How to Decide if Your Kids are Ready for a Pet

Your kids have been bugging you for a pet for ages and you have been telling them, "When you are responsible enough." Are they? Here are some ways to tell if your family is ready to take on the added responsibility of a pet.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Are your children old enough to take care of themselves? By this I mean can they brush their own teeth, get dressed themselves, get themselves a drink or snack without help from you? If they are capable of doing these things on their own, they might be ready for a pet.

2. Do your children mostly do what they are told? If you ask them to clean their room, will they do it without too much complaining? What about take out the garbage? Do their homework? If you can manage to get through the day without fighting about everything you ask of them, they might be ready for a pet.

3. Do they understand what having a pet truly means? Do they know that they will have to feed it every single day? Clean up the poop in the yard? Take it for a walk? Clean out the cage? Change the fish tank water?

4. The best indicator if they are ready is to borrow a pet from someone. Borrow the same type of pet they want and take care of it for a week. A neighbor's dog or cousin's cat... friend's turtle or guinea pig. Let them see what it really is like after a week of taking care of the animal. If they do a great job and still want one of their own... chances are you will be more than ready.

Tips & Warnings

• Pets are expensive no matter how you look at it. Even healthy pets cost money in food, treats, housing and vet bills. Make sure you know the realistic cost of having a pet before buying or adopting one.

[willbt]

on 9/12/2009 http://www.BorrowAPet.org was created to help facilitate exactly what this is suggesting.