Pets and children

How old do you think is the appropriate age for a child to get a pet? I see parents give their young children puppies and kittens all the time, and I worry about the little ones, both child and animal. How old were you when you received you first pet?

 

It depends on what you mean by "pet for a child" I think you have to be adult to HAVE a pet with all responsibilities that it brings. Because most of the kids and teenagers can't fulfill the obligation on regular basis. But of course it depends on the child and there's definitely no such thing as a proper age for that.
However, I was 2 when my parents took a cat. Then 5, when they took a dog. They were not my pets, though. My first pet I got when I was around 9, it was a rabbit. I did care of it but you know.. it was really hard for me.

 

I was just a young girl when I got my first puppy sparky. I was ask to give him up due to the fact my grandpa had just lost his wife, and needed companionship. I learned something valuable that year. I know this young experience taught me all about sacrifice. I think the movie Beethoven is a great example about how learning to take responsibility for a pet can be a great thing.

 

I have always had pets and was taught responsibility early on. I would have to wake up super early to feed my rabbits. I remember it was so cold there was ice on our grass, but I had to suck it up and go feed the bunnies out back before school. My mom said that if I wanted them, I would have to feed and clean their cage.

 

I was about 4 or 5 years old when my brothers started bringing stray cats home. On the way to school, on the way back from school, or when they went out to play in the evening... my brothers took care of them - fed them, bathe them, and made sure the house was clean. All the cats slept outside, as had a huge garden and stoop. I think about 6 years old, they taught me how to care for the cats. My parents never had a lot to do because we were the ones that wanted the cats, so we made sure we did everything.

I consider my cats, mine, thus I don't expect my stepchildren to clean after them, but they do it out of their own. The kids wanted a pet of their own but given that they are only with us every other weekend, it's best that they talk to their mother to have one over there. They can always play with Snowy and Azzario whenever they visit us.

 

I have not really had a pet of my own until I was in college, my junior year to be exact. However, this dog was so much responsibility that I could not keep up with him and going back and forth to school. I hated that he had to stay in his kennel majority of the day. So I finally sold him to an elderly woman who wanted a pet. It is tough caring for an animal. It is just like a child, they need lots of attention.