At some point as parents you are face with the decision of whether you should get a pet or not you’re your children. If you do decide to get a pet, you are then faced with another decision to make – what kind of pet would be best for your children and the rest of your family? This is a relatively easy decision to make if you already own pets or have owned pets in the past, but if you have never owned a pet before in your life, even before you had children you will need to think very carefully and research the subject thoroughly before making the best decision for everyone, including any animal you may bring into your home.
There are lot of positive aspects to adding a pet to your growing family. Not only will your children learn in a small and large way about responsibility and care; but will also learn how to act around animals; which will help them later in life. In the following article we will look at most popular pet choices and the environment and children they would suit best.
Dog
If you have very sociable and gregarious children, then dogs would suit them best. Not only do they thrive in a “pack” environment, but the bond that dogs form with their human owners is a strong one based on love and loyalty. It should be noted though that dogs require a lot more support and care than many other animals mentioned on this page and this is particularly important to remember if you are getting a dog for children who are not old enough to walk it yet.
Goldfish
Goldfish are the perfect starter pet. Sure, they don’t do much else besides swimming, eating, pooing, swimming, eating, pooing; but they live for many years and only require a cold water bowl.
Cat
Although cats are very comforting to listen to when they purr and when you stroke them; they also have a reputation for being much more aloof when compared to dogs. Therefore, it is fair to say that a cat would suit children who do really want a pet but who will not be upset if it wants a lot of time to itself. One of the main concerns parent s have with getting cats is the allergies. Statistically, about 30% of people suffer from a cat allergy. It is worth noting tough that the chances of your child becoming allergic to cats is greatly reduced if you introduce cats in your home before the baby is born.
Birds
Regardless of whether you choose a very vocal species of bird such as a cockatiel or parrot or a quieter kind; they are very good pets for kids who really love animals. They usually have very friendly personalities and are very active during the day. To get them to that stage though you need a lot of patience and they require a lot of training.
Mouse/Rat/Hamster/Gerbil/Other Rodents
Rodents like gerbils, hamsters, rats and mice are harmless, furry, small, and very clever and lots of fun. They are great for children who are desperate to have pets but don’t have the right amount of space or time to take care of a dog or cat properly.
As they can be left to their own little worlds in their cage without much attention, they are perfect for if your family is out of the house or a lot of the day as they are technically nocturnal and therefore don’t properly wake up until evening time. A word of caution regarding rodents would be that even if you clean their cage out thoroughly and regularly, you may still have the faint scent of urine in the house