This year there are estimated to be 24 million pets in Australia with dogs, 4.8 million of them, the most popular. Dogs are closely followed by cats then birds as the most popular pets. Considering that this country has only just reached a population of 25 million people, one can say we are definitely pet lovers. Many of the people who don't own a pet would like to have one, but are not permitted to because of housing rental restrictions.

Most families want a friendly reliable animal for their children to have as companions. Dogs come in many sizes and with different temperaments to suit people of different ages and abilities. When choosing a pet there are many things to consider especially how much time and energy will be required to keep the animal fit and happy and how much the animal will cost to feed.

There was usually a cat in the family when I was a child, but then cats slept on a mat, ate scraps of meat left over by the family, and scratched if there were fleas about. There was no vet in town so a sick cat usually died. There was no pet industry producing pet food, toys for pets, coats, beds, grooming services or places to care for animals while owners went on holidays. How times have changed. Now pet care is a multi million dollar industry and being given a kitten by a friend is rare with the price of a pet sometimes going into hundreds of dollars from a registered breeder.

There is great concern now about animal welfare in the community. Most people realize that animals have rights too, the right to food, shelter and kindness. Many people actively support organizations such as the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and Animals Australia. Both these organizations want Live Exports of sheep, cattle, goats, deer, and other animals to be banned because cruelty is an ongoing problem in the live animal export industries. People power has forced changes into the poultry industry too with growing pressure to ban egg production using cages. Large supermarkets are selling more and more eggs from free range chickens and children have been at the forefront forcing this change.

The Christmas holiday season will soon be here. If you are going away, make special arrangements so any pets you have will be well cared for during your absence. As well as being fed every day, cats and dogs need exercise and attention as they will be lonely. If you are considering getting a pet as a gift for the family, consider carefully first as pets need long time committment and not just from a child, but from the whole family. In my family we not only had a cat and a bird, but we had donkeys. That meant we signed up for 30 years of caring for them!

Tags: pets