The Usual Place Podcast

Are you ready to bring home a furbaby? What first-time pawrents need to consider

In this episode of The Usual Place, host Natasha Ann Zachariah finds out what blindspots first-time pet owners may have and what they should anticipate when getting a pet.

Natasha Ann Zachariah

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Dibashini Yen wanted to adopt a cat, but her mother is just not a fan of felines. So she adopted a dog - a shiba inu - instead.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) education and outreach manager said having a pet is the responsibility of the whole family, so everyone has to be on board.

If you’re toying with the idea of getting a pet, the first question to ask yourself is: Are you ready for the time, financial, and emotional commitment?

In this episode of The Usual Place, host Natasha Ann Zachariah found out what blind spots first-time pet owners may have and what they should anticipate when getting a pet.

Dibashini and TheAsianPawrent manager Jamie Wong dropped by to share their views about how to assess if you’re ready for a furry companion, the differences between adopting and buying pets, and the financial and emotional commitments of a pet owner.

TheAsianPawrent is a community and advocacy platform that offers content and unique services for pet owners.

They also brought their furkids with them – Dibashini with her shiba inu, six-year-old Zuko, and Jamie with Yoko, a Bernedoodle (a mix of Bernese mountain dog and poodle), and Bowie, a kerry blue terrier pomsky.

Are you ready to be a pawrent? Host of The Usual Place podcast Natasha Ann Zachariah (centre) asked SPCA education and outreach manager Dibashini Yen (left) and TheAsianPawrent manager Jamie Wong (right) what are some issues new pet owners may face. Their furry friends (from left to right) Zuko, Bowie and Yoko also dropped by. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI

The starting point of a pawrent’s journey should start with deciding whether an animal’s personality, type and its age, among other factors, would be a good fit for the family, said Dibashini.

Before anyone becomes a pet owner, they should do a lot of research about the breed or type of animal they want to adopt, and what their specific needs are, said Jamie.

His advice: Ask yourself honestly if you’re ready for a long-term commitment with a pet.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:52 Why Dibashini decided to adopt Zuko after fostering

3:40 How will I know if I’m ready for a pet?

5:59 Age, allergies and connection: Why some buy and others adopt; if you’re buying a pet, do research

9:42 Nat’s experience with volunteering at a cat shelter

14:03 Could you be neglecting your pet unknowingly; why negative reinforcement in the training of your pet could get you only short-term gains

18:53 What Dibashini and Jamie wish other pawrents would stop doing; protocol for petting other people’s furkids

26:20 Would you pay US$45,000 for a flight ticket for your pet?; the humanisation shift of pet care Host: Natasha Zachariah (

natashaz@sph.com.sg

)

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