Life | Thinking Of Getting A Pet For The Children?

Every now and again Toby will ask Jamie and I if we can have some kind of pet. So far he’s asked for a dog, a cat and a fish. Now, it’s not that I don’t like animals but I’m really not an animal person.

The closest experience I had to owning a pet was when my youngest brother brought home the class hamster for the weekend, and I couldn’t have been less fussed if I’d tried. I don’t think it helped that when I was growing up we were living next door to the lady who’d take in every cat off the street, and then some. I think these two reasons combined is probably why I don’t ‘get’ how pets become that extra family member, and why the thought of actually owning a pet isn’t one that would ever cross my mind.

However, I’m wondering if one day soon I’ll have a change of heart and possibly give in to my kids as Jamie says I so often do. I realise there can be so many benefits to having a pet; teaching responsibility, some find them comforting, reassuring and they can be a best friend to anyone. Having said that, how do you go about actually choosing a pet for a child?

I think we’d probably have to start off with something small and relatively low maintenance. I think the key thing for any pet, should anyone choose one, is that it fits in with their lifestyle.

A Fish?

Fish aren’t particularly needy, the children could feed it every day and it would mean I don’t need to take it out for a walk in the evening in the pouring rain. It would probably give the boys that first sense of responsibility and I could leave it at home without worrying if I need to come back and let it out to use the toilet.

This would likely be the most favoured option if we were to ever consider getting a pet.

A Dog?

I’d be way more likely to consider a dog over a cat, but it wouldn’t be right for us right now. There’d be lots of training involved, we’d need a lot of time and space and fitting in regular walks every day would just about finish me off I think!

Then there’s the whole would we get a puppy, or would get a rescue dog question? What kind of breed? The questions are endless. Some would say our children are at the perfect age for us to introduce a pet but I don’t feel like they’re at the age where they can accept that taking on a pet is a huge responsibility, and I’m sure they’d likely get bored once the novelty had worn off.

A Horse?

You probably think I’m mad for even mentioning a horse when I’ve said I wouldn’t consider getting a dog at this age, but all of my children love the outdoors and being active and horses are suited best to those kinds of people.

I know of people who have used horses for therapy to overcome mental illnesses, people who own horses because they love them but I don’t think we’re there just yet. Ted in particular finds it fascinating when they’re out on the roads, he’ll always point them out and tell me what’s happening.

The thing is I could probably wing any other pet but horses require much more professional guidance and help. After coming across Spillers guide to laminitis while having a look at potential pets, I just know I’d be way out of my depth, much to the boys’ disappointment I’m sure.

At the end of the day, choosing a pet is all about what’s best for you. Thinking about how much space you’ve got, how much time you’ve got and what level of dedication you’re willing to put in, as well as if you can afford pets. You’ll need to consider how old your children are and what their personalities are like amongst everything else.

Pets aren’t right for us right now. I don’t know if they will ever be right for us; I might surprise myself and have a change of heart, you never know. Having said that, it doesn’t mean I haven’t looked at what we would or could choose as a pet that would suit us all.

I’d love to hear your ‘pet’ background, if you’ve had any!

*This is a collaborative post.