12 Signs Someone Is Not Ready To Be A Pet Parent

1. You can't even keep your house plants alive!

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Okay, if you can't even keep a houseplant alive (and if it's a cactus then sorry, no), how do you think you are going to manage to look after a precious pet? Houseplants require some water once a week... whereas getting a pet is a FULL time commitment and they'll require pretty much 24/7 attention and care! Start with the basics and walk before you can run...

2. You can't cope without weekend lie-ins

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Are you that person who feels like a zombie before 9 am? Cause we hate to break it to you, but if you get a dog that will be all over. A pet is essentially like a child that never grows up. When it comes to the morning dogs are up and ready to go and if you think they'll wait for you to get your beauty sleep on a Saturday morning they you've got a very rude awakening coming your way - quite literally.

3. You're a neat freak

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If you're a neat freak and a clean freak then you've got some serious thinking to do. Do you realize that your cream carpet will soon be covered in muddy paw prints and pet pee? Because that's the reality of being a pet parent. And if you think you'll opt for a cat and be safe, don't be so sure because cats especially sometimes have a nasty habit of 'spraying' all over your fancy furniture.

4. You just got a new job

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You just got a new job, you're totally engrossed in it and up to your eyeballs with work, work office politics, socializing with work friends and essentially adjusting your life to your new job. It's a hugely exciting time but not a time to introduce a pet into your home when you can't give it the attention that it needs and deserves. Perhaps when things have settled down you'll be more ready.

5. You love spontaneous trips away

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Ah, to open your travel app on your own and find a random flight to take is a feeling and a luxury like no other. But what happens to your pet when you do this? You can't take them everywhere with you. Do you have someone that's happy to step in and look after your pet every time you are away? If not then it's a serious thing to take into consideration before making the move.

6. You work away all the time

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Nobody wants their job to get in the way of having a fur baby. But if you're working away all the time and can't guarantee where you'll be or when, then it's not exactly fair to have a pet. You can't leave them at home without anyone. And even if you get the lowest maintenance pet you possibly can, like a fish, even they can't be alone for days on end because they need feeding!

7. Money is tight

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Getting a pet isn't just about buying them and the cute bed, and pet bowl etc, it's about the constant upkeep. Yearly vaccinations and vet bills do NOT come cheap! Having a pet is a financial commitment and it's not something to ignore, even if you really want one. Can you afford it? Or will it be a worry that you cannot afford to pay pet insurance if something goes wrong?

8. You want the perfect, magazine-looking home

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Here's a delusion many people have when they've never had a pet before and think about having a little fluffy cat or dog lay neatly on their plush beige carpet. Let's just bring you back down to earth for a second. If this is the kind of image and aspiration you've got for your home...you need to accept that when you do get a pet, this dream instantly evaporates in a cloud of pillow feathers that your new puppy has torn up.

9. You're not totally sure about the idea

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Getting a pet isn't the kind of thing you decide overnight. It's not the same as deciding to make any other kind of purchase. A pet is a living being with lots of needs and you will become the sole person responsible for this little creature. If it's not something you truly desire, then it's probably not something you are really ready to commit to because being a pet parent is a FULL-time job.

10. You're rarely at home

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Becoming a pet parent takes a lot of time. So if you; 're rarely at home you're most not likely ready for this huge commitment. Whether you're away because you have so many hobbies or a busy social life, if you're not at home you; 're not able to look after your pet. It all depends, are you willing to let some of these aspects of your life go in order to be able to have a pet? If not - you're NOT ready.

11. You love to throw house parties

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The thing is when you become a pet parent you really have no idea of what personality your pet will grow into. For example, you can socialize your dog from being a pup but if he's inherently shy and nervous there's nothing you can do to change them. You couldn't be throwing house parties around a nervous dog because it would affect their mental and physical well-being. You have to be able to fit your lifestyle around their needs.

12. You're not reliable

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Look, forgetting to lock your door when you leave the house and not remembering to attend important appointments or turn up to your friend's birthday party aren't the end of the world. But, they're also not exactly promising signs that you are ready to be a pet parent. You can't forget to let them out, or walk them, or feed them...this really would be serious!

13. Your routine is all over the place

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One day you wake up at noon, the next you stay out till 5 am in the morning. Another day you'll be away and the next week your friend's staying over for a week. If your routine is all over the place you've gotta think...how will a pet fit into this routine. Pets need stable routines. They can't have their food time changing every day and they can't stay up all night one night and sleep all day the next!

14. 'Naughty' kids annoy you

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If you're wondering what's the relevance of finding naughty kids annoying, then we'll explain. The thing is, kids and pets are similar in some sense, for example, they behave according to their emotions and sometimes they act up and there's nothing you can do about it because that's just what they do. So if you're expecting your pet to be super well-behaved you may be in for a shock.

15. You have big travel plans

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How can you be ready to be a pet parent if you're planning the travel trip of a lifetime in two years, jetting off for months on end to travel the world? You can't take your pet with you, so what would you do? You can't leave them! So if you are envisaging going away for a long length of time in the future you need to get this out of your system before you are ready to be a pet parent.

16. You've not got your own place yet

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It's not that you need to have bought your own home before having a pet, but you need to think realistically. For example, are you living with a housemate? What do they think about it? Are you switching homes all the time? All of these things should be considered because how can you guarantee the next place you live will be suitable for pets? It's something to take into consideration.

17. You aren't prepared to make sacrifices

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Becoming a pet parent means that you are willing to make a sacrifice for them. You will put their needs first in the sense of, it's a rainy day but you still take them out. Or, you don't feel energetic but you make sure you have playtime. You want to go on holiday but you choose somewhere closer to home to take them with you! These are the daily kinds of decisions you make as a pet parent.

18. Your mind changes all the time

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If you're even wavering in your decision about becoming a pet parent then this is suggesting you're not ready. If one day you're super set on getting a pet and the next you think you'd prefer not to then you're not serious enough about the decision yet. And this decision is not one that you can reverse! Once you have a pet you are their parent and have to commit no matter what you feel like.

19. You can't commit to a relationship

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Look, some people don't want to be in a relationship and that's totally fine, it doesn't mean you're not ready. But, is it your inability to commit that's what is holding you back? Because if this is the case, it's a different story. If you cannot commit to a relationship then what makes you think you are ready to commit to a pet? After all, a pet relies solely on you, they are not independent!

20. You've done ZERO research

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Whatever put you are getting, whether it's a cat, dog, goldfish, or hamster you need to put in a lot of research time. You are looking after a living being and if you do not properly know how to care for it or what to do then you could be affecting its health. It's not fair on the pet for you to make an informed decision, especially when it comes to something so important as becoming the carer for a living being.

21. You don't enjoy walking

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This is mainly a problem if the pet you choose to get is a dog. Because if you don't enjoy walking, you're going to find yourself having to go on two walks a day with your dog! This is every single day, even when it's cold or rainy outside. So if you don't like the pet lifestyle it may be a sign to reconsider becoming a pet parent because you may not be ready.

22. You rarely spend time in nature

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Pets are natural beings, and often having a pet is usually (but not always) correlated with loving to spend time or taking an interest in nature. And, depending on the kind of pet you have you may need to take them for walks in nature. So if it's something you have no interest in or don't even like, then it makes you wonder why you would even want a pet in the first place!

23. You're not even allowed a pet

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This is a big one. If you're living in a rented property with a no pets allowed rule, you're not ready for a pet. If you are having to hide them every time the landlord visits it's not going to work. What about that inexplicably pet-like smell? What about the unmistakable signs of scratches on the floors and furniture? And what if they find out and you and your pet both have to find another place?

24. You have no idea what you'll be doing in a year

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We're not saying that to become pet parents you need to be super organized with your whole life's future plans mapped out ahead of you. But you do need some kind of idea. If you don't have any idea what you'll be doing in the near future, where does your pet come into this? Pets can only take so much upheaval because they do love stability and you need to know that wherever you'll be - your pet will be with you!

25. You're not patient

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Patience is key when it comes to pets. They can sense how we feel and it's not fair on them to lose patience. Pets are loving creatures who don't want to disappoint us, but they require time and effort. If you're training your new pet and losing your patience you could end up making your pet super anxious. Patience is an absolute necessity when it comes to being a pet owner!

26. You find it annoying when random dogs bound over to you

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There are two kinds of people: those that see a dog bounding over to them at a park who hold their hands out ready to accept this bundle of job and give it lots of strokes...and those who think get this naughty dog away from me! If you're the latter, then it sounds like you're unprepared and not yet ready for the many hurdles that you'll face in the life of a pet owner.

27. You feel like you're super busy and never have time

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If you are always rushing, you've never got time to stop and you never have time for yourself...how do you have time for a pet? Pets need time and effort and love put into them, and if you are not able to give this to them then it would not be fair to them. You have to be at a point where you have time in your life to be able to give to your new furry (or scaley) best friend.

28. You think 'It can't be that hard

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If you're thinking you'll get a pet because 'how hard can it really be?', then this just shows you are NOT ready to be a pet parent. It all depends of course on the pet you get. You've got some pets that require less effort than pets such as dogs who want your attention every minute of every day. But even a hamster needs their cage cleaned out and water changed every day!

29. The thought of pet poop freaks you out

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It's really not all cute cuddles and pet captures when you get a pet. Don't get us wrong, there's nothing better. But it comes with realities, such as pet poop. If you recoil even at the thought of pet poop then it sounds like you're not quite ready to handle what it really takes to be a pet parent. Because sometimes things can get quite messy and gross.

30. You find it hard to look after yourself

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If you are one of those people who struggles to look after themselves then you may not be ready to look after another living being. If you're eating instant ramen every night and you've got washing piled up for the last few weeks waiting for it to be done then you've not yet mastered how to look after yourself - never mind how to look after a precious pet!