2014 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS MAGAZINE LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com November 26, 2014 23
According to Stevens, “the
parents [should] realize they
will be the people caring for
the pet even if the child says he
will be responsible.” Kids need
education and understanding
on pet care, such as proper
feeding, or when to give them
exercise, or take them to the vet.
Unfortunately, that takes time
to sink in, meaning parents will
likely have to take care of the
pet initially.
Caged pets come with an extra
caveat in the form of an extra
chore every week; cleaning their cage, or
in the case of some, tank. Parents today
have a hard enough time keeping up with
home chores and getting kids to clean
their own rooms, let alone anyone else’s.
On a related note, kids are known to want
something just to say they want it, play
with it twice, and quickly move on to
something else. A dog or cat will not stay
ignored like the other toys on the shelf,
and a caged pet still needs some kind of
stimulation to be healthy, even fish are
known to respond to stimuli of human
interactions.
Furthermore, some children are not so
gentle with their belongings, and a pet
will not always respond well to that. It is
unfortunate that in these moments, the dog
or cat is sometimes blamed instead. One
would think that a small child pulling on
their ears would make anyone upset.
“Small children and pets do not always
make a good fit. Parents get upset when
a dog or cat scratches or nips a small
child, but often times the pet is telling
the child to leave him alone. Toddlers
are notorious for pulling, tugging, and
generally bothering dogs. Some will
take the ‘abuse’ and others will not,”
says Stevens.
Continued
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