Pets and Children - Do They Mix?

A pet dog, a pet cat, a pet rabbit, a pet hamster, a pet guinea pig - which kind of pet is best for you?

What sort of pet is the best pet for you to have - well this depends on your own circumstances.  There are a huge variety of pets to choose from, you can go for a pet dog, a pet cat, a pet rabbit, a pet hamster, a pet guinea pig, or have some goldfish, the choice of pets you can keep is almost limitless.  You need to look at your reasons for wanting a pet, how much of your time your pet will take up, how much your chosen pet will cost to look after.  The kind of pet you choose will also depend on whether you have youngsters in the house or not.

Pets in a family-home - Is it a good idea to have pets with babies, toddlers or school age kids in the house?   Well, they seem to think so - ask any group of youngsters what the five top things they want most are, and invariably this list will include some sort of pet.  Yet, ask this same group if any of them already have a pet, or have had a pet of some sort in the past, you will be surprised to find that almost all of them have either had a pet, or have a pet at the moment. Take this one stage further and you will find a marked lack of enthusiasm and interest in their current pet or the pet they had in the past, and they will adamantly assure you that things would be very different if only you would give in to their demands for a nice new pet.

Having a pet seems to have been romanticized in Movies and on TV, with the ideal of 'a boy and his pet dog' or 'a little girl and her pet pony', yet the actual reality of owning a pet is far from this idyllic scenario, as many parents will confirm.  There is a vast difference between seeing others on the screen owning a pet, and the actual reality of having pets yourselves.   A new pet can invoke promises of good behaviour and proper pet care from children, although sadly the novelty of a new pet in the house soon wears off, and you are the ones that are left to deal with the forgotten pet puppy that takes too much time, or the pet kitten that is not quite so cute anymore.

This subject of having a pet, whether it is a pet dog, or pet cat or a small pet like a pet mouse, or pet gerbil, will almost definately come up at some time. So what can you do when the subject of pet ownership does rear it's head?  When your son or daughter is younger, it is quite easy to postpone the conversation with a promise to talk to them about having their own pet when they are older.  This of course will work for a certain time, but eventually  the question of them wanting a pet will arise again. It is often best at this stage to sit down with your offspring, and have a talk to them about commitment and the care that is involved in looking after a pet.  Do remember that in the excitement of the moment you will find that they will agree to almost anything, just to get you to agree to have a new pet!

There are many, many kinds of pets to pick from, as well as the more popular pet dogs and pet cats, you could go for pet mice, pet gerbils, pet hamsters, pet guinea pigs, pet rabbits, gold fish, tropical fish, or even a pet ferret.  Depending on how old your son or daughter is, research about the pet of their choice must be done, and done thoroughly.  This pet research really needs to be instigated and led by your son or daughter, so that they are fully aware and appreciate the impact a new pet can have on their lives, and the lives of everyone else in the household.

Once you have chosen the type of pet that you want, look through this information together as a unit and discuss the good and bad points of the particular pet that is being considered, for example a dog needs exercise regularly and cleaning up after, a cat can be very independant and scratch furniture, hamsters, mice, rats, guinea pigs, gerbils etc all need very regular cleaning out - you will find this is the sort of job that your child will easily 'forget' to do, once they have their pet.  This is also a god time to bring up the issue of expense of having a pet, both to purchase the pet, as well as feeding, any vet fees, vaccinations etc.  Wise parents will stress the degree of commitment and responsibility that is required from the child when they are asking for a pet, and possibly even ask for some sort of monetary contribution from the children.

In the end, if you are sufficiently confident in your children and the commitment they have made, then the next step is to give in and get a pet!

And remember, no matter what your kids have agreed to, they WILL find a way of shirking their responsibility and in the end, the pet or pets, will become very  much YOUR problem. So make sure that you take part in the selection process, are happy with the pet that is chosen, and of course remember to have fun with your new pet!!

  Pet Ferret                Pet Cat                Pet Dog                Pet Guinea Pig