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Just
what do you say to your kids when they ask for a pet? It is perfectly true that
growing up with a family pet can teach children responsibility and to develop
their social skills. Also cultivating good feelings towards pet animals helps
kids to develop a sense of self esteem and help them to establish trusting
relationships with other human beings. But before you give in to your kid's
demands for a pony, rabbit, salamander, kitten, boxer, python, or macaw, there
is plenty for you to consider.
The
first thing to keep in mind is that no matter how much your kid promises that
she or he will be the one to take care of the pet, some if not all of that
responsibility will fall upon you. That is an inevitable, inescapable fact. No
matter how good the child's intention is, there will be some, and perhaps many,
occasions when other things take priority in their minds and the pet is
unintentionally neglected. That is, the pet would be neglected if you were not
there to step in, because somebody has to.
Secondly a child may sincerely believe that the thing that they most want in the
world is a cute little black and white kitten, just like their best friend of
the moment has. The child has really convinced themselves that they want a
kitten, and a kitten will hold their interest for ever and ever. And so it
would, until their new best friend of next week gets a pet lizard which is just
sooo cool. So you will want to make absolutely sure that the pet that your child
is demanding will be a long term passion, and not just a fleeting interest.
It
will be a good idea to discuss the idea with the whole family. How do they feel
about yapping dogs, hair shedding Persian cats, squawking parrots? If one of
your children is allowed their very own pet hamster, will all of the child's
siblings demand a pet of their own too? Does anybody in the family suffer with
an allergy that would make sharing their home with a certain animal intolerable?
Is the
type of animal your child is asking for suitable for your family, and your
family's life style? A dog that needs two trips to the park every single day may
not be suitable for a family who is away from the house all day. And no matter
how much the child promises that they will walk the dog, there will be times
that they will fail to do so, (and times that you may not want them to, after
dark for example). Choosing pets for kids is not easy, often the type of pet
that they plead for would not be the best match for their age and experience
with animals.
You
should also consider cost. Not only the cost of acquiring a pet, but more
importantly the cost of taking care of it. All animals involve a financial
commitment, food, vet bills, pet care products etc. You don't want to acquire a
pet for your kid only to find that you don't have the financial means to keep
it. Small pets for kids often have less costs involved in looking after them
than larger pets do.
There
are many other things to consider when choosing pets for kids, but hopefully
this short article will have prompted you to think about the fact that buying an
animal for a child, is not the same thing as buying a kid a cell phone or a
bicycle. Pets are living breathing creatures, they need care, they need
commitment, they need love. |
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Each
day millions of pet owners worldwide search the internet for
pet supplies and
pet products, below is a list of the most searched and top selling pet products
in the world today!
Pet Beds
Designer Pet Beds, Heated Pet Beds, Cooling Pet Beds, Orthopedic, Memory Foam and More.
Pet Carriers
Pet Bicycle Carriers, Backpack Carriers, Travel Carriers and Airline Approved Carriers.
Pet Food
Nutro Pet Food, Iams Pet Foods, Hills, Holistic Pet Food, Innova Food and Pet Food Storage.
Pet Medicine
Pet Medication, Discount Pet Medicine, Pet Medicine and Pet Health.
Pet Doors
Automatic Pet Door, Electronic Doors, Staywell Pet Door, Patio Doors and Wall Mount Pet Door.
Pet Toys
Discount Pet Toys, Pet Shop Toys, Wholesale Pet Toys and More!
Pet Gifts
Pet Gift Baskets, Personalized Pet Gifts, Pet Lover Gift and Gifts for Pet Lovers.
Pet Gates
Extra Wide Pet Gate, Metal Pet Gates, Tall Pet Gate, Pet Safety Gates and Retractable Gates.
Pet Clothes
Designer Pet Clothes, Pet Clothing, Faux Suede Pet Clothing and Fashion Clothing!
Pet Strollers
Pet Gear Pet Stroller, Jogging Pet Stroller, Folding Strollers and Happy Trails Pet Strollers.
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