Commentary: Having a pet is not all sunshine and rainbows, it’s hard work

A big part of the problem is a lack of understanding and knowledge about the animal’s biology, perhaps reinforced by social media. It’s common to see many more cute pet videos, pictures and memes than depictions of harsher realities.

Some may be misled to believe keeping a pet is all sunshine and rainbows and obtain one without learning sufficiently about pet care, health and behaviour. We’ve seen neglected rabbits mistakenly fed a diet of mainly carrots instead of hay, grass and leafy greens, leading to digestive problems and malnutrition.

Some people forget our responsibility of training animals in a way they understand and tending to their health. Others start off trying their best, but lose patience when training takes longer than expected.

There are no quick fixes. Each animal learns and develops at a different pace – one dog may toilet train within days, another might take weeks.

REALITY OF KEEPING PETS NOT ALWAYS FUN

A pet relies fully on us for almost everything and are at our mercy. This is a heavy responsibility that should never be taken lightly or underestimated.

Some get certain dog breeds without realising they were historically bred as high-energy working dogs and need a lot of exercise. You’re going to have to walk a sheepdog much longer and farther than a pug.

You can expect a host of behavioural problems if there is no suitable outlet for the animal to expend physical and mental energy.

If a “problem” behaviour like excessive barking develops, the amount of time and energy required increases significantly. Months of hard work may help resolve it, sometimes it must be managed for life.