Getting a pet without doing extensive research?

I see so many people who do this. Sometimes it’s with smaller things, like bettas.

For those who aren’t aware, bettas need 2.5 gallons minimum with a heater, filter that has low flow, and places to hide as well as some (silk or live) plant cover.

Or cats, and then they get the cat declawed despite the ever growing list of online resources that are easy to stumble upon that conclusively point out that declawing cats is very bad for them.

So many people get a pet because they WANT a pet. Well yanno, I want to own a boa, but I can’t. Why? I don’t yet have a home with a room that I can dedicate to my snake. Now, some day I may be able to provide this, but I will not be getting a boa until I can. That is how it should be, yet I only ever see this topic come up about exotics, and even then it’s not a common nor well discussed topic.

Things like goldfish, that need 50-100+ gallons each. High energy dogs being forced into low energy homes. Birds being brought into homes that smoke and use candles constantly, etc etc.

TLDR: fully inform yourself and talk to as many people who own and care for what animal you intend to get as possible. You’re taking responsibility for another life, act like it.