I'm not Peta. I'm not gonna say everyone needs to go on a vegetarian diet. Sure, I'm against tossing all the male chicks from a brood into the shredder without a second thought, but I'm not preaching that today.

What I'm talking about now is general pet abuse/neglegence.

So you wanna get a pet, eh? What do you want? A dog or cat? Do you know of a reputable breeder or nice shelter to get your new friend from? What about money for their food? Especially vet bills. Those get high. Are you okay with possessions possibly getting chewed up? Do you have the time to love and care for them? No really, can you devote at least 2 hours to your new friend every day? No? Don't get a pet. Especially not on a whim. Oh that little coc.katiel at the pet store is so cute...? Do you have a cage and food for him? Do you have TIME to spend with him? DO NOT BUY HIM.

Lemme tell you a story about a little co.ckatiel named Cyril. Cyril spent TWENTY YEARS in a small, cyllinder cage. (cont)

Cyril went that long with no toys, no human interaction, no love. Do you know what the equivalent in human years is? That'd be like living until you're 90, trapped in your bedroom with nothing and no one. Think about that. Think about being trapped so long that you could've died years ago, but you remained with pretty much nothing. It was amazing when this bird was rehomed, and accepted human affection. Just....let that sink in.

(continued later)

I hate animal abuse, it bothers me about those dam.mn commercials too. Why get a pet if you can't take care of it?
I'm not the richest. I'm actually poor. And many times my animals have run out of dog/cat food. But I always fed them. I know its not healthy, but none have ever gotten obese. C: (table scraps) And all my oets are healthy. I just don't understand.. I also hate show dog owners. Buy a dog to love.

I agree... Every animal our family has is loved to no end. We always make a stash of money so our pets can eat. I recently adopted two mice... and I make the time to hold them as often as possible without causing stress, and I clean their cage every week without fail... I can't see an animal suffer. It makes me so depressed and angry...

I agree. I make sure my dog gets food and water. Even if that means I have to give her bowls of water instead of filling and carrying the heavy water jug. The jug is for a water trough thingy, but it's too heavy for me to carry myself. And I make sure to play with her, too. Unfortunately, she is blind in one eye from getting hit by a car, but my family didn't bother to get it treated before developing too far....
My other dog had tumors before she died. Though they never seemed to bother her, she had them for as long as I can remember.

Animal abuse is definitely NOT a good thing.
I have two rats that I got just last year, and sadly they aren't like normal rats. I'm unable to touch or hold them because they struggle and bite, but I give them as much contact as possible. They're about only two years old, so they're still a little young and hyper. They're still progressing on getting used to human contact, and someday I'll be able to let them roam free without them running around so much that it's hard to catch them.
But yes, I always make sure to give them plenty food and water every day

Animal abuse is terrible. My pets are not treated as pets , they are treated like family members....Like equals. They are living organisms just like us. A life is a life no matter what shape or size. If you wouldn't do it to a human then what gives you the right to do an animal?! We are not some godly force to punish them or to govern what rights they have.

Re: Lololololololol

Also, since it seems like no ones touched the issue. If you can not afford the pets basic needs DO NOT GET THE PET. If you cant afford to clean them, their living conditions, feed them, and other things for the love of god dont buy a pet. I dont care how much you would love it, love does not replace basic care.

Also Im sick of people only caring about cats/dogs and all the "cute" pets. Make sure your fish has a tank thats big enough. Goldfish can not live in bowls. Make sure your leopard gecko cage has no sand. If your snake needs a heat lamp be sure to have one. etc. etc.
To sum it up, make sure to look out for ALL pets, not just the cute ones.

@Rainwolf
Who are you to say people dont love their show dogs? Just because you enter them in contests doesnt mean you dont love them.