Which pet is best for your family?

By Dr Margit Gabriele Mulle

Pets make us happier, lift our mood and have a wide range of amazing physical and mental benefits. Having pets, however, does come with responsibility and is a family decision that all family members should agree to. Not all pets are the perfect match for all families. So, which pet is most suitable for your family? 

Here, with this fun quiz created by vet and life coach Dr. Margit Gabriele Muller, you can find out which pet is the best additional family member for your family… 

Choose the answers which best reflect your family.

1. Your family’s activity 
My family is:
A.    Very active 
B.    Quite laid back and relaxed
C.    Always tense and nervous
D.    Totally stressed out 
E.    Very relaxed and can deal with most things
F.    Very inactive - couch potatoes

2. Your place
My family lives in a
A.    House with large garden and lots of space
B.    Townhouse with a large garden
C.    Townhouse with a small garden
D.    Large flat with balcony
E.    Large flat without balcony
F.    Small flat without balcony

3. Your financial situation
My family is able to  
A.    Spend lots & lots of money on our new pet
B.    Spend as much money as our new pet needs
C.    Spend just the right amount per month for our new pet
D.    Spend very little but we want to have
a happy pet
E.    Tighten our belt to give the new pet
a good life
F.    Afford only very little but we are dying
to have a pet 

4. Your experience 
My family 
A.    Has already had dogs and cats before 
B.    Loves to play with all pets
C.    Doesn’t have much experience with animals but would like something fluffy 
D.    Has not experience but is ready to embrace the new pet 
E.    Is ready to study the needs of each new
pet in-depth 
F.    Doesn’t have any experience and needs
an easy pet 

5. Your preferred pet 
I’m crazy about pets:
A.    When they have fur, and we can play with them all day long
B.    When they have fur but don’t nag us to
take them out 
C.    When they have soft fur and are cute
to cuddle 
D.    Only when they have feathers 
E.    Only when they don’t have fur or feathers because we have allergies 
F.    Only when we don’t have to touch them 

6. Which pet is for your family?
Our ideal pet is: 
A.    Our best friend and companion who we can snuggle with all day
B.    Something to keep us busy but doesn’t take up all our time
C.    Something fluffy, nice, and cute to hold
and love
D.    Something to brighten our days but without too much responsibility 
E.    Something special and enviable to show off that none of our friends have
F.    Something we enjoy looking at but doesn’t make too much mess

Interpret your score: Your perfect family pet is a … 

Mostly As: Dog!
Dogs are our best companions and bring great joy into our lives. They are greatly suited for active families with kids! Dogs help to teach your kids responsibility and social behaviour. Moreover, just stroking your dog for 5 minutes will increase your happy hormones! 

Mostly Bs: Cat!
Cats are great for families which stay at home more and don’t like to go on walks every day. Their purring helps to keep you calm and relaxed. They can be very affectionate, and kids have fun playing with them.

Mostly Cs: A small mammal!
Small mammals like rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters make great low maintenance family pets. They are amazing for younger kids to cuddle.

Mostly Ds: Bird!
Birds like budgies or cockatiels are fantastic for families with smaller kids. For more experienced people and older children, parrots can make amazing companions. They keep the family occupied and their chirping and talking will brighten up your life. 

Mostly Es: Reptile!
Cool reptiles include turtles, geckos, lizards and snakes. They can be affectionate but also enjoy time alone when your family is busy. As they may live up to 20 to 50 years, your family has a long-term special and unique companion.

Mostly Fs: Fish!  
Fish can make great family pets that are affordable and low maintenance. They relax us and provide great colourful enjoyment for the whole family.

You scored a draw: 
Your family is lucky because you can have two pets!

FIND OUT MORE…
Dr Margit Gabriele Muller is author of Your Pet, Your Pill: 101 Inspirational Stories About How Pets Lead You to A Happy, Healthy and Successful Life out now, available on Amazon