Making the decision to take on the responsibility of pet ownership is an area which many do without really assessing the long term needs. Regardless of the type of animal, purchasing a pet will require some responsibilities and investment of time and money and in some cases, certain restrictions to future life choices and decisions.
All over the world, millions of pets are abandoned or given up for adoption, usually because the reality and practicality of keeping them has been greatly underestimated This is particularly true when it comes to purchasing more unusual pets such as birds, reptiles, amphibians etc. There is often little information available and decisions are made with a short term mind-set, without considering the long term investment of such a choice.
So, whilst you may have positive intentions to provide a happy home for an exotic pet, do take plenty of time to assess the situation with a practical hat on and while thinking about the impact this decision could make to your future life goals and aspirations.
Here are some areas to help you consider if purchasing an exotic pet is the right choice for you and them in the long term.
Future Plans
Think about your future, what does that look like? After all, some exotic pets can live a long time. For example Burmese pythons can live to 25 years and a tortoise can reach 150 years of age!
Will you always be in the same home or might you need to rent in future? Bear in mind many landlords don’t allow pets. Perhaps you have hopes and dreams to travel the world or even move overseas at some point? Remember, exotic pet relocation can come with certain restrictions depending on the country you’re moving to. Therefore it’s important if you have a country in mind, to check these details.
If you don’t have a family yet, does your future include children? How will this impact the time required for caring for your exotic pet and the additional expenses of care for when you go on family trips? If you chose a tortoise who would take on this commitment after you’ve passed away?
Financial Assessment
Unlike more common pets like cats and dogs, exotic pets require much more in order to keep them in optimal health, making the start-up costs pretty steep! However, whilst we’ll likely think and plan for these initial costs, we can often fail to consider the ongoing expenses such as veterinary care, heat and lighting costs etc.
Typically, you can expect much higher vet fees for the treatment of exotic pets purely because its takes specialist knowledge and expertise. Therefore, purchasing suitable insurance is advisable and obviously this becomes a regular ongoing expense.
Spend some time researching and calculating the expense of your exotic pet over its lifetime. Be sure you can afford the ongoing commitment as well as the initial spend.
Care Complexities
The requirements for caring for your exotic pet are very dependent on the exact type or species you’re considering. For example, as a snake doesn’t eat daily and so will require a lot less care than day a budgerigar.
Many exotic pets eat an unusual or specific diet like live food or defrosting dead animals such as chicks and mice. How much have you really considered the practicalities of sourcing and storing these foods for your exotic pets?
Every animal is cute when it is baby, but they of course will grow to full size eventually. Do you know what the expected size of your chosen exotic pet will be? Do you have the required space to house it when it is fully grown?
Furthermore, before making a firm decision on which exotic pet to get, do be sure to undertake plenty of research into their behaviour and temperament. Remember, each species is different. Some snake and lizard species are more docile than others so carefully consider how you wish to interact with your pet and what behavioural attributes would best suit your needs.