by Janet Farricelli CPDT-KA

Created on: March 24, 2009

''Mommy can we keep it?'' As a parent you may end up one day facing this challenging question and you may have a hard time making a decision. As much as you would love to say yes, as your child and the pet pull at your heartstrings, your mind on the other hand may be pulling the brakes. Of course, when this happens you may be quite unprepared, so the best approach would be if you could have a nice chat with your children. The topic of this special chat? Responsibility.

It is not that uncommon for children to be very excited about adopting the pet the first week and then as time goes by, their interest may start fading away, leaving mom or dad to be the ones to taking over the pet's care. As a parent, you do not want this to happen. If you have doubts, talk to your child. Ask what chores your child is willing to take care of. Be wary of children answering that they will play with the dog and make sure it is entertained enough.

Good answers will be: I will walk, feed and pick up after my dog. Ensure that your child is serious about it and ask if they are willing to do so long term. It may be hard for children, especially smaller ones to be able to commit to long term responsibilities. If you are considering adopting a cat, bird or ferret they should answer that they will feed and clean their litter or cages.

Pets are a great way of teaching children responsibility. Children will learn to respect animals and show emotions such as compassion and empathy. They will learn that there will be consequences for their lack of care. Their dog may poop or pee in their room if not taken out on time and their fish may get sick if the fish tank is not properly cleaned.

However, very small children may have a hard time accepting pets and respecting them. Children under 8 may still treat pets as animals and may endure in not so nice treatments. They may be unable to grasp the concept of inflicting pain and that the puppy or kitten suffers from their treatments. This is the age also were children are very likely to be bitten or scratched by an irritated dog or cat. Close supervision is highly recommended even with the most docile pets.

Children and pets make great combinations. However, in order to work out well, the child must commit to take an active role in the pet's care. When this happens, both parents and children will really get to enjoy their new addition, hopefully for many more years to come...

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