Over the years, the number of pets in an American household continues to grow. In 1988, only 56% of Americans had a pet. However, in 2024, around 86.9 million homes have pets, around 66% of the American population.
Clearly, the love for pets has increased over time. But, is this the only factor responsible for the massive hike? Or, is there anything else that has triggered Americans to buy more pets?
One can say that technology has contributed a lot to this phenomenon.
How Can We Say That?
With e-commerce stores on the rise, it has offered access to pet essentials like food, medicines, training gadgets, etc. Finding a vet, or looking for video guides on how to keep pets have further inspired many people to take up this hobby.
Similarly, buying and selling pets is no exception, as it has grown exponentially with e-commerce. Now, more than ever, people are inclined to explore online shops, rather than visiting physical pet shops.
With that said, is it safe to buy pets without ever getting familiar with them? Without meeting once, can we really buy a pet?
Well, to answer these questions and some more, why not explore some pros and cons of buying pets online? With this, we may get a clear picture of whether it’s really safe to buy pets online or not.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
Pros of Buying Pets Online:
Convenience:
The standout feature of e-commerce is the convenience that comes with it. When it comes to visiting pet shops, it may frustrate anyone. Simply because of the chaos in the pet shop as so many young animals are exposed to new faces every now and then.
Even more so, with kids around, it becomes more difficult to come to a conclusion quickly.
So, instead of going from one pet shop to another, isn’t online shopping much better? You don’t have to travel in the first place, and secondly, there’s no need to roam around to find the perfect pet.
Many sites and marketplaces have filters that you can apply. Using them, you can filter out what kind of animal, breed, color, or age group you want a pet of.
There’s another thing that will surely make things easier while online shopping and that’s a top-notch internet connection, just like Cox.
Why?
Buying pets online may be simple, yet it’s a time-consuming process. Simply because you’re not buying any gadget, but something that may become a part of your family.
So, with Cox’s internet, there’s no need to worry about outages or slow speed, because it may rarely happen. Plus, with millions of free hotspot zones around the country, you can explore thousands of pets, with exotic breeds, on the go.
To avail their services, visit Cox’s website today. Spanish customers can connect to Cox servicio al cliente for Spanish customer support.
More Options to Explore:
There are many animals that you can take in as a pet. Dogs and cats are the normal ones, right? You can easily find their different breeds in pet stores. However, are exotic animals as common as dogs, cats, or rabbits as pets?
Now, more and more people are interested in domesticating exotic animals such as chimps, hedgehogs, axolotls, and more. And chances are slim that you may find one or some other exotic animal in the nearby pet shop.
While shopping online, there’s hardly any stopping for you. In the case of exotic animals, you can find numerous to choose from. You can also see their photos, videos, and documentation (if they have any).
Cons of Buying Pets Online:
No Interaction with the Pet:
Before bringing a pet home, don’t you think it’s important to know them a little? Simply because once we bring them home, there’s no going back. However, if we visit them once or twice at the pet shop, and spend some quality time, then we may get to know about them a little.
Their likes and dislikes, things that they enjoy doing the most, or their favorite food. These things may not seem vital, but they play a major role in constructing a comfort zone for the pet.
So, when you buy pets online, there’s no way you will get familiar with them. Instead, there’s a chance that sudden change in the environment for them may trigger their fears or make them anxious.
Frauds and Scams:
Frauds, scams, and online shopping go hand in hand. There’s hardly any online shopping platform that is free of any frauds and scams.
Scammers, with time, have infiltrated the pet markets too. With some very ingenious techniques, they make sure to deprive people of their hard-earned money.
In some cases, they may ask you to pay some amount up front, as a security. Once done, they may block you and switch to another platform in case their profile is banned on the platform.
Other than this, they may deliver a pet, but nothing like the one you selected. Chances are bright that you may get an altogether different breed, not the one you paid for. In worst cases, they may deliver a pet without vaccinations or even with some illness.
Bottom Line:
Buying pets online may be a new trend. Pros aside, there are cons attached to it that one should be aware of. In the times to come, the online pet market may improve, considering some regulations that are being introduced to keep a check on the market. So make your decision wisely, and enjoy being a pet owner!
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