The Best Places to Get a New Pet

Everyone is a sucker for puppy dog eyes and cute little toe beans. With the amount of adorable videos of cats, dogs, hamsters, rabbits and many more animals circling around the web, of course you’re going to start wanting a pet. If you’re thinking that it’s time to have a feline friend or a man’s best friend to keep you company, here are the three best places to get a new pet.

Contact animal rescue charities and consider adoption

There are many animals out there that need a home, especially those that are given care at rescue centres. These are charitable organisations such as RSPCA, Battersea, Dogs Trust and Cats Protection. There are many more rescue centres out there, but these are the most common charities whose sites animal lovers frequently visit. Most of these charities give you the option to adopt an animal by selecting the type of pet you want and entering the area you’re in. This will then show the animals ready for adoption.

By consulting a rescue centre, you’re supporting a charity that truly cares for animals and you’re also giving an animal a second chance. Other advantages of adopting from rescue centres include:

• Being cheaper. Adopting a pet is usually cheaper than buying from a breeder. Animals from rescue centres are also vaccinated and neutered or spayed at no extra cost. This will allow you to spend the money on treats and items that will make your pet’s life as comfortable as possible.
• The animals are usually trained. This means that you can spend more time playing and cuddling with your pet instead of worrying about training them.

Look through online pet sites and contact a breeder

The second option is to look through online pet sites such as Pets4Homes or Kitten Ads and buying from a breeder. If you’re not familiar with these types of sites, breeders will usually use these sites to advertise newborn kittens, puppies, rabbits and many more animals. Whereas, sites like Kitten Ads will only advertise kittens, as indicated by the name. Although some people think that buying from a breeder is unethical, there are some pros to getting a pet in this way, such as:

• Being specific. Most of these sites will allow you to look at different types of breeds available, enabling you to be more specific. For example, if you love Pomeranians, you can choose this dog breed category and enter your postcode to view any Pomeranian puppies near you.
• Meeting the mum and dad. When buying from a breeder, it’s advisable to view the animal in person. When you do, you’ll usually be able to see the mum. In some cases, you’ll be able to see both parents.

However, if you do plan to buy from a breeder, make sure you look out for red flags to avoid getting scammed. Check whether they’ve uploaded the same advert on other sites and make sure that the animals you’re interested in are ready to go. You should ensure that you’re only looking at newborns who are 8 weeks old. Although not every breeder has bad intentions, it’s still important to be wary to avoid an upsetting situation.

Getting in touch with a friend whose pet has recently given birth

If you’ve heard through the grapevine that a friend’s pet has recently given birth, get in touch with them and ask whether they’re looking to rehome the litter. If they are, tell them you’re interested and they’ll most likely let you take home the newborn you want. For most animals, they usually have to be 8 weeks olds to be taken away from their mother. If you take them home before they reach 8 weeks old, be prepared to give them the attention they need to be able to survive at a young age. Other advantages of getting a pet from a friend include:

• Trust. If it’s someone you know particularly well, you can trust them not to scam you or give you false information. Most of the time, getting a pet in this way is free since your friend will be more focused on giving the litter away to people who truly care instead of money.
• You’ll know the breed. If you frequently visit your friend’s house, you’ll know what type of breed the mother is, which means you’ll have an idea of the litter’s characteristics when they grow up.

These are the three best places to get a new pet. If you need help, advice, or for any enquiries, feel free to get in touch with any of our pet services from our directory here. Alternatively, you can also contact any of our veterinary professionals from our directory here.

If you have a cat and/or dog and you’re worried about its health, have a read of our articles on Health Check for Your Cat and Dog Health Check: What to Look Out For to help you.

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