Pets: Demand for Pets Rises as Children Convince Their Parents | Chennai News

Chennai: Sales of pets have started to increase, driven by parents looking to fulfill the impulsive desires of their children, who have a penchant for animals during their summer vacations. Traders say there is demand for small dogs, birds and rodents such as hamsters and rabbits. However, animal advisors say people should refrain from impulsive pet purchases because raising an animal takes time and hard work. Such purchases are often harmful to the animal, as they receive poor care or even abandonment. It is not the expensive pets, but rodents and small dogs that are most sought after, say pet traders. Animal consultant Vijay AR said rodents such as hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs and dog breeds such as German Spitz, also known as Pomeranians, are priced low. The cost of these pets will not exceed 5,000. Children love rodent puppies and often force their parents to buy them. However, these rodents require care as they grow, and raising them is not easy. During the two months of summer vacation, children will spend a lot of time and energy with the newly arrived pets. But once school starts, they lose interest. The responsibility of handling and maintaining pets will fall on the shoulders of the parents. Often pet owners will look for suitable homes, and if they don’t find one, pets are left abandoned and many people have no hesitation in abandoning them. There have been cases when people, after purchasing pets, discovered that they are allergic to the fur of dogs or cats. Kannan, a pet dealer, said an actor bought an expensive breed – Rhodesian Ridgeback – after paying around Rs 1 lakh. . “As the puppies grew, managing them became a problem. They came back to me for adoption.” Vijay said: “As part of my advice, I ask potential first-time buyers to answer a few questions about the space available at home for the pets, the time they can spare, the care they can provide, etc.” Rajarajan, president of the Aquarium Fish Sellers Association, said unlike reptiles, mammals and birds, sales of ornamental fish will not increase in summer. One reason for this is that the ornamental fish cannot tolerate the heat and they will die when there are heat waves, he said. Kannan said it is better not to buy birds or other animals from shandies as the buyers may not get after-sales support or advice from the sellers.