If you're thinking: oh, come on, how much paperwork could a pet possibly generate, then all I can say is: obviously you've never had a pet.
Medical records. The receipt for rabies tags. Prescription history. Health care instructions. Information about medical conditions. The names and numbers of vets, kennels, sitters, day care services, walkers, groomers, emergency veterinary services, and poison control. Microchip information. Bloodwork and test records. Adoption papers and agreements. Pet insurance. Vaccination schedule. And so on:
Once upon a time, I used to agonize over what to do with such stuff. Does the adoption contract go under my "Contracts" file? What should I do with the rabies tag? Since The Boys are indoor-only kitties, I don't bother with collars. Should I store the tags . . . in the junk drawer? In a box? My jewelry box? And what about all those pamphlets? I guess I could copy down the information and put it all in my organizer/address book, but I hate to junk things up with items I rarely if ever use.
If there is a rule to filing, I think it should be: file like with like in a place where you would look for it. So it really wouldn't make sense to file the pet insurance brochure under "Insurance"--because that's not where I would look for it. What I needed was a single file for all pet-related stuff. And so I made a file (simply labeled "The Boys") and tuck anything related to them inside for an easy, quick, organization solution.
