Should You Buy that Pet for Your Child?

A question that most parents ask themselves is if they should get their child a pet. Growing up, I had all kinds of pets. At one point, I had at the same time a hamster, a parakeet, two dogs, and some cats. I have always been on the side of allowing a child to have a pet. But then, I grew up. And I realized that the answer to that question is very complicated.

1) Some pets are easier to care for than others.

The truth is that there are some things that a child simply cannot do themselves. For example, if you have a hamster in an aquarium, the odds are pretty good that a small child won't be able to lift it in order to properly clean it. I know I couldn't lift mine to clean it when I was ten years old. And it isn't fair to the hamster to have it in a small cage because it's easier to clean. Hamsters can make bad pets because they are nocturnal. When they are running in that wheel all night, it makes it hard for the child to sleep. Any pet that stays awake all night shouldn't be kept in your child's bedroom.

A fish aquarium in your child's room sounds nice in theory. However, fish aquariums can be complicated considering they require the measurement of chemicals. And fish are very easy to overfeed and kill too. When I had a fish aquarium in my bedroom as a teenager, I had to unplug it every night because I couldn't sleep with the pump vibrating on the counter. This was really bad for the fish and it was terrible that I did that.

Most kids want a dog. However, a child cannot properly train a dog. And some breeds outgrow small children, meaning the child may be too small to walk the dog once it is grown. The child could be pulled into traffic or hurt another way. Dogs are better as family pets rather than being the kid's pet.

2) If you do buy your child a pet, it needs to fit the child's age.

There is a reason that some humane societies won't adopt pets to people with children under five years old. No matter how nice and well-meaning the child is, children just don't know how to treat animals. They hold them too tightly, drop them, etc. And some pets are just plain inappropriate. I've seen people buy pet birds for small kids. Birds are delicate and it's a bad idea. Their wings have to be clipped, and sometimes, their nails have to be clipped too. They have to be fed fresh fruits and vegetables... It just isn't possible for a child to do these things.

The number one thing that most people do not consider is that the child may go to college when they turn eighteen. Most college dorms do not allow pets. Now, some students do sneak them in and they almost always get caught. In my area, local veterinarians complain that college students dump off their animals at their offices after closing with a note stating that they can no longer care for their pet because the dorms closed for a holiday or the summer.

Some animals live for a really long time. And buying your child a pet that will live for a long time is an unfair burden to place on your child. They shouldn't have to choose between their pet and living on a college campus. And what about when they move out? Most likely your child will be renting their first home. And the poor animal shouldn't have to be handed off to strangers or the humane society because the child grew up.

The truth is that most parents end up caring for the pet. Whether it is because the child won't do it or the child simply cannot. But before you buy your child a pet, you have to realize that the animal is a living being that deserves respect. This means that as the parent, you're going to have to make sure that it is taken care of properly even if you have to do it yourself. But if you're already middle-aged, and it's a pet that may outlive you, who will care for it?