Eagle DNA

Posts Tagged ‘Children’

It should go without saying that there is no such thing as a totally safe pet for children. The younger the child, the more vigilant you should be with their interactions with the family pet, no matter how sweet and trust worthy that pet has been. Of course you think that you have the best-behaved dog or cat in the entire world, but would you really be willing to bet your child’s safety and health on it?

Make sure that your child knows how to approach all animals, whether they are their own pets or not right from the very start. Teach your child to respect their animal friends, and you will minimize trouble for everybody. Introduce the pet and the child as early as possible, but separate the two at the very first sign of anxiety for either party. Let your dog or cat sniff baby’s foot, but do not allow them to make move toward the face or neck area. (It might actually be easier to allow the pets to sniff belongings that the baby has used before he even comes home.) Once baby is on the move, make sure that the pet has a room to escape to whenever he feels the need to do so. Some dogs will realize that your noisy, tail-pulling toddler is a nearly constant source of easy food, so he may put up with far more than you ever gave him credit for. Remember though, doggy might have allowed an hour of tail tugging fun yesterday afternoon, but tonight it is ten minutes tops, so watch closely.

The jury is out on what constitutes the “best” pet for children. On one side of the fence are those who say that it is the independent cat; perfectly happy to allow themselves to be observed from a safe distance, and occasionally deigning to allow a small sticky hand to give them a pat. On the other side of the pet fence are the dog lovers, who claim that no childhood is truly complete without the lapping tongue of a four-legged pal. Of course, there are those people who suggest that the best pet is no pet at all, but let’s ignore those people, shall we?

For apartment dwelling children, smaller pets are the best, and are, often times, the only choice. Fish are beautiful and relaxing to watch, but do not really give the whole pet experience. Small birds can be trained to sit on a gentle finger, but are susceptible to colds and drafts and are messy beyond belief, something you might consider if you are a true neatnik. The rodent family offers many different types of options, some better choices than others. Rats are smart, if you can get past the fact that they are, well, rats. They can also be surprisingly affectionate and are rather easy to care for. Not ready to swallow your loathing of rats? Guinea pigs are another option to consider- less rat-like, the sweet natured guinea pig can be a really great first pet for most children to start with. The only thing to remember about them is the need for daily vitamin C to prevent scurvy.

Researchers at Warwick University in Coventry found that having a cat or dog at home exposed children to more infections early in life produced a stronger immune systems and are less likely to have days off school sick. While research with preschool children, psychologists at Oregon State University found that teaching children to care for a puppy enhanced their social skills becoming more cooperative and sharing. 

Pet Health benefits for Children

Studies have shown a lower incidence of allergies in children who have pets. Researchers also found young children exposed to one or more pets actually had decreased allergic reactions to other allergens. The supposition is that given that pets lick the children, (and who hasn’t seen that happen!), and bacteria from the pet hone the child’s immune system for exposure to future allergens.

Research has shown that antibody levels in children from pet owning families were significantly more stable which indicates a robust immune systems. This supports the suggestion that too much cleanliness early in life, so-called “dirty hypothesis”, can leave the immune system weakened later on and is considered the reason for soaring rates of childhood asthma in recent years.

Further

Pets do have health risks for children but the study from Warwick University found that three out of 10 children admitted sharing food with their pets while 21% let their pets lick their fingers despite these dangers. One of the biggest risks is the roundworm Toxicara canis which infects dogs. This can cause anything from stomach ache to eye damage. Despite these dangers pet owning children achieved nine days extra at school over the course of a year compared to children without animals.

Social skills in Children with Pets are improved

Children with Pets learn Responsibility

Most children love animals and will usually start asking for a pet. Allowing them to have one can depend on many factors including where you live, how much time you have to give to a pet and your child’s maturity level. Is your child ready for a pet? Does he display real interest in an animal friend, or is it just the latest whine-de-jour? How does he handle responsibilities? Does he complete his age appropriate chores or is it a constant struggle to get him to do anything? If you cannot get him to pick up his dirty drawers, will he really feed, water and clean up after a pet?

Apartment dwellers are often drawn to the exotic pets because they are small and relatively easy to care for. Before starting to look at actual animals, make sure you know your child’s temperament and level of commitment to the idea and then narrow down the search. Find the right category of animal first and then start looking. Your search should take you to a reputable pet shop where a knowledgeable salesperson should take the time to match your child to the right pet, and not just try to make a fast sale. Make sure that you know what kind of equipment your new pet will need to stay happy and healthy before even heading down to the pet shop; some pets will be far more expensive initially than others.

Understand that while the child is the one that is asking for this pet, you will ultimately be overseeing its care, and potentially taken over full time. With that in mind, you will want to consider if you will be able to tolerate the chosen pet. If you are anti-snake, and your son has refused to clean the cage, what will you do? Also, consider the pet’s diet before allowing him to become part of your family. Snakes for instance, eat rodents. Will you be able to handle that? Will it be too intense for your child?