Lots of people like having pets and taking care of them but sometimes people want an easy way to do so. They aren’t willing to put in the effort that should go into caring for these animals.

This is a problem that affects all sorts of animals that live in cages, like aquatic animals or small pets like hamsters and guinea pigs. It is when insufficient research goes into buying animals that problems arise. People usually buy them on impulse or because they expect an easy pet.

When it comes to getting an animal with a tank or a cage, a lot of people don’t look at size requirements. They usually end up getting a tank that is too small to support a life that is in satisfactory in any way.

Wrong tank sizes are usually seen with aquatic animals like turtles, but fish are the main victims. Even though people don’t usually see these animals as having the same importance as dogs or cats, they are still living animals with needs, not least among them space.

Sometimes when people get betta fish, they leave the fish in the pet store container it comes in, a far cry from their minimum requirement of at least 2.5 gallons of water! Betta fish are hardy and can survive in those small cups, but it would be like living in a dorm room your whole life. It will live, but not a good or happy life.

This animal housing problem is also seen on a large scale. One popular example is Sea World. A lot of people are aware of the Sea World predicament from a famous documentary called Blackfish. It showed how having killer whales in captivity is damaging to them. In the wild, they can swim up to 100 miles a day, but the whales at Sea World are forced to live in a tank, aiding in their having a lower life expectancy by more than 10 years. Almost all of the whales in Sea World have a collapsed dorsal fin as well, which almost never happens in wild.

Not having a big enough space for your animals can also be hazardous to hamsters and guinea pigs. Parents usually buy these pets for their kids without knowing how to truly care for them. Or they won’t give it the attention it needs. After the novelty wears off, kids often become bored with their pet, resulting in negligence and even cruelty.

Exotic pets are becoming more popular, and more people want them. But there is either not enough research going into the care for the pet or they are extremely advanced pets to care for. Hedgehogs have special dietary needs, llamas need to be in groups (to ward off loneliness), and certain fish need other foods than just pellets. Some people see a cute animal as reason enough to buy it, but do not bother themselves with taking on the associated responsibility.

The only way to fix improper care is to do research before getting a pet. Even cats or dogs, especially if you’ve never had one of them before, are not so easy. Just doing this can have a huge impact on their lives. Even if an animal seems like the sort of thing you absolutely need in your life this very moment, be aware of the repercussions and responsibility you are taking along with it. You’re not only improving your life with its presence, but you are obligated to provide it a good life, too.