How To Get Your Child’s First Pet: Specific Types of Pets

In our previous article, we discussed the general pointers for how to go about getting your child a first pet, regardless of what kind of animal it is.  Here are some tips for more specific types of pets/

Dogs – Of all the pets, they require the most care initially. So, taking care of one is almost like taking care of an infant.  Certain breeds have certain temperaments. It’s important to match your child’s personality with the right puppy.            

Just like an infant, puppies poop a lot and even the best trained ones poop almost everywhere.  If you don’t know how to train a dog, hire a dog trainer to housebreak your puppy (about P300 a session).  Dogs also require daily walks for exercise and will also be a great way for you and your child to keep fit.  Long hair breeds like Cocker Spaniels and Shi Tzus need regular grooming or they end up resembling ragged mops.  It’s a good thing that short hair breeds (like our native askals) don’t need a trip to the pet salon.

 

Cats – This is one of the few animals you can actually pick up off the street and keep as a pet PROVIDED it’s either a kitten or extremely friendly AND you take it to the vet immediately.  The vet can determine if it has any illnesses or parasites and whether it can come home or stay at the clinic for a few days. 

Most kittens, once bathed and fed, will look presentable and in time, even a Pasay puskal will grow to look as pretty as a Persian.  

Also one of the simplest to look after, a kitten doesn’t need toilet training (unless you’re Robert de Niro in Meet The Parents—yes, training a cat to flush is possible, but it’s hard work).  Give her a clean litter box (plastic ones are ideal) filled with at least 4 inches of either shredded newspaper, sand and gravel or pet store kitty litter (the clumping kind solidifies cat pee and makes it easy to scoop out).  Drop her in and watch her paw at it.  From then on, she’ll use it as her personal outhouse.   

 

Click here to read on getting other small mammals and fish as your child's first pet.

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Read on getting other small mammals and fish as your child's first pet.

 

Other Small Mammals – Take note that certain small animals are very delicate and children may drop them or injure them accidentally.  Unless you and your child are truly interested in caring for them, these pets may not be ideal.

Hamsters, bunnies, gerbils and white mice must be kept in little cages.  Pet stores also have special toys with wheels and tunnels for them to explore.  It’s tricky getting a mated pair of rabbits as they tend to breed like, er, rabbits.  Unless you want your house to be a farm, stick to same gender pairings.  If you do want a big family, don’t touch the young ones—hamsters, gerbils and all such furries have the disconcerting habit of eating their young if touched by an outsider.

Turtles – Although hardy and long-lived, turtles do tend to stink up their water if it isn’t changed regularly.  Also, because turtles don’t create the emotional response that dogs and cats do, children do not remain interested in keeping turtles as pets for long.

Birds – Most bird owners pick breeds that do one of two things, sing or talk.  If you want your birds to sing, play music regularly. For a talking breed like a mynah or parrot, talk to it regularly.  Some can be trained to accept human contact like petting.  Be warned—if you get rare birds (ESPECIALLY if you get them illegally), you may have to register them at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources or risk a fine or imprisonment. 

 

Be aware that certain breeds of birds (parrots, mynahs and the like) can live for 60-70 years so it may really be a lifetime commitment to care for one.

Chicks, on the other hand, are too fragile for a child to care for and won’t last long in a house.  Full-grown chickens have specialized needs and unless you’re a sabungero, it may not be worth your while to get a chicken for your child.

 

Fish – Like turtles, they are less like pets and more like ornaments so children may tire of them eventually.  The most difficult part is aquarium maintenance—keeping the pH balance of the water they live in.  It may take a few months to get the mix right so if you don’t want mess it up, keep the pet store number handy.  Some stores are willing to home service an aquarium for a fee.  Don’t even think about getting a large tank if you aren’t willing to spend a lot of time and effort on getting it habitable.   

Hardy breeds such as sucker fish can be left alone for months without food but your average goldfish will keel over if you overfeed it or screw up its living water. 

 

Photo from sxc.hu