The first thing to keep in mind is that no matter how much your kid promises that she or he will be the one to take care of the pet, some if not all of that responsibility will fall upon you. That is an inevitable, inescapable fact. No matter how good the child's intention is, there will be some, and perhaps many, occasions when other things take priority in their minds and the pet is unintentionally neglected. That is, the pet would be neglected if you were not there to step in, because somebody has to.
Secondly a child may sincerely believe that the thing that they most want in the world is a cute little black and white kitten, just like their best friend of the moment has. The child has really convinced themselves that they want a kitten, and a kitten will hold their interest for ever and ever. And so it would, until their new best friend of next week gets a pet lizard which is just sooo cool. So you will want to make absolutely sure that the pet that your child is demanding will be a long term passion, and not just a fleeting interest.
It will be a good idea to discuss the idea with the whole family. How do they feel about yapping dogs, hair shedding Persian cats, squawking parrots? If one of your children is allowed their very own pet hamster, will all of the child's siblings demand a pet of their own too? Does anybody in the family suffer with an allergy that would make sharing their home with a certain animal intolerable?
There are many other things to consider when choosing pets for kids, but hopefully this short article will have prompted you to think about the fact that buying an animal for a child, is not the same thing as buying a kid a cell phone or a bicycle. Pets are living breathing creatures, they need care, they need commitment, they need love.
About The Author
Larry Chamberlain lives in London, England, and has had a lifelong fascination with domestic cats. His web site - http://www.best-cat-art.com - provides information about all that is best in cat art. Also pages about cat and kitten care and information on cat breeds and types.