaps 100 different breeds of cats. This doesn't even begin to account for the mixed-breed animals. Mixed-breed pets are just as loving, smart and obedient as a purebreed pet. Purebred pets usually have an appearance and disposition that is similar to others of the same breed.

We often want a certain pet just because it is cute or we've seen one like it on TV, but it's important to choose the right pet for our family, where we live and the activities we enjoy. It needs a lot of thought.

A large dog will need a lot of space and daily exercise. Cats and most small dogs are happy to live in an apartment or a home with a small yard. Some dogs and cats need to be groomed every day. Others don't.

You should think about how you have fun. Do you want a dog that will play fetch with you - or a cat that will curl up on your lap while you read? Does your family travel a lot? Will the pet have to stay alone for a day or so? If you're active and energetic, you'll want an active and energetic dog, such as a retriever, a terrier or a border collie.

Below are some of the general pet categories. Which pets could live in small homes or apartments? Which will need a large home and yard? Could any of these live in a classroom? Click on the links to read about each and then rate the homes to see where they could live.

Would you like to try our Crossword Puzzle based on the information in the pet description pages?

What kind of pet would be best for your family? Think about where you live and your family's life-style. Be sure to consider how much space you have, how much exercise you could give the pet and how much grooming it would need. Would feeding the pet be your responsibility?

A pet will typically share your home for more than 5 years. A few hours invested in reading up on their typical behavior traits, size and needs - before adding them to your home - may save you and the pet countless hours of grief! Your local library, bookstore or internet shopping channel will have books at a reasonable price. A few you might consider are:

• Kittens for Dummies - by Dusty Rainbolt
• How to Get Your Cat to Do What You Want - by Warren Eckstein and Fay Eckstein
• The Everything Cat Book - by Steve Duno
• Your Purebreed Puppy - by Michele Welton
• Puppies for Dummies - by Sarah Hodgson
• The Perfect Puppy - Benjamin and Lynette Hart
• A cat web site: The Great Cat Watch
• Another cat web site: The Cat Fanciers' Association

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