Pet Hostility
If one of you is a pet lover and the other is a pet hater, you need to honestly ask if it is fair to the animal to be part of your family when one of you really doesn't want it around.Travel Concerns
When you take a trip, you will have to decide to take the pet with you or spend money on a kennel or pay someone to take care of the critter while you are gone.Mess, Damage and Care Issues
Cats spray and urinate and cough up yucky hair balls. Dogs chew shoes and furniture and rugs. Poop needs to be scooped up. Iguanas shed skin. Birds moult. Critters shed hair. Litter boxes need to be emptied. Cages need to be cleaned. Aquariums need water changed. Pets get fleas, ticks, lice, worms, mites, etc. Critters need to be exercised, bathed and brushed. As a couple, you both need to consider all the care responsibilities when talking about pet ownership.Sleeping with Pets
Although you may love sleeping with your pet, your spouse may believe this to be disgusting or find that an animal in bed disturbs his/her sleep.Finances
Pet ownership often involves a major expense. The animal itself can be costly. Additional expenses include getting a license, food, shots, veterinary bills, cages, travel crates, aquariums, fencing, and damage to home and yard. Some people also spend a great deal of money in having their pets groomed, teeth professionally cleaned, and on pet accessories. The amount of funds coming out of your budget needs to be discussed prior to purchasing a pet.Time
Another important topic to discuss prior to pet ownership is time. Pets require and demand a great deal of your time in maintenance, exercise, and cleaning up after them.Additionally, one of you may feel neglected or jealous as your mate spends time with your pet.
Allergies
If you, your spouse, or one of your children is allergic to a family pet, feelings of hurt and frustration along with concern and fear are common.Legal Issues
If either one of you wants to leave a legacy to your pet or have the pet live with someone other than your spouse in the event of your death, you need to have this documented in your will. Some couples are including pets in their prenuptial agreements.During a divorce or separation, pets can become pawns in the game of who gets what. Courts are now granting visitation rights to non-custodial spouses if they want to continue seeing their pets.
Growing Older
As couples approach retirement years and face a lower income, the expenses of properly caring for pets is something that needs to be considered.Although pets have always been part of our lives both as children and as adults, we didn't replace the well-loved four-legged critters after they died.
As we've grown older, neither of us enjoy emptying the litter box, throwing out hair balls, or cleaning up the yard from the dog's messes. Sure, we enjoyed playing with Butch on the beach and Gypsy made us chuckle with her antics. However, as we discuss this issue, it appears that the cons of pet ownership far outweigh the benefits at this time in our own marital journey.
The Positive Impact of Pets on Your Marriage
