Tips for choosing pets for children - overview and descriptions of all options

What kind of pet should I get for my child?

Before you decide to purchase a four-legged friend, you need to think through everything down to the smallest detail, especially when it comes to the issue of keeping an animal in the house, since instead of positive emotions from communicating with an animal, you can get a lot of different problems. In addition, you need to discuss its purchase with all family members, they all should not be against it.

If someone in the family does not want to have a pet and speaks out against buying it, then the pet is unlikely to bring much joy to the child and the rest of the family. You also need to decide in advance on the type of animal and its breed. Since, depending on these characteristics, it will be necessary to select a special diet, care and living conditions. When deciding on these factors, you should take into account not only physical, but also financial capabilities.

When the type of pet is chosen, you need to decide on its age. Animals in childhood, of course, are cute, funny and will immediately attract the attention of the little one, but adults require much less attention and from the first day of being in the house they will become the best friend and helper for the little one.

Before purchasing a fluffy dog, you should choose a good doctor in advance, because if the animal gets sick, it is his knowledge and experience that will help him get better. Remember that the death of a pet can be a serious psychological trauma for a child.

After finding out the preferences of all households, responsibilities regarding caring for the animal should be distributed among them, thus many problems can be avoided and all of them can be adapted to the new family member.

Specific recommendations for the optimal choice of animal

If you want to raise a sociable child, then buying a cat is your best choice. Such an animal will make your child more balanced and calm. Rodents can teach a child to be more attentive, because the animal is small in size and does not require special care. During communication, you need to control your actions so as not to cause harm.

Birds will instill patience in your baby, especially at the stage of learning new words and actions. For nervous children, newts, frogs or fish are suitable. They will teach the baby to observe and contemplate. To cultivate perseverance in a child, it is better to give preference to a turtle or iguana.

Remember that the animal itself is not capable of raising a baby. But you can direct your child’s energy in the right direction, show him what needs to be done and how. And then the baby will figure it out on his own and find a way to train the right human qualities.

Who to choose as pets for children?

It is extremely rare for children and pets to not find a common language, since animals love to constantly play with children, and children with their furry friends. This means that friendship will arise between them from the first day. There is no clear idea at what age children should get a pet, so having one is allowed even before the baby is born. For a child, any animal can become a friend, since kids not only love to play with furries, but also observe their life and everyday life.

Scientists have proven that children growing up next to animals are much more restrained; they lack aggression, which is replaced by kindness and the ability to sympathize with others. It is for this reason that an animal in the house will bring a lot of positivity and will allow you to raise a strong personality who knows what kindness, honesty and justice are.

Age categories

• Dogs - it is best to buy a dog with a reserved and docile character. It could be a collie, boxer or St. Bernard. However, if the animal will live in an apartment, then it is better to give preference to small breeds, such as French bulldogs or poodles. Experienced dog breeders advise choosing an animal in a special club, as there you can learn about the character of pets of various breeds and choose the best option. If the prestige of the animal does not play any role, it is best to get an ordinary mongrel. They practically do not get sick and have an easy-going and kind character;
• Cats - a kitten, as soon as it crosses the threshold of the house, will immediately become everyone's favorite. However, at the same time, you will have to monitor him very carefully and not allow the little one to remain alone with the animal, otherwise either the animal or the little one risks being offended by his play partner. For a home where a newborn baby is born, you should choose an adult cat that can be adopted from a shelter. An animal living in such conditions will be very grateful to its savior, so it will become a reliable and faithful friend for its owner. If we talk about the breed, then you should not buy a Sphynx or Siamese for a child, as they have a very capricious character and vindictiveness. It is better to choose a calm Persian or a completely outbred pet;

Decorative rabbit

• These good-natured and beautiful animals require careful care and increased attention. They constantly look after their fur, but at the same time they are not able to digest fur that has entered the stomach, so they should be systematically given drugs to remove it. You can get such a pet for a child aged five years or older. This is due to the fact that rabbits are sensitive and have a fragile skeleton, so the animal can be easily harmed;
• Birds - the type of bird you choose should take into account the age category of the child. You can buy small budgies for a child of any age, but you can buy a large bird for an already grown-up child, since despite their beauty they are very characteristic, they peck painfully, bite and can injure the baby.
• Hamsters or guinea pigs are very obedient and docile animals that will play with the baby with great pleasure. However, they will not tolerate rudeness, and if they are tormented, they will begin to bite and scratch. Such a pet will need to purchase a special house or cage;
• Decorative rats - rats are distinguished by their lively mind and intelligence. In addition, they very quickly find contact with children who are simply delighted with them. The rat does not require special care, as they clean their own fur and place of residence. Despite their unusual character, they are trainable and quickly become favorites of all households. You can get a rodent starting from the age of three;
• Turtles - these pets are quite rare, as they are rarely found on sale. For a child, a turtle will not be of particular interest, because it spends half its life sleeping and is practically not awake.

Your child should not have reptiles, spiders, lizards or iguanas. Such exotic pets are suitable only for adults. Their presence with a child under the same roof is not only categorically inappropriate, but also very dangerous, since these pets are often poisonous and communication with them can be fatal.

Cat

Cat lovers claim that these are the best animals for an apartment. They purr and cuddle, to say nothing of the incredible abilities of cats to relieve pain and stabilize a person’s psycho-emotional state. Tactile contact with this animal and its chest rumbling relieves nervous tension and eliminates depression.

It is worth noting that cats are less demanding to care for than dogs. They can walk on their own, and if the pet is litter box trained, then there is no need for walks at all.

If you are choosing which pet is best to have in an apartment, you should learn about the disadvantages of keeping a cat:

1. Characteristic smell. Often, cat owners simply get used to it. It is important to clean the tray in a timely manner; this is the only way to avoid an unpleasant odor. Modern hygiene products for cats in the form of cat litter effectively absorb odor and prevent it from spreading throughout the apartment. If the animal is marking its territory, castration is the best solution.
2. The main disadvantage of keeping a cat is damage to household property and repairs. We are talking about a cat’s irrepressible desire to sharpen its claws. Walls, carpets, upholstered furniture, etc. are used. Some owners are saved by special devices on which the animal is taught to sharpen its claws, however, it does not always save.
3. Wool that gets everywhere, even into hard-to-reach places. In addition, the cat will have to be constantly combed to get rid of at least a little hair. If your pet likes a shelf in the closet for sleeping, you should take care of rollers with adhesive tape for clothes; there is no other way to get rid of the hair.
4. Not so significant disadvantages are: vaccinations, cat care products, collars, toys, etc.

Ferret or raccoon

If you don’t want cats, dogs, rodents and birds, and you don’t know what kind of animal to get, then the choice may fall on a ferret or a raccoon.

This is no longer uncommon in recent years! Tame animals are very cute and attractive; their playful disposition makes them actively move, run, jump and hide in secluded corners, exploring the surrounding space. Their curiosity is insatiable, so you can catch them in the most unexpected places. Sometimes this is very amusing, and sometimes it becomes a big problem, because you have to constantly monitor the ferret.

Despite its cute appearance, the ferret is a predator and relies more on its sense of smell than on its sight, so it may not notice heights and fall. Among other things, they, like cats, love to tear up furniture and carpets. If the ferret has not played enough in the evening or has not walked around the apartment, most likely, early in the morning he will wake up the household with noise and mayhem in the cage.

Before you decide to get a raccoon, you should make sure of the possibilities of keeping it. This is an animal that is not able to live comfortably in a small apartment. He needs a spacious enclosure and a walking area. To do this, you can select a separate room in which the housing itself is installed, wires are removed, as well as heavy and breakable objects.

Training a raccoon can be very difficult; during the breeding season, they instinctively begin to mark their territory, filling the room with an unpleasant odor. It is quite problematic to teach a pet to go to the litter box, which cannot but affect the sanitary component.

A raccoon is a wild animal, you can't take that away from them, so they can scratch or bite badly. It is impossible to wean him from this habit. Moreover, in nature they are nocturnal, and therefore in captivity they are active at night.

Spiders

Some people are so eager to be different from others that they even choose the most original creatures, such as spiders, as pets. Which animal is better to have in an apartment? For these purposes the following types will be used:

• tarantulas;
• Chilean pink tarantula;
• Mexican red-knee tarantula.

A terrarium for a spider takes up very little space; provided the temperature and humidity are optimal, it can even be kept in a container. On average, one individual requires a container of approximately 25 by 25 cm. When it comes to food, spiders are completely unpretentious: they are fed with insects, which can be purchased at any pet store. Young individuals need food every other day, but adults need food once a week.

Tarantula spiders are poisonous, however, the poison of most of them is no more dangerous than that of bees. As a rule, they never attack without a reason, but if this happens, everything will be limited to itching and a slight increase in temperature. But we must not forget about more dangerous species. On average, tarantula spiders live 20 years.

An important nuance that spider owners should know about is molting. During this period, it is not recommended to disturb a particularly defenseless creature. But after it, the spider becomes larger, brighter and returns to its usual way of life.

Iguana

If you are tired of ordinary pets, want something extraordinary and are wondering what kind of pet to get, then you should pay attention to exotic individuals. These include, for example, the iguana. This is a herbivorous reptile that attracts attention with its unusual appearance.

To maintain it, you will need a terrarium, in which a certain temperature and humidity must be constantly maintained. Therefore, when choosing an exotic animal, you should be prepared for significant financial costs.

It takes a long time to tame an iguana. She needs to be picked up, stroked and even talked to more often. Despite the fact that this is a cold-blooded creature, it requires a lot of attention and warmth. Food for a lizard is not cheap; in the warm season you can feed it dandelions, herbs, seasonal fruits and vegetables.

The iguana's terrarium needs to be washed daily, just like the iguana itself. Sometimes you can let her walk around the apartment, but under the condition of constant supervision, since with her powerful claws she can cause considerable damage to property. When kept at home, the lizard can reach two and a half meters in length and live for about 20 years.

Fish

At first glance, this is an ideal pet for a child - no need to walk, does not make noise at night, cannot bite or scratch, and does not cause allergies. But you also need to carefully care for the fish: do not forget to feed them on time and in a balanced manner, and regularly clean the aquarium. But in general, this is a good option when the child is happy, and parents do not have to clean the apartment from fur or feathers.