I wanted a dog when I was younger. I begged and pleaded until my parents let me have a dog. Honestly? They shouldn't have. I was not mature enough to have a pet at ten years old. Bustle asks a few good questions to know if you're mature enough to handle owning a pet.

  • Do I have enough time? Pets, especially in the beginning, need a lot of time from you. Training, housebreaking, exercise, are all time-consuming chores that you will need to do once you have a pet. If you work a lot, or go to school a lot, do you have the time needed to devote to a pet?
  • Do I have enough money? A pet can cost a lot of money, too. There are the adoption fees, of course, but also trips to the veterinarian if poor Fido isn't feeling well or he gets into something that he shouldn't have. Vaccinations can cost you, too, as well as regular everyday expenses like food and treats.
  • Am I allergic to pets? It's okay if you don't know, but have an allergy test done by a specialist to find out before you spend a couple hundred dollars on a pet. It's not fair to the pet to get to know you only for you then to have to take them to a shelter because you're allergic to pet dander.

You should be pretty stable before bringing a pet into your life. If you have to move constantly or you come home at all different hours, it could place a lot of unnecessary stress on a pet. Think about how a pet can add to your life, and how you can add to that pet's life as well.

(via Bustle)

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