A pet can bring happiness to the family. Gifting a pet for your child will be an exciting thing. But you must be very careful when selecting a pet. All your lifestyle changes with a pet. Because you need to love and care for him too.
What to consider when selecting a pet for kids?
You should have enough space for a pet. The first thing to consider when selecting a pet is the amount of space that you can leave for a pet. Otherwise, you will be in trouble. Some pets are compatible with limited space while others prefer much bigger space.
Don’t expose kids in their early development stages to a pet. The best time to give a pet is around 5 or 6 years. Small children can think of pets as toys. This misunderstanding can cause bites through mistreatment and teasing. You can teach the kids about pets, the way to care for them, and the way to interact. So they will get a good understanding of the way to cope with the pet.
Some pets like retrievers and beagles that are dog breeds are friendly with kids. But there are some easygoing temperaments conducive like boxers, pit bulls, and German shepherds so try to figure out the characteristics of pets before taking a one. Some children show allergies to shed skin cells, feathers, and hairs of pets. So they should not be exposed to pets. If your family has a strong history of allergic disorders, then it is better to keep away pets from your home.
Every pet needs some caring. You must check the schedule that you can allocate for a pet. Dogs and cats need daily attention. So you need to have some time for them in their busy schedules. Other pets like birds, fish, turtles, and hamsters need comparatively low attention. Though you can feed a goldfish once every two days, a dog or a cat is not compatible with that.
You must decide whether to have an older pet or a young one for your child. A puppy or a kitten is playful. Kids also love to play with them. But they can bite out of sheer friskiness. Anyway, you should avoid older pets that do not live with children previously. They don’t have any experience with the works of kids.
#Dogs
Dogs are the best animal friend of humans. So giving a pet dog for your kid will be amazing. They will really like it. But make sure that, the dog is playful. It is better to have a well-socialized and comfortable dog. Though you are not with the child, a pet dog will never let him feel alone. The dog needs higher maintenance compared to other animals. But it is not a problem. You must check the requirement of the pet on space and food before taking him home.
The kid-friendly breeds include boxers, beagles, Labrador retrievers, and golden retrievers. You need to give the pet daily exercise, immunizations, and regular veterinary checkups. Love is the other essential factor for a puppy.
#Cats
Cat is a fluffy pet that you can have for your kid. You can select a cat having the favorite color of your child. All you have to do is change the litter box of the cat regularly and feed them with enough food and water to maintain a cat. So you don’t need to bother much about the purring pal. It is not needed to hire a pet sitter when going for a vacation as they are a kind of independent group of pets.
Cats are sleeping lovers. So your kids will notice that he tends to sleep anywhere at any moment. It is also a predator. Small birds, insects, and other tiny creatures more often become a victim of this hunter. You must fully vaccinate the cat to avoid any illnesses.
#Rabbits
Rabbits are famous as a group of innocent animals. Kids love to have a rabbit as a pet. They are highly socialized animals. So rabbits will be friendly with children and spend lots of time playing with them. You can have a pair of rabbits to avoid them feeling alone. They need cleaning, feeding, exercising, and grooming regularly.
#Fish
One of the easy-to-maintain pets is fish. There is a variety of fish that you have as a starter pet. You can simply have a tank filled with fish. Remember to add some colorful water plants and stones to the tank. So it will be more attractive. A pond is also ideal to have either indoors or outsides. But you must clean it regularly. Try to start with a small size of the pond. So it is easy to clean and maintain. You can have a fish or a couple in a small glass tank also. Locate the fish tank in a place that your child can’t reach. But kids should be able to watch them.
You can have goldfish, angelfish, or barb fish in your mini aquarium. When your mind is messy, just look at the fish tank. So you will be calm. Fish don’t spread diseases just like other pets. There is a very rare chance for your child to get ill due to fish.
#Hamsters
Hamster is a small pet. It is also easy to care for and trained to use the litter. So you can gift a hamster for a kid. It is better to have a larger breed like Syrian hamsters as they are easy to handle. You will find some difficult to handle hamsters too.
Keep the hamster in a roomy cage having tunnels and nesting areas for sleeping. Try to select a cage that is easy to clean. Hamster has a life span of about 3 years. So keep in mind the emotions of your child. If the death of a pet is the first exposure of your child to death, then it will be so aggressive. Sometimes it will also be a great experience about a life lesson.
#Guinea Pig
Guinea pig is another cute pet for your child. It is tiny, attractive as well as adorable. It is a good idea to have a couple of guinea pigs. They love to have another guinea pig next to them. So these pets won’t feel alone. Guinea pig is always hungry. It needs lots of hay and vegetables. You may need to clean the cage of this pig frequently.
Guinea pigs show some adorable features. They make purring noise when they are being held and petted. The sweet squealing noise comes when guinea pigs are running and playing. They make a curious kind of hop named ‘popcorning’ when they are excited and happy. The Guinea pig has a life span of about five to seven years. Guinea pigs need quite big maintenance.
#Birds
Birds are famous as a pet suitable for kids. They are colorful and attractive types of creatures. There are certain things that you need to consider when selecting a bird. The size is the most important factor. Some birds are growing in size with time while others manage to be small. Parrots are one of the most famous types of pet birds. There are several parrot varieties too. Macaws can live up to 60 years. Most probably one macaw will be there for your entire lifetime.
Parrots have the ability to talk. So your kids will learn to pronounce some simple words by listening to them. Birds make lots of noises. Sometimes your child will like it. But most of the time it will become a disturbance. Birds carry germs and other disease-causing bacterias. They are prone to spread diseases. So you need to think about these before having a bird as a pet.
#Rats
Rats are one of the best pets for kids. They are calm, laid-back, and not snippy like other mammals. A kid can easily handle and make a strong bond with a rat. These creatures can learn small tricks like navigating mazes or obstacle courses and retrieving objects. Rats love to cope with people. They love to have toys just like kids. The kids can easily serve rats with food like strawberries and yogurt.
As rats are highly socialized pets. They love to be in pairs. If you like to have a pair of rats, then it is better to select from the same gender. Rats have a small life span that is about 2 to 3 years. So it is better to consider the emotions of kids before getting a rat for them as a pet. Don’t squeeze or handle rats roughly.
#Goats
Some kids love to rare a goat. If you have enough space on the lawn, then goats are another great group of pets to have. It is a social animal. So you need to have at least two goats in the garden. They are easy to care too. Goats do not bite children because they have lower teeth. They also help to keep your lawn trimmed. Goats can live up to 15 years old. You should maintain routine vet care for them.
