o/t Mixing young children and animals

The thing I have realised with pets is, children lose interest quickly and you end up cleaning, feeding and looking after it. With cats they are loved when small and as they get big people lose interest. With dogs it's the "who is going to take it for a walk?" with other animals it's one thing or another. I had a cat, dog, bird, fish and rabbit as a child growing up but they were all my siblings pets. My mum ended up looking after them as all interest was lost. I love animals but I personally don't like pets in the house as how ever much you wash a cat or dog they smell and make the house smell.

Everyone has different views on it, it's just about what you can tollerate and are prepared to do.
 
i say get a fish.
my kids wanted a hamster, played with it for about 2 wks and lost interest so gave it to sister in law.
they begged for a puppy, after ages we gave in and the same thing happened. didnt think it was fair that the puppy didnt have any1 to play with so we gave it away. all we'd get now is fish.
they want a different animal every week but theres no way.
 
Think very carefully about it as a pet takes a lot of care and is a responsibility. A pet will give lots of pleasure and teaches kids about responsibility as well.
 
I don't have kids, but, new pets are actually a lot more of a shock to the system than you think they'll be (I'm talking dogs/cats) - they feel like little invaders making everything dirty & over complicated. Totally worth it though once you're used to them! But, get ready to do all the work, even if you do plan on delegating some of the responsibility...

Hannah
 
i think it depends, like the others have said, do you want the pet, or is it for the kids? if its for the kids, then yes, you will end up looking after it! but if you want one and just wonder if it's good for the kids, then i wholeheartedly say its wonderful for kids. my family have had dogs all my life and it teaches your kids so much, a bit about responsibility and caring for it, about life and death, about being kind to animals, always gives them something to play with/look after, dogs in particular are good exercise of course... on and on we go.

but pets can be expensive, and smelly, and heartbreaking when they go - but they give so much joy too! lost our family dog early July and my mum's house now feels totally empty and dead too.

big decision hun xxx
 
Back
Top