It is very important that people carefully consider what type of pet they get before bringing an animal into the home, an expert has said.
Sarah Linehan, from The Pet Experience, which offers pet behavioural services, explained that research is extremely important before picking a pet.
She said: "They should always do plenty of research before bringing an animal into their home.
"Having a happy, healthy pet can bring tremendous joy and love into our lives but an unhappy, unbalanced animal will bring nothing but stress and misery to everyone involved. This can be avoided simply by choosing the right pet for our household and lifestyle."
Once you have decided on what pet to get, it is then important that you invest in pet insurance.
Bill Lambert, the Kennel Club's health and breeder services manager, said that vet fees can be very expensive, so people should look very carefully at what a policy will provide, so people get the cover then need.
