As children start to get older one of the great ways to teach them about responsibility, putting others first and life in general, is by getting a pet which they can love and help to look after. But the last thing you want to do is end up with an animal which requires constant attention to keep it healthy, or needs regular expensive vet treatments to keep it in top condition. So here is a compilation of the top five easy to keep pets which your children will love.
Fish
Many children start out with a very simple to keep pet such as a goldfish in a bowl. While fish as pets may not be quite what they had in mind, it will teach them responsibility in terms of remembering to feed it and keep the bowl clean regularly, while being an inexpensive addition to the family. Just make sure they don’t over feed the fish and end up polluting the water, but one of the nice things is this is a pet they could easily keep in their bedroom as it makes no noise and watching it swim around could even help them get to sleep. If you want to move on from a goldfish then why not buy a fish aquarium and fill the fish tank with all kinds of different fish, delighting the children with their colours and relaxing movement. While an aquarium might require a bit more attention in terms of temperature and water maintenance, fish are still very easy pets to keep.
Guinea Pigs
These much-loved rodents are easy to look after and can even be kept outside in a hutch if you have a warm, dry shed for them to shelter in from the weather. They can be friendly and children will love cuddling their guinea pig and getting to know him/her. Other than regular feeding and keeping the cage clean, these are relatively easy animals to keep and will quickly become much loved characters. Just be aware they can be quite noisy sometimes!
Budgerigar
If you prefer your children to have a feathered friend, a budgerigar could be the perfect pet for them. They can be trained to talk and chatter and also to sit on your child’s shoulder and fly to them, so they can become a very personal and responsive pet. Again, feeding them is fairly simple and cleaning out the bottom of the bird cage is not a difficult job so a budgerigar could make a really nice colourful and friendly pet for your children.
Rescue Dog
If you want to give an unwanted pet a new home with your children then try an old rescue dog. You need to make sure the dog is happy with children first, but if you choose an old one who is house-trained already, you won’t have to go through all the stress of puppy training and they should be relatively easy to look after. As long as your children are happy to feed and love the dog, the only other requirement will be taking him/her for regular walks which can become a great family outing and a way for everyone to enjoy owning a pet.
A Hamster
Slightly lower maintenance than a dog, would be a hamster! As long as you have the right cage, these creatures can be tamed to be friendly and come out of their cage to play with your children safely after a while. They are easy to feed with most supermarkets stocking hamster food, and the cage just needs regular cleaning. The only issue with hamsters for younger children is they only live for about two years, so if you have a very sensitive child they might not be the best choice. It’s worth bearing in mind that hamsters are also nocturnal and love running on their wheels for exercise – so not the best pet to keep in your child’s bedroom as it will disturb their sleep, but certainly a furry friend they will love and care for.
As you can see, if you are planning to add a furry, feathered or finned addition to the family for your children, there is a wide variety of pets you can choose from, that are low maintenance (until they need a visit to the vet!) and easy to look after. The best way to choose the right pet is to consult with your children as to what they prefer, just in case they are scared of birds or have a rodent fear! But then match a pet with their personality, so if they like to be quiet and chilled an aquarium full of fish to watch would be perfect, whereas an active child who wants to run around outside would be better off with a dog to walk daily.
