The Best Pets for Kids

By Jacob Mabille

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Having kids is one of the best things in the world. Seeing them happy and enjoying usually gives us a very satisfying emotion. We always want what is best for our kids. So what if your kid desires to have a pet? Do you think he or she might be too young to handle such a responsibility of raising and taking care of the pet? Well, this is good news for you; several pets are suitable for young kids now. They can act as your kids' companion and playmate. Pets can also help your child develop the virtue of being responsible and caring.

When choosing your kids' pet, take note of the characteristics so it can match your kids' characteristics and behaviors.

Here are just some kinds of pets which your kids will love to have:

1. Dogs

For overly active children, dogs are a good recommendation for pet. They can be good playmates for your kids. They can go jogging together or just walk along the park. They can be your kids' best friend as dogs would love to do activities with kids.

2. Cats

These cuddly pets are nice and suitable for kids who would love to just stay at home. Cats are not as active as dogs and they can be easily cared for.

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written by Cay, October 28, 2011 12:11 pm

This list is rather concerning - many of these pets are not appropriate for young children! Turtles and other reptiles commonly carry salmonella and young kids will not understand the importance of immediate hand washing after touching the turtle or its habitat.

Not all dogs are good with kids and no dogs should be allowed unsupervised with kids. While cats may be appropriate for quiet, gentle kids, they may be scared by and scratch or bite overactive, rough kids.

While fish can be nice pets for young kids to watch, goldfish should not be kept in bowls or small tanks - they need lots of space to grow. Betta fish are much better options for small tanks or bowls.

Most pet birds will bite and while younger kids may enjoy watching them from outside the cage, tweens to teenagers are more appropriate to directly handle birds.

Guinea pigs can make good pets for kids 4 and older. Hamsters are better for older kids that can handle them safely as they tend to bite.

I'm not even going to discuss the pony...

Maybe this list is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek and I just missed the point, but if not...

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written by Varanid, January 03, 2012 04:31 am

This is truly awful. I'm a reptile keeper--I've kept various species of herpetofauna since I was 12-13 (I'm 27 now). Turtles are a lot of work--more than most snakes or lizards, and they're very long lived. My great aunt has a red ear slider (which is the most common aquatic turtle in the pet trade) that's ~35 years old and going strong.

There's lots of acceptable non-conventional pets that are fine for children, but most turtles would not be on my list.

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written by Varanid, January 03, 2012 04:33 am

Oh, and as far as the cage not being big? My red ear slider lives in a 5x2x2 stock tank. They get fairly large and are active and need a fair amount of space. A large female will need 100+ gallon tank (and there's no way to sex them when they're young--the visual indicators are easy, but only when they're older).

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