Children and pets

If your children are keen to help with the care of your pet, it’s important to teach them how to look after them properly. To become a responsible pet owner your child will need to learn about all aspects of pet care, both the pleasant and the not so! The responsibilities of caring for pets also teaches children important life skills. Spending time together will help them to form strong bonds, and they should soon become the best of friends. However, to keep both the pet and child safe and happy, make sure there is always parent supervision.

When handling a pet, it’s important that the handler knows how to hold a pet properly. This will prevent accidents and injuries from happening. If the pet is not being held correctly, it may feel at threat of falling and wriggle around, scratch or bite in an attempt to escape. Some animals, such as rabbits, do not generally like being handled and find the experience quite stressful, and large dogs and even some medium or smaller dogs, depending upon the age and size of the child, are not suitable or safe for children to pick up and handle.

Regardless of the species or age of the child, it is always best for a child to sit on the floor with their pet. If size allows, the pet can be held on the lap (small dog or cat for example) but if not, teach your child to sit next to them when giving them attention, such as stroking them and offering a favorite treat. When holding a pet, their bottom should be constantly supported. This will help to prevent the animal from falling or causing an injury to themselves, which can be serious. If the pet needs to be moved, it should be done by an adult and not by young children to prevent accidents. Most animals won’t sit still for long, so handling sessions are best kept short. Don’t handle animals when they are trying to sleep, feeling ill or eating as this can result in behavior that is out of character, and may lead to an accidental bite. Frequent handling will get the animal used to being touched and held and will strengthen the bond between your child and their pet. Encourage your child to move about slowly and to be as quiet as possible so as not to scare the animal.

Animals have specific dietary needs that need to be followed to prevent health issues like diarrhea, obesity, toxicity and poor nutrition. Some human foods including chocolate, grapes and raisins are fatal to some animals. As a blanket rule children need to be taught why they should not feed their pet food from their own plate or leftovers. If your child wants to help with the animals at dinner time, get them to help measure out the food and put it in the bowl, slow feeder or whatever you use to feed your animal. You can also let them give pet treats, especially if they are helping with training, but make sure you don’t give too many or your pet will gain excess weight and may not eat their food. Make sure your children know not to approach their pet while they’re eating and always supervise during mealtimes. Some animals can be very defensive about their food (known as food or resource guarding) and may growl and attempt to bite if a child tries to take the food away from them.

Every animal has different grooming requirements, and many aspects are not suitable for children to do. If your pet needs brushing, this is something your child can do if shown how to first, but very young children should not be allowed to undertake this. When being brushed, the animal should be on the floor or on the child’s lap while they are sat on the floor. The hair should be brushed in the direction of growth to prevent any discomfort to the animal. Other aspects of grooming like teeth brushing, bathing and nail clipping, should be done by an adult but a child can assist if it is safe to do so and depending upon the age of the child. Grooming a pet is a great way to bond with them.

All animals need exercise and mental stimulation. This element of pet care is where your child will thrive, as children often have lots of energy, and love to play. An animals’ playfulness and energy levels vary with species, breed and age. Fetch and chase are both great games for kids to play with their pet dog, but it is important not to overdo these as they can lead to joint problems. Other games, such as hiding pieces of food for the animal to sniff out, are also good.

Walking a pet dog (or cat) can be great fun for children, but if you’re letting a young child hold the lead, make sure you have another one attached to hold on to as few children will be able to control a dog. Even a small dog can lunge on their lead, potentially causing the child to fall over or let go of the lead, which could lead to all sorts of problems, like the dog running into a road, getting involved in an altercation with another dog, or chasing wildlife.

Children can also get involved with training their pet and teaching them to do tricks. This is a great way to build up their friendship and will be fun for your child and their pet.

Children must never be allowed to sit or lie on an animal, even a dog and should always be under supervision when playing and interacting with animals in case the play becomes too rough and potentially dangerous.

If you have rabbits, guinea pigs, other rodents or even reptiles then their enclosures will need cleaning out regularly. You may have a cat that has indoor litter trays, which will also need cleaning. Depending upon the age, a child may help the adult with these tasks, but they must always wash their hands and preferably wear gloves. Very young children, who are likely to put their fingers in their mouth, should not help with this task.

If a pet is feeling uncomfortable, in pain, scared or threatened it will display warning signs. Their body language will alter from a relaxed posture to a more hunched position. They may vocalize their discomfort or bare teeth. Other signs are more subtle, so can be easy to miss if you are not aware what to look for. They may make themselves appear smaller by crouching low to the ground or they may try to hide and get away.

Teaching kids to leave their pet alone when it displays these behaviors is extremely important. This will help to prevent any injuries from happening to both your pet and your child. Biting is often a last resort for an animal, if they have been unable to escape or scare off the threat, so it’s essential to make sure your child is aware of all the important warning signs.

Young children do not understand the concept of responsibility. To them animals may seem like toys, and they can lose interest quickly when they become bored of them. Therefore, it must be the adults in the household who are fully responsible for the pet, which will be for their entire life. Do not get a pet if you expect your child to care for them and for you to have little involvement in their care!