6 Child-Friendly Pets for Your Family
With little children, pet care lies on the parents, at least regarding essential priorities like food or baths. Choosing child-friendly pets doesn’t have to be difficult.
All pets need dedication
Teaching your child how to love and to respect animals is one of the best things you can do. Choosing child-friendly pets has to be a family project. That’s why you need to plan and think carefully.
Child-friendly pets to choose from
It’s important to take into account how much time the pet will spend alone. For example, if the family isn’t home a lot, it’s not advisable to keep a dog as a pet.
Dogs, loyal companions, need a lot of attention. They could develop an anxious or aggressive behavior by being alone or tied up all the time.
This is why it’s better to focus on child-friendly pets that take less work and that can adapt to the family’s schedule. You’ll find some alternatives below.
Cats
Cats only need water, food and a litter box, which needs to be cleaned once or twice a day. They’re much more independent than dogs and can ration their water and food better.
Cats don’t need to be taken out for walks, but will go outside on their own if there’s a terrace or backyard available. Important advice: neuter them as soon as they turn 6 months old.
Fish
Kids can really love fish. They’ll need a good fish bowl with enough space to swim freely.
Fish eat once or twice a day and your child can do this by themselves. Important advice: keep the fish bowl clean, do this once or twice a week.
Birds
If you’d like to teach your child about respecting animals, maybe a caged bird isn’t a good idea.
If you made up your mind, give the bird any required treatment it might need. Some are more delicate than others. Too much sun or wind can damage these fragile animals.
Hamsters
Hamsters are recommended for children older than 6 years old. They can be a great alternative for a child-friendly pet.
You’ll need the right cage, a wheel, and other accessories for them to hide or exercise. Food is important too. A hamster’s cage is usually filled with bedding and should be cleaned every three or four days.
Reptiles
Some kids might like reptiles as a pet. Among our recommendations, there are certain types of lizards, turtles, and, to a minor degree, snakes that you can choose from.
Lizards and snakes aren’t recommended for smaller kids.
Insects
Another unconventional type of pet is insects. Building a little ecosystem for a pet spider, for example, could be interesting to do for a 10-year-old. Anthills could be great for children between 7 and 12 years old.
In conclusion, if you’d like to have a dog, take into consideration its breed. Some breeds like poodles, pugs, French bulldogs, or Maltese, are great child-friendly pets. Anyhow, don’t leave your puppy alone with your child. If the owners won’t be around, you could adopt a dog over 2 years old.