Should I Buy My Child A Pet?

The decision to get a pet for the first time when you have children can be a confusing one. Most children go through periods where they desperately want an animal - especially if they've never owned one before. Having a child beg you daily for a pet can wear you down, and cause you to act hastily without fully considering the reasons for and practicalities and ramifications of owning a pet. While pets can be a wonderful learning experience for children, and can bring joy into the lives of children and parents alike, there are several factors you might want to consider prior to actually obtaining one.

* Is it practical?

Manhattanites are not known for having vast expanses of space within which to operate. Are you thinking about an animal that's appropriate for the amount of space you have? Will the addition of this animal make it cramped or difficult to function? In addition, practically speaking, the more cramped you are, the more likely it is that even small, caged animals will awaken you in the night with their noise, however slight it may be. One mother told me that it was like having an infant again - she was being awakened several times a night by her daughter's new hamster - sometimes it was banging its water bottle on the cage, other times running in its wheel. Because she lived in a studio apartment, there was no place she could put the hamster at night that was out of earshot. She admitted that she hadn't thought through the practicality of owning a pet prior to purchasing one.

* Are you an "animal person?"

Sometimes parents get an animal because their child has desperately begged and pleaded for one. Carried away by visions of kittens curled up cozily on rugs, warmly lit by a roaring fire, or by puppies quietly asleep at the foot of one's bed, they fail to take into consideration whether they themselves enjoy animals. This is a crucial factor. When a pet of any sort comes into your home (be it a hermit crab or a golden retriever) your children will look to you for cues as to the kind of treatment it should receive, the kindness it should be shown. One family reported that they had a cat which urinated all over everything - furniture, shoes, rugs. The parents became increasingly, and understandably, angrier and angrier. While never inflicting any physical harm upon the animal, they spoke disparagingly of it, talked to and about it rudely, and basically hated having it in the house. In short, their anger got in the way of appropriate role modeling. It would have been far better for them to not have had the cat at all. Before you bring an animal into your home, make sure you're willing to experience both the joy and the frustration that it might bring.

* Will the pet belong to the family, or to your child?

If you're getting an animal for your child to own, as opposed to a "family pet," consider your