Apart from being cute and cuddly, a pet can teach your young ones important lessons about routines, rules and responsibilities. Here are our recommendations for family pets to consider.
Any parent who’s ever walked past the front of a pet shop with a child knows the irresistible lure of puppies and kittens. And any parent who’s gone home with one of those adorable balls of fluff can also tell you that, apart from endless love and affection, they need feeding, cleaning, training and, in the case of dogs particularly, exercise. Much like a child, really.
Four in five Australian families will have a pet at some point. Apart from the pleasure they give, pets are important as they give your child early lessons in the skills they will need as they mature towards being an adult, including communication, a sense of empathy and how to nurture.
The benefits are far reaching too, with university studies showing that children growing up in a home with pets develop better social skills and have higher self-esteem. And importantly, in a time when childhood obesity is a worrying problem in Australia, kids with pets are also more likely to be physically active. Research also tells us that fit, lean kids have a higher chance of staying that way into adulthood.
Here then, are our picks of your pets. Whether your taste runs to fur, feathers or even scales, there’s something here for everyone.
DOG
A perennial favourite, a dog will win all family members over with its unconditional affection. While less active members of the family might prefer a Cocker Spaniel or Cavalier King Charles Spaniel on their lap, for young ones, you want a ball-chasing, walk-hungry dog who will also collapse exhausted on the living room floor for an appreciative cuddle afterwards.
Those outside adventures also bring responsibility, as it’s illegal to let your dog leave its mess behind in public places and it should be the kids’ job to make sure that doesn’t happen. And your kids’ ‘chore chart’ on the fridge (you do have one of those, don’t you?) will mean there can be no argument about whose turn it is to feed and water your panting, furry family member or help out when it’s bath time. And unless you get a short-haired variety, dogs need regular baths!
Best choices for kids: Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Poodles and Beagles.
CAT
Buyer beware: though they match puppies in the irresistible stakes, kittens do grow up quickly and, in some cases, as adult cats, lose the infectious playfulness that so entrances young children. Cats also have a mind of their own and where dog affection is unconditional, for cats, affection is doled out as the mood takes them. On the plus side, this independence means that they look after themselves to a large degree, burying their business and keeping themselves clean.
Some experts recommend keeping cats indoors at all times, as their inbuilt hunting instinct means they’ll go after native animals. At the very least, it’s responsible to keep cats locked in at night.
Best choices for kids: most experts agree that Burmese make the best family pets, ideally in a pair, as they’re intelligent animals and easily get bored alone. A good-natured, almost ‘dog-like’ cat, the Burmese is an affectionate and playful addition to the family.
BIRD
A great option if space is at a premium in an apartment or small house, birds can still provide hours of amusement for children and are reasonably low maintenance. The ever-popular Budgie will delight with its ability to mimic words and sounds and is very social in nature. Though they keep busy in their cage, Budgies need exercise and it’s recommended that you let them have the run of the house for an hour or so a day, after securing the windows and doors. Again, giving children the job of ensuring your bird gets back into its cage safely is a nice way to instil a sense of responsibility.
Budgies can live for up to nine or 10 years.
Also recommended: Cockatiel. An Australian native, at around 30cm in length, the Cockatiel is a bigger bird with a personality to match. They thrive on interaction with their owners and reward them with a great deal of affection. They’re also a long living bird, in some cases up to 20 years.
FISH
The easy first-pet option here is the ever-popular goldfish, which is cheap to buy, requires only a small fishbowl and is easy to look after. If your child is allergic to other animals, a fish can be a great solution.
At the other end of the spectrum is the large home aquarium, which can cost plenty of money but also add immeasurably to any home, especially when stocked with brightly coloured tropical fish.
Also recommended: Turtle. Though it’s illegal to keep native turtles as pets in Australia, pet shops sell species that are able to be kept, the most common being the Eastern Longnecked Turtle. Its tank will need an area of water deep enough for the turtle to immerse itself, plus areas of rock for the turtle to bask on, a favourite pastime. Turtles are also very temperature sensitive, preferring an enclosure at between 22-25ºC. A heat lamp can help achieve this in colder months. There is a risk of salmonella through contact with turtle faeces, so children should be careful to wash their hands after contact. For this reason, turtles are a better option for kids over five.
Make sure you’re fond of the turtle too, because the kids will leave home long before it’s time to bid your turtle farewell: the Eastern Longneck can live for up to 35 years.