In the US, over 60 percent of households contain at least one pet. This means that most children grow up with a domestic animal of some description to love and cherish. Owning a pet – whether it’s a dog, cat or rabbit, can be a highly rewarding experience. Not only that, but it can also have many benefits for yourself and your children.
Pets can be a calming influence and can help to comfort and reduce stress levels. Bigger pets, such as cats and dogs, have evolved to become attuned to human emotion and will do what they can to offer comfort when needed. Studies have even shown that having a pet to love and care for can help to make managing behavioral disorders like ADHD, easier.
There’s a lot more to having a pet than companionship, that’s for sure. Pets have so much love to give and can make a great addition to your family. Just as long as it’s the right time to add a pet to your home and you choose the right one, that is. To help ensure that you make the right decisions when it comes to adopting a pet, below are some useful tips and handy advice to take note of.
Take your family’s lifestyle into account
Photo sourceYour children may be obsessed with dogs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that getting a puppy is the right option for you. A pet is for life, which means that you need to think carefully before taking on any animal. Because once you’ve added a pooch, kitty, or hamster to your home, not being able to keep it will break yours’ and your children’s hearts. Giving a pet away to a shelter may also leave it with behavioral issues.
So before you add a pet to your family, you need to take your lifestyle into account to ensure that it’s a good match. Say you work full-time which means that no one is home for six hours a day unless you’re willing to get a dog walker, a dog is a no-no. A cat, however, could be a suitable option, as long as you’re willing to get a cat flap, that is. Are you an active family – dogs need at least two walks a day, so if you’re not, a smaller pet might be a better option. Think about your lifestyle and how a pet would fit into it.
Think about your kids’ ages
Children and pets can be the best of friends. However, younger children and pets aren’t always a good combination. Toddlers, for instance, have a tendency to play too rough with pets. Of course, some younger kids are great with animals, but it’s still important to take their ages into account. To see how your kids are with pets, take them to visit with a friend or relative’s pet.
As a rule of thumb, small pets like rabbits and hamsters aren’t suitable for children under four because they can be too rough when handling them. Dogs, however, if they’re a gentle breed, can make a good pet for families with kids over three. The same applies to cats – they’re normally fine with children over three. Just as long as you teach your children to be gentle with them and respect them, that is.
Do the math
Image creditA pet is a financial commitment, and it’s important to realize that. From the cost of purchasing them to the price of their pet insurance and food bills, pets don’t come cheap. You need to sit down and work out what money you have spare each month, to ensure that you can afford to look after them. The last thing you want to do is adopt a pet only to have to give it up because you can’t afford the cost.
As a rule of thumb, smaller pets like rabbits and hamsters tend to be cheapish to keep – costing under $100 a year. While cats tend to cost a few hundred dollars each year to care for, and dogs can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on the breed. If you need a more precise annual cost, visit your local veterinary practice – they should be able to help you get a more accurate price.
Should you adopt or buy?
There are thousands of unwanted pets that are desperate for a good home, so adopting is worth thinking about. However, the downside to adoption is that most rescue pets are older, and many have behavioral problems. And so, aren’t suitable for families with kids. Of course, by adopting an adult pet, they will already be house trained, making the transition to a new home easier. The best thing to do is ask your local shelter whether they have any child-friendly pets for adoption, and then you can go from there.
If you decide to buy a younger pet instead of an older one, you still need to take the time to do some digging. Each breed of dog has different personality traits, for instance, so you need to be choosy about the pup that you go for. Say, for instance, you decide that you would like to add a Yorkie to your family. Before you do you need to read up on them and the things to look for when buying a Yorkie. The same applies to all dog breeds (and cat breeds for that matter), to ensure that you are buying from a reputable breeder.
Can you commit for the long-term?
Picture from PixabayLast but not least, ask yourself whether you can commit to a pet for the long-term. This is important, as pets can live for up to 20 years, depending on the type of pet, so you need to be sure that you can look after them for that long.
Think about where you want to be in five years, ten years, 20 years even, and consider if a pet is part of your life plan. If it is, then go ahead and add your pet of choice to your family. Just make sure that you can commit to them for the long-term.
There you have it, everything that you need to know about choosing the right pet for your family’s lifestyle.
