Click here to read the first column and watch the first video, Puppy Love, in which Smillie and Magnus discuss whether parents should get a dog once their children have started school.

According to the animal welfare charity the RSPCA, some nine million people own cats in Britain and 6.5 million own dogs. We are clearly a nation in love with our pets, but the same charity recently revealed the number of pets being abandoned by owners in the UK has grown by almost 25 per cent in a year.

So, if you’re not sure if you should invest in a pony for your child, who may grow bored of the reality of mucking out, or you’re considering getting a dog to help reinvigorate your social life but want to know the pros and cons, then Perfect Pets is on hand to help.

This new series of columns and videos aims to help readers make crucial decisions about bringing a pet into their lives. In conjunction with The Saturday Times’ supplement Body & Soul, Carol Smillie and clinical animal behaviourist Emma Magnus dispense weekly advice and information.

Over the coming weeks, Smillie and Magnus will explore, among other subjects, the advantages and disadvantages of giving children a pet rabbit, why a cat may help with depression and why it’s important to think about your lifestyle before taking on a dog.

Owning a pet, whether it is a dog or a more exotic creature such as a snake, is a responsibility that one should not take lightly. Getting good advice and thinking realistically about how the pet would fit into your lifestyle may help to prevent a purchase that is later regretted and re-homed.