Why You Shouldn't Get a Pet for Your Child

So your child has finally asked a question that all children seem to eventually ask: "Mom... can I have a pet?" Your child wants a dog, cat, rabbit, bird, snake, or some other pet. At the moment, your child is swearing that they will absolutely care for this pet for the rest of its life. Your child says they'll do all of their chores, get good grades, or anything else that will make you happy. Should you really get your child the pet they're asking for? Some pets live a long time. Children often lose interest. Bringing an animal into the home isn't something to take lightly. Pets are living creatures, not toys that you can place in a drawer when your child is bored of them. Below are some reasons why you should not get your child a pet.

Teaching Your Child Responsibility

Many people say that pets are a great way to teach children responsibility. If they give their child a pet, the child will have to step up to the plate and be responsible. I completely disagree with this. People are always saying that humans are so much smarter than animals. If you as a parent cannot teach your child responsibility, how exactly do you expect an animal to do your job as a parent? Pets don't teach your kid responsibility, that's your job. Teach your child responsibility by truly thinking through this decision, even if in the end that means that no pet is coming into your house.

Pets are for Life

Some pets have long lifespans. Others have lifespans that don't seem especially long to adults, but will seem longer to children. When you bring an animal into your home, you are making a commitment to care for that animal for its lifetime. That commitment doesn't end because your child got bored, doesn't have time to care for the animal, or went off to college. Ultimately, the responsibility lies on you as the parent. If your daughter gets bored with her pet snake, are you willing to care for it? If your son goes off to college, leaving his cat behind, will you feed the cat? Even some pets with shorter lifespans can pose problems. If you are allergic to hamsters, but agree to one because they only live approximately 3 years, think about how long 3 years seems to a child. If your child is 9 years old, 3 years is a third of their life so far. Have they stayed interested in anything that long? If you personally wouldn't care for the pets should your child lose interest, don't bring pets into your home.

Pets are Living Creatures

When your child doesn't spend time playing with a toy, it doesn't matter. When your child doesn't feed the dog, that's neglect. Pets are living creatures and their needs must be met. Animals must be fed, watered, and provided with a clean area in which to sleep and live. In addition to basic care needs, your pet also needs to see a vet when ill. Don't expect your child to recognize signs of illness. You personally need to be on top of the care. Letting your child do some tasks when supervised is fine, but you personally should be watching the health of that animal. It's not a good lesson for kids to get a pet, miss a sign of illness, and then have the pet die because you were negligent. If you aren't going to be able to supervise to ensure that the pet's needs are met, don't bring a pet home.

There's No Such Thing as a Free Pet

Your child may have told you that they should be able to have a pet, because they've found one for free. Perhaps they've found a free puppy available somewhere. Maybe they even found a free guinea pig that comes with supplies. No matter what anyone tells you, there is no such thing as a free pet. That "free" pet will still need to eat. Even if the pet comes with a cage or enclosure, perhaps later in your research you'll find that the cage is insufficient so you must buy something better and larger. The biggest cost by far with a lot of pets, will be the vet bills. Are you willing to take the free rabbit to the vet should it become ill? And to be neutered if the previous owners neglected to do so? Are you willing to take that free kitten to the vet for vaccinations? Think about how much money you can realisticly budget for a pet. Even if you and your child would both love to have this pet around, if you can't afford it, it doesn't teach your child a good lesson to bring it home. It's not acceptable to take in a free pet and then mistreat and neglect it just because it didn't cost you anything initially. There are several ongoing costs involved in having pets and you should be able to take care of the pets' needs if you wish to have pets.

Family Pets vs. Children's Pets

Getting a pet for your child is different than getting a pet for the family. Having children doesn't mean that you can't also have pets. Many people have children and pets, with neither children nor pets being neglected. If everyone in the family (or at least one parent) will care for the pets, that's fantastic. Your child can learn responsibility by seeing your good example. Children can help out with pet care while supervised, so that you don't have to worry about the pet being neglected. Perhaps your child will lose interest, but maybe they won't. Perhaps by keeping them involved in the pet care, rather than making it seem like a chore, they'll stay interested. When your children see how the pets must go to the vet when they're sick, they'll remember that and consider their finances when they are out on their own and decide they want a pet. Keep pets in a family area so that everyone can enjoy them and benefit. If more people are passing by the pets each day, that gives the pet a better chance that someone will notice if the water is running low, if they're out of food, or if they're sick. Don't confine a pet to your child's room, or you may end up not checking on the pet enough. If at least one parent is going to take responsibility for the pet, perhaps pets are for your family.

While your child may be disappointed if you end up deciding against a pet, your child's disappointment is a small price to pay. If you get a pet without thinking it through, that pet may end up paying with its life. Children develop new interests and start new activities. Your child might seem very interested right now, but then when they're a teenager, dating or hanging out might become more interesting. Pets are living creatures and can't simply by put away when no one has time for them. Pets need to eat whether or not your daughter is sick this week, in a basketball game, or out on a band competition. If your family wants a pet, that's fantasic. If the pet will be for a child, think again.