Many people have pets and they love them to the Moon and back, but when we think that our actions are meant to improve their lives, it seems that more we can affect their condition, especially when we do not consider the advice of the veterinarians.

Having a pet involves some maintenance costs and a huge responsibility, so, if you think that you won’t be able to be there for them as often as possible and to satisfy their needs, then do not adopt one! Believe it or not, we have to mention the fact that statistics show a very large percentage of animals abandoned by their owners because they do not have enough resources to keep them.

Besides this fact, there are people who think that taking care of pets means feeding them often and taking them out for a walk, but this is not enough, because they also need special treatments and veterinary consultations, even the food should be specially prepared for them. 

However, we tend to treat our beloved animals like they are our kids, and in fact, this is not wrong, but sometimes our actions could be inappropriate or even fatal if we do not pay attention more than we actually do. For instance, if you think that your cat is sick and you give it the medication that is not recommended by a vet you could kill your animal. Also, if you think that it is cute to let your dog meet new friends in the park it might not be a good idea. 

Generally speaking, the truth is that we do not know what is good for animals, because it is impossible to be all-knowing, but we have to do some research before interacting with different creatures. For example, there are people who do not know that it is not a good idea to feed the monkeys with bananas because they contain a lot of sugar and they could even die.

So, even though we like to do some things that are really sweet and well-intentioned too, we have to know that they could be wrong and the best solution is to document yourself before going to the zoo or to consider the advice of veterinarians when you decide to adopt a pet. 

Here is a list of the most common mistakes pet owners make, according to veterinarians. Enjoy!

Cutting out the matted fur of a pet’s ear

You have to take care of the fur of your animal because if you do not groom it often, the fur on their ears can become matted. In this case, do not chop it off, because it is not recommended. 

According to vet Christie Long, “matts are difficult to brush or comb out, so sometimes pet owners decide to take matters into their own hands and cut them out with scissors. This is a mistake. Because it can be difficult to determine where the matt ends and the ear itself begins, it’s easy to cut the ear.”

If you wonder how to deal with this problem, then all you have to do is to brush gently the fur, and if this is difficult, they go to a professional groomer.

Not letting your pet to socialize 

Keeping your pet away from other people and animals could be bad for their evolution and it is recommended to let it meet new friends because this will help their development. 

According to animal specialists, letting your dog interact with other animals or sending it to puppy socializing classes could be vital for them, because they will learn how to behave properly. Avoiding the socializing of your pet could develop real aggressive tendencies. 

“Though it’s important to keep a new puppy away from areas frequented by dogs with an unknown vaccination history, puppies need to meet new people and dogs in order to be properly socialized,” said Long.

Not giving your cat enough litter boxes

First of all, cats are one of the cleanest animals, which means they love to have a clean space to manifest themselves. So, many cat owners do not have enough litter boxes or do not change often the litter and this is a bad idea in terms of their growth. 

According to veterinarians, you should have a litter box for every cat you have plus an additional one. If your cat doesn’t have where to do its needs, then it will find other places, such as your furniture or other personal things. 

Nevertheless, try to keep in mind that once your cat will have a bad bathroom habit, it will be impossible to change its behavior again. 

So, all you have to do is to prepare multiple litter boxes for your cats and to clean them regularly, so that they will have a better life.

Ignoring your pet’s vomiting

People tend to ignore when their pet is vomiting and think that it is because of the overeating – in the case of dogs – or expelling hairballs – which happens to cats. But ignoring when your beloved animal is vomiting could be a huge mistake. 

“Because cats will vomit hairballs from time to time, some cat owners think it’s normal for their beloved felines to vomit food as well. Vomiting is never normal for any pet, and even if your pet appears to feel well, it should be investigated,” said Long.

All you have to do is to take your pet to an expert and he will tell you what to change in their diet and will help you with special medication.

Forgetting to trim their nails 

According to Shelly Zacharias, a well-known veterinarian, the overgrown nails of your pet can lead to medical problems and could cause severe pain. 

“Overgrown nails can cause a number of problems, including growing into the footpad, which can cause extreme pain and infection, breaking off and bleeding excessively, or partially breaking off, which often needs sedation to fix,” said Zacharias.

The body posture of your pet can be affected as well if you do not cut your pet’s nails. If you think that you are not able to cut its nails then you can take your pet on a trip at the groomer and do this urgently because long nails can cause arthritis too.

Letting dogs meet face-to-face

Letting your dog meeting new friends face to face could be dangerous for both you and him. 

“It takes only a second for a bite to the face to occur if one of the dogs decides they are not a fan of the other, and even those of us with the best reflexes cannot stop this blink-of-an-eye injury from happening,” said Zacharias. 

If you want to do this, you have to know better your dog and how it interacts with other new animals and the other owner should know the personality of his dog as well. 

“If the owner gives their OK, guide your pet to the new dog’s tail end to let them get to know each other before meeting face to face. This is a natural way for dogs to meet, rather than going nose to nose, which can be offensive to pets,” said Zacharias.

You have to consider the nonverbal behavior first, namely if you see your dog’s ears that go back or that their fur is lifted you should keep away your dog from the other animal.

Not cleaning up your dog’s feces

Medical experts and veterinarians say that dog’s waste contains dangerous bacteria that can infect other people or animals. Other people can get giardia, salmonella or E. coli by direct transfer or by contaminating water or grass. 

So, besides the fact that not cleaning up your dog’s feces is not polite, it could affect the lives of other animals or it could happen to you as well. 

“Nobody likes walking in their yard and stepping in another person’s dog poop. If you take your dog for a walk around your neighborhood, make sure to pick up after your dog,” said the vet, Sara Ochoa.

Skipping annual vaccinations

If you decide to adopt a pet, then you should know that it involves some maintenance costs, such as regular veterinary checks. Not only that it helps keeping your pet’s health under control, but it also saves you much more costs when an unexpected illness occurs. So, try to not skip annual vaccinations because they are very important for you and your pet. 

“The vaccines help prevent very common diseases seen in pets. By not vaccinating, you are putting your pet and other people’s pets at risk for developing problems,” said Ochoa.

Thinking that small animals require less attention

 Many people think that it is always a good idea to buy for their kids a little animal because its maintenance involves fewer costs and attention, but this is not a good idea. Small or exotic animals need the same caring.

For instance, different species of fish need special food, just like cats and dogs, and the water should have the right temperature. Or if you decide to buy a turtle, they need a special aquarium with special décor. So, it is not that simple as we thought. 

“Many exotic animals come with lots of requirements to keep them healthy. Find an exotic veterinarian near you and ask questions about their care before getting an exotic animal,” said Ochoa.