“You’ll just know” sounds patronizing, but you probably will.  You’ll see someone walking a dog and have a moment of envy.  You’ll see an advertisement for cat food and barely suppress an “awwww” at the roly-poly kittens. Or the house is lonely. Or a stray will find you and you’ll welcome it to claim you as its own.

It probably isn’t time if…

It probably isn’t time to get a new pet if you feel disloyal to the one you lost, you want a pet identical to the one you lost (it won’t be), or you find yourself looking backwards at the pet you lost rather than forward to building another long-term relationship.  Shelters are full of pets that were hastily chosen and because of their size, need for such care as daily walks or grooming, or personality won’t fit your current situation.  Think, too, about how a new pet will fit in with the others in your household.

If you aren’t sure, consider visiting your local shelter and cuddling with or walking the animals available for adoption; fostering young, under-socialized or overcrowded animals; or taking a friend’s dog to the dog park. If any of these activities bring painful reminders, it probably isn’t time.

If your child wants a new pet right now

Tempting as it may be to get a child a new pet right away, children may get a message that if something happened to them you would just replace them. For a child who wants a new pet right now and is old enough to do some research, involve them in the search. What species and what breed fit best? Purebred or shelter pet? Young or a mature animal that may have a more difficult time finding a home? In addition to your local humane society and county animal control/animal protective services, google local animal rescue organizations and Petfinder.com. Entering your zip code and the species you are interested in will bring up their pictures, descriptions, and how far away they are.

An older child could also research what kind of care the pet needs and learn how to provide it. Caring for a pet is a great way to learn responsibility.

Spay/neuter gives your dog or cat a longer, healthier life

When you get that new dog or cat, have it spayed or neutered.  “Fixed” dogs and cats are considerably less likely to get some diseases (like breast cancer), run away in search of a mate (and risk potential injury in traffic or by wild animals or other domestic animals), or fight. And that single action permanently protects you from dealing with an unwanted litter.  Shelters are full of “oops” litters, and for every dog and cat in an American shelter to have a home, each of us would need to own 9 cats and 6 dogs.