Choosing a Petfinder for the Best Pet for Your Child Based on Their Age
When your child asks for a pet, your natural reaction may be to get a dog or cat, but it may not be the best pet for their age group. Luckily, Petfinder has a list of great pets for all ages based on their lifespan and attention requirements.
Even if you love animals, you don’t want to become your child’s default pet guardian after the honeymoon is over and you are trying to teach them the importance of responsibility. Here are Petfinder’s suggestions.
- Under 3 – Focus on introducing your child to your pets. At this stage, it is impractical to have a new pet.
- 3 to 5 – Guinea pigs are a good choice as they love to be handled and rarely bite or whistle when excited or happy. Your child can help fill a water bottle or food dish.
- 5 to 10 – Choose pets such as mice, rats, or fish. Children can help clean the cages with the help of an adult, although you should always check to see if the pets have food and water and the cages are secure.
- 10-13 – Your child is now ready to take charge of the dog, cat or rabbit. Your child can help feed the pet, walk the dog, clean the rabbit cage, and clean the litter box, but you should always check to see if the pets have what they need. Participating in dog training classes is a great learning opportunity for children.
- 14-17 years – Your child may have more time-related activities and less time with a pet. Birds or aquariums are a good choice. Remember that you will have a pet when it leaves for college.
You know your child best, so you have to be the final judge whether they are ready for the responsibility of a dog or a cat. Just remember how they handled other responsibilities and their schedule before adopting.
Pets as a gift: a good idea? | Petfinder