Parents Guide: Choosing Your Child's First Pet (Kindle Edition)
By Eric Tompkins
Review & Description
Have you been thinking that your family is ready to get a pet? Wondering what pet would be the best “fit” for you and your kids? There are several things to keep in mind when considering a pet. You need to factor in the cost of the pet, temperament of your children, ease of care, your family’s lifestyle, and lifespan of the animal. Below you will see common types of pets that you might consider for your kids. At the top of each category, you’ll see the type of pet rated on these different factors from one to five, with a total score for each pet type. Below that, you’ll find a description of the pet, including general care instructions. At the end of this article, you’ll find additional resources to check out before making your final decision.
When deciding whether or not to get a pet for your family, please keep in mind that children may not be ready to have a pet before age five or six. Some children younger than this may be appropriate in owning a fish, for example. However, children as old as four may still want to pull an animal’s tail, paw, claw, or ear from curiosity, and may not understand that this can injure the animal. With any child, it’s important to prepare him or her for pet ownership. Near the end of this article, you’ll find a section titled, “Getting Ready to Bring Your Pet Home.” Please refer to this section for more information about preparing your child for pet ownership.
Keep in mind the possibility that a family member may have allergies to a particular kind of animal. If the person has not had much exposure to a particular kind of animal (ex: chinchilla), the allergy may not present itself until the animal has been home a few days. Allergic symptoms can vary from itching to wheezing and difficulty breathing, hives, or even anaphylactic shock in extreme situations. It is important to be clear on the return policy of the store or person from whom you are buying your pet in case allergies do present themselves. Also, many animal shelters offer hypoallergenic rooms in which you can meet a potential pet to make sure it doesn’t trigger allergies. They are also a valuable source of information about pet ownership. There are a few pets included in this report that are essentially “non-allergic.”
Have you been thinking that your family is ready to get a pet? Wondering what pet would be the best “fit” for you and your kids? There are several things to keep in mind when considering a pet. You need to factor in the cost of the pet, temperament of your children, ease of care, your family’s lifestyle, and lifespan of the animal. Below you will see common types of pets that you might consider for your kids. At the top of each category, you’ll see the type of pet rated on these different factors from one to five, with a total score for each pet type. Below that, you’ll find a description of the pet, including general care instructions. At the end of this article, you’ll find additional resources to check out before making your final decision.
When deciding whether or not to get a pet for your family, please keep in mind that children may not be ready to have a pet before age five or six. Some children younger than this may be appropriate in owning a fish, for example. However, children as old as four may still want to pull an animal’s tail, paw, claw, or ear from curiosity, and may not understand that this can injure the animal. With any child, it’s important to prepare him or her for pet ownership. Near the end of this article, you’ll find a section titled, “Getting Ready to Bring Your Pet Home.” Please refer to this section for more information about preparing your child for pet ownership.
Keep in mind the possibility that a family member may have allergies to a particular kind of animal. If the person has not had much exposure to a particular kind of animal (ex: chinchilla), the allergy may not present itself until the animal has been home a few days. Allergic symptoms can vary from itching to wheezing and difficulty breathing, hives, or even anaphylactic shock in extreme situations. It is important to be clear on the return policy of the store or person from whom you are buying your pet in case allergies do present themselves. Also, many animal shelters offer hypoallergenic rooms in which you can meet a potential pet to make sure it doesn’t trigger allergies. They are also a valuable source of information about pet ownership. There are a few pets included in this report that are essentially “non-allergic.”
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