Okay, so you still want to own a pet?

The puppy is now a dog! (Please see the two photos.) My son said he is decided to take care of Linux seriously. But, seriously, is he really ready? Well, I have the following items listed for him to check out:
1. Dog food is Php160/kilo now. Linux is now consuming about a kilo every 3 days.
2. Purified water for drinking is Php 35/25L. One whole pet bottle of 25L is consumed within 14 days
3. Cleaning water (tap) is about 25L daily. Used for cleaning the dog house and the "biological waste".
4. Large garbage bag is one (1) pc daily or Php 2/day.
5. One (1) hour total for feeding, cleaning & minimum "conversation".
..more listing to come! Just need to refer to my own list.
Extra expenses:
1. Cost of dog house (very minimal since there's already one that I just re-constructed. Remember, I am your friendly neighborhood handyman!) Php 600.00 including the grill, hinges, bari-bolt & pcs of screens.
2. Reinforcement of playground gate & the perimeter fence - Php 600.00
3, Taking out of all hanging shrubs which Linux happens to like pulling out!

So, there it is! Good luck in taking care of Linux, son!

So you want to own a pet? Here's some advice on how to be "pet-ready".

Everybody enjoys seeing a cute pet! (Well, almost everybody, I think!) Whether the pet is a dog, a cat, a bird, or what have you. But for me, finding satisfaction in "interacting" or "petting" someone else pet is very different from actually owning one.

Take for instance a cute puppy pet. Gandang tingnan at himasin hangga't puppy pa. Hangga't kaya mo pa ung pambili ng puppy food niya masaya ka pa rin! But, wait till the puppy became an adult dog already! Madalas ng magsira ng mga gamit. Lakas ng umubos ng dog food! (Teka, magkano na nga ba ang per kilo ng dog food na branded ngayon?) Di rin biro ang magpaligo at maglinis ng dog house niya! Teka, nagkasakit pa gawa yata ng magpalit ng brand ng dog food niya! There's a Veterinary Doctor at the other town, patingnan natin! Wait, let's do some research first in the Internet. Baka me home-made solutions pa para maging masigla ulit ang pet dog (at ng medyo makatipid na rin sa gastos!) . Sorry, hindi talaga pwede ang trial-and-error baka lumala ang sakit niya, We better bring him to the veterinarian na. Good! My son's dog, LINUX, is now well again a day after the visit to the vet.! Pero teka, bakit ako yata ang abala at nag-aalala at hindi ang real pet owner? Oh, well, my son is always busy managing his business, he is not yet fully "pet- ready", natutuwa lang siya talaga na makakita ng mga cute pets. Well, maybe, the desire to own and take care of his own pet is there! Kaya nga I made this blog to sort of provide some advice to former pet-lovers turned pet owners:
1. Kung gusto niyong mag-alaga ng pet, una niyo i-prepare ang sarili niyo!
2. Condition yourself into being a responsible pet owner. Not just a pet admirer!
3. Do some research ahead of time. If it's a pet dog, check out the Internet for, say, how to care best for the preferred breed.
4. Get a good place in your yard where to put your pet where it will be comfortable.
5. Consider your pet as a new member of the family. So, treat it as one.
6. And lastly, be prepared for the "unexpected", (sometimes) not-budgeted contingency funding for your pet's perpetual maintenance. Estimated lifespan of a medium-sized dog, according to experts, is from 10 - 14 years. Total cost to maintain a dog pet through its entire lifespan is from $7,000 - $15,000. That's a lot of money! But, if you are a certified dog lover, it should be all worth it! Here's where most of the money are spent:
6.a. Dog food is the biggest consumable, but it is the easiest to compute!
6.b. Vitamins is a must, hence should also be already on your budget.
6.c. Veterinary consultation & hospitalization- this is where you should be prepared to stretch your wallet. Sometimes you just do not know how many times you will be going back & forth to the clinic if your pet do not get well after its first or second trip to the clinic. There's a nice article on how to save money if you want to be a serious pet owner: Reducing the Cost of Owning Pet. Please check it out

At present, we have four (4) pet dogs in the house. I originally owned just one, but I am actually taking care to all of them now. I don't mind though, I am pet-ready anyway! How about you?