What Pets Are Suitable for Children?

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There are countless benefits to getting a pet for your child such as making them more responsible and empathetic. Now if you are struggling with the old dilemma: gerbil vs hamster or cat vs dog, there is no easy answer. In fact, there are many things you have to consider before getting a pet … any pet. Your decision should meet your child’s needs and expectations, but also your own. Here are some of the most suitable pets you might want to bring into your family.

Small mammals and rodents

These pets have become increasingly popular over the past years and nowadays almost any pet shop that also sells pets provides hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, or rabbits. These small furry creatures look adorable and seeing them feed or sleep is simply heart-melting, especially when they are little.

Your kid can grow quite attached to such a pet and the great thing about them is that once they get used to you, they too seek connection and affection. Rodents are fun to play with and most of them can be trained to climb on you or perform tricks. They are easy to carry around and hold and they have relatively limited requirements.  

Getting one of these pets would mean responsibility for your kid as the small creature needs to be fed, its cage has to be cleaned regularly, and it also has to be taken out of the cage each day to exercise. The advantage with these animals is that you don’t need a big house or a garden, they don’t have to go outside, so you can easily get one if you live in an apartment.

Dogs

Man’s oldest and most loyal friend is probably on top of your kid’s list. No other pet can show more love and care than a dog and for kids of any age, playing with these animals comes as natural.

Dogs are more demanding than other pets. They have to be walked every day. When they are puppies you have to spend a lot of time teaching them how to stop doing their business inside the house and clean after them.

They are also more costly because they eat more than other pets, especially bigger breeds. But all in all, the advantages of owning a dog exceed by far any inconvenience they might cause. Dogs are a great morale booster, they are even used for therapeutic purposes for children with problems such as autism. They can keep your kid happy and busy while you can enjoy more time for yourself.

However, before making the huge decision of bringing this type of member into your family, make sure all the humans in the house have agreed to share responsibility in raising and caring for it. You don’t want to find yourself forced to walk the dog every evening, after 8 hours of work in the office and 2 more hours of household chores. 

The point of getting a dog is teaching your child to become a responsible person, and therefore, they should at least accompany you when walking the furry friend if they are too little to do it on their own.

Cats

We are usually inclined to believe that kids are dog persons while cats are more suitable for grown-ups, but this is by far just speculation. Whoever has been raised in a house with cats knows how fun these creatures can be and, despite all stereotypes surrounding this species, how sociable.

Cats are very intelligent and, yes, they are more independent than dogs, but if you treat them the right way and show them affection, they can’t help but answer back. Few other animals love to be petted as much as cats. They love human companionship, although they might find it harder to adapt to new people.

They can also be quite active and playful and there are numerous fun games you can improvise with cats, such as hide and seek which is also one of kids’ favourites.

The bottom line is that you have different options when it comes to choosing a pet for your child. Before you make up your mind, just make sure you ponder the advantages and disadvantages and that your house can provide a proper environment for the pet.