Before You Say Yes: 4 Gut Checks for Adding Another Pet

Amy Castro (00:00)
Thinking about adding another pet to the family, before you say yes, let's talk about four ways to know if it's really the right time. Because sometimes just one more is fine, but other times it's a disaster waiting to happen.

reach the Pet Parent Hotline, your lifeline to practical solutions for your toughest pet parenting challenges. I'm your host Amy Castro, and I'm here to help you cut through the noise and turn expert advice into step-by-step strategies so you can stop chasing your tail and start enjoying life with pets again.

So I've had to make this decision more times than I can count. Not only for myself, but for all of the people who have come through our rescue looking to adopt a pet. And let me tell you, it's not always about wanting another pet. It's really about being ready in all the right ways. And trust me, one of the best things about being in rescue is being able to kind of test drive pets by fostering.

I'd always thought I wanted birds. I thought they were pretty. I love watching the videos on TikTok of birds talking to their owners. And so I got the privilege of having a couple of birds through the rescue. Turns out, ⁓ absolutely not. Birds are definitely not for me. That's all I can say. ⁓ the mess, the noise, the mess and the noise. Did I say anything about mess and noise? Yes. As much as those birds were adorable,

I was super happy when they got adopted and went on their merry way to their new homes. Then there was the tortoise. So another critter I always wanted was a tortoise. And I've got plenty of space for one. I could easily house a tortoise here where I live. Love the idea, but all it took was about two days having that tortoise that we took into the rescue here living with us and as lovely as he was. Beyond the fact that they live

forever and would probably outlive me, I'm sure. Have you seen the size of their poop? ⁓ my goodness. It was not what I was expecting. And that little stinker was a massive escape artist and it would have taken a lot of work to keep him confined. So no thank you. Tortoise returned luckily. Didn't have to adopt the tortoise out. Found the tortoise's owner, returned him. So the beauty of fostering...

For me, has been the fact that if it's not a fit, I just continue on my merry way and find them a home. Case closed. But for you, once you adopt, that's it. Whatever it is, is yours for life. And if you're not thinking it's gonna be for life, then I can tell you right now, you don't need to listen to the rest of this episode because you are not ready for a pet. It is not the right time for you. Because pets are not a trial, they're not a practice until you have children and then we get rid of them.

Pets are for life. So you always want to go into any situation, whether it's a goldfish or whether it's a horse or anything in between, thinking that your goal is to keep that pet for life. So what I'd like to share with you today is four things you need to consider before you even think about bringing an additional pet into your home. And many of these things are probably good things to consider before you are bringing a first pet into your home.

But absolutely, if you already have a pet and things are going well, maybe you don't want to upset the status quo. Maybe you should leave well enough alone. But if you're thinking about it, here's some things to consider. Tip number one is to make sure you look at your current household dynamics. Before you fall in love with that cute puppy at the shelter or the kitten that your neighbor happens to be giving away, hit pause and look at what's happening in your home right now. Is it?

calm and predictable, or are you already juggling chaos? In rescue, we like to joke about the phrase, what's one more? Someone will say, we've already got two, and we say, what's one more? And sometimes it's true. You know, if your current pets are happy and they're well adjusted, and your home is peaceful, and you're feeling satisfied, then another pet might slide right in without too much of a problem.

But other times, that one more thing is the one that tips the whole balance. If you've got dogs who guard toys from each other, or cats who are stressed out and using your laundry as a litter box, or you've got a house full of toddlers, hopefully not a house full, but it could be, but if you've got little kids and they still don't know how to respect boundaries with animals, no judgment, but sometimes they're just too young to do that. If that's the case, press pause.

Adding another pet is not going to solve these problems. And nine times out of 10, it's just going to make them worse. We recently had a family apply to adopt a pretty wild kitten. I will not name the kitten because she is still available for adoption, but we did advertise her honestly as a bit of a firecracker and a lot of energy and needing boundaries and a lot of attention. And this family had five kids under the age of five, including two that were still in diapers. And all I could think was, you don't need a kitten.

You need an app, probably, but you definitely don't need a kitten to add to that mix. And this isn't about being judgy, it's about being realistic. Your household needs to be stable before you add another animal or any animal into the mix. Because new pets don't bring peace, they bring change. And a lot of pets do not adjust well to change and they take a while to do so. And if your foundation is not already solid, that change is not gonna be a welcome one.

Tip number two is to assess your schedule and your bandwidth. As much as I hate that buzzword, you know, let's talk about time, but also talking about money and energy and things like that. But let's focus on time for a minute. A new pet is not just a cute addition. They need training, which takes time. Vet visits take time. Exercise takes time. Socialization, you get the picture.

If you're already sprinting from work and you're eating your dinner in the car and you are running from errands to bedtime with no energy and no time to give your current pets the attention they need, squeezing in another one is not going to magically give you more time and energy in your day. So ask yourself first, you know, is this just a temporary thing? Like we're in a busy season, we're getting ready for back to school. I've got a big work project and that's why things are crazy. Then great. I still think you should wait, but

it's gonna pass. But if this is your constant state of being, your life is in a constant state of chaos and it's gonna be that way for the next 10 years, then now is probably not the time to add a pet to that mix. And don't underestimate that adjustment period when a new pet is added to the home. Even if your current pets are total saints, you're still gonna need time for proper introductions and things may not go well from day one and it's gonna be a process of acclimating the new pet.

You just can't toss a new dog into a living room and let them all work it out. It just doesn't work that way. And you definitely can't do that with cats. So here's the truth. If you barely have enough time for the pet you already have, adding a second one is not gonna fix your guilt. It's not gonna suddenly negate the need for human attention. It's just gonna double it. And your pets are gonna feel that stress too. Tip number three is to think about your budget.

So let's talk about money. Nobody really wants to talk about it, but we have to, especially now when the prices of pet products, pet food have just skyrocketed over the last couple of years. So usually, yes, double the pets means double the cost. Food, vet care, grooming, boarding, it all stacks up. And

There are times where you might save a little bit of money. So for example, if you added another large breed dog and you already have a large breed dog, maybe you can buy that bigger bag of food that is a better price per pound. Sometimes medications are cheaper in larger quantities. But things like your vet bill or grooming bills, if you have dogs that are gonna be groomed.

Those are not gonna go down. The odds that your vet gives a discount for additional pets is fairly slim, and even if they do, it does not offset the cost. It might be 10%. The other thing I would say, and it's always shocking to me when people apply for pets, is they're still struggling to pay off whatever it might be. Their student loans, the last emergency bill from their pet that eats everything that it's not supposed to. And they are swayed by the emotional social media post about the cute.

puppy that needs a home. You know, that's how you end up in financial panic mode. Getting a pet should not be an emotional decision. Yes, be happy about it if you've made a good logical decision, but don't adopt or purchase a pet based on emotion. So here's what I recommend. Go ahead and look at what you're spending right now for your current pets. And I think we don't do a good job of actually writing this down and adding this up. And I think you'd be shocked if you knew how much money you were spending.

And now take that dollar figure, that total over the course of a year, and double it. And while you're at it, ask yourself, if one of my pets had an emergency tomorrow, can I cover it without panic? And if the answer is no, adding another pet is probably not a good move for you right now. And here's the thing that nobody likes to say out loud. If you can't comfortably provide for your pets that you already have, you don't need another one. And I don't say this with judgment. It's a reality. If you're struggling,

to pay your annual vet visit, if you're struggling to buy pet food every month, or if you're foregoing things because your pet is costing you too much money, you don't need another pet. Pets need stability, they need veterinary care, they need quality food, they don't deserve to be the thing that pushes you into debt or makes you resent them because of the bills that they are racking up. Because at the end of the day,

Like I've said, this is a lifetime commitment. The pet you bring home doesn't understand anything about your credit card balance, your budget. They just know that they depend on you to give them everything that they need. And finally, tip number four is to check your why. This is the big one. Why are you even thinking about getting another pet? This is where I need you to be brutally honest with yourself. Are you hoping a new pet is gonna fix an existing problem? Because I promise you, it probably won't.

If your dog is destructive, adding another dog doesn't magically turn your dog into lassie. In fact, what you oftentimes do, and I've seen this happen in rescue when we've had multiple foster dogs, is whatever dog is already there that has a bad habit, the new dog is going to quickly learn that. It's not going to teach the old dog the new trick. If your cats are fighting and one is peeing all over your clothes, bringing home a fourth one isn't gonna make them pair off and become best friends. That's just not how animal behavior works.

Here's what I've seen happen. When people add a pet for the wrong reason, it almost always backfires on you. Your stress levels are gonna go up, your existing pets are gonna get even more unsettled, and the humans are oftentimes scratching their heads and left wondering why it is that this elution that I thought was gonna fix everything has actually made my life a little bit harder. Now, if you are thinking about another pet because your home is stable, your current pets are stable and happy and well-adjusted,

and you simply have room in your heart and your schedule and your budget to add another pet, then adding another pet can be a wonderful thing. One thing I tell people all the time, pets don't fill holes. They magnify what's already there. If there's chaos in your house, they're gonna add to it. So ask yourself, are you bringing this new pet in from a place of stability and intention and thoughtfulness or from a place of perhaps guilt?

or impulse, or I just couldn't say no. And if you can't confidently say that this is a choice I've thought through and I'm ready for the commitment, then it's probably not the right time for you to get another pet. And that is totally okay. Waiting is always better than rushing into what is a lifelong decision that you're not ready for. If this episode gave you that gut check you needed, hit follow so you don't miss what's next.

and share this episode with a friend who keeps saying, what's one more? You might save them and a future pet a lot of stress. If you're still not sure, don't rush it. Listen again, take notes, and really think it through. Pets aren't just a good idea for today. They're a decision for life. Because here's the thing. Pets are incredible. They make our lives richer, messier, but a whole lot better. And the best thing you can give any pet isn't a fancy toy or a bag of treats.

It's a stable, loving, forever home with someone who is truly ready to say yes. So whether it's now or five years from now, take your time and do it right. Your pets and your sanity will thank you.

Thanks for listening to the Pet Parent Hotline. If you enjoyed the show, don't keep it to yourself. Text a friend right now with a link and tell them I've got a show that you need to hear. And ask them to let you know what they think. And remember, your pet's best life starts with you living yours. So be sure to take good care of yourself this week and your pets.