Children and Pets

My Cat Creature Winking

Picture this: A young boy of about 9 running through an overgrown hay field with his black lab faithfully running behind him or a little girl having a tea party in the front yard of her suburban home with her best friend Molly the green parakeet on the back of the chair opposite her. Seeing this would help you understand why a child should not miss out on a pet.

There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a child spending quality time with their pet. It is magical to watch the way they interact with the animal; Petting, talking with, and hugging on their best friend.  So what makes pets great for kids? Pets are incredible educators for children in many ways. Pets are ambassadors to friendship, responsibility and compassion. These are important characteristics that every parent wants their child to learn and grow up with. There are many pets out there that may seem well suited to be kept by children but the truth is there are many things to consider when bringing the proper animal into our homes.

Many of the same questions we ask ourselves before bringing one home are the same for children but with more emphasis. One huge aspect of a child’s pet is the ability to hold and often times cuddle with their newfound friend. So which pet is suiting for your child? 

Starting a child off with a pet can often times be challenging because things like space, affordability, and amount of care are imperative factors in the decision. A child’s age is another aspect to take into consideration as well. Most children between the ages 4 and above have potential to enjoy a pet without harming them or the animal. This of course also depends on the child’s maturity level. 

There are 7 pets, exotic and domestic, that I find is suiting for children around this age group.  While there may be others, these seem to fit most children and adults. 

·      Leopard Gecko- This reptile is hearty and meek in just about every aspect of its husbandry. Children can carry them around on their shirts as they play around in the house or apartment. These lizards do not need UVB as they are nocturnal. Which means they only wake up at night. Heating is essential but not as demanding as some other reptiles. Leopard Gecko’s are insectivores devouring any cricket or mealworm their eyes are aligned upon. 

·      Bearded Dragon- These particular lizards aren’t too difficult to keep as long as you maintain their heating requirements. While “Beardie’s” are relatively small when born they will reach lengths of about 1.5-3 feet. Like the Leopard Gecko’s they are also insectivores. For temperament, you couldn’t ask for a better lizard. 

·      Dogs- All dogs make wonderful pets for children but, I would stay away from the smaller breeds as the child may unintentionally injure them. I personally grew up with a Black Labrador that we named Crazy because he would partially swing inside our tire swing. He sure was something else. I loved that dog.

·      Ball Pythons- If the child loves snake then this python is a great fit. It doesn’t get as huge as most pythons do. Nor does it come with the aggressive nature that others do. They are hearty in that Ball pythons are forgiving in less than perfect habitat settings (Not Recommended) like if a heat light is cut on for a day, they are not likely to get sick. 

·      Cats- Cats make great pets for a number of reasons. The biggest is they are low maintenance. Most will be happy if left alone and fed. Plus there are some breeds that act like dogs in their personalities. An example is the Angora. These particular cats are known for learning to play fetch.

·      Parakeets- From green to yellow to blue, parakeets come in a variety of colors. Just like their colors vary so do their personalities. These perfect little parrots can learn to mimic and do tricks. While they can be a bit on the messy side, they can be quite affectionate. The secret to keeping these beautiful birds happy and healthy is a clean water bowl, food daily, and out of a drafts way. 

·      Fish- For a child that isn’t the touchy, feely type then maybe a Betta Fish would suffice (Thanks Kathy Hollis). This is a great starter pet because they are not expensive and they are easy to take care of. An interesting fact, as a person watches fish in an aquarium that persons’ stress level decreases. So they are not just great for kids, they may even be good for you!

As the time comes when your child wants a furry scaly or feathery friend, you will have some insight into which pets are suitable for them. Hope this helped.

 Hope you enjoyed the Post!

Questions or suggestions email me at James DWard24@gmail.com

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Exotics vs. Domesticated Pets

While most people don’t realize that more people are attacked and fatally wounded by domesticated animals more than exotic pets. Most would argue that it is in part because of the popularity of domesticated animals. This is sort of true but looking at the numbers shows a different story. National Geographic reports: more than 20 people in the past ten years have been fatally injured by pet pythons in the United States (http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/wild/community/blogs/inside-wild/_pet-python-attack). That number might seem quite large but when compared to Man’s Best Friend isn’t quite as stunning. There were 33 fatal dog attacks just in 2010 (http://www.dogsbite.org/bite-fatalities-2010.htm). 

There reason for this is most canines will stand their ground when confronted and snakes will usually cower away. Reptiles see animals bigger than them as dangerous so why would they waste their time and energy fighting when its easier to conserve that energy for a meal and run away. Rover don't have to worry so much about energy expenditure because he's fed by us. The interesting part is the media doesn’t report dog attacks as often as a python attack. This makes me wonder why? 

 Could it be that dog attacks are just more common? I think so. Things that don’t happen that often are appealing to the media because it gets viewer attention. Exotic pets have lots of potential to be quite dangerous but with proper education and responsible pet owners they aren't as bad as some might think. The secret to good pet ownership is prevention and education. This is a practice that should be drilled into every pet owners mind. Preventing by locking cages, socializing your puppy, and many more.

One thing that is definitely preventable in most exotics is Stupid Feeding Errors (SFE’s). These errors are made when feeding snakes, monitors, and other carnivorous pets. A good example is feeding a python inside its cage. This allows the snake to assume that any time the cage door opens it could be time to eat. By feeding the python in another area this can be prevented.

Exotics get a bad rap. Some exotics shouldn’t be pets for everyone but others aren’t as bad as the media make them out to be. I think exotic or domesticated animals both have the potential to be dangerous. In the end Man’s Best Friend is no more docile than a properly contained python. 

I can recall many times throughout my life keeping reptiles that I have made a mistake and gotten a nasty bite. I didn't blame the animal for what happened, I held myself responsible for it. I remember a time when Rocky my African Rock Python, who already had an attitude problem, took a good bite into my hand. The reason he had done so was because I was feeding the other pythons that I had and went into the cage with the scent of a rat on my hands-an SFE. So it was only natural for him to attack it. I never blamed him and continued to love him everyday after that.

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