My child wants a pet, what do I do?

If you have children, you have surely faced (or will face) the request for a pet. Most children dream of a puppy or a kitten, and at first glance, it seems like a good idea. Baby animals are charming, the ideal image of love. However, if the great responsibility that it implies is not clear, it can cause great problems in the house and, worse still, many end up abandoned on the street a few months later.

Responsibility does NOT belong to the children

According to Dr. Fausto Reyes Delgado, Zootechnician Veterinary Doctor and director of the UNAM-Banfield Veterinary Hospital, there are advantages for children to have a pet, “humans are group animals”, he says, but there is a huge problem when people give children a living being.

“There are many people who think that it is good for children to have a dog so that they learn to be responsible, but the ones who have to be responsible are the adults, not the child.

The child has to play, he has to learn. It is the adult who has to educate the child on the care of his pet and mark how far he can and how far he cannot interact with it. If we don’t have those rules, if we don’t set those limits, we unfortunately see a lot of accidents where pets get seriously hurt”, he adds.

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Does your child want a pet? Visit the vet first!

Before incorporating a pet into the family, it is very important to visit the veterinarian. The specialist will guide you on which is the most appropriate animal according to the future owner’s economic and social capacities and time for it.

“Ideally, before a kid has a pet, both the child and the adult visit the veterinarian. That is something that usually fails”. What almost always happens is that the child wants a pet, the parents take it home and then go to the vet, but when they already have it.

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Not everyone is fit to have a pet

According to the UNAM veterinarian, the most serious problem that implies a great risk is that not all people are suitable to have a pet, they are not clear about the responsibility and commitment that another life means.

From the basic action of providing it with food two or three times a day, as the case may be, to providing it with attention, bathing it, giving it affection and investing in its health. Veterinary doctors ask five questions when families are thinking about getting a pet:

1. What do I want it for?
2. How much time am I going to spend on it?
3. Do I have space at home?
4. How much do I plan to spend?
5. Who is he going to live with?

“When you answer this questionnaire with the help of the expert, you will be able to identify if you can really have a pet. 50% of dogs and cats are in houses not because they are loved, wanted or well-cared, but for custom”, adds the expert.

It doesn’t have to be a dog or a cat

According to Dr. Fausto Reyes, dogs and cats are almost always the first options, but when you analyze the questions well, you realize that other types of animals, such as fish or a hamster that might be more convenient for you.

Opting for a dog? The specialist will also help you determine which one is best for your family. “If you want to have a dog, go ahead, but you have to pick the right one; if it gets along with children.

You have to analyze it before, but unfortunately it’s almost always the other way around.

Then you realize that the parents work all day, there is another person who looks after the children, but they don’t like dogs. Can you imagine the atmosphere?”, asks the director of the UNAM-Banfield Veterinary Hospital.

AN AGREED DECISION

A pet is a permanent commitment, so the decision must be consensual and involve all family members. If one does not agree, it is better not bringing an animal home.

Also remember that they will not be puppies forever. Many times as they grow, pets lose the attention of their owners, especially when it comes to tasks such walking or cleaning it. These are demanding tasks that must be considered. In addition to the above, there are many costs associated with having a pet, not just food and visits to the vet, when they get sick they may require surgery or hospitalization.

Having a pet is procuring another member of the family, a companion for many years; it has enormous emotional and social benefits for children, but it also involves a lot of work. Talk to your family, get advice from your trusted vet and make the decision responsibly.

Translated by: Ligia M. Oliver Manrique de Lara

Spanish version

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