I decided to blog about this topic when a guy at a store talked about the fact that his wife wanted a second dog & he wasn’t sure. He had a female Cocker Spaniel & a neighbor had its litter mate, so she had a part time playmate already. Honestly that is perfect for some pets, not all want a full time playmate/roommate/cagemate/housemate etc… Some pets prefer the companionship of their humans & not the same type as they are. Some dogs would rather live with a cat than another dog. I have fostered birds that would harm any bird that got near them. I say all this to say you need to really evaluate if your pet really wants a friend or is happy as an only.
Some pets like some snakes or other reptiles don’t do well with others in their environment, a tank or cage across the room might be ok for some, but not all. Some breeds of pets look at others as predators & would be frightened to see a certain animal in their home. Examples: the snake above would freak out my birds, a cat could scare a pet mouse or a pet bird. I’m not saying someone can’t keep these pets in the same home, but if you do take precautions so they can’t see or get to each other. Beta fish will fight if in a tank with another, they like being the fancy handsome single fish in the bowl.
My former dog Sydney would have preferred to be an only dog, she wasn’t because I had a senior dog. It worked out because the senior dog left her alone, he also probably would have preferred to be an only dog. That’s a long story for another time.
If you’re considering a second pet there are some things you might want to think about first:
- Why do I want a second pet? Would it benefit the quality of life of my current pet(s)?
- Are my current pets social with other animals?
- What would I do if the pets don’t get along?
- If it’s a caged pet, do I have the $, space & things needed to house them separately permanently if necessary?
- Are you ready for the added expense of another pet?
- Do I have the time & space to properly separate them & slowly introduce them, so there is a better chance they will bond?
There are alternatives to getting a second pet:
- If it’s a dog you can send your dog to daycare (my niece’s dog Matilda pictured above enjoys daycare).
- Can set up play dates with friends with friendly pets of the same type.
- Spend extra time with your pets, cuddle on the sofa, take them for walks, more pets,kisses or time talking with them.
- Enrichment toys, things they have to figure out, destroy, dig, move things to get to the treat or shred can help prevent boredom. There are a variety of ideas for most pets, try different things & mix it up.
- Take your pet with you to places that are pet friendly.
If you think your pet needs a friend then knowing your pet well will help you to decide if it really is something your pet wants. When I first was interested in adopting my dog I was told he was into dogs & not really humans. I think part of the reason she thought I might be a good fit for him was that I didn’t have any other dogs at the time. This gave us time to bond one on one before I decided to adopt another dog. I actually am glad I agreed to wait to find a second dog so Hunter & I could bond. We did & he is quite attached to Echo & me, it was 13 months after I adopted Hunter that I adopted Echo.
Bonding & training one pet at a time is far easier than starting with 2, often then the pets attach to each other & not to the humans. In cases of pets that are not hand tamed like fish, some birds, & other pets that prefer not to be picked up then bonding with their kind & not you is not a bad thing.
So in conclusion I don’t think you should feel bad if you are happy with one pet & don’t want a 2nd one or your pet doesn’t want to share you with another pet. You just have the added responsibility of keeping your pet’s life enriched, so they are not bored. Boredom can lead to destruction & getting into trouble for some pets. I know as I mature I will have less pets, I’ll travel some so one dog & one to 2 birds will be easier to manage. If I have a dog that is a sporting breed I may get them involved in a sport like dock diving, agility or take fun classes. I believe it is smart to look at the whole picture & think down the road a 3,5, 10 yrs & make decisions based on a long term plan. Pets are family & we want them to be happy. I have learned so much being a foster mom of pets for 20+ years for a variety of pets. They all are unique in some ways & getting to know them helped me to know what type of home environment was best for that particular pet. My dog Hunter was a good fit, he is not into kids & I don’t have any, he isn’t scared of new things so going on vacation with me works well. I have a great pet sitter who I trust so I have someone to watch my birds when I go on vacation.
I hope this has given you some food for thought & eased any guilt you might have about keeping an only pet. If you are enjoying my blog I would appreciate it if you will do me a favor & help me to get the word out there about my blog. There are some simple things you can do: Like my posts, subscribe to my blog, comment about what you liked or learned, share the link below on your social media sites, & visit often. I have 148 other posts on this blog, you can find the table of content with all the posts listed on my main page under the show tab. Then go back to the main page & scroll down to read previous published posts. If you have an idea for a post or a question feel free to email me at echoinggreatpetcare@gmail.com Thanks for reading, Debbie
Echoing Great Pet Care 