5 Essential Things to Consider When Deciding to Get A Pet for Your Kids

Having a pet at home comes with so many benefits for your kids if the family is prepared to handle the responsibilities that they come with. For example, they can help your kids learn and understand essential social skills and values such as being responsible. However, there are some vital considerations to make before bringing a pet home; especially if you have little ones at home, as you will first need to prepare them for the responsibilities ahead to ensure that your family and your pet have a fun, safe, and healthy relationship. So, are you ready to bring a pet home for your kids? Then first, consider the following points.

Do your research

Before you dash off to the pet store, take the time to do some research about the kind of pet you want or the ideal one for your family life. Pets come with a lot of responsibilities, so be sure that you are ready to handle them. For example, cats and dogs require a lot of attention and playtime to keep their minds healthy, which means they might not be ideal for a family that is hardly at home. A smaller pet like a goldfish needs you to pay a lot of attention to detail, and you need to be sure that your family is up to the task. Luckily, a simple online search like “what does a goldfish eat” should give you all the information you need on feeding your goldfish. If you prefer a reptile for a pet, your research should show you at what age certain reptiles can be considered safe around children.

Settle all health concerns

After conducting your research, make sure that you purchase or adopt your pet from trustworthy friends, family, neighbors and so on. If you have no place or no one in mind, you can always visit a trusted vet for some recommendations. Ensure that your source offers healthy pets, as sick pets can quickly put your children’s health risk. It’s important to bear in mind the average size your pet will grow to when it reaches adult age. Will you still be able  to take care of it? Your pet should receive all the needed vaccinations and your dogs and cats must be spayed or neutered as well. You should be prepared to visit your vet regularly and monitor for signs of possible health issues. 

Kid responsibilities

If you’re going to rely on your little ones to take care of the new pet, ensure that they have what it takes. If you need to continually remind them to handle their responsibilities, then adding pet care might be asking too much of them. As mentioned earlier, dogs and cats require constant maintenance. For example, a dog needs to be fed, monitored, and walked daily. Are you confident that your children will remember to do that? Alternatively, you can train them into becoming more responsible by starting with pets that are relatively easier to take care of, such as a turtle or fish. 

Budget

Can you afford a pet? Bringing a pet home also requires a significant financial investment - from making the right environment available to purchasing the kind of food they need. Depending on the type of pet you want, you might also need to make some changes to your home. No matter how well you train your pet, there is always the possibility of them causing damage to your furniture, carpet, and other household items; this is especially true for dogs. Replacing or repairing furniture also involves a lot of money, so you may need to factor such costs in as well when saving for your pet.

Exposure

If your child has never spent enough time around other pets, you cannot be confident about how well they will react to having pets on their own. The idea of having a pet may sound fun until they are faced with one; they might end up thinking differently after a couple of weeks or months. To be sure you are making the right decision, you can set up play times with friends and trusted neighbors who have pets. Observing how well your child interacts with different pets should give you an idea of how well they’ll do when they have theirs. 

Alternatively, you can also take some days off to visit a local animal shelter. If your child is not comfortable enough around other animals, they might not be ready to own one.