My Purrfect Pets Series focuses on different bloggers and their families – including their furry family of course! We all have different lives and I find it amazing to get a glimpse into other peoples homes and connect with them on all levels so I put them under the grill and ask them some questions. As a pet lover myself, I’m always keen to investigate how other people are doing it. This is a pet-positive series that any families with a pet of any kind can take part in, send me an email if you’re interested in being the next featured purrfect family!
Today we’re with Zoe from The Tale of Mummyhood. You can follow Zoe on Instagram Facebook and Twitter!
Can you tell us a little about the animals you have and your family?
I’ve always been an animal lover, so all of my pets were mine before we had children. Now they’re family pets and I get the kids involved in taking care of them where they can. We have a dog, two rabbits, a budgie and a degu!
Do you think your children will benefit from growing up in a household with pets?
I firmly believe that learning to take care of another living thing is beneficial for children. Now that the girls are getting older, we spend time learning how to care for each animal individually. They get stuck in with making their homes nice with fresh bedding, food and water on a daily basis!
It sounds like a busy family life – how much extra work do you think is involved every day taking care of your pets?
I’ve always cleaned my animals out daily, so to be honest it doesn’t take much time at all, as the mess doesn’t get time to build up. Once a month I give their quarters a deep clean which takes a little longer, but keeps them fresh!
What would you say is the most challenging thing about having your pets?
For a while we struggled with holidays as it was difficult to find someone to look after them whilst we were away. Now though we have the most amazing neighbours who look after them, they spoil them rotten. Our dog stays with my mum as he’s always been a shared pet, they have two other Collie’s and they all get on so well!
What would you say is the best thing about having your pets?
The love and enjoyment they bring! There’s nothing than spending time with our pets, the girls love them too which is amazing to see.
What made you decide to keep a degu, that seems quite an unusual pet? Would you recommend degus to others?
I didn’t actually intend on keeping degus, but I’d heard of a couple who were in a fix and needed theirs rehoming. I’m a sucker for an animal in need so I took them on. They’re such intelligent animals and since they’ve been with us they’ve become so tame!
They do take a lot of looking after as they need regular dust baths and a special diet. They’re prone to diabetes, so keeping on top of their diet is super important. I think they’re more for adults and older children really!
Do you have any advice for anyone who is thinking about adding pets to their family?
I would say think carefully about your family dynamics, before you add any pets to the mix. They take a lot of looking after, not to mention the extra money they cost to keep. I think they’re totally worth it, but if you can’t dedicate the time to them it’s not fair to keep them!
3 Comments
I’ve been thinking about getting a cat but I’m worried about the extra cost. I really want one though.
There is definitely a budget to account for and it’s good to work that out in advance. You might be surprised how little they cost though.
Great interview. Bit embarased as I had to look up what a degu was!