All kids love animals. Normally, kids between the ages 6 and 8 start asking the parents to buy a little kitten, puppy, guinea-pig or hamster – any pet just to have a funny animal at home.
Unfortunately, a lot of parents underestimate the role of experience with animals in kids` development and think that keeping a pet in the house is just an unnecessary and unwanted additional problem for them. But that’s not actually true!
Having a pet can be a rewarding experience for your kid because this is a key to your kid`s development as a person. A pet can teach your kid about dependability and responsibility with the right adult guidance. Caring for a living creature isn`t so easy thing, but as an added bonus, most pets give affection in return for the kids` loving attention. The most important thing is to choose the pet depending on the kid’s age, character and interests.
Here are the top popular small pets for kids that, in one way or another, make their owners happy and pleased.
Hamsters
The cute, busy hamster is nice as a pet. First of all, it’s a pet that’s fun to watch. The most popular are five species nowadays: Winter White, Campbell`s, Chinese, Roborovski and Syrian (the largest of these species). Usually, the lifespan of hamsters ranges from one to three years, but the Syrian hamsters live longer. Such a classic small pet is relatively easy to care. Hamsters can live in a small living space and it’s better to obtain same-sex pairs. Regular, tender handling fosters friendliness. But you should be careful as hamsters can bite, especially if they feel threatened.
Cats
Of course, it’s not a great secret that cats are the childhood favorites, especially when they`re small kittens. It sometimes happens that when the kitten grows and stops chasing a ribbon, your kid may be less interested in it. But cats need less care and attention than dogs and they are so funny and sweet!
Fish
A fish can be a good starter pet for a kid. There are two most popular types of fish – Goldfish and Siamese fighting fish (also known as Betta fish). You may seem that Goldfish is the most obvious choice, but keep in mind, that to raise Goldfish is more difficult than Betta fish. But you should realize that you can get only one Betta fish at a time as it`s a fighting fish and it will fight other fish.
Parrots
Parrots can be perfect caged pets. They are colorful, lively and so playful. Parrots are rather social pets, require almost daily attention and very affectionate toward their owners. They can live more than 80 years and can mimic human voices, as well as other sounds. But owning a parrot is more demanding, for example, than caring for a fish.
Rabbits
One more classic animal that kids ask to give on their birthdays is a soft and furry rabbit. So it’s really can be a cool present as rabbits commonly have very gentle and sociable nature. Generally, they do best when paired or grouped with other rabbits. Just try to pick out the rabbits of the same breed to avoid unintended breeding because there are more than 40 rabbit breeds recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association. They can live from 8 to 10 years, they are easy to raise and can be litter-trained.
It’s actually not so important what pet you buy for your kid. The main thing is to offer such an opportunity! Caring for a pet can be a positive experience for your kid, anyway, because any small animal is a living creature and requires regular care and attention. Thus, a pet will provide your kid useful daily lessons about responsibility, selflessness and self-restraint.
Resource: https://catspurfection.com/