188 Years!? Owning a Pet Could be the Longest Commitment You Ever Make

The long-term commitments in life that first come to mind are usually marriage and having children. But some pets can be deserving of such a long commitment—because some can live for decades.

– Parrots are known for their longevity, and some breeds can live to be 100 years old!

-Another pet with an impressive lifespan is the tortoise. (A tortoise is like a turtle, except without webbed feet.) Slow-growing, its life-span is similar to that of a human, though it is not uncommon for one to live to 100. Some live even longer. A tortoise belonging to the royal family of Tonga lived from 1777 to 1965. That’s 188 years of pet ownership! Since convincing your great-great-grandchildren to take care of your pets in the future may be difficult, pets with somewhat shorter life spans may be desirable!

-Some fish can live to be 30 years old. While they are relatively easy to take care of, remember that this is the length of many home mortgages!

-The more exotic iguana can live up to 20 years or so. So purchase an iguana at the time of your first child’s birth, and you’ll see how two decades of commitment work out.

While many long-lived creatures are easy to care for, they do not take care of themselves. But some friends are just worth keeping around. So, since you wouldn’t make a long-term commitment without thinking about it first, consider the time you have to devote to a pet, and how that time may change in the future.

Source: Blog